Vivitar 283 Flash Died

[Bruce Pollock]

I've had my Vivitar 283 for 30+ years and it's always worked like a charm. I haven't used it for a (long) while and took it out recently, put fresh batteries in it and... nothing. Dead. I have a vague thought that it might have been put away in the camera case without powering it down first. Apart from draining the batteries, I wonder if it might have fried the capacitor.

Does anyone know anything about hand held flash units? Fixable? Worth fixing?

[ic-racer]

Finding new capacitors is difficult. I wish I knew a good source. The capacitors will go bad on their own. Leaving a unit ON should not kill the capacitor, and actually might make the capacitor last longer.

For example this site, showing a nice array of capacitors, is actually like some tease internet free sex site. You can click on the pictures but nothing happens; no matter what you try you can't actually buy anything through the site. http://www.capacitorindustries.com/capacitors/aluminum-electrolytic-capacitors/photo-flash-capacitors/default.html

[Leigh]

Electrolytic capacitors deteriorate with age.
If the flash sat unused for more than six months, given its age, it likely failed when you powered it up.

Capacitors are available by the zillions.
Mouser has 25,390 different ones in the style that was likely used in this flash.

It's a simple repair. The part is probably less than $10.

The repair should be done by a competent technician who's familiar with the flash.

Some good sources for quality electrolytic caps:
Mouser www.mouser.com
Newark www.newark.com
Digi-Key www.digikey.com
Allied: www.alliedelec.com

There are many other online vendors, but those four companies supply all of the parts for the products I manufacture, and I put quality above price.

Some good capacitor manufacturers include:
Cornell-Dubilier (CDE), Kemet (excellent quality), Nichicon, Panasonic, United Chemi-Con (UCC), Vishay (Vishay/Sprague et al), and Xicon.

- Leigh

[John Koehrer]

You can also find 283's online for not a lot of $$. Garage sales, rummage sales, thrift stores etc.

[Gem Singer]

You can probably purchase a brand new Vivitar 285HV for less than the cost of repairing your old 283.

Thirty years is an exceptionally long time for a battery powered flash to continue to operate.

About two years ago, I purchased a new 285HV to use on a Mamiya 645 camera. It's the third one I've owned and replaced over the years.

[Leigh]

You can probably purchase a brand new Vivitar 285HV for less than the cost of repairing your old 283.
I thought Vivitar was long-since out of business, but it turns out I'm wrong.

A new one would certainly be desirable if it's in your budget (about $80 at B&H).


You can also find 283's online for not a lot of $$. Garage sales, rummage sales, thrift stores etc.
Any used flash will potentially have the same problem as the OP's current unit.

- Leigh

[photobymike]

i have 4 of these in my not worth putting on ebay box. You might consider buying a metal hot shoe for your next 283 or 285. i paid 10 and 20 dollars for the ones i have. I think you can still buy a new 285hv from Freestyle for 89 or 99 dollars. Personally i use the Canon 199A Speedlite. I use it on my 645 Mamiya and occasionally on the 4x5. i pay 5 or 10 bucks for those and for the money a better flash.

[akfreak]

Send it to me I will fix it if you like, AKF

[johnielvis]

hey...I got a dead one too...you fix these? how much for a fix..mine will charge and hold a full pop of charge-so it's not the cap...it pops one time and then....forget it...it'll re-charge and then you can't make it pop unless you fire like 20 times....it' slike the tube needs time to cool down or something...anyway...It's just sitting here nuding closer and closer to the trash can....what's the repair cost?

[domaz]

Don't try to fix these unless your are confident in discharging capacitors safely. Otherwise you could be dead along with the flash.

[drew.saunders]

My 283 wouldn't work with fresh batteries, so I took a pencil eraser to clean off any gunk that may have leaked from the dead batteries that had been in it, and it started working again. Even if your old batteries don't look like they leaked, there might be crud on the contacts.

[ic-racer]

Electrolytic capacitors deteriorate with age.
If the flash sat unused for more than six months, given its age, it likely failed when you powered it up.

Capacitors are available by the zillions.
Mouser has 25,390 different ones in the style that was likely used in this flash.

It's a simple repair. The part is probably less than $10.

The repair should be done by a competent technician who's familiar with the flash.

Some good sources for quality electrolytic caps:
Mouser www.mouser.com
Newark www.newark.com
Digi-Key www.digikey.com
Allied: www.alliedelec.com

There are many other online vendors, but those four companies supply all of the parts for the products I manufacture, and I put quality above price.

Some good capacitor manufacturers include:
Cornell-Dubilier (CDE), Kemet (excellent quality), Nichicon, Panasonic, United Chemi-Con (UCC), Vishay (Vishay/Sprague et al), and Xicon.

- Leigh

???
Mouser carries 4 photoflash capacitors.
Did you check the others? "Photoflash" comes up with zero hits at Allied, Newark, and the others.
Have you ever purchased a photoflash capacitor for a camera-mounted flash at any of those sources listed?

Have you ever purchased a capacitor from Kemet, Nichicon, Vishay, or Cornell-Dubilier? They won't sell them to me.
Since you know where these capacitors can be purchased, I have a postit note on my computer now looking for a Rubycon Auto-Cap 450 uf 340V can 22.2 x 47 mm perhaps you could give me your source.

[Leigh]

That's probably because there is no such thing as a "photoflash" capacitor.
Any products identified as such are old descriptions.

You can buy caps in single quantities from any of the vendors I listed in the previous post.

- Leigh

[Peter Gomena]

Mine died a similar death. I hated to let it go after 20+ years. I walked into a camera store and bought a used 285 for a few bucks and it's running just fine 3 years later. The darned things last forever.

Peter Gomena

[Steve Smith]

Try opening the battery compartment and pushing the battery holder in a bit. Poor battery contacts are more likely the problem.


Steve.

[jp]

I had a 285hv for high school and college and wondered why people would choose a 283. Eventually, I sold it and bought a used Nikon sb-24, which I am still using today. The vivitar was a reliable and powerful flash I sold to get something prettier and shinier. Truth be told, I like the lighted controls of the sb24, and the lcd distance scale better than the vivitar's rotary calculator.

I had an sb800 for a while too but sold it as I wasn't using the "creative lighting system" and their resale prices were really hot.

[Sevo]

Electrolytic capacitors are inherently self-healing - that is one of the properties of using a electrolyte - and their aging usually is evident as a slow continuous decrease in capacity rather than a sudden failure. But they will "deform" when they are kept discharged for a long time, and have to be powered up for a few hours or even days to revive them.

If the flash won't do anything (and does not even issue a slight low pitched whistle), the flat capacitor may have shot the inverter circuit - you'll have to swap out more than merely the capacitor then...

[E. von Hoegh]

It's most likely dirty battery contacts, or dirty contacts in the on-off switch. Move the switch back and forth a few dozen times, clean the contacts. The capacitor might be dead, but it might not - I have an ancient Honeywell from the mid '60s, and a small Vivitar from the early 70s, as well as a Metz 45 CT1. All have good caps.

[Steve Smith]

My 285s and 283 regularly don't work the first time I switch them on. A bit of pressure to the battery holder soon wakes them up.


Steve.

[Kevin Crisp]

I'm using one I bought in 1971 and it works fine. I have had contact problems. If you don't know how to safely discharge a capacitor, opening one up is dangerous. the 285 has some nice extra features like a zoom head and the ability to select less than full power.

[E. von Hoegh]

Don't try to fix these unless your are confident in discharging capacitors safely. Otherwise you could be dead along with the flash.

Cannot stress this enough.

[akfreak]

Don't try to fix these unless your are confident in discharging capacitors safely. Otherwise you could be dead along with the flash.

Bro I have been bleeding caps since I was 12 years old. You just use a screw driver and dead short them right. J/K There are several ways to discharge a cap. Being a General class Ham radio operator working on large transmitters we used to use a "widow stick" Basically a 2' long broom handle with a 1/2" round metal end connected to a braided strap to a ground. Touch the metal rod to all caps and bus bars before playing inside it the transmitters.

You can use Resistors, heck you can use incandescent Light Bulbs, the large the cap the larger the string of bulbs.


I have rebuild many studio packs that people have failed to turn them off before un plugging. I got most of my Speedotron packs Damages ad repaired all of them. I think I can handle a small cap in a speedlight. I have modded many 285's to run a 120J bare blub.


Now as to price, there is no flat price. I have too see what parts the smoke has been let out of. If it is a simple fix the cost is nil. If it is smoked and and the parts cost more than a new unit, I will let you know and send it back. I fix most of them that just need a cap or some other small parts for 20-30 bucks. It all depends on exactly what happened to the unit.

Now I am not selling flash repair service here. I do it for myself, I am offering to fix he OP's ( at least take a peek at it) if he sends it to me. Let me know AKf. (fyi, I didn't get past the first page of this thread before I responded)

[E. von Hoegh]

Bro I have been bleeding caps since I was 12 years old. You just use a screw driver and dead short them right. J/K There are several ways to discharge a cap. Being a General class Ham radio operator working on large transmitters we used to use a "widow stick" Basically a 2' long broom handle with a 1/2" round metal end connected to a braided strap to a ground. Touch the metal rod to all caps and bus bars before playing inside it the transmitters.

You can use Resistors, heck you can use incandescent Light Bulbs, the large the cap the larger the string of bulbs.


I have rebuild many studio packs that people have failed to turn them off before un plugging. I got most of my Speedotron packs Damages ad repaired all of them. I think I can handle a small cap in a speedlight. I have modded many 285's to run a 120J bare blub.


Now as to price, there is no flat price. I have too see what parts the smoke has been let out of. If it is a simple fix the cost is nil. If it is smoked and and the parts cost more than a new unit, I will let you know and send it back. I fix most of them that just need a cap or some other small parts for 20-30 bucks. It all depends on exactly what happened to the unit.

Now I am not selling flash repair service here. I do it for myself, I am offering to fix he OP's ( at least take a peek at it) if he sends it to me. Let me know AKf. (fyi, I didn't get past the first page of this thread before I responded)

Don't forget the hysteresis in the caps. You can discharge it, come back in an hour, and still get a bit of a zap from it. Could be dangerous in a big one like you'd find in a studio flash. A disconnected cap can charge from static electricity under the right conditions. It's best to discharge it, then short it with a bit of wire. Don't forget to remove the wire before firing up the equipment.;)

Edit - Speaking of zappage, remember those old metal envelope color CRTs in the RCA tvs? :) :)

[cowanw]

http://www.apug.org/forums/forum379/100682-fs-vivitar-283-a.html
Would this do?

[akfreak]

http://www.apug.org/forums/forum379/100682-fs-vivitar-283-a.html
Would this do?

$22 bucks would of saved a ton of headache.

[ic-racer]

That's probably because there is no such thing as a "photoflash" capacitor.
Any products identified as such are old descriptions.

You can buy caps in single quantities from any of the vendors I listed in the previous post.

- Leigh
Leigh, I'm not trying to be rude, just frustrated looking for capacitors, for flash and others.

No such thing?
http://www.wellgainelectronics.com/ProductImages/capacitors_electrolyticflashcaps/NICHICON-500UF%20330V%20PHOTO%20FLASH%2025X54MM%20DC%20813X.JPG
http://shop.chinaglobaltrader.com/images/capacitor/50uF%20330V%2010x24mm.jpg

They exist but are hard to find, as I previously posted. Nichicon no longer makes them. If you know of a Nichicon equivalent please share the info. The Nichicon site is of no help and they don't list any kind of Photo flash capacitor on their web site:

(5) For a circuit that repeats rapid charging/discharging of electricity, an appropriate capacitor that is capable of enduring such a condition must be used. Welding machines and photo flash are a few examples of products that contain such a circuit. In addition, rapid charging/discharging may be repeated in control circuits for servomotors, In which the circuit voltage fluctuates substantially.
For appropriate choice of capacitors for circuit that repeat rapid charging/discharging, please consult Nichicon.
I hope you are not suggesting the original poster use a standard electrolytic capacitor.

I cannot buy caps directly from Nichicon, Vishay etc. and I suspect the OP can't either.
But, if they will sell to you, could you pick up two filter caps, Nichicon VR 220uf 315V for me, I need them for an audio project ( http://www.nichicon.co.jp/english/products/alm_mini/pict_f.htm ) as Mouser does not carry that one and I have been looking for a while.

[rdenney]

First, Mouser identifies their caps by manufacturer. So, if you can identify a part from the manufacturer, you can usually find it at Mouser and buy it in onesies.

Second, I would not spend the money to revise an old 283 (and I still have at least four of them). There are so many issues with them that it's probably not worth the time and difficulty it would take to replace the cap, only to find that it's some other problem.

Third, the new 285HV has a key advantage over the older 283's--a low trigger voltage. The early 283's had a trigger voltage of up to several hundred volts as I recall. If you use one on a modern digital or electronically controlled camera, you will likely fry its circuits. It's not a problem for large-format shutters, but I'd be leery of even running one on a camera like my Pentax 645NII. I bought a special low-voltage trigger unit for my Speedotron kit, which also had a high trigger voltage from the factory. But that doesn't work for a shoe-mounted flash.

Finally, the way an electrolytic capacitor works is by forming a coating of oxide on an aluminum sheet that is wrapped up in a roll. That oxide becomes a very thin insulator. It's the voltage applied to the capacitor that causes that oxide to form, though, which is why it's electrolytic and why it requires a background voltage to make it work. If the oxide has deformed, the capacitor will leak DC, and if it does so at low enough resistance, it could take other components out. But I doubt that is all that common. When I use a flash for the first time in a while (meaning: years), I let it sit for quite a while before I start popping it. The old radio guys would gradually power up a high-voltage power supply (needed by transmitting tubes) using a Variac to reform the capacitors before subjecting them to enough voltage to cause them to arc over in their leaky state. If when powering up a flash, you see escaping smoke, unpower it and toss it unless you know what to do.

By the way, I can confirm that the capacitor in a mid-70's Rollei potato-masher flash will not kill you, assuming that once the charge enters your fingers, you have room for the involuntary muscle contraction to launch the device across the room (and assuming you are lucky, as I was). But the experience has led me to treat such with greater respect. Since those early days, I have poked around extensively in radio amplifiers, including repairing at least one dead one, and those capacitors are bigger and scarier than those in a speedlight. Yes, I own a chicken stick, and a high-voltage probe. No, I do not want 3000 volts with real current behind it coursing through my already questionable nervous system.

Rick "extra-class ham--er--radio amateur" Denney

[rknewcomb]

The new 283's at B&H are ttl models dedicated to a specific brand camera. I did not see any of the "good old ones" for general use.
Rbt

[Kevin Crisp]

The $99 ones at Amazon do not appear to be dedicated TTL units, they look like regular old 285's to me. Now a dedicated Vivitar flash that would go TTL with a D700 would be of interest.

[Brian Ellis]

"I've had my Vivitar 283 for 30+ years and it's always worked like a charm. I haven't used it for a (long) while and took it out recently, put fresh batteries in it and... nothing. Dead.

They just don't make these things to last like they used to. : - )

[Kevin Crisp]

I'll be, there is a 283 model dedicated to a D700. But if you read the reviews many people have it fail in minutes. Compare that to the traditional Vivitar quality.

[E. von Hoegh]

"I've had my Vivitar 283 for 30+ years and it's always worked like a charm. I haven't used it for a (long) while and took it out recently, put fresh batteries in it and... nothing. Dead.

They just don't make these things to last like they used to. : - )

I know. "Back in the day", things were made with only the highest quality materials and impeccable design and craftsmanship. They were meant to last forever, never wearing or needing maintenance. :rolleyes: :)

[don12x20]

Electrolytic capacitors deteriorate with age.
If the flash sat unused for more than six months, given its age, it likely failed when you powered it up.

Capacitors are available by the zillions.
Mouser has 25,390 different ones in the style that was likely used in this flash.

It's a simple repair. The part is probably less than $10.

The repair should be done by a competent technician who's familiar with the flash.

Some good sources for quality electrolytic caps:
Mouser www.mouser.com
Newark www.newark.com
Digi-Key www.digikey.com
Allied: www.alliedelec.com

There are many other online vendors, but those four companies supply all of the parts for the products I manufacture, and I put quality above price.

Some good capacitor manufacturers include:
Cornell-Dubilier (CDE), Kemet (excellent quality), Nichicon, Panasonic, United Chemi-Con (UCC), Vishay (Vishay/Sprague et al), and Xicon.

- Leigh

Agree - an easy repair, presuming it is just the cap and not the cap charging circuit (or control circuitry for flash). check to see if the Cap is holding a charge. check to see if the plates are shorted in the cap - the most common failure on electrolytics.
Is the cap leaking (electrolyte moved outside the casing?)

Open up the unit and read the Capacitor -- you'll find a capacitance value (usually in microfarads (uf) for these flash electrolytics) and a breakdown voltage in DC volts. - it will read somthing like 1000 125V (I don't have 283 to open to check - this is just a pair of numbers made up).

measure the cap dimensions and note where the leads come out -- one at each end or both from one end. Find a cap from one of the sources that matches or exceeds the Voltage but has the same cap value (putting in larger uF will lengthen the charge time and depending upon the flash, change the durations.) and dimensions fit...

Be sure to discharge the cap before removing from circuit (simply crowbar it by shorting, preferably through a high value resistor). Then solder in the replacement.

You have nothing to lose - its already a dead unit. Caps are pretty cheap.

[Leigh]

Hi David,

That's right. "Photoflash" capacitors do not exist as a product distinct from electrolytic capacitors.

For photoflash applications you want a cap with low impedance, but that's not critical with low-power applications like the 283.

When an OEM orders a large quantity of caps he can have whatever text he wants printed on the wrapper. In most cases this is an attempt to get repair shops to buy replacement parts from the OEM, rather than from the general distribution network, on the assumption that they're somehow "special".

If a manufacturer sells "photoflash" caps, they're just normal low-impedance electrolytics, specially marked and probably over-priced.

The failure mode for capacitors is excessive internal heating, which causes the electrolyte to outgas, which increases internal pressure, causing the case to fail (i.e. vent or explode). If the case vents, the electrolyte dries out and the cap is open, like a broken wire. This will not damage associated circuitry.

Each time you fire a flash, the current flowing through the capacitor causes internal heating due to the internal impedance. If you fire in a rapid sequence, this heat can build up. A low-impedance cap dissipates less power than a normal cap each time it's fired, so it will withstand that stress better. That's the only advantage to low impedance.

The internal impedance of a capacitor has absolutely no bearing on the power output of the flash, since it's orders of magnitude lower than the impedance of the flash tube.

I cannot buy caps directly from Nichicon, Vishay etc. and I suspect the OP can't either.
But, if they will sell to you, could you pick up two filter caps, Nichicon VR 220uf 315V for me, I need them for an audio project ( http://www.nichicon.co.jp/english/products/alm_mini/pict_f.htm ) as Mouser does not carry that one and I have been looking for a while.
Your part is not in stock, although it is listed.
You can always use a higher voltage rating than the original part when selecting caps.

Mouser and Digi-Key both carry a good substitute, rated 220μF @ 350v, 8000 hours @ 105°C. (This is a very nice cap.)
The Nichicon part number is UPW2V221MRD. It's the same size as your item, and described as "low impedance".

Mouser has the best price at $4.76 single quantity with no handling charge. (Digi-Key charges $5 handling for orders under $25.)
The Mouser catalog number is 647-UPW2V221MRD, at www.mouser.com
Here's the direct URL for the Mouser product page: http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Nichicon/UPW2V221MRD/?qs=sGAEpiMZZMtZ1n0r9vR22RxOeB5kHP9B25McxIfbTFY%3d

For future reference, this body style, with both leads coming out the same end, is called "radial".
A similar cylindrical body with one lead coming out each end is called "axial".

HTH

- Leigh

[Steve Smith]

Third, the new 285HV has a key advantage over the older 283's--a low trigger voltage. The early 283's had a trigger voltage of up to several hundred volts as I recall.

The 'HV' designation refers to its ability to be connected to a high voltage power supply for faster recharge and has nothing to do with the sync. voltage. My two older, non HV 285s have 5.6 volts at the hotshoe. Probably fitted with a 5.6v zener diode.

I think the country of manufacture is a better indication of its voltage. Those made in Japan are different to all the rest from what I remember but I can't remember if the Japanese models are high or low voltage.


Steve.

[rdenney]

The 'HV' designation refers to its ability to be connected to a high voltage power supply for faster recharge and has nothing to do with the sync. voltage.

I did not suggest such--the 285HV is just the current model of this venerable design (not the TTL-equipped DF series, even though one is a "283"). The change to a low trigger voltage happened a long time ago in the 283 model, but perhaps not as long as 30 years ago. I seem to recall that country of origin wasn't a completely reliable indicator. My oldest pair of 283's have a high trigger voltage, but a newer 283 and a 285 do not.

Rick "who started using these after getting tired of hauling a Sunpak 611 around" Denney

[Leigh]

Early strobes all had the camera sync contacts in series with the flash circuit, which applied the full operating voltage across those contacts.

Since the camera sync function was implemented with a physical metal switch, the high voltage was not a problem.

The low-voltage sync circuits became necessary when cameras started to use solid-state switches to trigger the flash. These early devices did not like high voltage.

Modern solid-state trigger devices are available that can withstand high voltage, and would work with high-voltage flash circuits, if the camera manufacturers choose to use them.

- Leigh

[Sevo]

Early strobes all had the camera sync contacts in series with the flash circuit, which applied the full operating voltage across those contacts.


Nope, that would not have worked - or rather, it would have burnt the contacts. What they had was the sync contact directly in series with the trigger mesh - much lower (almost no) current, usually lower voltage (though there have been flashes that shunted the trigger off the main cap), but still a fair deal more than the 5V or 15V electronic cameras can stand...

[Steve Smith]

I did not suggest such--the 285HV is just the current model of this venerable design

I know... but it's a commonly held belief.


Rick "who started using these after getting tired of hauling a Sunpak 611 around" Denney

My father started to use the 285 for weddings when it first came out. He said it was the only flash around at the time which put out the amount of power which the manufacturer claimed.


Steve.

[Steve Smith]

Early strobes all had the camera sync contacts in series with the flash circuit

No they didn't.

A high value resistor is connected from the high voltage supply to a small value capacitor which charges up. The shutter contacts discharge this capacitor into a trigger transformer which produces a high voltage pulse which is applied to the third wire on the flash tube. This pulse ionises the gas in the tube and causes it to conduct.

The main terminals of the flash tube are connected directly to the main high voltage capacitor. Once ionised, the tube conducts until all of the charge in the capacitor has been discharged and converted to light - except for more modern designs which use a pair of thyristors to switch it off when enough light has been put out.

Just connecting the tube to the high voltage with the shutter contacts will not do anything as the gas has not been ionised.


Steve.

[Steve Smith]

but still a fair deal more than the 5V or 15V electronic cameras can stand...

Most are o.k. up to 250 volts now.


Steve.