Vivitar 285HV Zoom Thyristor Flash Gun

The 285 back then was a journalist's favorite flash, it was cheap, powerful and very easy to use. I had one for my Pentax P30t and Pentax PZ-1p and it performed beautifully. The "Auto Thyristor Sensor" that controls the flash output power works all the time, as long as you take your subject's distance into the equation. Aside from the Auto operation of the flash the Vari-Power Module also controls the flash output manually, which is a real usable feature of a flash gun, the ability to cut flash output greatly helps in creative lighting. Vivitar re-introduces the 285 as the 285HV which is compatible with most digital cameras, it uses a lower voltage that will not fry your digital camera's circuitry.

Using the flash in "auto" mode requires simple preparation. The flash never communicates with the camera, the automation process is all contained within the flash. the first thing to do is decide what ISO settings to use, the flash can accommodate ISO settings from 25 to 400. Second is to know what shutter flash sync your camera uses, it usually is 1/100, some cameras have a 1/250 flash sync setting. Next is to set the flash's guide calculator to your camera's ISO setting, the outer ring will be set to the ISO then the inner ring's arrow will be set to the the full output setting. Factor in your subject's distance and decide what color wedge you can use and if that particular color wedge has an f/stop setting that is available in the lens' range. Set your Vari sensor to the color wedge you chose then set your aperture to the f/stop setting that the color wedge is under, then shoot away. The flash's guide calculator is not in any way connected to the flash's internal circuitry, it is just a handy guide that is built into the flash, but it does light up to help in night photography.

In the last photo the current setting is:

• ISO 400 at full power
• 1/125 for my Pentax K10D
• Yellow color wedge: 4 f/stop subject distance range 5 to 50 ft.
• Red color wedge: 8 f/stop, subject distance range 3 to 25 ft.
• Blue color wedge: 16 f/stop, subject distance range -3 to 10 ft.
• Purple color wedge: 22 f/stop, subject distance range -3 to 8 ft.
• Turn Vari-Sensor dial to appropriate color.

I like this flash very much and I am not reluctant to give it a 5 out of 5.

My Aero Garden Update...

The seeds have sprouted and have outgrown the domes, the seedlings look healthy. The thyme looks really good and has sprouted a lot, and so have the others seeds, check it out.