On Tue, Mar 18, 2014 at 1:32 PM, John <[email protected]> wrote: > On 3/18/2014 10:48 AM, Bruce Walker wrote: >> >> On Mon, Mar 17, 2014 at 8:48 PM, John <[email protected]> wrote: >>> >>> On 3/16/2014 1:47 AM, Larry Colen wrote: >>>> >>>> >>>> I can't get my mecablits 58 af2 to work as a dumb slave in servo mode. >>>> >>>> Is there something obvious that I'm likely missing? >>> >>> >>> Yeah, you should'a bought some old 285HVs when you had a chance. 8-D >> >> >> I know you were jesting, but there's no really need for anyone to be >> buying ancient 285HVs anymore. The Neewer TT560 is a solid manual-only >> performer, with a simple pushbutton interface, for under fifty bucks >> brand new. Will trigger as a slave from first flash or after the >> pre-flash. Only 1/2 to 2/3 stop less power than an AF540. >> > > Only partly in jest. Well, almost completely in jest when I wrote it, > but now that I think about it ... > > For a "dumb slave", all the automation can get in the way, and far too > frequently can be unreliable. You can end up spending more time getting > it to work than actually using it to do the work. > > Sometimes, dead simple works better. It's quicker to squash bugs with > a fly-swatter than to call up a bug squashing app on your iPad. > > I wouldn't buy a *NEW* 285HV. I understand the quality is just not > there. But I do think if you run across the old ones that are still > working, you should snap them up. > > I would. > > Old Vivitar 285HVs are like lenses ... you can never have too many.
Except that big electrolytic capacitors and xenon tubes don't last forever, especially the caps. For $50 I'd rather get a new functionally equivalent flash, like the TT560. It has no automation, like the 285. It has super simple controls, like the 285. It has brand new parts, _unlike_ the 285. -- -bmw -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List [email protected] http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
