Vivitar DF 383 Series 1 Digital TTL Shoe Mount Autofocus Flash for Panasonic TTL

Comments about Vivitar DF 383 Series 1 Digital TTL Shoe Mount Autofocus Flash for Panasonic TTL:

I purchased this from B&H for my Panasonic FZ100 megazoom. The Panasonic has a decicated hot shoe with TTL capability, and this flash worked perfectly indoor and out for about 5 minutes. Then the upper unit just died. It would not even flash using the test button. I ran out and bought a 20-pack of Alkaline Energizers, and even tried my Canon rechargeables, to no avail. The lower section worked great, and the screen showed the zoom, and TTL info, and when I took a pitch black photo (because it didn't fire!) it said "OK!" I sent it back the next day. Check online reviews: this is a common problem with this flash.
Get yourself a Metz instead.

Comments about Vivitar DF 383 Series 1 Digital TTL Shoe Mount Autofocus Flash for Panasonic TTL:

This flash worked for 10 minutes on my FZ100, then the upper flash unit went dead. The base display worked and all the readings were correct, except the flash part wouldn't fire, even with the built-in TEST button. My other flashes work great with my FZ100. What happened to Vivitar's quality? Get a Metz.

Comments about Vivitar DF 383 Series 1 Digital TTL Shoe Mount Autofocus Flash for Panasonic TTL:

On the compact Panasonic LX series cameras, this flash allows synchronous flash shutter 1/2000 sec. - a minimum shutter speed for this series of compact cameras.

However, it does not appear to support FP-TTL mode (or auto, manual, or slave modes for that matter) for Panasonic G series cameras. The Metz 48/58 is the only 3rd party flash that claims to support FP-TTL mode (or High Speed Sync as Metz calls it) except for the system Panasonic & Olympus flashes. Flash X-sync speed on Vivitar DF 383 for G series is 1 / 160 sec.

You must not forget it is made in China.

Comments about Vivitar DF 383 Series 1 Digital TTL Shoe Mount Autofocus Flash for Panasonic TTL:

Judging by the cost and what your are getting, it is worth the money. TTL works well with the Panasonic 14-45 lens. Not so with manual focus lens. Nice to have the diffuser and bounce card builtin.

The slave setting does not work the the Lumix G TTL because the Lumix G provides one preflash, so it is practically useless with the Pansonic TTL system, so I was dissappointed. In manual it might be useful.

I found also that this flash with the Panasoic TTL results in over exposure. It is simple to fix by dialing in the flash power adjustment in G camera's menu. So it is annoying, but the bright side is that it provides you with more light power than expected.

What works very nicely and economically as a slave for fill in from a different angle or the background is a Vivitar slave flash I bought along with this flash. That flash allows you to have it flash after 0,1, 2, 3 pre-flash. This works very well.

Comments about Vivitar DF 383 Series 1 Digital TTL Shoe Mount Autofocus Flash for Panasonic TTL:

Haven't yet been able to put it through all the paces but seems to be as advertised. Long-time Vivitar user as a photojournalist with heavy experience with film using 283's & 285's. Digital versions seem to have followed Vivitar's reputation for reliability and durability.

Comments about Vivitar DF 383 Series 1 Digital TTL Shoe Mount Autofocus Flash for Panasonic TTL:

I bought this flash as my first external flash ever. It's very good, and I'm quite happy with it. It recycles fairly quickly, and feels very solidly built. Great for night photography and when paired with a light umbrella and remote it does a bang-up job at product photography too. The screen can sometimes be a bit difficult to read in low light. TTL works great. The built in diffuser and reflector were a wonderful touch.

It's somewhat bulky, however that's to be expected. A great beginner's external flash, I rate Vivitar products extremely highly.

Comments about Vivitar DF 383 Series 1 Digital TTL Shoe Mount Autofocus Flash for Panasonic TTL:

Very nice flash for the price , I have a Leica V-lux1 (same as Panasonic DMC FZ 50) and this flash is the perfect match, it syncs perfectly, works great on TTL mode, manual mode, and you can also use it on the slave mode with your camera's pop-up flash on a low output. I love it so far. B&H helped me find it.

Comments about Vivitar DF 383 Series 1 Digital TTL Shoe Mount Autofocus Flash for Panasonic TTL:

I've had this flash for over a week and have tried it in different shooting situations. It has performed well in all of them so far. I bought this to try because of the poor battery performance of the Panasonic DMW-FL360, which otherwise is a fine unit. I prefer this Vivitar. For starters, using 4 AA batteries rather than the two on the FL360 gives this unit a much quicker recharge time. Also, there is a built-in bounce card in addition to the diffuser that is very handy. Finally, I like the controls and display better for situations where I want more control.

Comments about Vivitar DF 383 Series 1 Digital TTL Shoe Mount Autofocus Flash for Panasonic TTL:

I bought this flash for my Panasonic G1 so I could use it on board or as a slave to the pop-up flash. It seems to work fine in TTL straight on ONLY, except for one thing. The red focusing light never comes on regardless of how low the ambient light is. The manual invites you to visit their web site for further information, which I did & the product is not listed. However, there is a phone # to call for assistance, which I called. The Vivitar representative who spoke difficult to understand English told me they do not make/sell the flash unit I have. When I insisted they did, he said he had no listing & could not help me. So much for technical support.