Is a Vivitar 2800 flash safe to use on a Nikon D3100 hot shoe?

Asked 3/31/2014

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I have a Vivitar 2800 flash and want to know if it is safe to mount on a Nikon D3100. I’ve read that some Nikon manuals list a maximum hot-shoe trigger voltage of 250V. Does that limit apply to the D3100, and if my flash has a sync voltage around 140–170V, is it safe to use?

nikon trigger-voltage hot-shoe flash nikon-d3100

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

12y ago

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From the D3100 user manual, page 172:

... Negative voltages or voltages over 250 V applied to the accessory shoe could not only prevent operation, but damage the sync circuitry of the camera or flash.

Given that this is the published information in the user manual, I'd say, that yes, the 250V limit applies to your camera, and as long as you know the measured sync voltage is within 0-250V, it should be safe.

Originally by user27440. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user27440

8y ago

AI Answer

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Yes. According to the Nikon D3100 user manual, the accessory shoe can accept trigger voltages up to 250V. The manual also warns that negative voltages or voltages above 250V could prevent operation or damage the camera or flash circuitry.

So if your Vivitar 2800’s sync voltage is truly in the 140–170V range, that is below Nikon’s stated limit and should be safe for the D3100 hot shoe.

The key point is to verify the actual trigger voltage of your specific flash unit, since older flashes can vary by model or production run.

Is a Vivitar 2800 flash safe to use on a Nikon D3100 hot shoe?

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