[rollei_list] Re: Rolleiflash Disaster

  • From: Mark Rabiner <mark@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <rollei_list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Tue, 08 Dec 2009 16:37:36 -0500

> The Vivitar 283 has a flash duration from 1/1000 sec to 1/30000 sec,
> it's good for a flash designed about 40 years ago.
> The 283 was resurrected twice due to customer demand after to be in
> production along 30 years. The Vivitar 283 origin was the Vivitar 260,
> this unit was a Japanese  National/Panasonic flash labeled Vivitar (a
> lens manufacturer), it used 9v batteries which died very fast and then
> Max Ponder, Vivitar owner with John Best, went to Japan and suggested
> some improvements according the 260 users comment, the 260 had been a
> successful flash from the '60s thanks to its innovative design.Taking
> Max Ponder's suggestions in consideration, the Vivitar 283 appeared in
> 1970 outselling all its competitors combined and selling 3,000,000 by
> 1973.
> The early 283 units made in Japan have a trigger voltage of 250v, they
> are not suitable for digital and some electronic film cameras, later
> units made in China and Korea have a trigger voltage from 5v to 12v
> and then are fine for those cameras.
> A 283 feature that liked very much for pro photographers was the
> removable sensor, and coupled the Optional remote sensor cord, off
> camera flash is possible with the gun still in auto mode, an
> innovative feature at that time.
> I have a 283 made in Korea and it works very fine with the Rollei TLR cameras.
> 
> Carlos
> 


I did get one for 90 bucks from Camera world ten years ago  (20?) and the
thing which put the wrench  in  was the non turn offing of the unit. We take
that for granted nowadays.
A think I'd not notice when I first used it for years and the 285.
I looked at the thing one day the batteries had leaked.
Had been on for months.

I loved the thing you could get when you could take the sensor off the
camera and put it at the beginning of the hot coiled cord which sat on the
hot shoe.
When TLR came out it was not that much better in the amount of non hits I'd
get on a contact sheet.

Oh I see you covered that remote sensor thing!

I may have gotten my 283 for the bottom hot shoe of my Rollei 35.

Mark William Rabiner



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