P3D Vivitar 283 - problem

[MarkKernes@xxxxxxx]

Since we're discussing the popular Vivitar 283 flash which I use with my
Realist, hopefully, someone on the list will be able to lend insight into my
problem:

After getting tired of buying so many AA batteries, I got a Lumidyne "mini-
turbo" battery pack, which attaches by cable to the input port on the flash,
bypassing the battery compartment completely. However, I find that the Vivitar
drains this (fully-charged) battery pack after only about 6 or 7 shots, making
it pretty useless for my purposes. (By comparison, I can shoot several rolls
of film when I use the battery with my fully-automatic Canon 430EZ flash
mounted on my Canon EOS.) I have the Vivitar flash set on "purple" (the
brightest setting available, since I need a lot of light when shooting indoors
- camera is set at f5.6). Am I doing something wrong, or do I need a different
flash?

Mark


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