I need a larger flash for my Nikon Coolpix 4500 digital Camera with a hot shoe, and would love to be able to use the trusty Vivitar Thrysistor 283 that worked so well with my old SLR, but the Nikon manual warns that flashes not specifically made for Nikon Digital Cameras may damage the camera through some kind of electronic feedback. Are they just trying to sell me a $300 flash unit, or is this a valid concern?
Do I need a special flash for my Nikon Digital Camera?
Yup, it is possible for an old flash to fry a camera due to the trigger voltages. You can check this site for more info on that http://www.botzilla.com/photo/strobeVolt... Cross reference your flash against the table there.
In any case, using an older flash would probably mean a loss of i-ttl (for nikon) or e-ttl (for canon). You would need to use auto/manual flash then. In addition, the camera may also act funny (e.g. my old metz on my canon 20D will always give me a 1/200 f5.6 on program mode. I have to use it in manual mode instead.
Reply:yes
Reply:For the new digital cameras you need a flash that is in the family of the TTL, or, Transistor Transistor Logic family. These would be either the I-TTL, D-TTL or just plain ole TTL. If you need a larger flash, or just more flash, take your old gear and either make the simple circuit or find a ready made one that turns it into a slave flash. That is what I did with my old flash gear. Or just break down and pay the man for the new 300 dollar speedlight. The circuit to turn your old gear into a slave flash is a real simple circuit and only cost a couple of bucks. Check into it. Happy shooting.
scooter
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