Best value flashguns at the moment for off camera muckin about?

FreeloaderJoe

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SB24's etc. seem to be going for a fortune at the moment.
Whats the cheapest and best flashgun purely for manual off camera work at the moment using chinese ebay triggers...

...give us some suggestions.
 
They are around second hand and I thought someone was making them the the same pattern? Same place selling triggers?

MB


Yes, Gadget Infinity have a clone on the market, if it's made by the same Chinese factory (which it probably is) as the last lot were then I can't see them being any better.

You have to be careful if buying them secondhand is the earlier HV (Japanese not Chinese) and non-HV versions will fry a digital camera and can damage some of the Ebay triggers too.
 
Try Jessops own or Lumipro who make the strobist flash units. The 285 is no longer produced by anyone, they where good a few years ago. You can pick up some much older sunpacs that can be good. I got a 4205G on here and its great.

Mart.
 
No longer in production and the build quality was woeful

I've got an old 285 (the old model, not the rerelease) and it's solid as a rock. I paid about 12 squid for it, but I've seen them go on eBay for closer to 50 :eek: It's a big meaty beast, but I don't think I've ever needed to jack the power up on it, it's mammoth.
 
I've got an old 285 (the old model, not the rerelease) and it's solid as a rock. I paid about 12 squid for it, but I've seen them go on eBay for closer to 50 :eek: It's a big meaty beast, but I don't think I've ever needed to jack the power up on it, it's mammoth.

Chris likes big, solid, meaty 'guns!

;) sorry couldn't resist!
 
Chris likes big, solid, meaty 'guns!

;) sorry couldn't resist!

The_who_meaty_beaty_big_and_bouncy.jpg


:lol:
 
does it make any difference new or old? Will a flash like an sb-80 fire via Nikon commander mode?
 
I'm no fan of the 285HV, the old one that I had is huge, clunky and generally annoying...

if you're considering buying a jessops 360afd, seriously consider a sb24/5/6/8/80dx instead.... waaaay better build quality (my poor sb24 has taken 2m dives on top of a light stand and been fine...), and they're about the same price as a brand new 360afd... as long as you've got one flash that you can use with ttl on-camera, it doesn't matter that the rest don't.

Alternatively, if you've got a camera that does built in commander mode (nikon d70/80/200/300/700), pay your monies and get a second hand sb600... yeah second hand they're twice the price of a used sb24 (on the forums, about 135-150), but still... CLS is where it's at :P
 
Ebay isn't the only place to try - I got a near-mint SB26 for £35 from cantebury cameras a while back. Great flash, acts as a slave and is very powerful. Works a treat with my SB800. Mifsuds has a few, as does ffordes, maybe not at that price, though
 
I have a 285 (non HV) and don't really rate it that highly its about as powerful as my 430 but recycles unbelievably slowly (with nimhs and alkalis - tried both cos was freaking me out) I have a sunpack which is less powerful but much quicker to recharge and generally much more usable, also I dislike the vivitar control dial
 
Ebay isn't the only place to try - I got a near-mint SB26 for £35 from cantebury cameras a while back. Great flash, acts as a slave and is very powerful. Works a treat with my SB800. Mifsuds has a few, as does ffordes, maybe not at that price, though

haha, that's interesting, they must underprice them massively...I got my sb24 from them for £32 shipped xD

let's keep it our little secret though eh?
 
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