Will it work?

[jim1019]

Looking for some advise here. Don't have enough for a 580EX, so I'm looking at the Sigma units. My question is, will the 500 or 530 Sigma fire my 430EX? I'm talking if I have the 500 on my camera, wil it fire the 430EX remotely if I set it to slave? I know the Canon 580EX will. Can't find the answer anywhere, so I thought I'd ask the experts here. Thanks.

[Curtis N]

Reports vary somewhat as to the reliability of mixing brands with the Canon wireless flash system.

Most reports indicate the Sigma units to be rather unreliable in the role of master, even when firing a Sigma slave. The performance of the Sigma as an E-TTL slave with a Canon master seems to be better (but that doesn't apply in your case).

Note that neither brand warrants their product to play nice with the other.

But the saving grace in your case is the built-in optical slave on the Sigma Super which works quite well. Your 430EX in manual mode can trigger the Sigma. This is a purely manual situation with no E-TTL control, but once you learn to meter and adjust, it's infinitely more reliable and consistent than wireless E-TTL.

[jim1019]

Thanks Curtis. I thnik I should just wait till I have enough for the 580EXII. Of course by that time, there will be a new model out!

[Curtis N]

How about a Sunpak 383 and an optical slave adapter? For less than $100 you'll be firing flash off-camera, learning and having fun.