Vivitar Series 1 DF-283-CAN flash issues

David · Expire: 2013-01-25

I picked up two of the subject-referenced flashes as a gift for a friend just starting out in photography. Well, the eBay seller was selling broken equipment (I mis-read the listing, so it's my fault.) One of them the capacitors make the whining sound and charge but there's no flash from camera connection or the test button. On the other, the capacitors do not make a sound but it does charge. The flash, however, is so dim as to be barely visible when staring at the flash. (I did not do that, but used it in a dark room to see there was very little light.)

Any ideas on what could be the cause and how hard the repair might be? Is it work selling them as scrap and just buying my buddy two new flashes?

Lloydy · Expire: 2022-01-01

The strobists love these old Vivitars and there is a lot of information about various hacks - and therefore dismantling them - around the internet. Watch the voltage though, some can have up to 260 volts across the shoe terminals, enough to kill a modern camera.

David · Expire: 2013-01-25

The 283 units I have are different from the old ones. Here are the two I have:

http://www.vivitar.com/products/9/flashes-and-accessories/1117/df-283

Are they likely to be much different inside?

philslizzy · Joined: 07 Aug 2012 Posts: 4749 Location: Cheshire, England

Yours are a modern low voltage version designed to use with DSLR's. I think they've kept the old 283 number to cash in on their most popular brand. Probably not worth repairing even if you could find the details on the web.

David · Expire: 2013-01-25

Well, shucks. Looks like I get to buy two more flashes. This time, I'm just buying them new from the local camera shop.

David · Expire: 2013-01-25

So this is the capacitor that's inside these two flashes:

http://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/30-50mm-330wv-900uf-Photo-Studio_680843885.html:

How dead should I be right now after taking a flash apart. This thing is as big as a "C" cell battery.