In article
>Excerpts from netnews.rec.photo.equipment.35mm: 15-Apr-97 Re: Nikon
>flash by Gary Hunt@srv.net
>> Many of the newer all-electronic cameras have limits on the
>> flash trigger voltage they can handle, and some older flash
>> units used very high trigger voltages.
>In response to an earlier thread on this subject, I measured the shoe
>voltage of my Vivitar 285 at 7v. Note that this is an older (c.'79) 285,
>not the current 285HV.
The 285 was unusual for a non-TTL flash in having a low switching voltage.
Late 283's are apparently also low-voltage, but all the ones I have seen
have had high-voltage on the foot terminals. I would avoid using non-TTL
type flashes on newer cameras without knowing the particulars - the
experiment could be costly (I have seen cases where the older flashes
fried the electronics of newer cameras...). Stick with TTL-type flashes
of any brand to be safe, or (carefully!!!) measure the voltage on the
flash foot of a non-TTL charged flash to see if it is low...
Hope This Helps