Best cheap vivitar (or other brand) auto flash for old yashica mat-12

kingbuzzie

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I'm thinking of picking up a super cheap auto flash on fleabay for my yashica mat . It would be to be very compact and connect directly to the camera shoe (I mostly use it hand held and outside) so I guess one that could bounce would be pointless because it would point to the side? I also have a speedlite 300tl. Will that work just like a vivitar thyristor flash? Sorry, pretty much never use a flash / never learned that aspect very well...
 

Rick A

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I still have these, the 511 is not available. I'll give you a deal on either of the two Vivitars'
(there was a url link here which no longer exists)
 

Ko.Fe.

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It is accessory shoe, not hot shoe. Any cheap flash will works. As long as you will be able to have one with correct cable.
If I remember correctly the camera flash terminal is on the upper left corner:
 

MattKing

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A flash with a rotating head would work well with bounce.
You might prefer using it with a handgrip with a cold or hot shoe.
Something like this:

 
OP
OP

kingbuzzie

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MattKing said:
A flash with a rotating head would work well with bounce.
You might prefer using it with a handgrip with a cold or hot shoe.
Something like this:

Click to expand...

I've got one of those (not with that nice looking though!), but I really wanted to maintain just working with the camera by itself. I really quite enjoy it as is, hanging from my neck fiddling with controls. I'm thinking this might good: http://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/pfUAAOSw7ehXR9js/s-l500.jpg
 

John Koehrer

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Looks like a Sunpak and it'll give the ability to bounce too.
I don't remember if the PC connection on the flash is something standard or proprietary though.
 

MattKing

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The biggest problem with hanging a flash off the side of a camera via a cold shoe is that it screws up both the centre of gravity of the package, and makes it more difficult to hold the camera - you don't want to hold it by grabbing the flash.
It may also put a lot of strain on the flash shoe.
 

MattKing

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Olympus T-20
 

Chan Tran

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Back in 76 my roommate bought a Vivitar 202. I think it's small enough for you and it's an auto flash with 1 range. We managed to smoke it by using NiCad. It still worked after the smoking though.
 
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