Vivitar 285HV Flash
- Price: $87.00
- GBP 55.55
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- In Stock
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Batteries are required but not included with this item. Please be sure to purchase batteries for this item.
The Vivitar 285HV Flash is a powerful non-dedicated shoe-mount unit with a Guide Number of 120' (37 m) ISO 100 @ 50mm and has an auto exposure range up to 70' (21.3 m). This flash unit has 4 auto f/stop settings and built-in variable power to deliver accurate exposures and convenient fill-flash. The zoom head adjusts to 35mm, 50mm, and 105mm and can be set to bounce at 0°, 45°, 60°, and 90°. The unit has an easy-to-read lighted calculator dial so you can work under most lighting conditions, and it accepts optional high-voltage power sources for faster recycle time and more flashes.
- Guide number 120' ISO 100 @ 50mm
- Automatic exposure range to 70'.
- Accepts optional high-voltage power sources for faster recycle time and more flashes.
- Four auto f/stop settings for controlling depth-of-field and maximum auto flash range.
- Zoom flash head has three positions for covering 35mm, 50mm and 105mm camera lenses.
- Bounce flash capability for softer lighting.
- Removable sensor can be camera mounted with the optional sensor cord permitting automatic exposure when using side bounce flash photography.
- Built-in vari-power for convenient fill flash and rapid sequence photography.
- Auto Thyristor circuitry for faster recycle time and greater number of flashes.
| Mount | Shoe |
| Guide No. | 120' (36.58 m) ISO100 at 50 mm position |
| Angle of Coverage | 70° - 27° |
| Vari-Power | 1/1 - 1/16 |
| TTL Dedication | No |
| Bounce Head | Yes |
| Swivel Head | None |
| Coverage | 28 mm - 105 mm (Full frame) |
| Zoom Head | Full frame: 28 mm - 105 mm |
| Off Camera Terminal | PC |
| Recycle Time | Approximately 4.8 seconds - 10.4 |
| Power Source | 4x AA Alkaline Batteries |
| Dimensions (WxHxD) | 4.0 x 5.2 x 4.2" / 10.16 x 13.21 x 10.67 cm |
| Weight | 14.9 oz / 422 g |
REVIEW SNAPSHOT®
by PowerReviews(based on 247 reviews)
Ratings Distribution
95%
of respondents would recommend this to a friend.
Pros
- Consistent output (151)
- Durable (134)
- Easy to use (124)
- Good power output (98)
- Fast recycling (86)
Cons
- Heavy / bulky (39)
- Slow recycling (29)
- Heavy (28)
- Weak casing (6)
- Flimsy (3)
Best Uses
- General purpose (165)
- Portraits (120)
- Fill flash (100)
- Night photography (68)
- Photojournalism (51)
- Reviewer Profile:
- Enthusiast (52), Photo enthusiast (44), Semi-pro photographer (33), Semi-professional (32), Pro photographer (29)
- Was this a gift?:
- No (74), Yes (6)
Most Liked Positive Review
New Ideas Come to Light
The one area of photography I have avoided since the beginning, seven years ago, is flash photography. In fact, I refused to use flashes, I would disable the flash on my cameras instead...Read complete review
The one area of photography I have avoided since the beginning, seven years ago, is flash photography. In fact, I refused to use flashes, I would disable the flash on my cameras instead opting for ISO 1600 or even blurry photos. You can only pass off photos filled with tracers as artistic so many times before it gets old.I believe it was[@] and some amazing photos on flickr that give me the kick start I needed to venture into the unknown world of flash photography. Not only can you get amazing results using flash, but the technicality of it all appeals to me. So after days of research and reading dozens of reviews, I decided that the Vivitar 285 HV was the way to go. Actually, I had strongly considered getting a Sunpack Super 383, but based on my research, the zoom head on the Vivitar would be more useful than the swivel head on the Sunpack 383. I was planning on using the flash off camera with Cactus/[...] triggers anyways, so there was no need for a swivel head. Also, I liked the look of the Vivitar, the super cool analogue calculator, and B&H only had one Sunpack 383 in stock at the time.The Vivitar 285HV is a robust piece of gear. Yes, it is bulky, but if you're using in a studio like environment it's not really an issue. The first thing I did when I got it was read the manual. I found it to be superbly written, it wasn't JUST a manual but rather a guide to flash photography. They could have simply labeled the buttons on a diagram and told us how to power the thing on and off, but instead, they laid out comprehensive examples, and explained how to choose the appropriate setting and why. I suppose is was more like a tutorial than a manual and I enjoyed the read.I've only had the flash for close to a month but so far it has functioned flawlessly. I ordered 285s and trigger them wirelessly most of the time. I must have taken over 200 shots now and have not yet changed the 4AA Kirkland alkaline batteries I started with. I love the vintage feel and functionally of the flash. It feels well built, the zoom/tilt head clicks nicely into place, the calculator works great and the light metering seemed to work well the few times I used it. Most of the time I shoot in manual mode. Just the fact you can pull off the light meeter all together is cool! It's kinda like the cars they used to make in the 60's, simple, strong and versatile.An added bonus is that the flash comes with a pc sync cable and wide angle lens. The Vivitar puts out a lot of light for the money and I think it's way more fun, and educational, working out lighting yourself rather than letting TTL do it for you. That being said, if you're shooting an event and gotta take fast, candid photos, then TTL would be ideal. But ask yourself as I did, is it really worth spending $400+ bucks on a Canon 580 EX just for TTL. I was all set to shell out for a 580 EX before doing my research. In fact, I did, but luckily it was reimbursed by my company and it's now in their hands. Rather than I 580 EX, I now have an ExpoDisc, an umbrella, two umbrella mounts, two receivers + a transmitter and two Vivitars which are brighter, more versatile and more reliable. It all came to Korea in a giant box for less money!Vivitar 285 HV Pros:-Well built-Versatile-Simple/intuitive-Bright-Decent battery life-Great instruction manual - perfect bedtime reading!-CheapVivitar 285 HV Cons:-Very bulky-No swivel headConclusion:If your just getting into flash photography I would highly recommend this product. It's a price-point where you can afford to get the flash plus some extras like wireless triggers, umbrellas and mounts to see if you are really interested in perusing flash photography. If you want to upgrade to pocket wizards and such later you always can, but there's no reason you can't get professional images using these flashes[@]
VS
Most Liked Negative Review
Fragile and undependable
I bought 3 of these flashes on the overwhelming praise they receive here and on the Strobist site (which I imagine many of you reading this might be frequenters of). I also own a...Read complete review
I bought 3 of these flashes on the overwhelming praise they receive here and on the Strobist site (which I imagine many of you reading this might be frequenters of). I also own a Canon 580EX and a 430EX, and was wanting to pad out my lighting kit with something cheaper and allegedly more durable. Upon receipt of my 3 Vivitar flashes, one of them failed immediately upon putting batteries into it (it would, oddly, fire when I turned it on, but not when it was triggered via the pilot button on it or via a camera, so I figured one of the resistors had failed in it). Another flash failed on me just yesterday, after maybe being played with (but not seriously used) 3-4 times...I switched it on after putting fresh rechargeable NiMH batteries in it, and it seemed to take longer than normal to charge up...when I picked it up to look at it more closely, I head a faint pop and then heard arcing electricity sounds, and saw faint flashes of sparks behind the flash lens. Again, something internally had obviously failed, and smoke started rising from it just as I switched it off. I have to send both of these back to BH to exchange [...]which is a bit of a pain as I live in New Zealand, and which causes me a sense of extreme trepidation about ordering new ones. Vivitar's customer service seems completely non-existent (I tried calling them to discuss the issue with them, but the guy I spoke with seemed completely clueless and said they don't service them at all, and that I just needed to return them to where I bought them).
Reviewed by 247 customers
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Pros
- Durable
Cons
Best Uses
- Fill Flash
Comments about Vivitar 285HV Flash:
Very good backlight flash
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy To Use
- Lightweight
- Powerful Output
Cons
Best Uses
- Fill Flash
- Night Photography
- Portraits
Comments about Vivitar 285HV Flash:
I decided to purchase this product after reading so many rave reviews and it doesn't disappoint. Love that I got this for half the price of a Canon.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Consistent Output
- Easy To Use
- Fast Recycling
- Lightweight
Cons
Best Uses
- Fill Flash
- General Use
- Night Photography
- Portraits
Comments about Vivitar 285HV Flash:
When I took it out of the box and set it up it worked great and this was what I was looking for.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy To Use
- Lightweight
- Powerful Output
Cons
Best Uses
- General Use
Comments about Vivitar 285HV Flash:
first the good: they are cheap in price, they are very powerful, and very easy to use anywheres
now the bad: they are cheaply made... especially the foot ....if it breaks ...do not buy the plastic replacement...just go on an auction site and find some metal foots to replace...also the port for the sync cord is odd...so you have to buy the cord to plug into you pw or cybersyncs which is overpirced.....i did like them but strobist . com showed me another speedlite that is twice are much but built better
note... after a bgust of wind cought the umbrella and the flash hit the ground and stoped working...so buy some sandbags....i am tough on my gear and do not recommend these if you are the same...but I DO RECOMMEND THEM if you are carefull and if you are learning about using flash and do not have a lot of money to spend
- 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 285HV Flash:
This is so nice to be used at home taking pictures of family and people at art exhibition.
- Was this a gift?:
- Yes
Pros
- Consistent Output
- Durable
- Easy To Use
- Powerful Output
Cons
- Bulky
- Heavy
- Slow Recycling
Best Uses
- Fill Flash
- General Use
- Night Photography
- Portraits
Comments about Vivitar 285HV Flash:
I use 3 of these strobes with several Pocketwizard PlusII transceivers for my location photography. They provide ample light for filing a mid-sized room and the 4 power settings allow for some artistic creativity. At first I was a bit throne off by the gigantic control knob on the face of the flash, but now I have come to find it handy when needing to quickly dial the power up or down without looking. Also, I've found these flashes to be very durable. During an on-site shoot a flash and fully extended stand were knocked over. I was sure the strobe was dead, but it's still just as dependable and powerful as the day I bought it.
The down side to the 285 is the very long recycle times when using any AA batteries, 4 sec. with a fresh charge. I have yet to try an external power source and have heard they can cut recycle times down drastically.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Vivitar 285HV Flash:
I am fond of photography and I found in this product what I was looking for.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Consistent Output
- Easy To Use
- Fast Recycling
- Lightweight
- Powerful Output
- Versatile
Cons
Best Uses
- Fill Flash
- General Use
- Night Photography
- Portraits
Comments about Vivitar 285HV Flash:
Still great flashes for manual use. Auto modes on flash work well also if used properly.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Consistent Output
- Durable
- Easy To Use
- Fast Recycling
- Powerful Output
- Versatile
Cons
Best Uses
- Fill Flash
- General Use
- Portraits
Comments about Vivitar 285HV Flash:
I was looking for a relatively inexpensive external flash to install in my mobile photo booth. After reading some reviews, I figured that I would give this a try. When I unboxed the flash it appeared to be really substantial and well made. The instructions were clearly written and I was easily able to attach it to the camera and adjust the settings. When the flash fired, it was really powerful, I damped it down to 1/4 power and it warmed my photos up exactly as I had expected it to. The only issue that I had with the product was that it appeared to come with detachable feet so that it could stand on its own without being mounted. They were not included in the packaging, hence the four stars. It is still a great value and I would recommend it.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
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Pros
- Consistent Output
- Easy To Use
- Versatile
Cons
- Slow Recycling
Best Uses
- Fill Flash
- General Use
- Portraits
Comments about Vivitar 285HV Flash:
I recently purchsed 2 285HV flashes and couldn't be happier. I was looking for a couple of reliable "work horses" for home studio shots with off camera flash using remote triggers, and these have proved to be very reliable and effective. Those that can't live without TTL should look elsewhere, but for those that prefer the old fashioned manual adjustments to flash output, such as myself, this is the flash for you. The controls are very simple and so straight forward that you can get up and running without breaking open the manual if your the impatient sort (like me).
I also purchased an SB-4 AC Adapter for each of my flashes, and I would highly recommend this to anyone purchasing these units, otherwise the recycle time is about 10 seconds. With the AC adapter, the recycle time is reduced to about 3-4 seconds. Just remember that you do need to put a new set of batteries in the flash before you can use the flash before you can use the adapter, but they last forever because they are only powering the electonics, not the flash itself.
My only complaint is that it would be nice if they came with a stand, but it's not the end of the world.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy To Use
- Lightweight
Cons
Best Uses
- Portraits
Comments about Vivitar 285HV Flash:
I bought this flash after a few other students in my class purchased it for there Nikon cameras. I have been using it and have not had any problems with it.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Consistent Output
- Easy To Use
- Versatile
Cons
- Heavy
Best Uses
- Fill Flash
- General Use
- Portraits
Comments about Vivitar 285HV Flash:
Using them as off camera flashes. Love the selector dial because I can direct the right amount of light just by turning the dial or adjusting the zoom head. Used these more than 15 years ago when I was in the Army, and loved the ability to adjust flash power. I was so happy when I found out they still make these. EXCELLENT!
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Attach Securely
- Durable
- Powerful
Cons
Best Uses
- General Use
- Indoors
- Low Light
- Night Time
- Outdoors
- Special Events
Comments about Vivitar 285HV Flash:
Simple to use.
Variable power set by knobs.
Recycle time is fine with new batteries.
Use in a 3 light strobist setup with Canon 7D. Gives off great light, easy to difuse of gel.
I gave it only 4 stars because of the plastic mounting foot. Other than that it's a champ!
- Was this a gift?:
- Yes
Pros
- Durable
- Long-Lasting
Cons
- Wobbly hotshoe
Best Uses
- General Use
- Indoors
- Low Light
- Night Time
- Outdoors
- Special Events
Comments about Vivitar 285HV Flash:
I now own three of these and have only had one problem. One of the AA battery packs sporadically does not work. The battery pack is a really simple design but I can't figure out what's wrong with it. I'll put the same batteries in another pack and insert it into the same flash and it works.
As far as the flash itself goes, I've never had a problem. Even after taking a couple 10' fall off of a band's speakers onto hardwood floors.
This is not a flash for people who do not shoot on manual exposure. The auto functions work okay but aren't the best.
The gel slot is the best idea ever!
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Durable
- Long-Lasting
- Portable
- Powerful
Cons
Best Uses
- General Use
- Indoors
- Low Light
- Night Time
- Outdoors
- Special Events
Comments about Vivitar 285HV Flash:
I use my three 285HV's nearly every time I shoot. They are perfectly portable to use for bands at bars and nightclubs and they are powerful enough to use in sunlight.
If you are a serious photographer (and don't use auto/program modes) then these are perfect for you.
One change that Vivitar might want to make in the future is to make the hotshoe a little more sturdy. It hasn't broken on me yet, but I've heard of it happening.
OH YEAH! These suckers are quite rugged. They've been dropped 12', from atop a band's speakers onto a hardwood floor.... not a thing wrong with it.
Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
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Pros
- Affordable
- Attach Securely
- Powerful
Cons
- No ettl
Best Uses
- Indoors
- Off camera
Comments about Vivitar 285HV Flash:
I use multiple of those units for off camera flash duty, mostly with umbrellas. Cheap and easy to use.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Attach Securely
- Durable
- Good Color Value
- Long-Lasting
- Powerful
- Price
Cons
- Battery eater
- Loses Charge Quickly
Best Uses
- General Use
Comments about Vivitar 285HV Flash:
Used mainly for off-camera flash for portraits.I bought it because of other reviews and the price was "right." It is built like a tank...will survive a drop...
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Durable
- Powerful
Cons
Best Uses
- Low Light
Comments about Vivitar 285HV Flash:
Looking for a flash to use in cave photography, I purchased the 285HV and am simply astounded with it! Not only is it simple to use, but it puts out an enormous amount of light...more than enough to light up big cave passages!
I should have gotten one of these a long time ago...
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Good price value
Cons
- Flimsy
Best Uses
- General Use
- Indoors
- Low Light
- Night Time
- Outdoors
- Special Events
Comments about Vivitar 285HV Flash:
For the price i paid and what i need it for. This flash does the job. People spend so much on brand name flashes and not take advantage of the feature. This is the very basic but when use as manual/slave, it does the same thing as the those expensive brand name flashes.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
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(2 of 2 customers found this review helpful)
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- You may also flag this review
Pros
- Long-Lasting
- Powerful
Cons
- Flimsy
Best Uses
- General Use
- Indoors
- Low Light
- Night Time
- Outdoors
- Special Events
Comments about Vivitar 285HV Flash:
I'd give it a 5 star rating if the hotshoe attachment was constructed out of metal instead of plastic. Care must be taken when using these. But, they work very well, I use them off camera for location shoots and I've never been let down. I connect them via Pocket Wizards.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
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Batteries & Power
Required item:
- Price: $1.23
- GBP 0.79
-
- Original: $13.99
- Save: $1.40
- Price: $12.59
- GBP 8.04
Flash Diffusers
-
- Original: $9.95
- Save: $2.30
- Price: $7.65
- GBP 4.88
Reflectors
- Price: $39.95
- GBP 25.51
Sync Cords & Flash Remotes
- Price: $14.95
- GBP 9.55
What's in the Box
- AP-1 Battery Holder
- PC-1 Sync Cord
- 28mm W/A Diffuser
- 2-Year Warranty
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