Not working... Firefly + Vivitar 285
Posted: Mar 27, 2007 5:00 pm
I have two Firefly 2's and two brand new Vivitar 285HV flashes and my problem is that the Firefly's won't fire the Vivitars. The Firefly's will fire my other strobe (Nikon SB-15) and the Vivitar's work in all other situations (ie via the PC connector or the hotshoe of a camera).
Any thoughts you guys may have would be appreciated.
Here are some details...
Firefly Slaves (I have two of them, both with hotshoe connectors):
* both have new batteries
* both have clean sensors
* both will fire my Nikon SB-15
* both will NOT fire my new Vivitar 285HV
Vivitar 285HV (brand new):
* will fire via the PC connector
* will fire with the manual button
* will fire when mounted (hotshoe) on a Pentax K1000 or a Holga
* will NOT fire via the Firefly
There is NO fluorescent lighting in my apartment (testing area). The Firefly's are NOT mounted to a battery pack. The wires on the Firefly's are good...one is brand new and the other is hardly used. The PC connector was not plugged in to the Vivitar when testing the Firefly's.
I'd be inclined to say the Firefly's aren't making good contact with the "other" metal contacts on the hotshoe (i.e. not the center pin) but the Vivitar fires when mounted on a cameras hotshoe (even a Holga!).
Sometimes the Firefly will fire the Vivitar when the other flash is held right against the sensor of the Firefly. But this isn't consistent and actually is more likely to not occur than to occur.
I've tried wiggling the firefly-to-vivitar connection to see if there may be a "sweet spot" that makes connection but there doesn't seem to be
one. The connection seems solid.
The Firefly's fire the Nikon flash with no problems. They fire every time and even do so around corners with no line of sight.
I'm really bummed because I just bought two of the Vivitars to use in caves as well as in above ground photography.
Thanks for your help though! I might try emailing the makers of the Firefly and seeing if they have heard of any issues with that flash/slave combo.
Bryan Signorelli
PS - My internet access is limited right now so it may be easier to copy my home addy on your reply (basignorelli@yahoo.com). Thanks!
Any thoughts you guys may have would be appreciated.
Here are some details...
Firefly Slaves (I have two of them, both with hotshoe connectors):
* both have new batteries
* both have clean sensors
* both will fire my Nikon SB-15
* both will NOT fire my new Vivitar 285HV
Vivitar 285HV (brand new):
* will fire via the PC connector
* will fire with the manual button
* will fire when mounted (hotshoe) on a Pentax K1000 or a Holga
* will NOT fire via the Firefly
There is NO fluorescent lighting in my apartment (testing area). The Firefly's are NOT mounted to a battery pack. The wires on the Firefly's are good...one is brand new and the other is hardly used. The PC connector was not plugged in to the Vivitar when testing the Firefly's.
I'd be inclined to say the Firefly's aren't making good contact with the "other" metal contacts on the hotshoe (i.e. not the center pin) but the Vivitar fires when mounted on a cameras hotshoe (even a Holga!).
Sometimes the Firefly will fire the Vivitar when the other flash is held right against the sensor of the Firefly. But this isn't consistent and actually is more likely to not occur than to occur.
I've tried wiggling the firefly-to-vivitar connection to see if there may be a "sweet spot" that makes connection but there doesn't seem to be
one. The connection seems solid.
The Firefly's fire the Nikon flash with no problems. They fire every time and even do so around corners with no line of sight.
I'm really bummed because I just bought two of the Vivitars to use in caves as well as in above ground photography.
Thanks for your help though! I might try emailing the makers of the Firefly and seeing if they have heard of any issues with that flash/slave combo.
Bryan Signorelli
PS - My internet access is limited right now so it may be easier to copy my home addy on your reply (basignorelli@yahoo.com). Thanks!