VivitarSlave Flash

IN SHORT> A great little slave or manual flash unit, which comes with an unusually well-designed bracket.> Not a replacement for a dedicated TTL automatic flash. Requires more trial-and-error than a dedicated flash. However, most dedicated flashes are large, bulky, and expensive and there are no compact dedicated flashes available for most compact cameras.> Using the "slave mode", you can add an auxiliary flash to a compact camera which has a built-in flash, but does not have a hot shoe.> If your camera has a hot flash shoe, you can use the flash in manual mode, attached via the hot shoe, on the camera (with or without a built-in flash unit).> The flash works much better with alkaline batteries that it does with rechargeables. I suspect that voltage is the issue.***SIMPLE USE (e.g., with point-and-shoot cameras, or just in general)> As a generalization, the simple manual/slave flash unit can improve most flash photos taken with a "point-and-shoot" camera. Not every situation, but often enough to be worthwhile trying.> If the built-in flash simply does not have the power (say for an indoor group photo), the extra light added by the Vivitar can usually improve the photo, even if you have no control of the aperture or ISO (as is the case with many simple point-and-shoot cameras).> Example: Photos taken with an in-camera flash are usually flat. But, if you hold a fill flash in your left hand high and to the left, you create modeling shadows which can greatly improve the photo.> In general, use as a fill flash is pretty much independent of whatever the camera is doing---you are just filling in shadows or brightening highlights, not really altering the main exposure---so it doesn't matter if the camera is a fully automatic point-and-shoot or not, as long as the in-camera flash fires to trigger the (fill) slave.GETTING BETTER PHOTOS> Unlike a dedicated flash unit, every flash of this manual/slave flash unit is full power. The flash unit has no metering circuits (TTL or otherwise), and your camera will NOT adjust to the flash. So, to get the best photos, you usually have to adjust your camera to the flash output. Unfortunately, modern cameras resist such manual adjustment. Even if you set the shutter speed and aperture manually, your camera will probably pump-up the ISO, defeating your efforts. So you also have to set the ISO manually. (On some cameras you can’t actually set the ISO, but you can limit the range to a maximum ISO, which in effect is the same thing).Details:> Your lens will probably be sharpest between f5.6 and f11. The larger the number, the wider the depth-of-field. Usually, you'll want a wide depth-of-field. So, if possible, set your camera to manual or aperture-preferred, and the aperture at f8.> IMPORTANT: Set the ISO manually at 200, or a maximum ISO of 200.> Take a picture. If the picture is too dark, you can increase the iso up to ~800. If that isn't bright enough, then open your aperture to 5.6. Alternatively, (in manual mode) you can set the shutter to a slower speed (say, down to 1/30 sec) to use more of the ambient light.> If ISO 200 at f8 (your aperture) results in a picture that is too bright, then reduce the ISO (if possible) and/or stop down the aperture to f11 or f16. For portraits or closeup photography the easiest way to adjust the exposure is moving the flash unit closer or farther away from the subject. The illumination is a logarithmic function of the distance, so a small difference (e.g., of 6") can make a big difference.> The formula for best flash photos (within reason) is maximum lighting with minimum (e.g.,f5.6--f16) aperture and minimum ISO (200 or less), and taken with a moderate telephoto lens (see below).> Let the flash fully recycle before taking another photo. This flash recycles slowly, especially with used batteries. Wait for the red ready light to come on and then wait at least another 5 seconds with fresh batteries, or at least 10 seconds with used batteries.> Assuming your camera has a built-in flash, often the best strategy for the best photos is to use the manual/slave flash as your main or key light, and the built-in flash to fill in any dark shadows. That is usually easier said than done, and it may be hard to follow my explanation: Even most point-and-shoot cameras have a brightness (“lighter/darker”) control. If your are using the manual/slave flash as your key light (adjusting the exposure by ISO/aperture/distance)---then on some cameras, the “brightness” control may adjust the built-in flash exposure, which you can used to adjust the brightness of the fill light (in this case the built-in flash).DESCRIPTION OF THE FLASH> Very small (about 1" x 2 3/8" x 3 1/2" overall, but looks smaller, and easily slips into a small space), very light (about 2oz w/o batteries) and compact. Can easily be carried in a pocket, or in the accessory pouch of a camera bag.> In slave mode, you have a choice of 4 options, whether the unit syncs with the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th flash of your in-camera flash. These days most in-camera units flash 2 or more times for various reasons---but if you change your camera settings, that may change. In most cases, most users will need to set the flash to "2nd flash sync" which is labeled "S2".> You can use two or more such flash units if desired. Indeed, you could have 3 or 4 scattered around a room on desk-top tripods. For example Vivitar VIVMPT100BLU 6-Inch Table Tripod (Blue), etc.A GREAT BRACKET ACCESSORY--------CHEAPFor $7 (reduced from $40) you can get a great 6" extension, with a ball-head, and even a little base. You can use the base as a table-top tripod to hold the flash. Looks like it was made for the flash and bracket. VideoSecu 1/4" x 20 Threads Swivel Security Camera Mount 2-6 Inch Adjustable Universal Pan Tilt CCTV Camera Mounting Bracket with Ceiling Clip 1BOFLASH VS FOCAL LENGTH> Nominally, this (and most other) flash units will cover the angle of standard wide-angle lens (28mm lens in 35mm format; 14mm in 4/3rds format; etc.), albeit it might be a little skimpy at the corners. So with the same ISO and aperture, you can illuminate more people with a wide angle lens (or a zoom set wide). However the result will look like a flat flash picture. For a large group or a small room, you may have no choice than to use a wide angle lens, but if you can step back (without sacrificing too much in aperture or ISO), you'll get a better photo:> A "normal" lens (50mm in 35mm format; 25mm in 4/3rds format; etc) etc. corresponds closest to the view of the human eye, and therefore the brain translates 3D information from such a photo. If illuminated by flash, a photo taken with a "normal" lens will have greater "depth-of-illumination" than the same photo taken with a wide angle lens, so the photo will have greater depth and look less like a flash picture. Indeed, most pros have a (non-zoom) normal lens to take pictures of groups or children, etc.> A moderate telephoto (75-135mm in 35mm format; 40-70mm in 4/3rds format; etc) is best for portraits, babies, etc., and is pretty much essential for flash-illuminated portraits to be evenly illuminated. That is, the depth-of-illumination will be even greater than with a normal lens. Noses will appear smaller, and in general the photos will be more flattering.EVALUATION> At this price, this is obviously not a fancy, powerful, instant-recycling studio flash. However, it is well built and works well, and does a good job of increasing the flash range of cameras with inadequate built-in flashes.*** If you use rechargeable batteries, the slave flash will become inconsistent after about 10-20 flashes---I think that's because the voltage drops too low. Two fully charged rechargeables would be 1.2v + 1.2v = 2.4v, but the voltage might drop below 2v after a little use. Two alkaline batteries start out at 1.5 + 1.5 = 3 volts, and would not drop below 2.4v unless the batteries were virtually dead. Apparently the flash needs 2.3-2.4v to operate properly. So, use alkaline batteries.> Click on “Stoney” just below the product title to see my other reviews, or leave a comment to ask a question.

Works great

I thought that there was somthing strange about this Flash Unit when I tried it out with my Olympus E-500! It says Vivitar on the front but does not have the model number SF-3000 underneath! The main problem was that after I put brand new batteries in and powered up my Camera and Flash, took a picture it flashed once. Tried to take a second picture but it would not flash! Had to turn it off and back on again to get it to flash, but once again it would only flash once! Returned Flash, Seller refunded my money.

I had expectations that the extremely small flash on the Canon SX260 would be lacking in many applications, so I wanted a add-on flash. My first try was in a room approximately 12x20 at night with no outside light comming in. To my surprise the picture was better with just the normal camera flash. When I added the Vivitar SF-3000 the picture was actualy over exposed. I took more inside shots with the same conditions and had the same results. After this I wanted to see what it would add when I increased the distance. I went outside at night behind my house and was about 30 feet away from the back of the house. In this case the Vivitar worked super. The original camera flash was under exposed from this distance, but with the Vivitar much better lighting. For long distance shooting it is well worth using. I would say anything over 20 feet or in an open area where there is nothing to bounce the flash definately add this device. There was absolutely no problem getting it to work with this camera. And the fact that it takes common AA batteries is a big plus. For the money you can't beat it. Just realize when and when not to use it.

This is my second purchase. I bought one several years ago and took it to the caribbean and a month later tried to used and was dead. bought a new one and after that started looking at my old one and discovered that one of the cables was corroded. used a soldering iron to repair it and now is working again. I have taken thousand of good pics with this flash. You can't beat the price.

Works great even on small pocket cameras. Nice recovery time at 2-3 seconds. Haven't tried it yet with NiMH batteries to see if it is shorter. Nice that it only uses 2 AA batteries. The screw for the mount on bottom of the camera needs to be longer though. Only screws in maybe a thread or two and is REALLY easy to strip out the camera hole for the tripod mount. Needs to be about 1/8 of an inch longer at least. Or trim down the rubber pad the camera sits on. I may try that. Also, there is no lock screw to lock it in the shoe so I tightened the channels on the metal part of the shoe to hold it better. Tried to use it on my wife's Nikon D60 in normal mode but didn't seem to work right. Made the camera click rather loudly before shooting and didn't seem to flash correctly. It does work nicely as a slave flash though which is why I bought it in the first place. Makes a nice addition to my Fujifilm Finepix s4430 and makes it seem like a professional camera and really helps to get better pictures. Not that the camera doesn't take great pics already. It just helps with better lighting. The little stand that comes with it is nice for using the flash remotely. I will be buying a couple more probably for use by me and my wife as part of a lighting system.

Very pleased. Met my expectations.