Vivitar Digital Flash for Canon Powershot A85 A95 SD200

[spelchek]

Anyone have any opinions on this setup for my A85.. I'd like to 'have a play' with a better flash unit , and this one seems (at a glance) pretty good.. comes with a grip which i thik I'd find very handy for camera stabilisation (i got big, doofus hands :))

here it is on ebay ($59,95) click here (http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Vivitar-Digital-Flash-for-Canon-Powershot-A85-A95-SD200_W0QQitemZ7565763887QQcategoryZ107934QQssPage NameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem)

So.. is it worth it ?? What say 'the experts'??

Thanks in advance!! (PS.. if i buy this i can then contribute to the 'POTN sopending spree thread!!"

:)

[DocFrankenstein]

The flash seems to be ok, but the flash grip is useless.

I wouldn't buy it though, because you can't control the output manually.

[spelchek]

By 'useless' do you mean it has no function other than to hold the flash?

What output should i be controlling?

[Titus213]

I'm certainly no 'expert, and I'm not familiar with either the flash or your camera, but typically you would want to be able manually set the flash for ISO, shutter and/or f-stop. Additionally I've found you get pretty much what you pay for.

Interesting concept - putting the digital optical slave unit in the handle. Personally I would probably not spend $70 on this unit. A decent digital/optical slave unit alone can go for $60.

[DocFrankenstein]

By 'useless' do you mean it has no function other than to hold the flash?
No. Any bracket that's not holding the flash above the lens is useless. It produces a shadow on the side of the subject and it's ugly.

Also, the grip acts a controllable delay mechanism for the flash which uses 4 AA batteries and it's a PITA

What output should i be controlling?
You want manual control of the flash output. You want to be able to fire it at 1/2 1/4 1/8 and 1/16 power... sometimes maybe at 1/32 but that's kinda rare.

[spelchek]

Thanks for the replies :) Man I would waste some money if I didnt have this resource to set me strait!!

Doc.. on looking at that ebay listing again, I notice that the grip does in fact hold the flash higher than the lens.. did you mean it should be directly above the lens, not just higher than it?

Can soemone suggest a good slave flash for my A85? I'd really like to experiment with one...

thanks

[DocFrankenstein]

It should be directly above the lens.

I can't recommend one for A85 because it's probably has a preflash.

[PhotosGuy]

I've had Vivitar 283s for 40 years & they've never let me down. Only thing you have to be careful of is that the cam can handle the flash trigger voltage, so you might need a Wein adaptor.

[spelchek]

Thanks Photosguy... Im not sure what you mean tho (im a newbie to all this!) .. "... cam can handle the flash trigger voltage" , so I might need a wein adaptor". Would you be so kind as to explain this to me? The ad says its fully compatibal with (amongst others) my A85 powershot.

Doc.. the ad says the Vivitar detects and compensates for the red-eye reduction and pre-flash.

Also, three of the 'features' listed are:

Two power settings
Exposure verification indicator
Enables use of smaller apertures for increased depth of field

To me this would imply that
a) It can be set at full or 1/2 power
b)shutter speed is 'detected' somehow and adjusted for
c)The f-stop settings are automatic

Which (whilst not ideal) are at least approaching the desired features advocated by Titus.
Am I way off base?

[PhotosGuy]

Take a look at the link in Tobbys post in this thread:
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=67792

[spelchek]

Photos guy.. doesnt this article refer to 'hotshoe' flashes only?? The A85 does not have a 'hot-shoe' and the Vivitar flash in question is is fired by by the built-in flash triggering the slave flash thus the flash trigger voltage is not a worry for my a85......

Unless I have got it totally wrong.....

[PhotosGuy]

I'm not up in the A85 at all. Just threw the info into the mix. ;)

[spelchek]

Rgr that photosguy.. thx all the same :)