Nikon F2 Flash
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For decades, the Vivitar 283 was my workhorse electronic flash for shooting portraits, action, interior architecture, weddings, still lifes, macro, and candids on my Nikon F2. I used them mounted on the camera and off the camera. I triggered them remotely with optical slaves, radio slaves, and long sync cords. I used them mounted on light stands with umbrellas, soft boxes, and large diffusion panels.
Over the years, I owned and used eight of them. As they aged and stopped working, I repaired or replaced them. When I got down to only three working units, I decided it was time to replace them with something newer.
Since I shoot with a variety of cameras (e.g. small format, medium format, large format, film, digital, Nikon, Canon, Fuji, Pentax, Olympus, Calumet, and a few others), I prefer not to use dedicated flash units. The Yongnuo YN 560 IV, like the Vivitar 283, is a flash that is not dedicated to any specific camera brand. One major advantage the Yongnuo has over the Vivitar is that the optical slave, the radio slave, the zooming flash head, the variable angle flash head, and the variable power output are all built into the Yongnuo. They were separate and expensive add-ons for the Vivitar 283.
One important feature that the Yongnuo 560 does not have is automatic exposure control. Most dedicated flash units have this feature. Even though the Vivitar 283 was not a dedicated flash, it had this feature. This feature in the 283 relied on changing the duration of the flash output to control the exposure. At the full power setting, the flash duration could be longer than 1/1,000th second. At the lowest power setting, the flash duration could be as short as 1/20,000th second.
The Vivitar's automatic exposure control feature was something I rarely used. The main reason I rarely used it was because film, unlike digital, has problems with reciprocity failure at low power/short flash duration settings. Therefore, I primarily shoot only at full power. Instead of relying on automatic exposure control, I routinely used the flash guideline number and/or a handheld flash meter to determine the correct exposure.
By the way, at full power, my Yongnuo puts out 1/2 stop more light than my Vivitar at full power.
I have been so impressed by the construction, performance, and price of my first YN 560 IV that I immediately purchased three more. I look forward to the YN 560 IV becoming my new workhorse for the next few decades.
Yongnuo YN 560 IV by Narsuitus, on Flickr
The Nikon SB80DX is a great flash you can buy for nothing nowadays. Works great in Auto mode with any camera you can imagine, I've used mine with the FM2, Leica, medium format, digital, etc. Also works great as a manual remote unit.
I use the Vivitar 285HV or (rarely) the Sunpack 383.
If I were looking to buy something now, I'd look for something new...or at least, newer.
If I were looking to buy something now, I'd look for something new...or at least, newer.
I havent used any on my f2, mostly cause I dont have an adaptor. Do use a SB 12 on my f3, which is small and compact and does the job, be good for a walk around the street flash. I use more complicated flashes on my F4's.
Its fun to use a cord to get your flash off the camera and get different flash effects.
Its fun to use a cord to get your flash off the camera and get different flash effects.
Funny you would mention...... was going through my stuff and found an SB-17.
When i saw the mounting i thought... Great, i can use this on my F2..... but when i tried to mount it, it falls off.
Looking it up , i see it was meant for the F3.
I suppose Nikon had a good reason to change the mount....TTL or some type of "Auto Mode" i guess.
I have always shot flash...and not very often at that....in manual mode.
So i started THIS Thread.
Yeah...10-4.Thank You.
The Yongnuo flash looks pretty nice (from the poster above).
I do have those Nikon Flash Adapters floating around somewhere, so i should be able to use a "Normal Mount" Flash
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Any electronic flash will work. No need to spend big bucks for a newer do it all flash. Vivitar 283 or 285 were great flashes and cheap today.
Most flashes will work but for mounting on the hot shoe you would need an adapter. I forgot the part number for it. Back when I had the F2AS I used the Metz 45-CT1 as handle mount flash so it doesn't need an adapter. For the hot shoe I had the Nikon SB-7E with the right hot shoe as well as it would light up the ready light at the eye piece.
Yeah.
I have the F2S.
It has that connection, that sticks out the left side of the finder.
I guess it was for an Aperture, or maybe Shutter priority motor.?
I might have an issue with what flash unit will or will not fit.....i am not really sure.
It was for a shutter priority motor. But you should also see a small pin that sticks out the back left, if you're facing the back of the camera, of the pentaprism. This does have to do with the flash.
Basically no flashes fit this camera. There are a large handful of pretty scarce Nikon flashes, which are all very expensive due to their compatibility with this camera and its immediate family. The hot shoe of the Nikon f series is completely incompatible with other hot shoes. It's kind of inverted from a regular flash shoe, in terms of where it has rails and what the male component is shaped like.
You need an adapter or a flash bracket and a flash that can be fired by a cable. I really doubt that the first Nikon flash you find will still work, and if it does, you can expect to pay a premium for it. The adapters, at least the OEM adapters, are a little steep too, although I found a cold shoe adapter in a thrift store once.
The only real advantage a real Nikon flash would get you is that that little pin I mentioned earlier connects with a special terminal on the flash, which lights up a flash ready light in the eyepiece of the prism. Even the unmetered prisms have this. They went to some lengths to do this, and mostly you'll never use it.
As RLangham stated, even the non-metered prism had a small pin protruding from the left side of the prism (see pin on DE-1 pentaprism in image). I have been using F2 cameras since 1972 and have never once used that pin.
DE-1 prism on left by Narsuitus, on Flickr
Just curious....... have you ever used those waist level finders on a 35mm SLR.?As RLangham stated, even the non-metered prism had a small pin protruding from the left side of the prism (see pin on DE-1 pentaprism in image). I have been using F2 cameras since 1972 and have never once used that pin.
DE-1 prism on left by Narsuitus, on Flickr
How did you like it.?
Thanks
Yes, I prefer to use waist level finders on 35mm SLRs when I am shooting macro, using a copy stand, or shooting with a telescope. At one time, I used them when shooting with a microscope but I no longer do that.
Yes, the last thing I can imagine doing after buying a very expensive new F2 is shelling out more for an oem flash! I think a lot of people just opted for the hot shoe adapter and a cheap vivitar, Honeywell, Sunbeam or other basic hot shoe flash. I don't care how good the Nikon shoe flashes were, they couldn't be good enough for Nikon prices right after you just paid for a new Nikon camera.As RLangham stated, even the non-metered prism had a small pin protruding from the left side of the prism (see pin on DE-1 pentaprism in image). I have been using F2 cameras since 1972 and have never once used that pin.
DE-1 prism on left by Narsuitus, on Flickr
Probably some older professionals at the time kept on using fold-up bulb flashes with the camera as they had with their F's and probably their Nikon rangefinders or Leicas before that. But I'd imagine the majority had handle flashes.
Back in 1977 when I bought my F2AS the Nikon SB-7E isn't that expensive. It doesn't have enough power though. Nikon did make some higher power but they are handle mount so it's a moot point.
Yes, it deserves a high power flash with that high sync speed. It should have decent flash fill capabilities in broad daylight.
Back in 1972, I traded one of my two Nikon F bodies for the F2. At that time, I was using large Honeywell and Hershey flash units that connected to my cameras via a PC connection. I also had a couple of small hot shoe flash units that I attached to the Nikon F and F2 via a Nikon flash hot shoe adapter. I cannot remember if the F and F2 used the same hot shoe adapter but I know that I used the Nikon AS-4 flash hot shoe adapter on my F2.
By the way, after using the F and the F2 for a period of time, I eventually traded my second F for a second F2.
As far as I understand, any flash used with these cameras requires a cable to be connected between the camera and flash. Is this correct?
I can only speak for the SB-20. it worked without a cable..... just needed the hot-shoe adapter, but no cable.
I don't know how many flashes Nikon made that have the Nikon F style shoe, I can think of only two, the SB-12 and SB-16(A), both came after the F2, as I recall. The early hot shoe adaptors only provided a sync contact, but the later one, introduced for the F3, had contacts for the TTL metering and viewfinder ready light. Metz and perhaps a few others had couplers that could mount on an F style shoe as well.
Nikon's flashes are certainly pricey new, but feature-wise and compatibility wise, they are close to unique. For example, the SB-800 supports TTL for everything from the F3 era and newer, and is compatible with digital bodies too. Almost all of them can connect either with a cord or hot shoe with no need for an extra adaptor. I'd have to verify, but I believe sync voltages are consistent for most of the range and safe even with the most modern (Nikon) bodies.
Nikon's flashes are certainly pricey new, but feature-wise and compatibility wise, they are close to unique. For example, the SB-800 supports TTL for everything from the F3 era and newer, and is compatible with digital bodies too. Almost all of them can connect either with a cord or hot shoe with no need for an extra adaptor. I'd have to verify, but I believe sync voltages are consistent for most of the range and safe even with the most modern (Nikon) bodies.
No. That is not correct. With the Nikon AS-1 flash coupler, any electronic flash with an ordinary hot shoe will work
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