Looking for Flash suggestions

SquealinVilen · 11-03-2004

What are some flashes that you guys use/would like to suggest for my Bessa-R? Also, if you have any ideas and have any links to where i can purchase them I would greatly appreciate that as well.

rover · 11-04-2004

I bought this flash,

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...=246106&is=REG

It is simple, well built and compact. I actually bought it from a local shop though for a better price than B&H's now that I see that page. It was couple years ago, there may have been some price increases.

Rob · 11-04-2004

May be a little big but I really like the Vivitar 283.
I use it on my MF folders, EOS cameras, rangefinders
and can also be used on digital SLRS. It has excellent
color balance, good power, fast recycle on NIMH batteries
and a bounce head that I use a lot. Costs about $60 from
B&H photo or get locally for a lot more. They have been
making them for nearly 30 years.

peter_n · 11-04-2004

Also there's the Vivitar 252 that you can get on eBay for around $10. A great little flash but the trigger voltage may be a bit high for a modern camera like the Bessa.

laurentvenet · 11-04-2004

I too use my old Vivitar 283 that I bought as second hand. It's doing beautiful results for the price, and mesure light to send according to subject distance.
But it's huge size makes me think twice before taking it with me.
And I'm scared when I see his heavy flash on my brand new Bessa R.

Marc Jutras · 11-04-2004

I got a Vivitar 283 new this Spring when I got my R2 kit. I recently got a 285 to use as a slave when I need more studio-like setups with radio slave triggering.

Both are excellent and rather cheap. When I use only one, genrally on a bracket (RF on a backet with flash must be a heresy but the results are there), I use a Stofen OmniBounce on it.

I recently got to shoot a meeting in a medium size room with people around a big conference table. I used my 283 with OmniBounce on bracket with my R2. The room was evenly lit. I was surprised to see some results that were better than anything I've seen so far from Canon and Nikon TTL systems. The entire roll was so evenly and perfectly exposed that the lab had nothing to do on the prints.

laurentvenet · 11-08-2004

Hi Marc
I've recently (last week) discovered on internet Stofen accessories for flash and it amazed me, the only bad thing is now to find where those can be bought in France.
It seems to be perfect even with a wide wide angle.

bmattock · 11-08-2004

I use the Vivitar 285 HV, but I also use older smaller Vivitars as well, including the 1400 (as I recall) that I got at Walmart for $9.95. Vivitar flashes work pretty well.

The reason I got the 285HV is so that I could use the Sto-fen omnibounce diffuser without giving up too much power - plus, I wanted to use it on my Fujica GL-690 (big medium format rangefinder). I am told it works equally well on the 283.

I think you can't go too far wrong with the Vivitars.

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

Marc Jutras · 11-08-2004

I use the same Stofen on my 283 and 285. It does the job perfectly.

The only bad point is the price considering it's only a piece of plastic. But it works so well that you find a way to live with it.

As to finding it in France, I don't know. You should try major photo stores that cater to professionals.

bmattock · 11-08-2004

Vilen, I forgot - you can get the Vivitar flashes online everywhere, but I always prefer to order online from B&H if I can - www.bhphotovideo.com. However, there may be some great places in San Francisco that I don't know about if you want to buy it locally. Sto-Fen Omnibounce is at www.stofen.com.

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks