Flash Setup Question

[mekaz]

I have a Vivitar 283 and 285. The 285 is attached to my Digital Rebel through a pc cable connected to a Wein Safe-Sync hotshoe adapter. The 283 has a Wein peanut slave attached to it. Both are set at full power.

When the flashes go off , the 285 flashes at full power, but the 283 barely flashes. When I use just the built-in flash or my Canon 420EX attached directly to the hotshoe, the 283 with the peanut slave flashes full power.

Am I missing a step or a better solution? Any imput would be appreciated.

[scottbergerphoto]

I have a Vivitar 283 and 285. The 285 is attached to my Digital Rebel through a pc cable connected to a Wein Safe-Sync hotshoe adapter. The 283 has a Wein peanut slave attached to it. Both are set at full power.

When the flashes go off , the 285 flashes at full power, but the 283 barely flashes. When I use just the built-in flash or my Canon 420EX attached directly to the hotshoe, the 283 with the peanut slave flashes full power.

Am I missing a step or a better solution? Any imput would be appreciated.

The 420EX and on camera flash are both emitting a pre flash that is setting off your slaved flash. I suspect that the Vivitar at full power looks much brighter then the preflash, so it appears much brighter when compared to using the two Vivitars going off at full power at virtually the same time. If you want to combine ETTL and Manual flash, you need to use a Digital Slave that will ignore the preflash. They are about $100 each, like the Wein Ultra Series.
Scott

[mekaz]

Scott,
I'm using the digital slave. The 420EX and on camera flash work well with the Vivitar using the slave. It's when I want to use the other Vivitar connected to the PC cord, that's when the Vivitar with the slave emits a weak flash.

[scottbergerphoto]

It doesn't make any sense. Optical slaves are on/off only.
Scott

[mekaz]

I know, that's the problem.

[Tom W]

Does the 283 and/or the peanut slave unit have provisions to select whether there is to be a preflash (420EX emits this) or not? Meaning, when used with the 285, you're not getting a preflash from the main flash. Perhaps the peanut slave is set up to work with the preflash.

Or maybe I'm way off on another planet. Never worked with anything outside the ETTL system.

[scottbergerphoto]

Does the 283 and/or the peanut slave unit have provisions to select whether there is to be a preflash (420EX emits this) or not? Meaning, when used with the 285, you're not getting a preflash from the main flash. Perhaps the peanut slave is set up to work with the preflash.

Or maybe I'm way off on another planet. Never worked with anything outside the ETTL system.
No, you're still on the same ice cold, snowy planet the rest of us are on! I believe that regular Peanut slaves are triggered by pre flash and only special Digital Slaves (Peanut Ultra Slave) are not.
Scott

[Tom W]

The only thing is that here, there's but a trace of snow, no ice, and it isn't quite as cold - we're up to a whopping 31* F. Sun's out, sky is clear.

We're all jealous of Scottes' snow though. ;)

[Headcase650]

Im using 2 vivitar 283's with a 550ex on camera. Unless you are using digital slaves designed not to fire on preflash you wont get all your flashes synched correctly. I use the 550ex in manual mode only when using the vivitars as slaves and meter for each light seperatly then all together. The on comera flash and the 420 will always fire a preflash no matter what, they are not capable of firing in manual.

now that I reread your post I may see where your error is. Check your modual, What modual do you have in the 283? I use the varypower modual only. If your using the Distance/apiture modual it must be set in manual mode, if not it will fire differently with difirent amounts of available light.

[mekaz]

Both flashes are in manual mode. Like I said earlier, if I mount a 420ex to the camera or use the built-in flash and trigger either the 283 or 285 with the digital slave, they will flash at full power. But, if one is attached via a PC cord and the other has the digital slave, the unit with the slave barely emits a flash. It seems pretty strange. What does it matter if the flash directly on the camera triggers the slave, or the flash on the PC cord triggers it?

[preacher]

Can I jump in and ask if the problem your haveing relating to the nightmare that I've had tonight? I have the two alien bees 800 420 canon ex flash,the canon digital Rebel, and recently purchased the sekonic l 358 meter.
I;m using the 420 to trigger the flash on strobes and my pictures are all coming out dark, I'm also trying to follow the directions for the meter and It;s telling me to set my fstop at a specific stop in which I try and God the pictures are aweful. I feel sooooo bad I have all of this great equipment and still get these aweful dreadful pictures, i don't know how to post the picture for you to see, if I did I would. i set the shutter to 60 and the fstop according to what the meter tells me.

[slejhamer]

I;m using the 420 to trigger the flash on strobes and my pictures are all coming out dark,

You are probably getting that result for the reason mentioned above: The 420's preflash is very likely triggering the strobes, so they are firing before the shutter opens.

Try running a pc cord from your camera to one of the Bees (you'll need a hot-shoe adapter with a pc plug on the D-Rebel) and set it as master. You should see much better results.

Or sell the 420 and buy a 550 which can be used in manual mode (no preflash.)