Too much fun... Sigma 500 Super triggered by on-board flash.

[Layston]

So there I was at work talking to a co-worker and installing some software on his laptop for him. Suddenly out of the blue he asks me "hey what would you say to shooting my wedding this summer"?

My immediate response was COOL!!! followed very rapidly by WHAT????? Ummm, bad idea. But the Cool factor is still there. He's seen some of my photography, knows that I'm an amateur but he's on a budget. I said maybe and both my wife and I would shoot the wedding but I would accept no payment - don't want to be that responsible (no comments necessary on this topic).

Anyway, why is this in the Flash forum? Because it started me looking into equipment I'd want/need if I did this and I've been looking at flash brackets for a long time. Then I got wondering about off-camera flash.

Yes I could buy a cord and will, but I started wondering if I could use my Sigma EF-500 DG Super off-camera without a cord. I went to Sigma's website and grabbed the instruction manual because I don't know where mine is off the top of my head. After a little playing around I soon found the info I was looking for. I had tried to find a post about it here and maybe I just missed it but I couldn't find one. Suffice to say: IT WORKS. YOU CAN TRIGGER A SIGMA EF-500 DG SUPER VIA THE ON-BOARD FLASH. I did this with my XT (350D).

Precautions:
a) getting the exposure right may be difficult.
b) it's a lot of button pushing on the flash itself.
c) it's kind of technical
d) hide the flash while you are using AF - if you don't it will trigger the flash

Instructions: (from the manual)
Normal Slave Flash
Even if the EF-500 Super is not attached to the camera body, you can fire the flash by using the camera’s built-in flash or another flash unit
Note: Steps 1-4 I skipped - you can set this manually on the flash
1. Attach the flash unit to the camera’s hot shoe.
2. Set the camera’s exposure mode to the desired mode. If you use A or M mode, set the desired aperture value also.
3. Turn on the flash unit. Then press the shutter button half way. Now, the aperture value and film speed are automatically
transmitted to the flash unit.
4. Remove the flash unit from camera.
5. Press the MODE button and select the "Lightning Bolt/SL" mode.
6. Press the SEL button several times to make the flash output
amount indicator blink.
7. Press the + button or – button to set the flash output amount.
􀛋 Determine the appropriate flash power by setting the distance indicator on the LCD panel to coincide as closely as possible, with the actual distance from the slave flash to the subject. If the actual distance is out of range, you need to change the aperture value. You can set the film speed or aperture value on the flash unit manually, if desired.
a. For the film speed … Press the MODE to select the ISO, then press the SEL button to make the indicator blink. Press the + button or – button and set the desired film speed, then press the SEL button once again.
b. For the aperture value … When the flash unit is set to the Slave mode, press the SEL button to make the indicator for the aperture value blink, and press the + button or – button to set the desired aperture value. Then press the SEL button.
8. Press the SEL button several times to make the display stop blinking.
9. Place the slave unit in the desired location. Do not place the slave unit within the Picture area.
10. After you confirm that all flash units are fully charged, press the shutter button to take the picture.
NB1: When the EF-500 Super is fully charged, the AF Auxiliary Light will blink.
NB2: The flash will not fire if the EF-500 Super is attached to the camera body while it is in the Slave Mode setting.
NB3: If you are using a Canon brand flash unit with ETTL function on your camera, and the EF-500 Super flash unit as a slave unit, please do not use ETTL function, as the monitor pre-flash may cause the slave to fire prematurely.

[Curtis N]

Consider the inherent problem in these two statements:IT WORKS. YOU CAN TRIGGER A SIGMA EF-500 DG SUPER VIA THE ON-BOARD FLASH. I did this with my XT (350D).do not use ETTL function, as the monitor pre-flash may cause the slave to fire prematurely.The built-in flash is E-TTL only. You'll need to hit the FEL button to fire the pre-flash, wait for the Sigma to recycle, then take your shot.

[Layston]

My post was not meant as a guide to getting it right. My post was a "it can be done". My purpose in knowing how to do it was actually mainly for macro or cheap remote lighting. For instance using my second tripod to hold the other flash at a distance and then getting light from that. This technique obviously doesn't make any sense for a pro, buy the right "bits" to do it properly... This is meant for the el-cheapo amateur trying to get a flash to fire remotely.

My statements were not incorrect. You CAN trigger a Sigma 500 remotely. And the second statement was from Sigma's own instructions.

What I did to make it work was hold the flash to my leg to prevent it from triggering (covering the infra-red reciever). Pointed my camera at subject, got the focus using AF with half press. Lifted flash up to where I wanted it, and finally completed pressing the shutter release. This allowed me to expose something close with side light without an off-shoe cord. This technique obviously only works with patience and effort. But if you didn't have $40-$75 for an off-shoe cord this gets the job done.

[FlashZebra]

My post was not meant as a guide to getting it right. My post was a "it can be done". My purpose in knowing how to do it was actually mainly for macro or cheap remote lighting. For instance using my second tripod to hold the other flash at a distance and then getting light from that. This technique obviously doesn't make any sense for a pro, buy the right "bits" to do it properly... This is meant for the el-cheapo amateur trying to get a flash to fire remotely.

My statements were not incorrect. You CAN trigger a Sigma 500 remotely. And the second statement was from Sigma's own instructions.

What I did to make it work was hold the flash to my leg to prevent it from triggering (covering the infra-red reciever). Pointed my camera at subject, got the focus using AF with half press. Lifted flash up to where I wanted it, and finally completed pressing the shutter release. This allowed me to expose something close with side light without an off-shoe cord. This technique obviously only works with patience and effort. But if you didn't have $40-$75 for an off-shoe cord this gets the job done.
This is obviously the technique you will be using at the wedding.

Enjoy! Lon

[bieber]

My post was not meant as a guide to getting it right. My post was a "it can be done". My purpose in knowing how to do it was actually mainly for macro or cheap remote lighting. For instance using my second tripod to hold the other flash at a distance and then getting light from that. This technique obviously doesn't make any sense for a pro, buy the right "bits" to do it properly... This is meant for the el-cheapo amateur trying to get a flash to fire remotely.

My statements were not incorrect. You CAN trigger a Sigma 500 remotely. And the second statement was from Sigma's own instructions.

What I did to make it work was hold the flash to my leg to prevent it from triggering (covering the infra-red reciever). Pointed my camera at subject, got the focus using AF with half press. Lifted flash up to where I wanted it, and finally completed pressing the shutter release. This allowed me to expose something close with side light without an off-shoe cord. This technique obviously only works with patience and effort. But if you didn't have $40-$75 for an off-shoe cord this gets the job done.
Have you actually seen the light working in your photographs? Because the built-in flash also emits an E-TTL pre-flash, which should trigger the Sigma unit prematurely.

[Layston]

Curtis N was completely correct. You have to do the pre-flash with FEL, wait for the Sigma to recycle and then shoot. The point is that IT WORKS :) Call me a geek/kid at heart. The fact that I CAN do it is exciting to me.

[jr_senator]

The fact that I CAN do it is exciting to me.

Verrry interesting.....but not very practical.

[Layston]

Verrry interesting.....but not very practical.

Hey - I just said it could be done. Whether it should be done or is practical is completely different :)

I'm a tinkerer at heart and finding out something new always makes me smile. Even if I never use it again, the fact it's there is cool to me. And who knows when it might come in handy to know this. For instance say you absolutely NEEDED to get the shot and your off-shoe cord died? What then...

Anyhow - I hope it helps somebody sometime. If not it was fun to find out it's possible.:grin:

[jr_senator]

Hey - I just said it could be done. Whether it should be done or is practical is completely different :)



Completely different from what? I said it was interesting and unpractical, both true statements, as I see it. But what is this completely different from?

[Layston]

You missed the big grin at the end...

I was joking. Sorry you misconstrued. I was agreeing with you. It definitely is impractical, but a fun discovery none-the-less in my opinion. Thanks for the input.

[FlashZebra]

Hey - I just said it could be done. Whether it should be done or is practical is completely different :)

I'm a tinkerer at heart and finding out something new always makes me smile. Even if I never use it again, the fact it's there is cool to me. And who knows when it might come in handy to know this. For instance say you absolutely NEEDED to get the shot and your off-shoe cord died? What then...

Anyhow - I hope it helps somebody sometime. If not it was fun to find out it's possible.:grin:
Well if this adventure was exciting, try turning the flash down to about 1/8 manual power and you will not even need to use the FEL button. Possibly you may want to purchase a party hat beforehand.

Enjoy! Lon

[Derf]

Well it this adventure was exciting, try turning the flash down to about 1/8 manual power and you will not even need to use the FEL button. Possibly you may want to purchase a party hat beforehand.

Enjoy! Lon


But still kill your battery in 1/2 the time for not hitting the FEL while covering the flash....You can do it at 1/8 power, like you said...but why would you.

Correction....YOU CAN NOT SHOOT A WEDDING WITH AN OPTICAL SLAVE!!! I OWN 2 of the same flash! The optical trigger will fire with every flash in the wedding....Lots of people will have great pictures, but you will not. You will probably get about 1/10th of the flash to fire correctly. When someone hits the flash, you need recharge.... even at 1/8, a few flashes quick will render yor flash usless until it charges.

Go get yourself a second of the same flash, you can get past the ttl issue where you need to hit the *FEL and you will not be fireing optically and others can no longer set off your flash....

IE, with your setup you will take the same shot 10 times before getting it right due to the other flashes...with the second flash, 1 shot and you can move on.

Sorry about the bad news....Please ask for clarification here if you still are not sure.


For those with the 2 sigma flashes..... On camera flash can be set to manual by holding the sel button for 3 seconds....set from ttl to manual....
It is easily done.....once you can figure it out!