Solid. Sturdy. Hefty. Old school. The 285 (and its cousin, the 283), were long considered "workhorse" strobe units by working pros and have been around in various incarnations since 1972. In those 35 years, they've probably found their way into more camera bags than any other portable flash units.

The built-in variable power of the Vivitar 285HV auto professional flash provides you with fill flash and the ability to shoot properly exposed rapid-sequence pictures. This vertical bounce flash gives your photographs soft, professional lighting. The four f-stops give you control over the flash distance range and the depth of field, while the auto Thyristor circuitry allows for a faster recycling time as well as more flashes per set of batteries.

Description

Vivitar designs, develops, and markets affordable, easy-to-use photographic and digital imaging products that offer families and other consumers exceptional value, fine quality, and a wide range of features and benefits.PRODUCT FEATURES: Powerful automatic exposure range to 70ft; Guide Number: 120 (ISO100/ft.); Control flash distance range and depth of field with four auto f/stop settings; Auto Thyristor circuitry for more flashes and faster recycle time; Vertical bounce flash for softer, professional quality lighting; Built-in variable power for convenient fill flash and rapid sequence photography; Removable sensor for off-camera automatic flash with optional cord.

The built-in variable power of the Vivitar 285HV auto professional flash provides you with fill flash and the ability to shoot properly exposed rapid-sequence pictures. This vertical bounce flash gives your photographs soft, professional lighting. The four f-stops give you control over the flash distance range and the depth of field, while the auto Thyristor circuitry allows for a faster recycling time as well as more flashes per set of batteries.

Features

  • Vertical bounce flash
  • Auto Thyristor circuitry
  • Sufficient-light indicator
  • Illuminated calculator dial
  • Flash range up to 70 feet

Reviews

The 285hv is a favorite among budget-conscious photographers for a reason. For the price, there's simply no other flash on the market that matches it in raw power. It obviously doesn't work with any sort of TTL metering, but manual operation is dead simple and it even provides a useful guide dial on the side if you're so inclined to shoot in that manner. Personally, I adore this flash. I use it on my Panasonic GH1, and it has never left me wanting for more.

I purchased this flash unit to use as an external flash with my Lumix FZ29 digital camera. It works fine and actually has more features than I need. I selected this flash because it has a trigger voltage which will not "harm" my camera. It has many features such as the bounce feature and it is well made. I give it five stars. I purchased this unit from Amazon and delivery was prompt and the unit was as described on the spec sheet.

I bought two of these flashes about a year ago. The first stopped working after about 5 months. Just wouldn't fire the flash. I probably used it less that 300 times. The second one stopped working about 12 months after I bought it. It let out a smell like burnt electronics and won't fire. Waste of money.

The service of this seller was outstanding, shipped correct product on time. However, I don't quite understand why the seller has to charge close to $30 for shipping when the item came by US Postal Priority Mail for $4.80. I almost didn't purchase when I saw how high the shipping charge was going to be but bought anyway due to the low item costs.

Received my flash is a very timely manner. It arrived in perfect condition, and was everything I expected. This is a very easy flash to use, with a lot of capability for what it is. I shoot everything in manual mode, so I didn't need a TTL flash - and this one is great.