Comments on: Vivitar DF400MZ http://riiv.com/2008/09/vivitar-df400mz/ Portrait Photograper Eric Spehr Mon, 04 Jan 2010 23:20:35 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Sean http://riiv.com/2008/09/vivitar-df400mz/comment-page-1/#comment-91 Sean Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:37:51 +0000 http://riiv.com/?p=89#comment-91 <a href="#comment-33" rel="nofollow">@Sabarish</a> Firstly, thanks Riiv for the reviews and help. I am a flash noob too and in the same position as Sabarish (although I haven't bought one yet). To me, Sabarish's problem might be caused by any preliminary flashes that fire on the pop-up flash due to auto-focus / exposure stuff. Try manual focus and manual mode and see if that makes a difference. (Again, I'm a noob so I could be completely wrong). DF400 sounds like just the ticket for me! @Sabarish
Firstly, thanks Riiv for the reviews and help. I am a flash noob too and in the same position as Sabarish (although I haven’t bought one yet).

To me, Sabarish’s problem might be caused by any preliminary flashes that fire on the pop-up flash due to auto-focus / exposure stuff. Try manual focus and manual mode and see if that makes a difference. (Again, I’m a noob so I could be completely wrong).

DF400 sounds like just the ticket for me!

]]> By: Sabarish http://riiv.com/2008/09/vivitar-df400mz/comment-page-1/#comment-33 Sabarish Mon, 30 Mar 2009 18:16:53 +0000 http://riiv.com/?p=89#comment-33 Hi Eric, I went ahead and got myself the Vivitar DF400. It works fine when it is on the camera, but I seem to be facing a sync issues while using it in slave mode. The flash seems to be firing too quick. Even before the shutter opens. To check if it is firing on time, I took photos of the flash and in all the photos at all shutter speeds (from 1/200 down to 2 seconds) the flash is not on. I can see it fire alright, but i'm not able to capture the flash firing. My friend tried the same with his Nikon D80 and was able to capture a photo of the DF400 firing in slave mode. Similarly I was able to capture his SB800 when it fired in slave mode. Any idea why this is happening? Regards, Sabarish Hi Eric,

I went ahead and got myself the Vivitar DF400. It works fine when it is on the camera, but I seem to be facing a sync issues while using it in slave mode.

The flash seems to be firing too quick. Even before the shutter opens. To check if it is firing on time, I took photos of the flash and in all the photos at all shutter speeds (from 1/200 down to 2 seconds) the flash is not on. I can see it fire alright, but i’m not able to capture the flash firing.

My friend tried the same with his Nikon D80 and was able to capture a photo of the DF400 firing in slave mode. Similarly I was able to capture his SB800 when it fired in slave mode.

Any idea why this is happening?

Regards,
Sabarish

]]> By: Eric Spehr http://riiv.com/2008/09/vivitar-df400mz/comment-page-1/#comment-32 Eric Spehr Tue, 10 Mar 2009 16:05:24 +0000 http://riiv.com/?p=89#comment-32 Optic slaves are only built in on a couple flashes and most studio power packs. If an optic slave sees light that looks like another flash fired then the flash ( a DF400 in this case) fires itself. Optic slaves are only built in on a couple flashes and most studio power packs. If an optic slave sees light that looks like another flash fired then the flash ( a DF400 in this case) fires itself.

]]> By: Sabarish http://riiv.com/2008/09/vivitar-df400mz/comment-page-1/#comment-31 Sabarish Tue, 10 Mar 2009 15:03:40 +0000 http://riiv.com/?p=89#comment-31 Thanks for that! After researching around, I had pretty much narrowed down to the DF400 or the 285 (which is how I got to your site!) - so I shall go ahead and get the DF400 and see how it goes! BTW I had another question (I haven't worked with an external flash) - when you say 'the built-in flash can drive the external flash as an optic slave' - how does this work when one takes a photo? does the built-in flash also fire? or do we set some setting in the camera to only send out a signal or something like that, so only the external flash fires?? Thanks for that! After researching around, I had pretty much narrowed down to the DF400 or the 285 (which is how I got to your site!) – so I shall go ahead and get the DF400 and see how it goes!

BTW I had another question (I haven’t worked with an external flash) – when you say ‘the built-in flash can drive the external flash as an optic slave’ – how does this work when one takes a photo? does the built-in flash also fire? or do we set some setting in the camera to only send out a signal or something like that, so only the external flash fires??

]]> By: Eric Spehr http://riiv.com/2008/09/vivitar-df400mz/comment-page-1/#comment-26 Eric Spehr Fri, 06 Mar 2009 04:28:19 +0000 http://riiv.com/?p=89#comment-26 Sabarish: Actually a DF400 would be a pretty good buy for you because it can operate in auto E-TTL mode if you stick it on camera as a failsafe. If you turn on the 400D's built-in flash it can drive the Vivitar DF400 as an optic slave on a lightstand. Be sure to keep the Vivitar's sensor in range of the camera's flash and start with a medium umbrella or small softbox. And read the Strobist 101 articles if you haven't yet. http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html Sabarish:
Actually a DF400 would be a pretty good buy for you because it can operate in auto E-TTL mode if you stick it on camera as a failsafe.

If you turn on the 400D’s built-in flash it can drive the Vivitar DF400 as an optic slave on a lightstand. Be sure to keep the Vivitar’s sensor in range of the camera’s flash and start with a medium umbrella or small softbox.

And read the Strobist 101 articles if you haven’t yet. http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html

]]> By: Sabarish http://riiv.com/2008/09/vivitar-df400mz/comment-page-1/#comment-25 Sabarish Wed, 04 Mar 2009 07:21:41 +0000 http://riiv.com/?p=89#comment-25 Hi Riiv, What would you suggest for an absolute newbie to flashes? I have a Canon EOS400D and wanted to buy a decent flash to learn and experiment? I was looking at something under $150? Someone suggested I look at Vivitar or Sigma? Just confused what to go in for! Thanks! ~ Sabarish Hi Riiv,

What would you suggest for an absolute newbie to flashes? I have a Canon EOS400D and wanted to buy a decent flash to learn and experiment? I was looking at something under $150? Someone suggested I look at Vivitar or Sigma? Just confused what to go in for!

Thanks!

~ Sabarish

]]> By: Eric Spehr http://riiv.com/2008/09/vivitar-df400mz/comment-page-1/#comment-17 Eric Spehr Wed, 26 Nov 2008 18:31:03 +0000 http://riiv.com/?p=89#comment-17 Matt: My DF400MZ has the identical back as the model you mentioned. I figure it's just a stop gag measure before I move to the MPEX flash next year. Matt: My DF400MZ has the identical back as the model you mentioned. I figure it’s just a stop gag measure before I move to the MPEX flash next year.

]]> By: Matthew Miller http://riiv.com/2008/09/vivitar-df400mz/comment-page-1/#comment-16 Matthew Miller Fri, 21 Nov 2008 03:53:59 +0000 http://riiv.com/?p=89#comment-16 The Vivitar DF400MZ looks like another instance of the Sakar / Digital Concepts AF952 flash: http://sakar.com/p-1230.aspx?categoryid=155 Can you confirm that the back of yours looks like that? Either Sakar is making these under license for a bunch of third-tier camera gear manufacturers (including once-famous names like this one), or else some Chinese company is making them and Sakar is just included. Either way, they just bought Vivitar so they'll be the same thing soon if they weren't before. The Vivitar DF400MZ looks like another instance of the Sakar / Digital Concepts AF952 flash:

http://sakar.com/p-1230.aspx?categoryid=155

Can you confirm that the back of yours looks like that?

Either Sakar is making these under license for a bunch of third-tier camera gear manufacturers (including once-famous names like this one), or else some Chinese company is making them and Sakar is just included. Either way, they just bought Vivitar so they’ll be the same thing soon if they weren’t before.

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