Re: Query re Flashguns in the UK

"Tony Polson" <docnews2011@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message 
news:u24f04hau5vgd847adhen2p9r3088pq4am@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Michael J Davis <?.?@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>>
>>I made more use of my flashgun (a simple tilt head gun costing £25 
>>about
>>five years ago) at a conference over the past weekend than I have over
>>the past couple of years. It made me wonder if a 'better' gun would be
>>worth the effort. So I did a web search for 'recommended' guns.
>>
>>Apart from TTL guns for my gear (especially Metz), two that were 
>>highly
>>commended were:
>>
>>        Vivitar 285HV   (on sale in the USA at $89)
>>        Sunpak 383
>>
>>However, a Google search indicates that neither appear to be on sale 
>>in
>>the UK.
>>
>>I quite like the Vivitar as it has a (manual) zoom.
>>
>>Although I'm not immediately looking for one, I am baffled at the
>>absence of two well known brands in the UK. Has anyone any 
>>explanations?
>
>
> Probably the fact that almost all new cameras, both compact and DSLR,
> have built-in flashguns.  Plus the fact that high-tech dedicated flash
> guns are (arguably) needed to get the best results from digital.
> Vivitar and Sunpak are low end brands that don't offer dedication to
> the latest DSLR auto flash systems.
>


Er, I have a Sunpak that is dedicated to my Nikon D70s - and it works 
perfectly well.

The OP should take care as most dSLRs will only handle 6V or so on the 
hot shoe contact whereas most flashguns not specifically designed to 
work with a dSLR can have in excess of 200V on its hot shoe. Also, many 
dSLRs will not trigger a single contact flash as the camera does not 
'know' that it is there - it uses one of the auxilliary contacts to 
detect it, often by a data handshake.


-- 
Woody

harrogate three at ntlworld dot com