Vivitar DF-383 DEDICATED ETTL LCD Flash with LCD Display Includes Flash Diffuser For Nikon DSLR Cameras Cleaning Kit MicroFiber Cleaning Cloth

Shipping speed is excellent. Got it on the "first" date that it was estimated to arrive by.Box is neat. Nice extras. I didn't try the lens cleaning solution yet, but I will make additions if problem arises with using said solution. The microfiber cloth is pretty good quality.[...](the cleaning solution and q-tips comes with it, but not the other three items)[...]like I said, the microfiber cloths are niceNow, to the actual product.Construction: It's plastic, kinda like the plastic for a "dumb" phone. Decent build. I'm afraid to drop it on grass from 4feet though.Usability:at full power, recharge time is about 1 second, for a 3 second burst, once the "ready" light (which shines red) is on.But with the power decreased to half (1/2 setting), recharge time is faster.Went down to 1/4 power, recharge time is less that half a , but stops after 12 flashes or so.Do you see where I'm going with this?Bounce and swivel head is excellent. It sticks into place, not as stiff as SB600 and so on, but does the job.The built-in diffuser is a godsend. It makes pictures much more natural. The built-in reflector however, I can not see much effect it has with the flash (with or without the diffuser on)I did not try the slave part of it. So I can't say much on that.

This flash is an excellent flash for the money. Other units may have more power, but this one puts many features together in a reasonably priced package. Recycle times(.5-9sec advertised) are much better than my other similar flash, a Sunpak Pf30x. 4 batteries as opposed to 2 helps there. It is easy to use. Just pop batteries in, connect it to the camera via hot shoe or an extension cable, like Vivitar's own (check out my review of that product), turn it on, wait for the ready light, and shoot away. It is enabled for wireless slave operation which I have already tried and it works well. One minor caveat. As it doesn't have a tripod connection I had to use an old extension cable to mount it on a tripod. A tripod mounting block would be nice for wireless slave use. Built-in diffuser and reflective plate are handy as well as the 270 degree pivoting/tilting flashhead. It makes it possible to kick the flash off a wall behind you or off a convenient ceiling.

This fully automatic dedicated LCD Flash is offered with a variety of flash foot configurations (order the one that fits your camera) for top of the line professional level Digital cameras. Vivitar has for a long time offered high quality camera accessories for the most discriminating photographers at all levels and at very competitive prices. This unit fits my Nikon D700 professional camera like a glove and instantly syncs up to the cameras processor for perfect pictures everytime. The swivel head rotates side to side and up and down for great bounce flash creativity and has an onboard slide out diffuser that conveniently converts the flash to softer light needed on those indoor family shots. A quick press of the telephoto button changes the prism setting from wide angle to normal or telephoto. This is a very versatile, easy to manage, well thought out flash system at a very reasonable cost that does all the flash photography photography calculations for you. Point and shoot and never miss action again.  Vivitar DF383 Digital TTL Shoe Mount Power Zoom /Swivel /Bounce Auto-Focus Flash for Nikon TTL, Guide Number 45m (147')

I started with a nikon SB-600 flash and bought a Vivitar 383 as a backup. The 383 has plenty of power but you better be able to bump down ISO or close down your aperture since it has very limited range for lower flash settings. It doesn't turn off when you turn off the camera, and the high pitched noise it makes when it charges up is beyond annoying. The swivel on the head is the only feature that puts it above the old Vivitar 283 I used 30 years ago and I broke 2 of them off my camera back in the day due to hard to replace plastic mounts, still cheaper than breaking off the top of the camera. I gave it 5 stars only due to the lower price and am hoping that the occasional non-firing will stop once I use the flash more. If I think something is going to get broken off, I'm taking the Vivitar, otherwise, the Nikon is going with me.

This is a very reliable unit, I have tried a Nikon SB600 and both of them have similars power output, the only inconvenience that I did find with this unit is the "arcaic" controls, but regarding its performance, on e-ttl mode it works "ok" with a Nikon D5000 and with a Nikon D7000. Its recycle time would work for the average photographer.Another concern that I had was that it smell very weird (like burning gunpowder) on the first flashes that I triggered, after 1-2 days of normal use, it's work very fine and there is no smell of gunpowder.Recommended if you can not afford a SB600.

I love this flash. It works great and didn't overheat even though it was frying the batteries after being used constantly for an hour and a half! It responds well to my Nikon DSLR and produces great quality. However, dare I say that at times it may be TOO powerful and overwhelming! And the instructions for me are a bit hard to understand. But other than that it's a pretty simple and great flash! The diffuser that is permanently attached is a nice bonus too!