Canon-Sigma Master-Slave?

Can any of the Sigma flashes be set as a slave to the Canon 580EX?
I borrowed a couple of 430EX flashes over the weekend... had a blast, now I want to get more flashes of my own without breaking the bank!

Gorillapods + remote flashes are great!

When I had a Sigma EF 500 DG Super (the only Sigma flash other than the 530 DG Super that supports wireless), I couldn't get it to work consistently as a slave or a master with my Canon EX flashes. When I asked Sigma tech support about it, they said that they could not guarantee the Sigma performance in a wireless ETTL configuration when used with any flash other than Sigma flashes. Not sure if that's still the case with the 530 DG Super, though.

If you just want it as an E-TL slave look for a used 420EX. It doesn't have all the features of the 430 but you don't use them in slave mode anyways and they usually go for $150 or less. I have a 500dg super and can get it to slave off my 550ex but its kind of tricky matching groups because sigma uses ABC while canon uses 123 (or visa versa). Its not really hard but its not self explanatory either.

Headcase650 wrote in post #5608316
If you just want it as an E-TL slave look for a used 420EX. It doesn't have all the features of the 430 but you don't use them in slave mode anyways and they usually go for $150 or less. I have a 500dg super and can get it to slave off my 550ex but its kind of tricky matching groups because sigma uses ABC while canon uses 123 (or visa versa). Its not really hard but its not self explanatory either.

A=1, B=2, and C=3. And, yes, it is the other way around, i.e. Canon = ABC, Sigma = 123.

Once I got it to work I didn't have any problems using a 20D, I only used it for a few months like that then I wanted more light sources so I went with all manual slaves, Its cheaper and once you set your exposure its going to be on the money as long as you keep your subject in the same position. I use a cactus trigger on a single vivitar and optical slave 2 other vivitars and the sigma has a built in optical slave. Everything manual, works like a champ. Just another option to consider.

Headcase650 wrote in post #5608522
Once I got it to work I didn't have any problems using a 20D, I only used it for a few months like that then I wanted more light sources so I went with all manual slaves, Its cheaper and once you set your exposure its going to be on the money as long as you keep your subject in the same position. I use a cactus trigger on a single vivitar and optical slave 2 other vivitars and the sigma has a built in optical slave. Everything manual, works like a champ. Just another option to consider.

So many people seem to miss the fact that you can work an ETTL wireless configuration in manual mode, too, so it actually gives you the best of both worlds, ETTL and manual.

But I do know where you're coming from though. If you want to stick with manual and never want to use ETTL automation (as in a makeshift studio environment), then getting cheaper flash units and operating them in manual mode is the way to go.