Vivitar 285HV with Elan II

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I recently bought a used Elan II. Can I use my existing Vivitar 285HV with it? If so, what camera settings should I use?

-- Watson Bullock (jwbulls2@erols.com), December 17, 2001

Answers

My Vivitar 283 worked fine using manual mode and keeping the shutter speed at or below 1/125.

Canon hot shoes can only tolerate sync trigger voltage not in excess of 6 volts. If the "HV" stands for high voltage, I would definitely measure the sync voltage before using. Higher voltage can fry the camera. A wein safe sync (hot shoe adapter, I think) can also fix a high voltage problem.

Check the archives here for discussion of this issue.

-- Kenneth Katz (socks@bestweb.net), December 17, 2001.


Definitly check the sync voltage before you try it. Use a good volt meter (greater than 20,000 ohms per volt) accross the center pin and the contact in the side of the flash foot. 6 volts is what Canon specifies, but anything less than 10 volts is probably going to be okay.

To use it, set your camera on manual. Select any shutter speed up to to 1/125 and select the aperture the flash calculator tells you to. You have 4 auto f/stop choices with the 285, so take your pick, just be sure to set the same aperture on the lens.

-- Jim Strutz (j.strutz@gci.net), December 17, 2001.


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