Newbie here with a question

I recently entered the world of digital photography with the purchase of a Canon S5 IS. I have used a Minolta XGM film camera for about 30 years and am new to the ways of auto focus, auto everything cameras. I am used to using a hot shoe flash and doing it the old fashioned way, and can continue doing so if necessary. I checked out the speedlight flashes and they cost as much as the camera.

I have also looked at the Sunpak Super 383 and Vivitar 285HV flashes. Huge difference in price, so my question is this, will either of these flashes function properly when using the S5 IS in auto mode without a lot of tinkering with the settings? I am used to mechanical settings on the Minolta and it will take a long time for me to get up to speed with the computer operated settings of the new camera, and really do not want to wait that long to have the external flash capabilities.

If these two flashes will not fill the bill, do you have any recommendations that won't break the bank?

Thanks for any help.

You can use the S5 just the way you would your Minolta with those - set aperture and shutter speed and let the thyristor circuitry of the flash control the light. If you try using Av, you'll get a non-flash exposure for your background.

If I read you correctly, the flash will not operate with the camera in automatic mode, correct?

Thanks for the reply.

Well, the flash will work just as intended, but the camera will expose for a non-flash photo, and you'll get a fairly long exposure, maybe with a blown-out subject, since the camera won't get its pre-flash for flash metering, and the flash will ignore the resultant possibly several second exposure it'll give, putting out enough light to do it all in addition to the light collcted over the long exposure.

Thank you very much for the perfect description of what will happen. Several of the folks who commented on the products in the, rate this product blog, at Amazon indicated that the flashes would work just fine in auto mode, and as you said they do fire, just not properly.

You have been very helpful, and, once again, you have my thanks.

I have an additional question about trigger voltage and the Sunpak 383. I have read that it can be a concern when using old flashes with the new digital cameras when attached to the hot shoe.

I recently acquired a 383 and would like to check the trigger voltage. I think it needs to be under 7 or so DC volts. Correct?

Using a volt meter, I turned the flash unit on, let the indicator light for ready come on, and then checked the voltage across the 2 contact points of the shoe mount on the flash. I got a reading on my analog volt meter of 8.5. Should I be checking the trigger voltage this way or should I be checking it when the flash is firing?

Last question, is 8.5 volts at the flash a hazard to my S5 IS? If it is not a hazard, I think I am really gonna love this old workhorse flash.

Thanks