Sunpak Cyber flash

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

Getting light into the interiors of automobiles, old and new, is a PITA
a lot of the time. Softboxes are too large to fit, umbrellas have a
tendency to scratch paint as they're placed, battery powered strobes
glare like crazy, and there is usually no really good place to sit a
battery powered strobe slave, anyway.

So, for maybe $300 including shipping, I've been thinking of the Sunpak
Cyber Flash, a flat panel flash that is, presumably, its own umbrella
or softbox.

To the wealthy among us, 300 skins isn't that much for a chance to try
out a new (sort of) toy, but in my current (and continuing) fiscal
state, I'd like to hear from someone who has made the step ahead of me.
Not necessarily, or even particularly, someone shooting autos, but
anyone who has tried the Cyber Flash for almost anything. If it comes
even close to matching Sunpak's claims for the light, I'll grab one
next week. If not, I don't want it any time.

What I am looking for is something reasonably light that can be
suspended from a boom, with the boom coming in the window (or windows,
if necessary) of the vehicle. From all I can see, the Cyber Flash is
close to ideal in size, but...well, basically, I'm chicken, I guess. Or
cheap. Scots background.

Is the light as advertised or is further diffusion needed?

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

"Charlie Self" <charliediy@aol.com> writes:
> Getting light into the interiors of automobiles, old and new, is a
> PITA a lot of the time. Softboxes are too large to fit, umbrellas
> have a tendency to scratch paint as they're placed, battery powered
> strobes glare like crazy, and there is usually no really good place
> to sit a battery powered strobe slave, anyway.
>
> So, for maybe $300 including shipping, I've been thinking of the
> Sunpak Cyber Flash, a flat panel flash that is, presumably, its own
> umbrella or softbox.

Below is the link to a a review in Shutterbug and some links to
dicussions threads about about flat panel flashes in the Lighting
Technique forum at DPreview. They mostly discusses Paterson CyberFlash
and Interfit DigitFlash, but they look similar enough to the Sunpak
CyberFlash, and they have identical specs. I believe all three are
probably made by the same manufacturer.

http://www.shutterbug.com/test_rep [...] _interfit/
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/ [...] e=12365362
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/ [...] e=10128709
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/ [...] e=10546766
--
- gisle hannemyr [ gisle{at}hannemyr.no - http://folk.uio.no/gisle/ ]
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Kodak DCS460, Canon Powershot G5, Olympus 2020Z
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Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital.slr-systems (More info?)

"Gisle Hannemyr" <gisle+news@ifi.uio.no> wrote in message
news:q58xzah4sc.fsf@seitseman.ifi.uio.no...
>> Someone else makes a light panel that looks like this but has a shoe
>> connector and comes with auto-slave function and sells for something
>> like $80. Don't remember the details but I think I saw one on the
>> 47th St. Photo website...
>
> You may be thinking about the Sunpak FP-38 ($74.95 at B&H). This
> works on the same principles as the one the OP is asking about, but
> has only enough area and power to be useful for macro work.

You are most likely right Gesle, this is the flash panel I was talking
about;
http://cgi.ebay.com/Product-Flash- [...] dZViewItem

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

Charlie Self wrote:
> seems like Sunpak boughgt out Paterson's interest--or bought out
> Paterson, because the only ones I find now are Sunpak. I'll run another
> check, though, just in case.

Evidently not, on further checking. B&H carries both brands, with
Interfit being higher priced, and Sunpak having more versions.