Question about vivitar 285 zoom thyristor flash

**hjoseph7** · 10-01-2020, 05:30 PM - **1 Like**

To feel safe and secure I would use one of these amazon.com : Wein Products W990560 (SSHSHS) Safe-Sync Hot Shoe To Hot Shoe, Black : Camera & Photo?tag=pentaxforums-20& . I use these with my Metz potato-mashers and my Vivitar 285/283's...

Lord Lucan · 12-01-2020, 04:47 PM

Originally posted by ssssss

I just got a vivitar 285 zoom thyristor flash (Not 285hv). Can I use it on K1 Mark2? I am not sure if it is high volt or low volt.

No, don't use it, it is high voltage. According to Photo Strobe Trigger Voltages :-

Quote:

Alan Latafat Correa checked with Vivitar and they clarified:
The 285HV has a voltage of 12V. The 285 has a voltage of 350V

Originally posted by hjoseph7

To feel safe and secure I would use one of these..[Safe-Sync]...

That is paying a lot of money just to use an old flash unit. You could buy a boxful of safe 285V's or other equivalent safe units from Ebay for that money, and with the change you could buy a digital multimeter https://cpc.farnell.com/tenma/ten01061/multimeter-digital/dp/IN05460 to check them anyway.

I would not even keep a high voltage flash unit in the house along with my modern DSLR, in case anyone "helpfully" (my kids perhaps after I've gone senile or snuffed it) tried it on the camera. In fact I threw one away that my father had left behind. It just is not worth the risk.

**hjoseph7** · 12-01-2020, 04:59 PM

Originally posted by Lord Lucan

No, don't use it, it is high voltage. According to Photo Strobe Trigger Voltages :-
That is paying a lot of money just to use an old flash unit. You could buy a boxful of safe 285V's or other equivalent safe units from Ebay for that money, and with the change you could buy a digital multimeter https://cpc.farnell.com/tenma/ten01061/multimeter-digital/dp/IN05460 to check them anyway.

I would not even keep a high voltage flash unit in the house along with my modern DSLR, in case anyone "helpfully" (my kids perhaps after I've gone senile or snuffed it) tried it on the camera. In fact I threw one away that my father had left behind. It just is not worth the risk.

Mostly I use these old flash units with my old film cameras, or I use them off-camera....

12-01-2020, 04:47 PM	#17
Lord Lucan Pentaxian Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: South Wales Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,961	Originally posted by ssssss I just got a vivitar 285 zoom thyristor flash (Not 285hv). Can I use it on K1 Mark2? I am not sure if it is high volt or low volt. No, don't use it, it is high voltage. According to Photo Strobe Trigger Voltages :- Quote: Alan Latafat Correa checked with Vivitar and they clarified: The 285HV has a voltage of 12V. The 285 has a voltage of 350V Originally posted by hjoseph7 To feel safe and secure I would use one of these..[Safe-Sync]... That is paying a lot of money just to use an old flash unit. You could buy a boxful of safe 285V's or other equivalent safe units from Ebay for that money, and with the change you could buy a digital multimeter https://cpc.farnell.com/tenma/ten01061/multimeter-digital/dp/IN05460 to check them anyway. I would not even keep a high voltage flash unit in the house along with my modern DSLR, in case anyone "helpfully" (my kids perhaps after I've gone senile or snuffed it) tried it on the camera. In fact I threw one away that my father had left behind. It just is not worth the risk. Last edited by Lord Lucan; 12-01-2020 at 04:54 PM.

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10-01-2020, 05:30 PM - 1 Like	#16
hjoseph7 Site Supporter Join Date: May 2014 Location: Minnesota Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,046	To feel safe and secure I would use one of these amazon.com : Wein Products W990560 (SSHSHS) Safe-Sync Hot Shoe To Hot Shoe, Black : Camera & Photo?tag=pentaxforums-20& . I use these with my Metz potato-mashers and my Vivitar 285/283's...

12-01-2020, 04:59 PM	#18
hjoseph7 Site Supporter Join Date: May 2014 Location: Minnesota Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,046	Originally posted by Lord Lucan No, don't use it, it is high voltage. According to Photo Strobe Trigger Voltages :- That is paying a lot of money just to use an old flash unit. You could buy a boxful of safe 285V's or other equivalent safe units from Ebay for that money, and with the change you could buy a digital multimeter https://cpc.farnell.com/tenma/ten01061/multimeter-digital/dp/IN05460 to check them anyway. I would not even keep a high voltage flash unit in the house along with my modern DSLR, in case anyone "helpfully" (my kids perhaps after I've gone senile or snuffed it) tried it on the camera. In fact I threw one away that my father had left behind. It just is not worth the risk. Mostly I use these old flash units with my old film cameras, or I use them off-camera....

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