If you use a 383 flash do you also use a PC cord with it as when mounted
on an off-camera bracket?
I have a couple Sunpak 522's and two Paramount (for Sunpak) PC cords.
A friend's Vivitar 285 failed recently and she discovered she couldn't
replace it since Vivitar has discontinued the 283 and 285 flash units.
On my advice she bought a Sunpak 383 as the next best fit. When she
showed it to me she asked if I could test the PC cord connection since
she didn't have a Sunpak to PC connecting cable yet.
I took out my Paramount/Sunpak to PC cord that I use on my 522's and
stuck it in the connector on her flash. Worked great. Then I tried to
unplug my cable. It was stuck fast in the flash and nothing would
convince it to come out. As it turns out, the internal metal spring
clip that contacts the pin plug on the cable was wedged in a groove in
the pin. Rather than springing back and releasing as you would expect
it just dug itself in more tightly when you tried to pull the plug out.
It was acting more like a barb than a spring clip. Ultimately, I had
to remove the foot and use a jeweler's screwdriver to pry back the
contact. In so doing I must have sprung it too far back such that it
didn't return far enough to regain contact when the plug was pulled out.
Result: now the hot shoe was disabled as it normally is when the
cable is attached and so the flash didn't work at all.
Today she told me that she had discoverd a note on Paramount's web site
saying not to use the standard Sunpak cable that they offer in a 383.
It says the 383 requires a 2.5mm mini-plug instead of the proprietary
Sunpak connector (they're very similar). I checked Sunpak's web site
and verified what she told me. I then got on B&H's website and see that
they offer Sunpak brand cables but the cable is the same for 383, 522
and 544 flash units. Eh?
So I called Paramount and spoke with a pleasant fellow there who told me
that, as far as they are concerned, they did a proper reverse
engineering job on the Sunpak connector. Much to their surprise they've
had a half dozen calls like mine from people getting their cables stuck
in the 383. That caused them to investigate the 383 and they contend
that Sunpak has changed the connector to the 2.5mm mini-plug from their
previous proprietary plug. He said he might check later with B&H about
exactly what they're selling but he can't see any way that the Sunpak
brand cord should work in the 383 any better than theirs does. I
thought that I had one of each cord (Sunpak and Paramount brands) and
was going to compare them for minute diffeneces in the plug but, as it
turns out, I appear to have two Paramount brand cords. I have nothing
to compare.
So, back to the title question. Anybody here use a 383? If you use a
PC cord with it what are you using?
Thanks,
Chuck Norcutt
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