Pentax DF-383 Review

res3567 · 07-07-2009, 11:36 PM

Here is my review of the Vivitar DF-383 Series-1 flash. After years of shooting withe the legacy Vivitar 285HV, I decided to dable in the dedicated waters. I also wanted a flash that I could mount on the camera without the use of a bracket for bounce lighting. However, I did not have a lot of cash to plunk down on a top-of-the- line unit. The Pentax 360 is attractive with a reasonable price, but IT DON'T SWIVEL!

I purchased the Vivitar DF 383 for about $140 with shipping. The flash arrived pretty quickly and it was on to testing.

The flash comes with a nice pouch. The directions were easy to read and covered various camera manufacturers.

The flash has a problem seating in my K10D. If not pushed in foward all the way, it will fire, but not dedicated. It supports P-TTL only; it does not work dedicated on my K100DS. It also has a autofocus assist light.

The flash does not support P-TTL wireless.

The flash will fuction as a dedicated unit on my K10D with the flash head facing foward. It has an automatic zoom motor ( which is quite noisy) that covers a range from 24mm to 85mm. Once it is tilted or swiviled, the zoom mode blinks at the 50mm setting (and stays at that setting), and it fires at full power. It is like having my 285 with a swivel head. You can also adjust the zoom head manually.

It has the ability to reduce power with five different settings including 1/8 power if you choose to shoot manually.

The flash also has a built in slave mode which works quite nicely. It will sync up to 1/180 in manual mode on my CTR-301 wireless flash trigger.

With the flash head facing foward, the flash does a decent job of acuratly exposing subjects. Once you stop down the lens past f/5.6 or f/8, it starts to underexpose.

What threw me for a loop is the fact it will not work dedicated fully in bounce or swivel mode. It severely underexposes when I try to bounce the flash.

To overcome this, I use + exposure compensation for both the flash mode and camera exposure. Both settings a plused all the way up. The manual white balance does not work when the flash is in P-TTL mode so watch for those colored walls if you bounce.

The flash has a guide # of 148 which should suite the needs of most photographers.

Overall, I am dissapointed with the lack of ability to give great dedicated results when the flash head is turned away from the default forward position. However, it great as a manual flash with the added ability to swivel.

The flash also comes with a built in difusser and a bounce card.

Full settings with flash head foward.
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No settings in bounce mode.
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No settings in swivel mode.
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Autofocus assist light.
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Diffuser and bounce card.
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Last edited by res3567; 07-08-2009 at 08:08 AM.

GerryL · 07-08-2009, 08:51 AM

I was also curious about this flash and had been contemplating on it.
Thanks for the review.
I would assume the DF 283 to have the same characteristics?

res3567 · 07-08-2009, 08:53 AM

Originally posted by GerryL

I was also curious about this flash and had been contemplating on it.
Thanks for the review.
I would assume the DF 283 to have the same characteristics?

I think that flash is not as powerfull. I will research it tonite and get back with you.

GerryL · 07-15-2009, 09:26 AM

Is this the same as the Vivitar DF 4000MZ P-TTL Flash?
Would the DF 383 just be its generic name?
They look the same..not unless Vivitar came out with something newer.

res3567 · 07-16-2009, 12:44 AM

Originally posted by GerryL

I was also curious about this flash and had been contemplating on it.
Thanks for the review.
I would assume the DF 283 to have the same characteristics?

Originally posted by GerryL

Is this the same as the Vivitar DF 4000MZ P-TTL Flash?
Would the DF 383 just be its generic name?
They look the same..not unless Vivitar came out with something newer.

In the power rankings of these flashes, the 400 is at the bottom with a guide number of 131.

Next is the 283 with a guide number of 138. The 283 has no manual fuctions.

At the top is the 383 with a guide number of 148.

The 400 does not apperar to have a model for Pentax. Its made similar to the 383 with similar features except for a smaller guide number.

Check it:

Vivitar | DF400MZ Digital TTL Shoe Mount Flash | DF400MZN | B&H

Vivitar | DF 283 Series 1 Digital TTL Shoe Mount | DF-283-PEN

GerryL · 07-16-2009, 05:33 PM

Hmmm..just did a google and there seems to be a dicrepancy with the additional "0".
It actually is the 400 and not the 4000, but they list them at ebay as the 4000.
Thanks for the info.

res3567 · 07-16-2009, 09:10 PM

Originally posted by GerryL

Hmmm..just did a google and there seems to be a dicrepancy with the additional "0".
It actually is the 400 and not the 4000, but they list them at ebay as the 4000.
Thanks for the info.

Anything I can do to help, Gerry!

Thanks for your positive support!

res3567 · 07-16-2009, 09:59 PM

UPDATE!

I was wrong about the compatability of the flash and the K100DS. It DOES work DEDICATED.

The problem was I did not have the flash pushed into the hotshoe all the way.

I am sorry for the mistake!

I also said it does not work fully dedicated/ TTL in bounce and swivel mode; it will change the shutter speed and the autofocus assist lamp lights up. It also locks the shutter speed below 1/180 even if camera and flash are in full manual mode together.

It just locks the zoom into the 50mm position and it will not display the camera settings.

Also I said the manual WB will not work with the flash, I had my K10D set to change WB to flash mode in the custom menu.

The flash still underexposes if you bounce or swivel it in TTL mode, just not as much. FEC and EV compesation helps with this problem.

I was so excited about this flash,I became careless and did a moderate job of butchering parts of this review.

This is a great flash for those on a budget.

TheTenaciousOne · 07-19-2009, 07:52 AM

Hi i have this flash but it stopped firing after i used it for 2 days =/
I can hear it charge up but when i try 2 fire it, by connected to my K-7's hotshoe or just by pressing the test button all that happens is the Auto Ok light, lights up. Ive tried all the different modes and nothings happening.
Was just wondering if u had any sort of problem like this with your flash

GerryL · 07-19-2009, 03:54 PM

Originally posted by res3567

UPDATE!

I was wrong about the compatability of the flash and the K100DS. It DOES work DEDICATED.

Yes, I was kinda surprised 'coz it did say that it works P-TTL on pentax DSLR's and is fully dedicated.
I'm glad you finally got it to work!
That's good news for those reading this post.

res3567 · 07-19-2009, 07:06 PM

Originally posted by TheTenaciousOne

Hi i have this flash but it stopped firing after i used it for 2 days =/
I can hear it charge up but when i try 2 fire it, by connected to my K-7's hotshoe or just by pressing the test button all that happens is the Auto Ok light, lights up. Ive tried all the different modes and nothings happening.
Was just wondering if u had any sort of problem like this with your flash

The only problem I had with the flash was I did not have it pushed in all the way into the hotshoe.

It would fire but not work dedicated with my K100DS.

It would work dedicated on my K10D but sparatically.

When I finally figured out what the problem was, I reattached it to my K100DS and now it works fine.

Your problem seems to be internal with the flash. The capacitor charges up, but will not discharge the flash.

The flash has warranty information; use it. Send it back for repair or replacement.

I am sorry to hear that.

drogheda99 · 07-27-2009, 06:34 PM

Originally posted by res3567

The only problem I had with the flash was I did not have it pushed in all the way into the hotshoe.

It would fire but not work dedicated with my K100DS.

It would work dedicated on my K10D but sparatically.

When I finally figured out what the problem was, I reattached it to my K100DS and now it works fine.

Your problem seems to be internal with the flash. The capacitor charges up, but will not discharge the flash.

The flash has warranty information; use it. Send it back for repair or replacement.

I am sorry to hear that.

Hi Rez3567
Will the Vivitar work with a K200D

Rick

res3567 · 07-27-2009, 08:42 PM

Originally posted by drogheda99

Hi Rez3567
Will the Vivitar work with a K200D

Rick

Hi and welcome to the forum! Yes the flash is compatable with the K200D which is an excellent camera.

If you have any specific questions please feel free to ask!

TheTenaciousOne · 07-30-2009, 07:41 AM

hmmm,
well ive emailed vivitar about the problem about 3 times in the last week now and no reply =/
think i should risk just sending the flash back to the address in the manual and hope for the best?
not sure if the warranty covers me in Australia either =(

GerryL · 07-31-2009, 04:26 PM

Originally posted by TheTenaciousOne

hmmm,
well ive emailed vivitar about the problem about 3 times in the last week now and no reply =/
think i should risk just sending the flash back to the address in the manual and hope for the best?
not sure if the warranty covers me in Australia either =(

That is kinda risky and I wouldn't recommend it.
I too asked Vivitar about the warranty on the 285HV as a seller on ebay was advertising it new with 2 year warranty.
I was never doubtful about the "new", it was the warranty I was worried about and sure enough, they passed the bucket and told me that it was the manufacturer's warranty.
When I tried to email Vivitar too..no replies.
It's a good thing my flash still works.
I guess I'll cross the bridge when I get there about the warranty issue but I would definitely not send in an item without their awknowledgement.

07-07-2009, 11:36 PM	#1
res3567 Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Houston Tx. Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,876	Vivitar DF-383 Review Here is my review of the Vivitar DF-383 Series-1 flash. After years of shooting withe the legacy Vivitar 285HV, I decided to dable in the dedicated waters. I also wanted a flash that I could mount on the camera without the use of a bracket for bounce lighting. However, I did not have a lot of cash to plunk down on a top-of-the- line unit. The Pentax 360 is attractive with a reasonable price, but IT DON'T SWIVEL! I purchased the Vivitar DF 383 for about $140 with shipping. The flash arrived pretty quickly and it was on to testing. The flash comes with a nice pouch. The directions were easy to read and covered various camera manufacturers. The flash has a problem seating in my K10D. If not pushed in foward all the way, it will fire, but not dedicated. It supports P-TTL only; it does not work dedicated on my K100DS. It also has a autofocus assist light. The flash does not support P-TTL wireless. The flash will fuction as a dedicated unit on my K10D with the flash head facing foward. It has an automatic zoom motor ( which is quite noisy) that covers a range from 24mm to 85mm. Once it is tilted or swiviled, the zoom mode blinks at the 50mm setting (and stays at that setting), and it fires at full power. It is like having my 285 with a swivel head. You can also adjust the zoom head manually. It has the ability to reduce power with five different settings including 1/8 power if you choose to shoot manually. The flash also has a built in slave mode which works quite nicely. It will sync up to 1/180 in manual mode on my CTR-301 wireless flash trigger. With the flash head facing foward, the flash does a decent job of acuratly exposing subjects. Once you stop down the lens past f/5.6 or f/8, it starts to underexpose. What threw me for a loop is the fact it will not work dedicated fully in bounce or swivel mode. It severely underexposes when I try to bounce the flash. To overcome this, I use + exposure compensation for both the flash mode and camera exposure. Both settings a plused all the way up. The manual white balance does not work when the flash is in P-TTL mode so watch for those colored walls if you bounce. The flash has a guide # of 148 which should suite the needs of most photographers. Overall, I am dissapointed with the lack of ability to give great dedicated results when the flash head is turned away from the default forward position. However, it great as a manual flash with the added ability to swivel. The flash also comes with a built in difusser and a bounce card. Full settings with flash head foward. No settings in bounce mode. No settings in swivel mode. Autofocus assist light. Diffuser and bounce card. Last edited by res3567; 07-08-2009 at 08:08 AM.

07-16-2009, 12:44 AM	#5
res3567 Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Houston Tx. Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,876 Original Poster	Originally posted by GerryL I was also curious about this flash and had been contemplating on it. Thanks for the review. I would assume the DF 283 to have the same characteristics? Originally posted by GerryL Is this the same as the Vivitar DF 4000MZ P-TTL Flash? Would the DF 383 just be its generic name? They look the same..not unless Vivitar came out with something newer. In the power rankings of these flashes, the 400 is at the bottom with a guide number of 131. Next is the 283 with a guide number of 138. The 283 has no manual fuctions. At the top is the 383 with a guide number of 148. The 400 does not apperar to have a model for Pentax. Its made similar to the 383 with similar features except for a smaller guide number. Check it: Vivitar \| DF400MZ Digital TTL Shoe Mount Flash \| DF400MZN \| B&H Vivitar \| DF 283 Series 1 Digital TTL Shoe Mount \| DF-283-PEN Last edited by res3567; 07-16-2009 at 12:56 AM.

07-16-2009, 09:59 PM	#8
res3567 Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Houston Tx. Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,876 Original Poster	UPDATE! I was wrong about the compatability of the flash and the K100DS. It DOES work DEDICATED. The problem was I did not have the flash pushed into the hotshoe all the way. I am sorry for the mistake! I also said it does not work fully dedicated/ TTL in bounce and swivel mode; it will change the shutter speed and the autofocus assist lamp lights up. It also locks the shutter speed below 1/180 even if camera and flash are in full manual mode together. It just locks the zoom into the 50mm position and it will not display the camera settings. Also I said the manual WB will not work with the flash, I had my K10D set to change WB to flash mode in the custom menu. The flash still underexposes if you bounce or swivel it in TTL mode, just not as much. FEC and EV compesation helps with this problem. I was so excited about this flash,I became careless and did a moderate job of butchering parts of this review. This is a great flash for those on a budget. Last edited by res3567; 07-28-2009 at 10:50 PM.

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07-08-2009, 08:51 AM	#2
GerryL Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: CA Posts: 2,731	I was also curious about this flash and had been contemplating on it. Thanks for the review. I would assume the DF 283 to have the same characteristics?

07-08-2009, 08:53 AM	#3
res3567 Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Houston Tx. Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,876 Original Poster	Originally posted by GerryL I was also curious about this flash and had been contemplating on it. Thanks for the review. I would assume the DF 283 to have the same characteristics? I think that flash is not as powerfull. I will research it tonite and get back with you.

07-15-2009, 09:26 AM	#4
GerryL Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: CA Posts: 2,731	Is this the same as the Vivitar DF 4000MZ P-TTL Flash? Would the DF 383 just be its generic name? They look the same..not unless Vivitar came out with something newer.

07-16-2009, 05:33 PM	#6
GerryL Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: CA Posts: 2,731	Hmmm..just did a google and there seems to be a dicrepancy with the additional "0". It actually is the 400 and not the 4000, but they list them at ebay as the 4000. Thanks for the info.

07-16-2009, 09:10 PM	#7
res3567 Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Houston Tx. Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,876 Original Poster	Originally posted by GerryL Hmmm..just did a google and there seems to be a dicrepancy with the additional "0". It actually is the 400 and not the 4000, but they list them at ebay as the 4000. Thanks for the info. Anything I can do to help, Gerry! Thanks for your positive support!

07-19-2009, 07:52 AM	#9
TheTenaciousOne Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Adelaide, SA, Australia Photos: Gallery Posts: 111	Hi i have this flash but it stopped firing after i used it for 2 days =/ I can hear it charge up but when i try 2 fire it, by connected to my K-7's hotshoe or just by pressing the test button all that happens is the Auto Ok light, lights up. Ive tried all the different modes and nothings happening. Was just wondering if u had any sort of problem like this with your flash

07-19-2009, 03:54 PM	#10
GerryL Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: CA Posts: 2,731	Originally posted by res3567 UPDATE! I was wrong about the compatability of the flash and the K100DS. It DOES work DEDICATED. Yes, I was kinda surprised 'coz it did say that it works P-TTL on pentax DSLR's and is fully dedicated. I'm glad you finally got it to work! That's good news for those reading this post.

07-19-2009, 07:06 PM	#11
res3567 Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Houston Tx. Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,876 Original Poster	Originally posted by TheTenaciousOne Hi i have this flash but it stopped firing after i used it for 2 days =/ I can hear it charge up but when i try 2 fire it, by connected to my K-7's hotshoe or just by pressing the test button all that happens is the Auto Ok light, lights up. Ive tried all the different modes and nothings happening. Was just wondering if u had any sort of problem like this with your flash The only problem I had with the flash was I did not have it pushed in all the way into the hotshoe. It would fire but not work dedicated with my K100DS. It would work dedicated on my K10D but sparatically. When I finally figured out what the problem was, I reattached it to my K100DS and now it works fine. Your problem seems to be internal with the flash. The capacitor charges up, but will not discharge the flash. The flash has warranty information; use it. Send it back for repair or replacement. I am sorry to hear that.

07-27-2009, 06:34 PM	#12
drogheda99 New Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Greenfield Park, Quebec, Canada Posts: 19	Originally posted by res3567 The only problem I had with the flash was I did not have it pushed in all the way into the hotshoe. It would fire but not work dedicated with my K100DS. It would work dedicated on my K10D but sparatically. When I finally figured out what the problem was, I reattached it to my K100DS and now it works fine. Your problem seems to be internal with the flash. The capacitor charges up, but will not discharge the flash. The flash has warranty information; use it. Send it back for repair or replacement. I am sorry to hear that. Hi Rez3567 Will the Vivitar work with a K200D Rick

07-27-2009, 08:42 PM	#13
res3567 Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Houston Tx. Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,876 Original Poster	Originally posted by drogheda99 Hi Rez3567 Will the Vivitar work with a K200D Rick Hi and welcome to the forum! Yes the flash is compatable with the K200D which is an excellent camera. If you have any specific questions please feel free to ask!

07-30-2009, 07:41 AM	#14
TheTenaciousOne Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Adelaide, SA, Australia Photos: Gallery Posts: 111	hmmm, well ive emailed vivitar about the problem about 3 times in the last week now and no reply =/ think i should risk just sending the flash back to the address in the manual and hope for the best? not sure if the warranty covers me in Australia either =(

07-31-2009, 04:26 PM	#15
GerryL Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: CA Posts: 2,731	Originally posted by TheTenaciousOne hmmm, well ive emailed vivitar about the problem about 3 times in the last week now and no reply =/ think i should risk just sending the flash back to the address in the manual and hope for the best? not sure if the warranty covers me in Australia either =( That is kinda risky and I wouldn't recommend it. I too asked Vivitar about the warranty on the 285HV as a seller on ebay was advertising it new with 2 year warranty. I was never doubtful about the "new", it was the warranty I was worried about and sure enough, they passed the bucket and told me that it was the manufacturer's warranty. When I tried to email Vivitar too..no replies. It's a good thing my flash still works. I guess I'll cross the bridge when I get there about the warranty issue but I would definitely not send in an item without their awknowledgement.