Flash problem?

Southern-Lights · Jun 23, 2010

I have a Pentax ME Super camera and a Vivitar 283 flash, recently I put the flash on my camera and plugged it into the camera, and got nothing. The flash would charge and when I pressed the shutter button, the flash didn't fire. The only way the flash will work is if I press the button on the flash. However, if I move the cord that goes from the flash to the camera, sometimes I can get it to flash that way, repeatably sometimes as well. That makes me think it's the cord. Am I right?

eddym · Jun 23, 2010

Is the flash connected to the camera only by the pc cable, or is it in the hot shoe as well? If it's in the hotshoe and the contacts are good, it should be firing. If it's only connected by the cord, then the cord sounds like it has a break in it which makes intermittent contact when you move it. In that case, the simple solution is a new cord.
If it's not firing in the hotshoe, there may be problems in either the camera shoe, the flash foot, or both.

Southern-Lights · Jun 23, 2010

It is in the hotshoe, but I tried it just plugged in with the cord, and it still didn't fire. The hotshoe looks good for the most part, but the part that make contact with the metal part of the foot does look a little scratched and like theres dirt maybe? The metal part on the foot of the flash looks new.

wblynch · Jun 23, 2010

I think there's an override switch on the 283 that disconnects the hotshoe when a pc cord is plugged in.

You may try to remove the cord and see if it fires the flash through the shoe...

Anscojohn · Jun 23, 2010

wblynch said:
I think there's an override switch on the 283 that disconnects the hotshoe when a pc cord is plugged in.

You may try to remove the cord and see if it fires the flash through the shoe...

***********
Yup. And clean the hot shoe with a pencil eraser, too.

Southern-Lights · Jun 23, 2010

It works! I unplugged the cord from the flash and the camera and just put the flash on the hotshoe and it works!

Thanks for all the help everyone!

If you can use the flash without plugging it into the camera, what is the cord really used for? Off camera flash?

bdial · Jun 23, 2010

Off camera use, or for cameras that don't have hot shoes.

wblynch · Jun 24, 2010

The 283 also came with a remote sensor which fit between the flash and the hot shoe. This allowed off camera flash with the light sensor as close to the lens as possible.

Pretty good tech for ~ 1975

Steve Smith · Jun 24, 2010

When you plug the cable into the flash it disconnects the hotshoe connection. If it didn't do this it would be shorted out by older all metal flash shoes and would not work via the cable.

Steve.

Flash problem?

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