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Question: Will a Vivitar 2800 35mm Flash fit a DSLR such as a 40D!?
I am receiving a Canon 50D in the mail soon and I am curious if my Vivitar 2800 will fit the hot-shoe mount!?Www@QuestionHome@Com


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
No, it will not work, but it will fit!. Pick up one of the nicer Canon flash units!. the 430 EX or 580EX II!. I have both!. I also have a couple of old (15 years) Nikon flashes!. I picked up optical triggers for them ($4 on eBay) and mount them on stands or clamps for remote flashes when I need extra light - and can go fully manual!.

The 580EX II has connectors for external sync chord, external power supply (I have the Canon battery pack - it's great!) I use the 580 as my primary and the 430 as a remote - Canon controls the exposure on both strobs automatically!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

The hot shoe is of a universal size and fitting!. Yes, it will fit!.!.!.!.

However!.!.!.!.

The 2800 is a old school flash!. While you most likely won't burn anything out in using it, you will not get good exposures with it, unless!.!.

You go full manual on the camera!.!.!. and use the flash as manual!.!.

The flash has no way under the sun to do TTL - Thru The Lens - metering to couple with todays electronics on anything the camera tries to tell it!. In this way, yes, their 'could' be trouble!.!.

I am using older Nikon flashes on my Fuji D-SLR cameras!. They ARE Nikon bodies but with a fair amount of Fuji electronics inside!. I do NOT get TTL flash exposure photography - accurately!. I understand this!. I use the flash units in their own auto mode because they have built in sensors and can control them selves, some what, just like in the film days!. They work fine this way!.!.

I have never heard of a old flash hurting a new camera!. Just not giving good results!.!.

Bob - TucsonWww@QuestionHome@Com

Do yourself a favor and go full manual on it, and just get a remote wireless trigger between it and your camera!. All the electrical issues (they are very much a real issue) are no longer issues, you get a wireless off camera flash, and you learn manual flash all at the same time!.

Watch out with the PC cables, a lot of the Canon cameras don't even have them, which is annoying!. Believe it or not, their speedlites don't have them either!. You'll need an adapter that goes from your hotshoe; the adapter issues are why I just recommend going wireless and not dealing with it (the wireless transmitters usually can work with either PC connections or hotshoes)!.

Flash snobs will say pocket wizards, but you can find cheapie ebay ones for $50 some odd bucks or less!.

The best you can do is visit strobist!.com and soak up all the information you possibly can!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

It will fit, it will also burn out the entire electrical system in the camera if you don't use a safe sync with it!.

http://cgi!.ebay!.com/WEIN-Safe-Sync-Prote!.!.!.

You will not have TTL either

Edited to add!.!.I paid Canon $205 to repair my 300D after forgettting to put the safe sync on with my Viviatr 283!! So now Lensman2!.!.!.you've heard of it! LOL!Www@QuestionHome@Com