Vivitar 283 Flash

A year or two ago, the Vivitar 283 flash was discontinued. It was the end of an era.

The 283 and 285HV flashes were the workhorse flashes of the industry. I still own two 283 flashes and use them on occasion. Many of my weddings were photographed with these flashes because they gave a high quality of light and were extremely reliable flashes.

I'm not quite sure how long the 283 flashes were on the market, but I do know it was available in the 1970's. Although it is an older model, the 283 and 285HV flashes were favorites (and still is) among professional photographers. The 285HV version has a zoom flash head whereas the 283 does not.

Since the 283 is now discontinued, the price of the flash has gone up. But for many years, you could purchase a new 283 for around $69. Yes, it's cheap compared to modern day flashes! My Nikon SB-800 flashes sell for approximately $315 each! Sure, there's more automation on the Nikon flashes which makes my life a lot easier, but it doesn't really give off any better light than a 283 used properly. And both flashes have about the same power ability as well.

Why do pros still use the 283? Because of its simplicity and reliability. You need to know how to properly use a flash to get good results and that's part of the pleasure of using the 283. It hones your skills.

If you decide to get a 283 (if you can find a good used one) be sure to get a Wein voltage regulator before mounting it up on your new digital cameras though. Some of the 283's out there have very high trigger voltages (upwards to over 300 volts!!) that can fry your digital camera! The voltage regulator helps protect your camera. It keeps the voltage to a safe 6 Volts or under.

Today you'll see me using my Nikon flashes at most weddings. But on occasion, you can see me sporting my trust 283's whenever I want to get back to basics. At every wedding, I bring four flashes with me... two Nikon SB-800's and two Vivitar 283's. I don't go anywhere without my trusty 283's!!