In article <4c1goo$huo@hpcvsnz.cv.hp.com>, kens@lsid.hp.com says...
(about safe flashes for Nikon TTL shoes)
>Is there any way to tell specifically which flashes will/won't work.
>I have a Vivitar 283 that's going strong in it's 20th year. I read >this warning in the 6006 manual. Considering I do little flash >photography and the 6006 implements almost none of the new speedflash >functions, I'd like to be able to use the 283.
>Is there an adapter available if the 283 isn't useable directly?

It is possible to fire the 283 (and other flashes) using the
built-in camera flash to activate an external light-sensitive
flash trigger (made by Vivitar and others) hooked up with a PC
cord to the other flash. If you want to see if a flash is safe
to use on the body TTL shoe, CAREFULLY, WITH INSULATED PROBES
(NOT TOUCHING ANY METAL PART OF THE PROBES OR FLASH),
measure the voltage (using a voltmeter set on the 1000 volt DC
range and with the flash on) between the terminal in the middle
of the flash foot and the terminal hidden in the slot in the side
of the foot. If you get no noticeable reading, try the 10 volt
range. You should see either 200-300 volts or about 6 or so volts.
The latter reading indicates that the flash should be O.K. to use
on a TTL shoe. BTW, any inexpensive TTL flash used on the
N6000-6006 can make use of the TTL fill flash ratio feature of
the body - THE most useful "funny feature" of the new flashes,
I think.
Hope this helps.