New Flash - Sigma EF-530 DG SUPER announced

[farrukh]

Advanced features and high performance with a powerful Guide Number of 53.
ELECTRONIC FLASH EF-530 DG SUPER

The Sigma Corporation is pleased to announce the launch of the new ELECTRONIC FLASH EF-530 DG SUPER.EF-530 DG SUPER features a powerful Guide Number of 53 and is designed to work with the latest TTL auto exposure systems of all popular manufacturers’ digital SLR cameras. Among the advanced features of this flash are modeling flash function, multi pulse flash, TTL wireless flash, FP (high speed) flash, rear-curtain Synchro flash and manual flash mode which allows the photographer to set the flash power level by up to eight stops. The Auto Power-Off function automatically shuts off the LCD panel to help save battery power. When the flashgun is fully charged, a confirmation ‘ready’ light will be emitted. The autozoom function automatically sets the optimum illumination angle in accordance with the lens’ focal length in a range from 24mm to 105mm. When the built-in Wide Panel is used, the flash can cover the angle of 17mm.For bounce flash, the flashgun head can be tilted up by 90 degrees, to the left by 180 degrees, or to the right by 90 degrees. It can also be tilted down by 7 degrees allowing ease of use for close-up photography.

FEATURES

• Features a powerful guide number of 53.
• Designed to work with the new TTL systems of all the popular manufacturers.
• Covers a focal length from 24mm to 105mm.
• Autozoom function automatically sets the optimum illumination angle.

Source : http://www.sigma-photo.co.jp/english...0_dg_super.htm

Also EF-530 DG ST

Source: http://www.sigma-photo.co.jp/english...f530_dg_st.htm

[jcw122]

Cool! Congrats to Sigma for a new product to their flash line. I wonder how much it will go for.

[PacAce]

I wonder if it retains the optical slave feature found on the EF500 Super. And no Auto mode like the Metz 58AF-1 or the 580EX II?

[crash331]

So why is it better than my Ef-500 DG Super? Just the GN?

[AirBrontosaurus]

Originally Posted by crash331

So why is it better than my Ef-500 DG Super? Just the GN?

That's what I was wondering. It didn't seem like it had any new features over the 500...

[farrukh]

Originally Posted by crash331

So why is it better than my Ef-500 DG Super? Just the GN?

I think zoom coverage 24mm vs 28mm and new software with enchancments like color temprature data.

[Headcase650]

Hopefully this one knows the sensor size and adjusts for the proper crop. I wonder if they fixed the high speed sync problem of shutting itself off if shutter speeds fall to 250th or lower?

[Curtis N]

Originally Posted by Headcase650

Hopefully this one knows the sensor size and adjusts for the proper crop.

I would settle for a simple function on the flash to adjust for different sensor sizes. And I agree that the high speed sync auto-cancelling quirk is a royal PITA that needs to be addressed.

The 580EX II is so exorbitantly priced that reasonably priced aftermarket units will gain significant market share if they are well-designed. The Metz 58 is certainly a good alternative, and hopefully Sigma has a worthy competitor in this new unit.

[jmb4370]

Hi all,

I have just been able to add the aux sync jack to the Sigma EF-500 DG Super flash unit, and have confirmed that it works both as an input and an output. As an output it will operate the PW transmitter in any of the flash modes, while for the input, the flash has to be in Slave (non eTTL) mode. I am sure it will work for this newer model also.

When the flash is used off camera, a hot shoe to mini plug adapter will suffice, but when used on camera and you are trying to fire a PW transmitter also, you either have to plug into the camera PC port if you want to (if it exists), plug into one of my modified Off Camera cords that have this capibility, or have the flash modded with this aux sync jack.

Here is a link to the post on my blog that shows this in a picture.
http://michaelbass.blogspot.com/2006...-sync-mod.html

Michael
www.MichaelBassDesigns.com

[JMHPhotography]

It still doesn't rotate 180º/180º... grrrrr.

[Curtis N]

Originally Posted by forkball

It still doesn't rotate 180º/180º... grrrrr.

Is it really so hard to turn it the other direction?

[JMHPhotography]

Originally Posted by Curtis N

Is it really so hard to turn it the other direction?

yeah... actually it is. lol. Ever try to bounce off the cieling in portrait mode pointing the camera at a downward angle? limited at 90º the flash head points forward which doesn't work if your subject is below you and close... or maybe you want to bounce off of the ceiling and wall connection over your left shoulder... and turning the flash in the other direction won't work because it stops at 180º which is straight backward. There is that little bit of range that you can't aim the flash head. The only way to do it with the Sigma is to rotate the camera the other way... with the shutter button facing downward. With a Grip, it's just awkward. I could even live with 180º/90º if the limits were reversed from what they are now.

[steveathome]

What I want to know is have Sigma got rid of that annoying little quirk where the high speed sync has to be re-set every time the shutter speed drops below a certain point.

[JMHPhotography]

Originally Posted by steveathome

What I want to know is have Sigma got rid of that annoying little quirk where the high speed sync has to be re-set every time the shutter speed drops below a certain point.

That was annoying, but at least you could work around that if you were aware of it. Using M mode on the camera alleviated a lot of the problem for me.

[northernlight]

Originally Posted by Curtis N

I would settle for a simple function on the flash to adjust for different sensor sizes. And I agree that the high speed sync auto-cancelling quirk is a royal PITA that needs to be addressed.

The 580EX II is so exorbitantly priced that reasonably priced aftermarket units will gain significant market share if they are well-designed. The Metz 58 is certainly a good alternative, and hopefully Sigma has a worthy competitor in this new unit.

ill second that...

EVERYBODY: At what focallength is the GN53? Is this one of those BS-news that sunpak got known for?