Photo Ring

Can I use my Vivitar 285 (made in Japan-1983) on my Pentax K20D or my K100D?

There are several reasons why I am asking this question. 1. I don’t believe in throwing away good equipment just because it is old. 2. I have add-ons for this flash that have been handy over the years. 3. I don’t want to ruin new equipment by using incompatible items. Yes, it fits the camera and it flashes but if it causes more harm than good, then it is time to discard it. 4. Photography is a hobby so throwing money for the sake of throwing money has never been atractive to me.

Why would you want to?

Use a modern flash and take advantage of the cameras exposure system to accurately control the flash using P-TTL.

There has been some concern that high trigger voltage for older flash units may damage the camera. But even if it is safe it will not be as good as a modern unit.