Digital Rebel external flash

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital.slr-systems (More info?)

Hi,

I want to get an external flash for my Canon 300D (Digital Rebel). Now,
I can't afford the Canon's high end flashes but would like to have
feature like variable power, swivel, tilt, etc. Two prime candidates
are the Sigma EF-500 Super and Sunpak PZ-5000. Both seem priced at
where I can afford them. Out of the two, I am not very inclined
towards the Sigma as I have read too many people complain about quality
problems with their lenses and flashes.

Now, I've never used an external flash so what I want to understand,
step-by-step, is that if I mount the Sunpak PZ-5000 with my Canon 300D
in "M" mode, then how do I go about setting the camera and flash for:
1. Fill flash
2. Flash-only illumination

And comments about on which step would I miss not having E-TTL/TTL-2
functionality that the Sigma EF-500 Super has.

Thanks,

Siddhartha

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital.slr-systems (More info?)

"Siddhartha Jain" <losttoy2000@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
news:1105361468.312875.188590@c13g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
> Hi,
>
> I want to get an external flash for my Canon 300D (Digital Rebel). Now,
> I can't afford the Canon's high end flashes but would like to have
> feature like variable power, swivel, tilt, etc. Two prime candidates
> are the Sigma EF-500 Super and Sunpak PZ-5000. Both seem priced at
> where I can afford them. Out of the two, I am not very inclined
> towards the Sigma as I have read too many people complain about quality
> problems with their lenses and flashes.
>
> Now, I've never used an external flash so what I want to understand,
> step-by-step, is that if I mount the Sunpak PZ-5000 with my Canon 300D
> in "M" mode, then how do I go about setting the camera and flash for:
> 1. Fill flash
> 2. Flash-only illumination
>
> And comments about on which step would I miss not having E-TTL/TTL-2
> functionality that the Sigma EF-500 Super has.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Siddhartha
>


I have the predecessor to the Sigma, the non-DG version and it works fine on
my D30 & 10D. It does have a tendency to overexpose at close distances, but
that was easily remedied with a StoFen Omni Bounce. I've not heard of such
problems on the DG version. I've used it off-camera triggered by an ST-E2,
and used it on-camera to trigger a 420EX with no problems.

Mark

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital.slr-systems (More info?)

FEC??


"Steve m..." <Stevem5215@PLEASEno_spam_.com> wrote in message
news:ZqFEd.5999$eb.5661@trndny06...
> I've got the Sigma Super DG on my 300D. Works fine and it does FEC which
> you want if you don't use the hack.
>

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital.slr-systems (More info?)

Siddhartha Jain wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I want to get an external flash for my Canon 300D (Digital Rebel).
Now,
> I can't afford the Canon's high end flashes but would like to have
> feature like variable power, swivel, tilt, etc. Two prime candidates
> are the Sigma EF-500 Super and Sunpak PZ-5000. Both seem priced at
> where I can afford them. Out of the two, I am not very inclined
> towards the Sigma as I have read too many people complain about
quality
> problems with their lenses and flashes.
>

Thanks for the comments on the Sigma. Anything on the Sunpak?
- Siddhartha

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital.slr-systems (More info?)

>Now, I've never used an external flash so what I want to understand,
>step-by-step, is that if I mount the Sunpak PZ-5000 with my Canon 300D
>in "M" mode, then how do I go about setting the camera and flash for:
>1. Fill flash
>2. Flash-only illumination

2. Flash-only is easy. You'll set the camera to a setting that
matches the flash, say, ISO 400 and f/8. (You do this in "M" mode.)
Then you just take the picture. An electronic eye on the flash
measures the amount of light that bounces back, and adjusts the output
of the flash accordingly. I've never used a dedicated (TTL, E-TTL,
ABC-TTL....) flash, only a sunpak, and had very good results.

1. Fill flash is harder. First, you set your shutter to 1/125
(faster than that and you won't get flash sync). Then you see what
f-stop you're at for what you want exposed with natural light, using
the camera's internal light meter. Then you adjust the output of the
flash, using a table on the flash itself, for the proper exposure at
the distance and f-stop you're using. It's actually not very hard - I
do it all the time.

-Joel

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