Sigma EF-500 Super

[habers]

Flashes have came up recenlty...whether to get the 420ex, 550ex, or the sigma 500 super. I found this article about the sigma, many may already have read it but i thought it was a good article for those who are on the fence and still looking for info

http://photonotes.org/reviews/sigma-ef-500-super/

and a side by side
http://photozone.de/2Equipment/canonflash.htm

j

[Kenski]

Hmmm, Intresting, I wonder when the date of that article was because the price of the 550ex really isn't that bad anymore.. there are others out there that are MORE and do less then what the 550 can do...

[c0ntr0lz]

kool
when i was in getting my remote I asked about the 550 and the 500.
the guy said about the only difference between the 2 was that Canon could be setup for master/slave flash but the sigma isn't able to.

[Kenski]

kool
when i was in getting my remote I asked about the 550 and the 500.
the guy said about the only difference between the 2 was that Canon could be setup for master/slave flash but the sigma isn't able to.


Theres alot more than that... There is alot the canon can do the sigma can't alot of auto features plus alot cool crap. that first article is good reading but it only shows that the canon is the better buy...


However.... I do believe the Metz is better.... But, I'm not an expert...

[DocFrankenstein]

This flash stuff is so confusing... The different models and makes. You can go with Vivitar for 70 bucks and 550 EX for 300 and they both have the same power (almost)

It's point and shoot (no pun) with this buy... especially if you're a noob and never used an external flash before. :?

[Kenski]

This flash stuff is so confusing... The different models and makes. You can go with Vivitar for 70 bucks and 550 EX for 300 and they both have the same power (almost)

It's point and shoot (no pun) with this buy... especially if you're a noob and never used an external flash before. :?


The vivitar doesn't work on the DSLRs though.. I know, I bought it and found out the hard way! :) lol

[DocFrankenstein]

The vivitar doesn't work on the DSLRs though.. I know, I bought it and found out the hard way! :) lol
I wouldn't know, but I was told otherwise :?

[rboate]

kool
when i was in getting my remote I asked about the 550 and the 500.
the guy said about the only difference between the 2 was that Canon could be setup for master/slave flash but the sigma isn't able to.

My Sigma ($ 399 CDN) works find as a master to my 420ex as a slave.

[CyberDyneSystems]

Thanks for these links Haber.. a lot of good info..

(...Including the reaffirmation that Canon DOES NOT license it's EOS mount to Tomron or Tokina... a subject where I am often found to be on the defensive :) )

This reverse engineering process is needed since Canon is unwilling to license their protocols to third party manufacturers. (there are often rumours that Tamron obtained a licence for Canon technology, but this has been refuted publicly by Canon USA’s Chuck Westfall) But there is a drawback of reverse engineering to the consumer. Sigma may indeed be able to figure out how their products can work flawlessly with all existing Canon products, but Canon is perfectly able to alter its future products in such a fashion that the older third party items no longer function correctly. Whether inadvertently or deliberately, this happened most recently with the introduction of the EOS Elan 7/30/33/7, which does not work with certain older Sigma lenses and with older Metz flash adapters. Note that to their credit Sigma will reprogram many of their lenses for free so that the older lenses would work with the newer camera, but not all of their older products can be so upgraded. Anyway. Sigma have similarly reverse-engineered Canon’s flash protocols and produced the EF-500 Super flash unit.

[CyberDyneSystems]

RE: MEtz,...

It seems thereis a large dedicated following of individuals who had trouble with the Canon flashes on there 1D bodies that switched to Metz and have started a Metz/1D cult :)

It seems to be a very good combo.

[OviV]

The 500 DG Super can be used as both a wireless Master and Slave. It can also be used as an optical slave. I am not sure what features the 550 EX has that the 500 DG Super doesn't but I have yet to encounter any.

Ovi

[vfilby]

I don't own a 550ex but I do own a 500 Super. Apparently the main differences are:

Build quality
Lack of custom functions. For example, I think the 550 can be set to do FEB on every shot; whereas, the 500DG you have to set FEB for each shot.
No plug for an external battery pack. I think that one could be manufactured easily though.


Regards,

[Mark Kemp]

Not sure about the 'no flash exposure compensation' comment on the 420EX. I have the slightly older 380EX and there is nothing on the flash, but then you have Flash exposure compensation on most EOS camera bodies, so what extra could be on the flash.

In fact, I have never been completely clear what extra functionality the 550EX Flash gives you (apart from the power). It has an LCD panel so you must be able to adjust something. Can anyone enlighten me as to what this is please?

[vfilby]

The main differences between the 420ex and the 550ex are extra power, manual controls and the ability to trigger other 420/550's as slaves. When I was evaluating the different flashes for purchase I was always told that the 420 did not have FEC.

Regards,

[Mark Kemp]

Thanks Vince, but what I want to know is - what can you manually control?
Do you just mean the brightness of the flash, so you override E-TTL etc and set your own?

[vfilby]

On my Sigma EF500DG Super you can set the zoom, and brightness of the flash. The birghtness is measured as a raction from 1/1 to 1/128 of a full power flash. I think that those are the only manual settings that would really matter. I know that you can set ISO speed, but I am not sure how it affects the flash.

THe flash supports the following modes: ETTL, ETTL Master, ETTL Slave, Optical Slave, Multi (I think it keeps the flash on while the shutter is open???) and Manual.

If you want I can dig out the (crappy) manual and see what else there is that I am missing.



Regards,

[Mark Kemp]

Thanks Vince,

Don't bother with the manual, I was only curious about what the manual adjustments actually allowed you to change. Basically, how bright is the flash and the zoom from the sound of it.

I guess it may be a benefit once in a while, but for now I am happy with the automatic mode as long as the body gives me FEC anyway, which mine does.

[Cordell]

I think some people are confusing or missing something in that article. The author wrote about the non-DG model at the time. He did however state that a new (at the time) "DG" model was coming out and it has been for awhile now.

The difference between the Sigma DG Super 500 and the Canon 550EX is very small depending on your needs. The build quality of the Sigma is not great, but I don't through my equipment on the ground anyway. The Canon flash has a little more power, but not enough to make a great big difference (5mm or so I think??). The biggie to some is the lack of external pack possibilities with the Sigma. Shooting weddings during the reception this has caused me problems, but I still don't regret my purchase of two of these babies.

I will also state that the manual controls on the Super DG and Canon 550EX are sometimes important for flash compensation when ETTL is fooled. If you have a camera that can adjust this setting within the camera it doesn't matter anyway.