sigma flash touble

I did a very informal wedding this weekend in the worst possible lighting situation- yellow lights in a metal barn. I used several different lenses and my sigma flash. All the pictures are on the dark side even when my flash was turned up to full power. When I was doing the family pictures I took several of each group. The first was OK and the second was underexposed and had a very yellow tint even though I changed the batteries frequently. What did I do wrong? I seem to also be having trouble with my flash having a slow recycling time.

hopkins wrote in post #2819712
All the pictures are on the dark side even when my flash was turned up to full power.

Do you mean full power in Manual flash mode, or E-TTL mode with +3 FEC?

This is a classic symptom of shooting before the flash is fully recycled. You need to wait until the light on the back of the flash comes back on, or you see the flash ready light in the viewfinder.

NiMH batteries will recycle the flash faster than alkalines.

Thanks Curtis. It was taking about 5 sec. for my flash to recycle- an eternity it seemed. Where do I get NiMH batteries.

According to the specifications on page 29 of the instruction manual, recycle time after a full power flash is about 6 seconds with Alkaline batteries or about 4 seconds with NiMH batteries. Reducing the amount of flash power required will reduce the recycle time dramatically. Increasing the ISO and/or opening the aperture will reduce the amount of power required, reduce the recycle time and extend battery life.

Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) rechargeable batteries are available from most retailers that sell cameras and other electronic equipment. Energizer is a popular brand, and there are many others. Pay attention to the mAh (milliamp hours) specification of the batteries you buy. Look for batteries that are 2500 mAh or more (though I have some old sets that only have half that much and they work fine). A couple sets of batteries and a charger will serve you well. They cost more initially but will save you money in the long run vs. alkalines.

Thanks, I will check that out.

One thing to keep in mind with NiMH batteries is the higher the mAHr rating the faster they will self discharge.

Probably not a big deal for someone who shots flash regularly, but something to keep in mind.