vivitar 5600 flash system

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I have a Vivitar 5600 flash system and I´m not sure how to set the TTL automatic mode.

-- Ana de la Serna (delaserna73@yahoo.com), November 21, 2001

Answers

What camera are you using it with?

-- Jim Strutz (j.strutz@gci.net), November 21, 2001.

I´m using a Nikon F4 with a 20mm wide angle lens, (non-automatic). I think the Vivitar auto thyristor 5600 flash unit doesn´t allow the TTL when using a non-automatic lens. Does it?. So I´ve decided to set it to the automatic mode instead but I don´t know what lens aperture I have to set. I guess I need to know the guide number, (I´m using an Iso 200 film). Any idea?.

-- Ana de la Serna (delaserna73@yahoo.com), November 21, 2001.

If you have the correct module on the flash for Nikon TTL I'm pretty sure you just set the flash to auto, the lens to the aperture you want and fire away. You also may have to set either the flash or body to a Tv (shutter time) as well.

Cheers,

Duane

-- Duane K (dkucheran@creo.com), November 22, 2001.


What I know for sure is that to arrive to the proper F-stop setting for an exposure when using a flash unit with a non-automatic lens, I have to set the flash unit to the manual mode and divide the guide number by the distance from the flash to the subject. The thing is that I don´t know the guide number of the Vivitar auto thyrstor 5600 flash system. Does anybody know?. Is there anyother way to find out what lens aperture to set for a good exposure?.

-- Ana de la Serna (delaserna73@yahoo.com), November 22, 2001.

What I know for sure is that to arrive to the proper F-stop setting for an exposure when using a flash unit with a non-automatic lens, I have to set the flash unit to the manual mode and divide the guide number by the distance from the flash to the subject. The thing is that I don´t know the guide number of the Vivitar auto thyrstor 5600 flash system. Does anybody know?. Is there anyother way to find out what lens aperture to set for a good exposure?.

-- Ana de la Serna (delaserna73@yahoo.com), November 22, 2001.

-- Ana de la Serna (delaserna73@yahoo.com), November 22, 2001.



I know very little about Nikon's and even less about using flash with them. But I do know that if this flash really is capable of TTL metering with the camera and lens you have, then you can use any aperture you want, and the flash will provide the proper exposure for it.

I believe the Vivitar 5600 has a advertised GN of 120 feet with 100 ISO film. So f/5.6 would get you 21 feet with 100 ISO film. F/11 for 10 feet.

The 5600 I had was an auto flash (not TTL) dedicated to Canon A series cameras. With that system I had to tell the flash what ISO I was using and it gave me a choice of several auto f/stop ranges to use. But the Nikons from that era were capable of TTL metering so I'm sure it operates differently.

-- Jim Strutz (j.strutz@gci.net), November 23, 2001.


Jim Strutz was being very modest when he wrote, "I know very little about Nikon's", Ana ... though he is certainly best known as a Canon guru. And if he, who has used the 5600, cannot help you, then I think you're going to need to read the instruction manuals.

There are two major sources for instruction manuals, one on each side of the Pond, both of which sell instruction manuals (maybe in photocopy form) for both the Nikon F4 and for the Vivitar 5600. In the UK, there is Oldtimer Cameras

http://www.f22.co.uk/

and in Torrington, Connecticut, there is John Craig

http://www.craigcamera.com

Later,

Dr Owl

-- John Owlett (owl@postmaster.co.uk), November 24, 2001.


Hi John,

Firt of all, I´d like to thank you for providing me two sites where I can get the instructions mannual. I really appreciate it.

There´s one thing on your message that bothers me though. What do you mean when you say "Jim Strutz was being very modest when...", Ana...though?. I´m afraid you missunderstood me.

Cheers,

ANA

-- Ana de la Serna (delaserna73@yahoo.com), November 25, 2001.


Hi Ana,

I didn't mean anything heavy at all. Jim is one of the Canon enthusiasts on this forum; I'm one of the Nikon enthusiasts. Although Jim almost certainly knows much more about Canon's range than he does about Nikon's, he is being politely self-deprecatory when he says he knows only a little.

I know Nikon's range quite well, but I'm an F3 and F5 user, with limited experience of the F4: I know how its flash sensors and circuitry work, but I have no experience of the Vivitar 5600 at all. And any except the most basic flash questions are tricky. So, I reckon you probably need to read both manuals and experiment with both devices before you can understand what's going on.

By that stage, of course, you will be the forum's guru on Nikon cameras connected to Vivitar flashguns!

Later,

Dr Owl

-- John Owlett (owl@postmaster.co.uk), November 25, 2001.


Cool. Thanks again, Dr Owl!

-- Ana de la Serna (delaserna73@yahoo.com), November 25, 2001.


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