Compatibility of Vivitar 730AF Ni with D50

itchy · 13th September 2005

Bought a second hand one recently thinking that it'd work in M mode with my d50. Horrigible blinking flash-in-use box soon appears upon attaching to hotshoe.

Things I've tried:
1. Disabling every auto function in the Menu. Whenever there's an Auto-sumthing, it's going OFF or it's Going Manual!
2. Setting to different modes P,S,A,M
3. Adjusting Flash head's Zoom
4. Placing the flash sliiightly off centre (doesn't work cause slightly off centre and the camera doesn't detect it anymore)
5. Playing around with the Metering options and Auto Focus options and A/M modes on the camera.

Funny thing I noticed is the flash-in-use box only blinks when the flash is charged up and ready for firing. When I manually trigger the flash till it needs to recharge again, the flash-in-use box does not blink.

Any high-person can direct me where to find the answer?

Thanks.

cphile · 13th September 2005

u gotten a dedicated Nikon TTL flash with an additional 2 manual flash control settings.

For a D50, you have to get either

1) a flash with manual flash output settings adjustable on the FLASH eg. 1/1, 1/2, 1/4, ...

2) a flash with i-TTL ie. Nikon SBx00, Sigma xxxxx? for i-TTL flash metering which is the ONLY TTL flash mode on the D50 and D70(s).

3) any generic AUTO flash ie. Vivitar 285HV for auto flash control by the external flash sensor.

I see that vivitar 730AF has only a Nikon TTL, Manual FULL and Manual 1/16 flash setting. U can set ur D50 flash to Manual- Full setting and set the manual setting ON THE FLASH to either Manual full = 1/1 or Manual Low = 1/16 setting

Cheers

PS. U should try researching on the flash before purchasing it. I found all the above info from the Vivitar website product sheet for the Vivitar 730AF.

itchy · 13th September 2005

It's because I saw there were manual modes that's why I buy in the first place. Din ask the seller whether compatible anot cause I roughly guess that the flash wouldn't support the i-TTL but it should work fine under a manual setting.

I don't understand why the product brochure states 5 different flash modes because on the flash itself, there're only two switches.

One is the On/stby / off switch, the other is the lo/hi power setting (which I infer is the Full and 1/16 under Variable Power). There's no other dial/switch/knob on the flash to switch from TTL to Manual Full or Low. Unless it's the Hi/Lo switch...

I tried setting my Flash mode in camera to FULL MANUAL and 1/16 MANUAL while at the same time playing with the Lo/Hi buttons but still blinking incompatible box states that flash attached is set TTL mode when it does not support i-TTL. Obviously have to change flash mode on flash but the elusive button is nowhere in sight.

Pics of the flash can be found here WYSIWYG: http://forums.clubsnap.org/showthread.php?t=150809

Product datasheet can be found here : http://www.vivitar.com/Products/PDFs/Flash/730AF.pdf

espn · 13th September 2005

The manual did state which flashes are recommended and which ones can be used.

I don't think the Vivitars are listed in the manual, so don't get your hopes too high that all can be used

itchy · 13th September 2005

Budget budget budget espn, not buy buy buy. :P Poor student here, constant immunisation shots are pumped in monthly.

espn · 13th September 2005

Eh, I didn't say BBB what, you yourself planted yourself with that notion

itchy · 13th September 2005

The moniker is synonymous whenever I read your posts already. :P There's just some hint of it somewhere lurking and waiting to pop out

Help on the topic please???

Thanks cphile for replying.

Expiredyoghurt · 13th September 2005

hey? ... not sure how many peepz here know of this known problem with vivitar hotshoe flashes .. at least for nikon mount ... the shoe on vivitar flashes is slightly shorter than the normal shoe ..so if u stick it all the way in, the little 'lightning bolt' will be flashing ..

solution: push the flash all the way in and then pull it back by 1-1.5mm, that should do the trick.

cphile · 14th September 2005

i think the problem that u describe is the Vivitar 730AF-n DEFAULTING to D-TTL(?) mode as soon as it senses a Nikon camera hotshoe contact. You are then unable to select/ activate the manual mode on the Vivitar?

My guess would be the Vivitar knows that it's connected to a Nikon TTL hotshoe as all the i-TTL, D-ttl hotshoe contacts are in the same position BUT doesn't know that the D50 is using a newer i-TTL protocol.

Ie. flashing lightning sign frequently indicates that an incompatible non-iTTL flash is connected as the 730AF is auto-activated into Nikon TTL mode upon sensing all 4 flash hotshoe contact pins are in contact with a camera hotshoe pin.

Perhaps you would like to experiment in manually covering the other 3 pins EXCEPT the central trigger terminal of the flash hotshoe using a piece of scotch tape to prevent electrical conductance and thus prevent the Vivitar from being a smart aleck and default into the OLDER nikon d-TTL(?) protocol.

Hopefuly this way the flash is "CHEATED" into thinking it's a NON-Nikon camera and allows the selection of Manual Hi= 1/1 or Manual Lo =1/16 modes when the camera flash menu is set to Manual Full setting. The flash itself should be set to On/ Standby -> manual Hi/Lo if there really is NO physical switch to select between manual/ Nikon TTL mode.

This may yield interesting results.

Get back to me if this doesn't work as it's all guesses albeit the best that I can muster without actually seeing ur flash in person.

Cheers

LENS · 15th September 2005

hello guys, do you think this flash will work on Nikon FM2? Thank you.

itchy · 15th September 2005

Hi cphile thanks for suggestion, I do believe it would probably work but I don't want to ruin the cosmetics of the cam and flash with the sticky residue. Have decided to sell it off and just go with the BBB theory. As for compatibility, I'll post a list of the cameras compatible from the flash's manual.

Tonight lah.

itchy · 25th September 2005

Re-visiting old thread as I was exploring cphile suggestion on blocking the contacts of the flash up apart from the big middle one. I tried contact with the top upper right smaller one too.

The flash works! But at the expense of not being able to control the flash functions like slow sync, rear, red eye etc. It basically just fires off. Is that what happens to old manual flashes? The camera doesn't detect it, it basically just allows the flash to fire off in P,A,S and M modes when I release the shutter. Kinda basic but HEY! Got it to work!

13th September 2005	#1
itchy Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Katong Posts: 394	Compatibility of Vivitar 730AF Ni with D50 Bought a second hand one recently thinking that it'd work in M mode with my d50. Horrigible blinking flash-in-use box soon appears upon attaching to hotshoe. Things I've tried: 1. Disabling every auto function in the Menu. Whenever there's an Auto-sumthing, it's going OFF or it's Going Manual! 2. Setting to different modes P,S,A,M 3. Adjusting Flash head's Zoom 4. Placing the flash sliiightly off centre (doesn't work cause slightly off centre and the camera doesn't detect it anymore) 5. Playing around with the Metering options and Auto Focus options and A/M modes on the camera. Funny thing I noticed is the flash-in-use box only blinks when the flash is charged up and ready for firing. When I manually trigger the flash till it needs to recharge again, the flash-in-use box does not blink. Any high-person can direct me where to find the answer? Thanks.

13th September 2005	#2
cphile Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Katong Laksa Land Posts: 363	Re: Compatibility of Vivitar 730AF Ni with D50 u gotten a dedicated Nikon TTL flash with an additional 2 manual flash control settings. For a D50, you have to get either 1) a flash with manual flash output settings adjustable on the FLASH eg. 1/1, 1/2, 1/4, ... 2) a flash with i-TTL ie. Nikon SBx00, Sigma xxxxx? for i-TTL flash metering which is the ONLY TTL flash mode on the D50 and D70(s). 3) any generic AUTO flash ie. Vivitar 285HV for auto flash control by the external flash sensor. I see that vivitar 730AF has only a Nikon TTL, Manual FULL and Manual 1/16 flash setting. U can set ur D50 flash to Manual- Full setting and set the manual setting ON THE FLASH to either Manual full = 1/1 or Manual Low = 1/16 setting Cheers PS. U should try researching on the flash before purchasing it. I found all the above info from the Vivitar website product sheet for the Vivitar 730AF. __________________ My Flickr! : http://www.flickr.com/photos/cphile/

13th September 2005	#3
itchy Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Katong Posts: 394	Re: Compatibility of Vivitar 730AF Ni with D50 It's because I saw there were manual modes that's why I buy in the first place. Din ask the seller whether compatible anot cause I roughly guess that the flash wouldn't support the i-TTL but it should work fine under a manual setting. I don't understand why the product brochure states 5 different flash modes because on the flash itself, there're only two switches. One is the On/stby / off switch, the other is the lo/hi power setting (which I infer is the Full and 1/16 under Variable Power). There's no other dial/switch/knob on the flash to switch from TTL to Manual Full or Low. Unless it's the Hi/Lo switch... I tried setting my Flash mode in camera to FULL MANUAL and 1/16 MANUAL while at the same time playing with the Lo/Hi buttons but still blinking incompatible box states that flash attached is set TTL mode when it does not support i-TTL. Obviously have to change flash mode on flash but the elusive button is nowhere in sight. Pics of the flash can be found here WYSIWYG: http://forums.clubsnap.org/showthread.php?t=150809 Product datasheet can be found here : http://www.vivitar.com/Products/PDFs/Flash/730AF.pdf

13th September 2005	#4
espn Deregistered Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Planet Nikon Posts: 22,045	Re: Compatibility of Vivitar 730AF Ni with D50 The manual did state which flashes are recommended and which ones can be used. I don't think the Vivitars are listed in the manual, so don't get your hopes too high that all can be used

13th September 2005	#5
itchy Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Katong Posts: 394	Re: Compatibility of Vivitar 730AF Ni with D50 Budget budget budget espn, not buy buy buy. :P Poor student here, constant immunisation shots are pumped in monthly.

13th September 2005	#8
Expiredyoghurt Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Yishun Posts: 1,385	Re: Compatibility of Vivitar 730AF Ni with D50 hey? ... not sure how many peepz here know of this known problem with vivitar hotshoe flashes .. at least for nikon mount ... the shoe on vivitar flashes is slightly shorter than the normal shoe ..so if u stick it all the way in, the little 'lightning bolt' will be flashing .. solution: push the flash all the way in and then pull it back by 1-1.5mm, that should do the trick.

14th September 2005	#9
cphile Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Katong Laksa Land Posts: 363	Re: Compatibility of Vivitar 730AF Ni with D50 i think the problem that u describe is the Vivitar 730AF-n DEFAULTING to D-TTL(?) mode as soon as it senses a Nikon camera hotshoe contact. You are then unable to select/ activate the manual mode on the Vivitar? My guess would be the Vivitar knows that it's connected to a Nikon TTL hotshoe as all the i-TTL, D-ttl hotshoe contacts are in the same position BUT doesn't know that the D50 is using a newer i-TTL protocol. Ie. flashing lightning sign frequently indicates that an incompatible non-iTTL flash is connected as the 730AF is auto-activated into Nikon TTL mode upon sensing all 4 flash hotshoe contact pins are in contact with a camera hotshoe pin. Perhaps you would like to experiment in manually covering the other 3 pins EXCEPT the central trigger terminal of the flash hotshoe using a piece of scotch tape to prevent electrical conductance and thus prevent the Vivitar from being a smart aleck and default into the OLDER nikon d-TTL(?) protocol. Hopefuly this way the flash is "CHEATED" into thinking it's a NON-Nikon camera and allows the selection of Manual Hi= 1/1 or Manual Lo =1/16 modes when the camera flash menu is set to Manual Full setting. The flash itself should be set to On/ Standby -> manual Hi/Lo if there really is NO physical switch to select between manual/ Nikon TTL mode. This may yield interesting results. Get back to me if this doesn't work as it's all guesses albeit the best that I can muster without actually seeing ur flash in person. Cheers __________________ My Flickr! : http://www.flickr.com/photos/cphile/

15th September 2005	#10
LENS Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 758	Re: Compatibility of Vivitar 730AF Ni with D50 hello guys, do you think this flash will work on Nikon FM2? Thank you.

25th September 2005	#12
itchy Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Katong Posts: 394	Re: Compatibility of Vivitar 730AF Ni with D50 Re-visiting old thread as I was exploring cphile suggestion on blocking the contacts of the flash up apart from the big middle one. I tried contact with the top upper right smaller one too. The flash works! But at the expense of not being able to control the flash functions like slow sync, rear, red eye etc. It basically just fires off. Is that what happens to old manual flashes? The camera doesn't detect it, it basically just allows the flash to fire off in P,A,S and M modes when I release the shutter. Kinda basic but HEY! Got it to work!