Need Help Soon ! Canon 420EX vs Sigma EF-500 DG Super

I want/need a desicion soon because I want to get this within the next 48hrs, can someone please post some opinions/experience with these two items. I appreciate your help with my NEWBE desicion making.


If you had a choice between Canon 420EX vs Sigma EF-500 DG Super, to be used with your Drebel, which would you purchase. The Canon 550EX is to expensive. All information and/or experience good or bad with either of these two items is appreciated.

Thanks,
Reggie

The Sigma will have more power and some more features that you may or may not use like manual zooming of the flash head, multi strobe and manual. I think the canon will have a slight quality edge with the 100% compatiblity thing going for it and the fact that it can be slaved to a 550 or ST-E2. It's a tough call but if you are planning on adding a second flash like the 550EX later I'd go with the Canon.


Good luck

thanks for the reply, but this still leaves me in the same situation, which one to buy?
Reggie

Go for the Canon, You will never have to worry about the Flash & the camera giving you what you want. Also in the future you can add more flashes to give more light ratio's

the 420EX is a great flash. I used it for two years with my G2 and now use it with my 10D. I suggest you also buy the " Off Camera Shoe Cord 2" for added flexibility. It will allow you to mount the flash on a flash bracket and retain full ETTL.
Scott

I can tell you that I didn't even consider the 420EX. I was deciding between 550EX and EF-500. A lot of the compatability issues you will read on the internet are of old reviews of the Sigma EF-500 Super (NON-DG) which didn't work too well on Canon Digital cameras. These issues have been resolved with the Sigma EF-500 Super DG and its quite comparable to the 550EX.

From what I've read, its a little weaker than a 550.. but for the price you can almost get TWO ef-500's which would be a lot better set-up.. but your question was Canon 420EX vs EF-500. Depends what you're planning to do. I'd say if you can get the EF-500 for cheaper DEFINITELY go with it. If they are comparable, think about what kind of shooting you are going to be doing. The EF-500 is a more versatile and powerful flash and might last you a bit longer.. but I think its heavier than the 420ex too (at least mines pretty hefty on my dreb).. so

The EF-500 is definitely NOT AS GOOD as the 550EX but I think the feature set surpasses the 420EX .. .. up to you buddy. Its your money, you spend it.. hah

Thank you very much everyone makes a convincing argument, at this point I think i'm just going to flip a coin and hope it works out.

Thank Again,
Love This Site.
Reggie

My vote would be to go with the Sigma

...and can the Sigma be triggered wirelessly by the 550EX or the stand-alone flash trigger?

justme_dc wrote in post #97994
I think the canon will have a slight quality edge with the 100% compatiblity thing going for it and the fact that it can be slaved to a 550 or ST-E2. It's a tough call but if you are planning on adding a second flash like the 550EX later I'd go with the Canon.

The Sigma can't be slaved to a 550EX or 580?

I faced the same question when looking for a second flash. I went with the Sigma 530 Super. The 420EX works well with the Canon master/slave setup, but it doesn't have manual controls or an optical flash trigger like the Sigma 530 Super has.

The Sigma will work with the Canon system, but it has been said to be not 100% reliable. I have a 530 Super and the few times I tried the master/slave thing with my 580EX II, I had no problems. I tend to mainly use the 580EX II with a modified 30' OC-E3 ETTL cord and then use manual flash to fire the 530 Super's optical slave.