Light output. Cost. Multitudes of available accessories. Inner workings can be modified to increase or decrease light output. Incredibly simple to use.

Wobbly shoe. No high voltage input for an external battery. No standard PC socket, only the dedicated Vivitar socket.

It is a very powerful and functionable flash. Given the simple nature of the flash, it allows a tremendous amount of control. But the automatic functions work flawlessly. I use a Vivitar 285 as an on camera flash as well as for off camrera lighting. I have the battery dorr modified to accept a Quantam Battery instead of the 4 AA''s. Even with the AA batteries, recycling times are pretty fast unless one shoots at full power.

Similar Products Used:

Nikon SB-28

Powerful output. cost only a fraction of a Nikon SB16. Lots of accessories available. Good zoom head.

Big and heavy. No swivel head

I have been very happy with my Vivitar 285HV that I bought used on eBay. A great inexpensive flash that gives reliable and acurate results time after time. It is being used on my manual focus Nikon FE. I''ve been using the 4 auto settings most of the time.

Customer Service

never used

Similar Products Used:

Vivitar 550 Achiver

- Powerful GN - Easy to use - Low price.

- Weak shoe, easy to break - Uses proprietary sync cord - Can''t be used with AA cells without proprietary batt. holder.

I intended to buy the flash as back up unit to my Nikon SB-26. But ended up to use it as a main workhorse flash. I was skeptical at first because of its cheap price. I read the reviews on this site, researched on the net and finally decided to get one. It is much better than I expected. Strong GN, accurate Auto modes, quick and easy dial control are keys of this flash. This 285HV is well built. Flash output and performance is comparable to my SB-26 unit in auto modes for 1/5 cost. I have no complain about battery consumption as others. I tested the flash right after I got it with 1600mah AA set fully charged, Portra 160 film, flash set to auto RED mode and manual. Got 4 36-exposure rolls without experiencing any problem with recharging time. It could go more than 4 rolls. But I was happy with 4 rolls put through. I have Quantum Battery 1+ unit but have not have the cord for this flash to test it yet. I replaced the shoe with a third party metal shoe that is stronger and has the standard sync terminal. ($9 on Ebay). The 285HV is not the best flash and does not have all bells and whistles. But offers features that you would need most of the time. Great buy. BRAVO VIVITAR

Customer Service

N/A

Similar Products Used:

Nikon SB-24, SB-20, SB-26, SB-15 Metz 32 MZ-3

Price, ease of use, versatility.

None

I just recently talked to tech support and someone suggested I use nickel metal hydride batteries in the flash. They work great. I shot three rolls of film at a wedding and the recharge time never exceeded 6 sec. I don''t know how long they will last because I haven''t completely run them down yet. They have no memory and they will recharge in a nicad recharger.They have more power than alcalines and half the recharge time. Two sets of those would probably take you through most any assignment.

Customer Service

I Canada Delta International handles service and they are excellent if you talk directly to them.

Similar Products Used:

None

I personally have never owned one but intend to buy it soon.

None that I can think of from all the reviews I have read!

My purpose for writing this is to let the cat out of the bag, so to speak. It appears that SR Electronics (www.srelectronics.com)sells the very same flash ("Especially designed for digital cameras") and calling it the Digi-Slave Pro. And they are gouging the buyers with a $249.00 price tag! OUCH! While you can get the very same thing from Vivitar at around $85 street price. Take a look for yourself. I stumbled across this fact while searching for the perfect flash for my Olympus D-620L. It appears that I found it! In the Vivitar 285 HV. It appears that all of their flashes resemble those of the Vivitar. Wow, talk about a niche market. I hope this review helps others by preventing them from becoming Digi-Slaves to those high prices. Get the Vivitar folks. IT'S THE SAME THING! Peace! Out!

Customer Service

Not needed at this point.

Similar Products Used:

None worth mentioning.

Small unit capable of giving you f8 at about six feet, with some modest diffusion material in front of the flash, making it great for portraits.

Obviously not as strong as a high-powered Metz or Sun Pak. Slow recycle time without added battery pack.

If the strengths I listed above suit your needs then, it is a great unit. I love the portability for location shoots! I mount it on a stand and use it like my speedotrons in the studio!

Customer Service

Don't know yet.

Similar Products Used:

Vivitar 283

-full, 1/2, 1/4, & 1/16 flash capability
-bounce head with wide, normal, & tele
-whole range of accessories!
-great fill flash w/ flash slave.
-easy to understand features.

-hot shoe breaks easily
-somewhat bulky
-design resembles a Russian Mig plane!

This is a great flash for anyone; especially when you're on a budget (about $85)! I didn't expect it to be a strong flash and somewhat simple to use. This was my first flash and most likely it will stay with me.

It's mostly attached to a flash slave when I use my F100/SB28 combination and it lights up the background well! I don't have any harsh shadows behind my subjects.

It's a great flash for the money; but buy a dedicated speedlight if you intend to attach it to a computerized camera! Still-it's a great flash unit for: direct, bounce, & fill flash.

Similar Products Used:

None

An exellent flash to be used with anykind of slr. The sensor of the flash has never failed on me. The zoom works well even to long distances.

The flash is quite bulky and a bit on the heavy side.

A great flash for the price. Idiotproof sensor-system.

Similar Products Used:

None

Excellent easy to use flash. When used in conjunction with a camera bracket, there will not be a red-eye problem.

The only question that I have is durability if used on a continuous basis.

The Vivitar 285HV is a great value. It performs consistantly and provides great photos. The recycling time is excellent and with the fill in flash features, the options are endless. I own two of these flashes and use them together with the aid of a slave. Recommended for photographers in the beginning to expert levels.

Customer Service

Excellent

Similar Products Used:

N/A

Powerful, rugged, and cheap.

Flexible, with four automatic settings plus manual full power, ½-power, ¼-power, and 1/16 power.

It's a single-pin trigger, so you don't have to second-guess any TTL nonsense. This flash gives me better, more-predictable, more intuitively adjustable results on my N90s than the Nikon SB-26.

The calculator dial on the side is not electronically connected, but is a very handy tool for estimating flash exposures.

I own four of these, and they're all within 1/10-stop of each other. Very consistent output. I use them as quasi-"studio" strobes when I get a notion to set up studio-like shots in my dining room. Gobs of power to put into umbrellas, easy to adjust and set up, and once you meter your lighting, it's set-and-forget. These things stay dead-on consistent flash after flash. Just make sure you're giving them all time to recycle.

I use lithium batteries in mine. Faster recycling time and longer life.

Sheer size, although I've grown oddly fond of the clunky design.

I believe (and my flash meter bears this out) that its automatic power output is over-rated by 2/3 to one stop. At least, I get better results if I begin my calculations based on that assumption.

Tilts, but doesn't swing for bounce flash with verticals.

The HV designates the later version (with high-voltage input), with a lower triggering voltage. My portable two-flash rig for quick portraits: I use two 285HVs, one on-camera and the other mounted on a Stroboframe R4 and connected via a cord. I removed the side grip from the Stroboframe, so the flash and flash sensor have a clear field when the camera is in the vertical position. I set both flashes to blue and the lens to f/11. Then, I shoot away. If I want more-dramatic modeling, I switch the on-camera flash to red range; if I need faster recycling, I switch to f/8 and red range on both flashes. People who have not shot this way invariably theorize that it won't work because each flash will throw off the other's sensor. They are wrong. I've done it. It works beautifully.

Customer Service

Not needed, although calls to their 800-number are always answered by a polite, knowledgable person.

Similar Products Used:

Vivitar 283 (old, high-voltage version)

Various Nikon speedlights including the SB-16, SB23, and SB-26.