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Sigma Flashes: 500 super vs 530 super

toisondor

Well-Known Member
I'm looking at adding a flash (or two) to my SD14 outfit. What's the difference between the EF500 Super and the EF530 Super. Someone mentioned in another post that they couldn't get the 530 to do everything with an SD14. Any followup there?

Thanks,

Jesse
 
Jesse....I am going to give you way too much info....but here it goes...:z04_whis_gummikau02

I shoot Sony and Sigma....I have 8 Sigma flashes....

1 x 530DG Super
2 x 500DG
4 x 500DG Super

Differences....500DG Super 28-105mm and 17mm with defuser down...530DG Super 24-105mm and 17mm with defuser down.....the 530 seems to cycle faster...and I can get three consecutive shots off with it...vs the 500 at two....you can push the flash to 4 to 6 but they will overheat...:z04_headbanger:...I have done that to one...LOL...I still have it...and keep it just a reminder...


I use the DG as cheap flashes when I go out and about...they work well but only on camera...I have all the Supers due to the fact that I can use them as off camera flashes and have them all communicate in CO SL mode...which lets all the flashes communicate...and fire...I have had some miss fires every now and then...but nothing bad...I looked into getting a large Bantam Battery for them...but found a good set of NiMD's and a Maha-Charger work better....I keep two sets of NiMD's for each flash and get between 175 to 250 flashes on each charge....2300Mah

Usually I use the 530 as the commander and the 500's as slaves....I also use a Coco Ring adapter on the 530 when shooting this way...

Either works good...and I have enjoyed both...


Ok I know your gona ask why do I have 8...LOL....

This diagram is not mine I took it off the internet..and made it work for my needs....

View attachment 1941


Strobe C & D are on 4 foot stands either pointed at the wall behind the person or up...with defusers on them..white/blue/yellow...depends on what the person is wearing...usually 1/8 speed f4 or f6...flahses set to CO SL mode

Strobe A & B are on the floor....pointed up at the shoulders...usually 1/16 f8...flashes set to CO SL mode

Then camera has the ring flash adapter..and it is TTL...also the commander...

Like I said way too much info...hope it helps....with two flashes...I would put one on the body..commander and one with a defuser to the person Right or Left....just behind them...pointed at them...to kill shadows...


Tony C.
 

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Okay, so I picked up 2 of the 530 Supers and am trying to use them off camera as slaves. I use the on-camera flash as the trigger, and that all seems to work fine, but I'd like to dial down the output of the on-camera flash to a minimum...just enough to trigger the slaves, without adding too much light to the photo.

Any suggestions?

I thought "Flash Exposure Compensation" (p. 64 in SD14 manual) would be the way to go, but my experiments show that that doesn't modify flash output, but rather exposure. I don't see how this is any different from the +-AV "Exposure Compensation" button.

Jesse
 
Jesse....I think the on camera flash only has two settings....ON-HIGH and OFF...

I would do one of two things....the flashes are using the optical element to fire...you really don't need a lot of light to trigger them....do an experiment with a a white piece of paper in front of your on camera flash...to see if they will still trigger with it...

Then for the next part it depends on what you are using the flashes for....

1 - Portraits....I use a third DG Super on the camera in Manual mode...but you could use a regular DG....then I picked-up a cheapy ring flash from eBay...you can find them for about $35USD from China....Ring Flash

View attachment 1952

2 - If your taking pictures of other things...I would use a third flash and a bouncer pointing up to give fill light...

3 - Neither of these you can always pick-up a Gary-Fong defuser for the pop-up flash...I think they are around 20USD....it's called the Puffer...

View attachment 1953


I would try the paper first...here are a few cool little DIY defuser I found a few years ago....before I picked-up flashes....(NONE of these are my designs...I just found them and used them...)

View attachment 1954

View attachment 1955

And one that I came-up with out of necessity...one time... I took a finger rubber...the ones used by nurses...and put a piece of silk inside...and stretched it over my flash...actually worked great....

I actually have several old film holders that I have turned into defuser and carry with me now...

Good Luck and hope this helps a little....

Tony C. :z04_cowboy:
 

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Tony,

It helps to know that there is no way to control the output of the on-camera flash. I already had the "Puffer" flash diffuser, but found that still too much light was coming through for some shots. The Puffer comes with an armature that makes it pretty easy to mount something else in front of the flash, though. So, I cut a diffuser from a simple sheet of white craft foam (2mm thick), and another out of black to see what would happen.
View attachment 1956

Here are some sample shots. Exposure and SPP treatment are identical on all shots. Only the diffusion of the on-camera flash has been modified. I shot in portrait orientation to exaggerate the shadow cast by the on-camera flash

There are two off-camera flashes in slave mode. The first hits the guitar straight on and casts the shadow with the tuning pegs. The second is on the floor just behind the guitar pointing up, emphasizing the texture of the background and creating the reflected highlights on the wall.

In the first shot, the on-camera flash is unmodified:
View attachment 1957

In the second, I've attached the Puffer diffuser. It softens the edges of the shadow cast from the on-camera flash, but it's still intrusive:
View attachment 1958

In the third, I've removed the Puffer, and put my white foam diffuser in front of the on-camera flash:
View attachment 1959

In the last one, I've put the black foam in front of the on-camera flash. There is still plenty of light to trigger the slaves, but only the slightest amount of light is bouncing from the on-camera flash in the small room I'm shooting in. With the black foam on, I notice that the flash makes a louder pop when it goes off. I'm not sure what could be causing that:
View attachment 1960

Jesse
 

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Jesse,

I thought I commented on this a long time ago...I don't knwo what happened...:z04_smileys26:


That is a great set of test shots....I do something similar when I test out things too...thank you for sharing the differneces what I did with my Puffer...is put a layer of electircal tape on the inside....I used blue to absorbe some of the light too...

Great work keep it up...:z02_respekt:

Tony C. :z04_cowboy:
 
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