Vivitar DF 383 Series 1 Digital TTL Shoe Mount Autofocus Flash for Nikon TTL
- Price: $115.95
- Free Shipping (USA)
- In Stock
Remember the Essentials
Batteries are not included. Please make sure to purchase batteries to operate the device.
The Vivitar DF-383 Shoe Mount Flash is an economical full-TTL enabled flash with support for digital SLR cameras. It features a powerful Guide Number of 148'/45 m at 85mm, and features a power-zoom flash head that covers a focal range from 24mm to 85mm.
The flash includes a built-in slave function which allows it to be positioned off-camera, and triggered by any second flash. You can also manually adjust the power level of the flash output from full-power down to 1/16th. It is the perfect economical all-purpose flash for any digital or 35mm SLR shooter.
- Bounce, Zoom & Swivel Head
- Flash has vertical bounce of 90° and horizontal swivel of 270°, with automatic or manual zoom settings of 24mm, 28mm, 35mm, 50mm, and 85mm
- AF Assist
- Autofocus auxiliary lamp helps the camera to focus in low-light situations
- Remote Triggering
- Built-in optical slave function allows for off-camera operation
- Accepts Light Modifiers
- Includes reflecting plate & wide angle diffuser
- Power Saving
- Circuitry incorporates an auto-off power saving element
| Type | Shoe mount |
| Guide No. | 148' (45 m) at 85mm/ISO 100 |
| Angle of Coverage | 75° to 28° (24-85mm lenses in 35mm/full frame format) |
| Vari-Power | 1/1, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8 & 1/16th |
| TTL Dedication | Yes |
| Bounce Head | Yes |
| Swivel Head | Yes |
| Zoom Head | 24-85mm auto-zoom (flash senses focal length & adjusts or manual settings of 24mm, 28mm, 35mm, 50mm, 70, and 85mm) |
| Off Camera Terminal | No |
| Recycle Time | 0.5-9.0 seconds |
| Power Source | Four 1.5-Volt "AA" batteries (alkaline, lithium, NiCad & NiMH) |
| Dimensions | 5 x 4 x 3" (125 x 100 x 72mm) |
| Weight | 9.5 oz (270g) |
REVIEW SNAPSHOT®
by PowerReviews(based on 35 reviews)
Ratings Distribution
82%
of respondents would recommend this to a friend.
Pros
- Easy to use (26)
- Good power output (20)
- Fast recycling (19)
- Lightweight (18)
- Versatile (18)
Cons
- Slow recycling (5)
- Heavy (3)
Best Uses
- General purpose (22)
- Fill flash (21)
- Portraits (16)
- Night photography (13)
- Photojournalism (5)
- Reviewer Profile:
- Photo enthusiast (16), Semi-pro photographer (11), Casual photographer (3), Enthusiast (3)
- Was this a gift?:
- No (19), Yes (4)
Most Liked Positive Review
Works great with my Nikon D40
I'm no expert and this is my first "real" flash (other than the pop-up flash in my camera) so I can't tell you how this compares to other units.
I'm no expert and this is my first "real" flash (other than the pop-up flash in my camera) so I can't tell you how this compares to other units.
What I can tell you is that it works, and my pictures with flash look much much much better. I'm very happy with it.
I have a Nikon D40, and all the features work just fine with this flash:
TTL works without any effort. Put in the flash and it takes care of the rest. It zooms automatically and adjusts to your camera's settings as you zoom and focus your lens. Note: auto zoom only works if the flash head is pointed forward.
Manual settings are very easy to use. To control output power, just push the "mode" button to cycle through the power options from 1/1 to 1/16.
Another neat thing is that you can set the output power manually, and still have auto zoom. For manual zoom, just push the zoom button and the LCD display shows you the current zoom level.
Slave: The main reason I bought this one was it's built-in slave function: You can take the flash off your camera (hold it with your hand, put it on a table, etc), move the "slave" switch to the "S" position and it will fire when it detects your camera's pop-up flash firing. This feature works great (just make sure you don't block the slave sensor - the red part in front of the flash unit - with your hand or other object). The Nikon D40 does not have a "commander" mode (the mode you'd normally use with a slave function), so what I do is set the built-in pop-up flash into manual mode and set it's power all the way down to 1/32. This has been working pretty well for me.
I think it recycles pretty quickly, especially if you manually set the power mode to 1/8 or 1/16, where it recycles in less than 1 sec (fresh batteries).
The diffuser and reflector plates are very convenient. They are built-in and store right into the body of the flash.
The bounce/tilt and swivel functions are also very convenient and well made (not too stiff, not too loose). Having the ability to bounce the flash off the ceiling or wall makes my pictures look so much better: I get even and soft light over peoples faces and no longer have that harsh shadow behind everyone and everything.
Standby mode: it goes into standby automatically after a few minutes. Comes back and is ready for action by just pressing the shutter in your camera half way. Standby does not work in slave mode (so don't forget to turn it off when using it as a slave).
I didn't give it 5 stars just because I don't know how it compares to other units.
I've had the unit for about 1 week. I'm very happy with it and highly recommend it.
VS
Most Liked Negative Review
Good performance for the price
This flash works fine for my use: on camera when I'm out and about, off-camera as an optical slave when I'm in the studio.
In manual mode, there are no prob...Read complete review
This flash works fine for my use: on camera when I'm out and about, off-camera as an optical slave when I'm in the studio.
In manual mode, there are no problems. The interface is easy to use and the recharging is pretty fast, especially at lower power.
I haven't noticed any serious issues when using it as a bounce flash, as long as the camera is in matrix metering and the subject is in the middle of the frame.
The issues I've had are when the flash head is pointed at the subject in auto mode at higher zoom settings; the flash is too high, so the bottom of the frame is dark. The diffusion screen helps a little, but the darkness is still noticeable. At 85mm zoom, the flash seems to put out more power than at the rest of the range, so at the same camera settings, the picture is overexposed.
There are a couple of annoyances: as others have mentioned, the battery door is fragile and hard to close, plus the lack of a battery indicator is a noticeable flaw.
As a beginner's flash, when you're not sure if you'll go TTL or Strobist, it's fine. If you're like me and flash is something you don't do much, it's fine. Under controlled conditions, it's fine. Later on it'll work well as a 2nd flash. Until then, it beats the heck out of the pop-up, which is all I really wanted.
REVIEWS
Reviewed by 35 customers
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Displaying reviews 1-20
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Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Vivitar DF 383 Series 1 Digital TTL Shoe Mount Autofocus Flash for Nikon TTL:
I'm not sure. I have yet to receive a working item.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Consistent Output
- Durable
- Powerful Output
- Versatile
Cons
- Slow Recycling
Best Uses
- General Use
Comments about Vivitar DF 383 Series 1 Digital TTL Shoe Mount Autofocus Flash for Nikon TTL:
i use this flash mainly for macro photography,
whats great a bout it is that it's light and yet powerful enough to produce enough light for shooting with high aperture (for maintaining DOF).
The disadvantages though, is that it's not native Nikon flash, thus is has no remote trigger, the slave mode is light trigger only. Recycling speed is medium.
- Was this a gift?:
- Yes
Pros
- Easy To Use
- Versatile
Cons
Best Uses
- Fill Flash
- Night Photography
- Portraits
Comments about Vivitar DF 383 Series 1 Digital TTL Shoe Mount Autofocus Flash for Nikon TTL:
My *only* complaint is that the batteries don't last very long.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy To Use
- Fast Recycling
- Powerful Output
Cons
- Heavy
Best Uses
- General Use
- Night Photography
Comments about Vivitar DF 383 Series 1 Digital TTL Shoe Mount Autofocus Flash for Nikon TTL:
Bought it to use with my Nikon D3100. The hope I had is that it would 'bounce'. Unfortunately, it did not sync with my camera when tried to bounce off of the ceiling or the wall (90 degrees). The images were overexposed a lot. Lookes like the flash just fires the full power. I thought that I have a problem with my camera, so, I went to the store and tested it with Nikon SB-400 and 600 with great results. So, I got what I paid for.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Consistent Output
- Easy To Use
- Lightweight
- Powerful Output
- Versatile
Cons
- Weak Casing
Best Uses
Comments about Vivitar DF 383 Series 1 Digital TTL Shoe Mount Autofocus Flash for Nikon TTL:
This is my first external flash and it works well for what i use. only con is the plastic connector
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Durable
- Easy To Use
- Fast Recycling
- Powerful Output
- Versatile
Cons
Best Uses
- Fill Flash
- General Use
- Night Photography
- Portraits
Comments about Vivitar DF 383 Series 1 Digital TTL Shoe Mount Autofocus Flash for Nikon TTL:
I just received this flash and haven't had the chance to really use it, but what I have tested, seems to be perfect. I plan to use it for mostly weddings and the flash recycle is very adequate for what I was needing. The slave option is also a great plus! Good flash!
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Vivitar DF 383 Series 1 Digital TTL Shoe Mount Autofocus Flash for Nikon TTL:
The vivitar DF 383 Series 1 Digital flash I got did not work well [...]
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy To Use
- Fast Recycling
Cons
- Heavy
Best Uses
- Fill Flash
- General Use
- Portraits
Comments about Vivitar DF 383 Series 1 Digital TTL Shoe Mount Autofocus Flash for Nikon TTL:
Great flash and easy to use. The diffuser works great and it is connected to the flash so you don't have to worry about losing it. Highly recommend.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy To Use
- Lightweight
- Powerful Output
Cons
- Slow Recycling
Best Uses
Comments about Vivitar DF 383 Series 1 Digital TTL Shoe Mount Autofocus Flash for Nikon TTL:
Easy to use even for beginners
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Consistent Output
- Fast Recycling
- Powerful Output
- Versatile
Cons
Best Uses
- Fill Flash
- General Use
Comments about Vivitar DF 383 Series 1 Digital TTL Shoe Mount Autofocus Flash for Nikon TTL:
Great flash, affordable. It is a tiny bit loud when charging but is worth it to be able to cycle through 7-8 frames in succession. My old flash definitely would not do that! con:it's not ready as soon as you turn it on. takes a second to put it's performance pants on. :)
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy To Use
Cons
Best Uses
- General Use
Comments about Vivitar DF 383 Series 1 Digital TTL Shoe Mount Autofocus Flash for Nikon TTL:
This is a good on-camera flash and a decent slave flash. However, be careful if you think that you can use it off camera in commander mode on Nikon cameras because you can't. It will fire too early and you won't get the results that you are looking for. In the end, I think that this is a great entry level flash that can produce some great results and is easy to use. Used on Nikon d90.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy To Use
- Lightweight
- Powerful Output
- Slave Mode
- Versatile
Cons
- No battery pk power input
Best Uses
- Fill Flash
- General Use
- Night Photography
- Photojournalism
- Portraits
Comments about Vivitar DF 383 Series 1 Digital TTL Shoe Mount Autofocus Flash for Nikon TTL:
A lot of great features for the money.
Recycles great with new batteries.
Batteries have a good life.
Slave mode. AWESOME!
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Consistent Output
- Durable
- Easy To Use
- Fast Recycling
- Lightweight
- Powerful Output
- Versatile
Cons
Best Uses
- Fill Flash
- Night Photography
- Portraits
Comments about Vivitar DF 383 Series 1 Digital TTL Shoe Mount Autofocus Flash for Nikon TTL:
bought this for my boyfriend for his birthday, loves the flasher, holds a charge for along time, pictures are coming out great, love shopping w/ B&H photo.
- Was this a gift?:
- Yes
Pros
- Consistent Output
- Durable
- Easy To Use
- Lightweight
- Powerful Output
Cons
Best Uses
- Fill Flash
- General Use
- Night Photography
- Photojournalism
- Portraits
Comments about Vivitar DF 383 Series 1 Digital TTL Shoe Mount Autofocus Flash for Nikon TTL:
Great flash awesome price! Works great with my Nikon D3100. No need to waster your money buying the Nikon flash. This vivitar is awesome!
- Was this a gift?:
- Yes
Pros
- Consistent Output
- Durable
- Easy To Use
- Fast Recycling
- Lightweight
- Powerful Output
- Versatile
Cons
Best Uses
- General Use
- Portraits
Comments about Vivitar DF 383 Series 1 Digital TTL Shoe Mount Autofocus Flash for Nikon TTL:
The Vivitar DF 383 is the perfect compliment for my Nikon D3000. I have used several Vivitar flashes in the past and I am sold on the quality and value.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy To Use
- Fast Recycling
- Lightweight
- Versatile
Cons
- Not Durable
Best Uses
- Fill Flash
- General Use
Comments about Vivitar DF 383 Series 1 Digital TTL Shoe Mount Autofocus Flash for Nikon TTL:
This flash works fine for my use: on camera when I'm out and about, off-camera as an optical slave when I'm in the studio.
In manual mode, there are no problems. The interface is easy to use and the recharging is pretty fast, especially at lower power.
I haven't noticed any serious issues when using it as a bounce flash, as long as the camera is in matrix metering and the subject is in the middle of the frame.
The issues I've had are when the flash head is pointed at the subject in auto mode at higher zoom settings; the flash is too high, so the bottom of the frame is dark. The diffusion screen helps a little, but the darkness is still noticeable. At 85mm zoom, the flash seems to put out more power than at the rest of the range, so at the same camera settings, the picture is overexposed.
There are a couple of annoyances: as others have mentioned, the battery door is fragile and hard to close, plus the lack of a battery indicator is a noticeable flaw.
As a beginner's flash, when you're not sure if you'll go TTL or Strobist, it's fine. If you're like me and flash is something you don't do much, it's fine. Under controlled conditions, it's fine. Later on it'll work well as a 2nd flash. Until then, it beats the heck out of the pop-up, which is all I really wanted.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy To Use
- Fast Recycling
- Lightweight
- Versatile
Cons
- Not Durable
Best Uses
- Fill Flash
- General Use
Comments about Vivitar DF 383 Series 1 Digital TTL Shoe Mount Autofocus Flash for Nikon TTL:
I'm going to use this for general purposes: manual in the studio, TTL while out and about. So far it seems like it does all that: it's Nikon compatible, the push-button interface is easy to operate, it's light weight, plenty of power for my uses and the optical slave works reliably at a few feet, even when pointed into the reflective umbrella.
The downsides are: construction quality like you'd expect for a flash of this price and the ISO only goes to 100, 200, 400, 800 - even when the camera is set to the intermediate settings. Other than that, it's a fine starter flash or 2nd flash, just what I had in mind.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Consistent Output
- Durable
- Easy To Use
- Fast Recycling
- Lightweight
- Powerful Output
- Versatile
Cons
Best Uses
- Fill Flash
- General Use
- Night Photography
Comments about Vivitar DF 383 Series 1 Digital TTL Shoe Mount Autofocus Flash for Nikon TTL:
I have a 283 flash that I've used with my 35mm camera for many years. The 383 seems to be a digital reincarnation with added features. I use an external flash to add detail and definition to photos. I'm having some problems with color temperature, but that should clear up with more experience.
- Was this a gift?:
- Yes
Pros
- Lightweight
- Powerful Output
Cons
- Slow Recycling
Best Uses
- Fill Flash
- General Use
- Portraits
Comments about Vivitar DF 383 Series 1 Digital TTL Shoe Mount Autofocus Flash for Nikon TTL:
This product is easy to use in automatic but in manuel, the parameters are not evident.
The user manuel is only in english.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy To Use
- Fast Recycling
- Lightweight
- Versatile
Cons
Best Uses
- General Use
- Night Photography
- Portraits
Comments about Vivitar DF 383 Series 1 Digital TTL Shoe Mount Autofocus Flash for Nikon TTL:
The pop-up flash on your camera, while convenient, produces terrible pictures. This is because the light-source (the flash) is so small that it produces harsh shadows making your photos appear amateurish. You need to buy a flash whose head can tilt and swivel, allowing you to bounce the light produced by the flash off of walls or ceilings. This creates a much larger light source (the wall or ceiling) whose light is coming from a much more natural angle (overhead or from the side). This flash is the single best thing you can buy to improve your photographs. It is a must for anyone trying to photograph children. It works perfectly on my Nikon D3000 producing beautiful pictures in low light situations. The one issue I had is that the instruction manual does not contain specific instructions for my camera and my camera's manual does not contain specific instructions for this flash (because they want you to buy the MUCH more expensive Nikon flash). When using the TTL mode the flash would beep incessantly whenever I would tilt or swivel the head. Also, the number display would indicate that I needed to be 9 feet from the subject (which shouldn't happen with TTL which adjusts the power of the flash for the proper exposure regardless of the composition or distance). I found that you have to attach the lens to the camera while the flash and the camera are turned off, then turn on the camera, then turn on the flash. This apparently allows the camera and flash to synchronize for TTL operation. Otherwise this is the perfect flash for my needs at the perfect price.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Displaying reviews 1-20
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Batteries & Power
Required item:
- Price: $1.50
-
- Original: $13.99
- Save: $1.40
- Price: $12.59
Flash Diffusers
-
- Original: $9.95
- Save: $2.30
- Price: $7.65
Reflectors
- Price: $39.95
Brackets
- Price: $34.98
Sync Cords & Flash Remotes
- Price: $14.99
Flash Pouch
- Price: $24.99
Flash Accessories
-
- Original: $99.95
- Save: $9.99
- Price: $89.96
What's in the Box
- Soft Case
- 1-Year Warranty
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