Aaron said:
In order to use the OM-1n for general purpose photography, I need a
decent flash for it. What would work best on this camera?
------------
No doubt you'll get 1000 replies on this one because there are probably
1000 different flashes you could use. With shoe #1 or a PC cord you can
use a strictly manual flash or an automatic flash (where the automation
is in the flash and not the camera). You can also use an OM TTL
compatible flash. You won't get any TTL flash automation but the flash
ready LED in your OM-1n will light as long as it's mounted on a shoe 3.
Someone will come along with an appropriate Sunpak, Metz, etc
recommendation but I don't think you can go wrong with a Vivitar 283 or
285. I believe both are still available new for about $80-90 but
they're as common as dirt on the used market since they've been in
production for over 25 years. These flashes are automatic flashes
offering a bounce head (swings up and down). Both have lots of
accessories available such as filters and variable power controls. The
285 has a built-in zoom feature to control angle of coverage for
different focal length lenses or distances. I don't know what the
number is but there is probably a comparable Sunpak flash which offers
swivel action (side-to-side) in addition to the bounce.
The 283/285's have been in production so long that the technology has
changed along with the cameras. More modern 283's will have a low
trigger voltage of, say, 6 volts suitable for an electronically
controlled camera such as the OM-2s and later. Older 283's had high
trigger voltages, say, 250-300 volts. These would likely fry a 2s but
are perfectly fine for your OM-1n which has a mechanical flash contact
switch.
Another Vivitar flash that I can heartily recommend is the 550FD. This
is a much smaller (lower power) flash that you can probably buy used for
about $15-20. This little flash offers a bounce head and manual, auto
and TTL modes for Olympus, Minolta and Pentax all in the same unit. (it
has 7 contacts on its base).
Being smaller, the 550FD will not put so much strain on the flash shoe.
A large, high flash such as the 283 can exert a lot of leverage if
struck and may break the flash shoe off. Big flashes are best mounted
on a flash bracket and fed from a cord.
You'll probably get several offers to sell this or that flash. If you
don't, contact me off list. I've got a few spare flashes kicking
around. Maybe even a spare 550FD but I'll have to check.
Chuck Norcutt
Woburn, Massachusetts, USA
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