Long story short the flash went out on my Nikon D40 and it is cheaper to buy an external than to get it fixed. I was set to buy a Nikon SB-400 and found one online for $99 w/ free shipping so I ordered it. Now, here's where it gets tricky. The website I ordered it from called me and said it was on backorder for 4-6 weeks but they would sell me a "Vivitar DF-183 Series 1 TTL Flash For all Nikon D/SLR" (this is directly from the order) for the same price if I didn't want to wait. I went on their website and it is listed for $20 more retail than the SB-400. The guy on the phone said the Vivitar was a better flash than the Nikon SB-400. I told him ok, with the understanding that I had 14 days to return it. In searching the web to do research on the Vivitar I can't find the exact flash, but the Vivitars I am finding are cheaper (in the $60-$70 range). So, I have 2 questions. Is this flash worth a flip, especially compared to the SB-400? Am I getting ripped off on the price for the Vivitar by this website if it is close to the SB-400? I feel like something isn't right here, but I can't find anything concrete to prove it. If the Vivitar is as good as the Nikon and is priced the same I'll be happy. I just get the feeling that either the Vivitar isn't as good as the Nikon or that I could get it for a lot cheaper than $99. Thanks for your help.
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Personally, I would stick with the Nikon flash. -
Sounds like a scam to me.Comment
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Sounds like a scam to me. I really like my SB-400. I think it would be worth returning the Vivitar as soon as you get it.Comment
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Thanks for the input. More than likely this flash is going back. I did email the customer service department that I bought the flash from and asked them what the deal was. They said the flash is indeed better than what I'm seeing on the internet because it has a larger guide number. From what I can tell, the SB-400 has a guide number of 98.4'. The Vivitars I found online that are $60 have a guide number of 59'. The customer service agent said that the Vivitar I'm getting has a larger guide number than the $60 Vivitars. If I get the flash and it has a 59' guide number it is going back or they are refunding about $40 to get me to the correct price point. If the guide number is larger than the SB-400 then at least I'll know they are comparable flashes.Comment
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There are a lot of bait-and-switchers selling camera gear on ebay and the internet. It seems that most of them are in and around Brooklyn, NY for whatever reason. From what folks say, you place an order and you either have to call them to check out or they call you after you check out. Then they put the hard sell on you to either sell you a lot more over-priced stuff and/or tell you what you ordered is back ordered so you need to buy something else.
Of course, your deal may be perfectly legitimate too. Back orders do happen sometimes, but with computerized inventory systems that 99% of the sellers have these days, it's rare that it happens after a sale. Usually they will show the item to be out of stock before you buy it and ask you if you want to order it on back order or not before you pay.Comment
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The bait and switch selling is what threw up the red flag. I have talked to their customer service agent again and the flash they are sending me has a guide number of 89 which is comparable to the Nikon. It is also i TTL which really doesn't affect me either way. I'm still skeptical, but I will see once it gets here.Comment
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If they are sending you a Vivitar DF-183 for $99 then that is a rip-off. That flash is sold for $60 at B&H, a seller with a great reputation. Here's a link.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...83_AF_For.html
I've seen many similar stories related to sellers that offer a great deal, then tell you they are out of stock and sell you something else for a jacked up price. Since you didn't mention if they gave you any different model numbers when they promised that you would be getting "a better flash than the nikon" I have to assume they still intend to send you a DF-183. You didn't mention the name of the store you are using but try putting the name into resellerratings.com and see if there are similar stories from past customers.Comment
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I agree 100% if it is a Vivitar DF-183. They are $60 all over. They told me that it was a NUSA model of DF-183 which is different than the NIK model. The DF-183 (NIK) has a guide number of 59'. Supposedly the Vivitar I'm getting (NUSA) has a guide number of 89'. Between the similar stories and not being able to find the Vivitar (NUSA) with the 89' guide number anywere else on the internet really have the red flags raised. I will inspect it closely once I receive it. If it is a regular DF-183 one of 2 things will happen. I will call them and tell them I will keep it if they refund $50 back to me since they lied to me about the guide number and it being better than the Nikon or I will put return to sender on it and tell them to refund my full payment. I bought it from AccessoryCircuit.com.Comment
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