Sigma EF-500 DG ST how good is that one ??

jagge · Oct 9, 2006

I was wondering if anyone has experience with the Sigma EF-500 DG ST on a D50 ?

Is it just as good as the sb600. Is it completely as integrated and does it yield as good results ?

I have the opportunity to buy one used so I would like to have some inputs ?

Best wishes

Jakob

jagge · Oct 10, 2006

jagge said:
I was wondering if anyone has experience with the Sigma EF-500 DG
ST on a D50 ?

Doesnt anyone own that one ?

Best wishes

Jakob

DStan · Oct 10, 2006

Maybe you can get David Lal's attention. I believe has a Sigma and an SB800 as well. I've read that it works well, some say it has quirks and is not quite as nice as the Nikon flashes. Good luck.
--
Stan ;o()

In the spirit of Occam’s Razor one should embrace the less complicated formulation or simply put, less is more.

paulino · Oct 10, 2006

Hi!

I have Sigma EF-500 DG ST flash and it works perfectly with the D50. You wont have any problems using either iTTL or manual mode.

I never tried any SB's, but I find the Sigma a very good quality/price relation. It also has a two degrees of freedom zoom head and a builtin diffuser.
It's color temperature is also very natural and stable.

Good luck,
Paulino

Ronaldhogenboom · Oct 10, 2006

First, make sure that you have the iTTL version, the older version does NOT work.

The flash works well and is fully compatible with my Nikon D70. As far as functionality goes I have no complaints. It can do more things than I need.

However, the manual is the worst I have ever seen. I really mean it. It is so bad that it is downright misleading and it makes you wonder how on earth you'll ever get all the functions to work the way you want.

Without this forum I never would have figured out how to make it work in wireless mode.

--
Ronald

http://www.lookupinwonder.nl

jagge · Oct 10, 2006

paulino said:
I have Sigma EF-500 DG ST flash and it works perfectly with the
D50. You wont have any problems using either iTTL or manual mode.
I never tried any SB's, but I find the Sigma a very good
quality/price relation. It also has a two degrees of freedom zoom
head and a builtin diffuser.
It's color temperature is also very natural and stable.

OK sounds very good. But i have one concern. I just found some data that suggest that in manual mode i can only choose to powersettings. Iam vondering if this is a problem for more advanced flahs use.

Iam thinking that if i have to use manual mode and finetune exposure lighting that might be a problem. Do you have any experience with that ?

Furthermore i read that the flash has a weakpoint in the flashshoe being plastic, does it seem fragile to you ?

Best wishes

Jakob

jagge · Oct 10, 2006

Ronaldhogenboom said:
First, make sure that you have the iTTL version, the older version
does NOT work.

The flash works well and is fully compatible with my Nikon D70. As
far as functionality goes I have no complaints. It can do more
things than I need.

OK sounds good. The only worry i have is that i found info that it can only use 2 poweroutputs in manual mode. Full power or 1/16 power. Iam wondering if that would limit me if i want to work with more advanced flash use at some point.

By the way how do i check if a given flash of this model is the i-TTL version ?

Best wishes

Jakob

DStan · Oct 10, 2006

jagge wrote:
:

jagge said:
Furthermore i read that the flash has a weakpoint in the flashshoe
being plastic, does it seem fragile to you ?

Best wishes

Jakob

That's what broke on David Lal's Sigma flash

He picked up an SB800. I believe he still uses the Sigma as a wireless remote. I believe he liked the Sigma but loves his SB800 even more. I think he also likes using manual flashes for certain applications. FInd one of his threads and touch base with him Maybe his email is in his profile. I email him occasionally, he's a good guy.
--
Stan ;o()

In the spirit of Occam’s Razor one should embrace the less complicated formulation or simply put, less is more.

jagge · Oct 10, 2006

FInd one of his threads and touch base with him Maybe

DStan said:
his email is in his profile. I email him occasionally, he's a good
guy.
--
Stan ;o()

In the spirit of Occam’s Razor one should embrace the less
complicated formulation or simply put, less is more.

Thanks Stan, i will do that.

Best wishes

Jakob

David Lal · Oct 10, 2006

Yes Jakob, I was happy with my Sigma flash until I broke it in an unhappy moment when it tried to make friends with a quarry tiled floor and as Stan said, it was the plastic foot that broke. Also the plastic nut on the plastic thread of the foot gets very sticky.

Be careful though, there are different incarnations of the Sigma flash and the one you want MUST say Na-iTTL on the box and on the gun itself. The DG ST is not fully compatible, the Na-iTTL theoretically is fully compatible.

The Sigma manual though in several languages is awful in all of them.

Knowing what I know now, I'd probably have got a SB600 instead of the Sigma if I could not have afforded the SB800.

Cheers
David

DStan said:
DStan said:

Furthermore i read that the flash has a weakpoint in the flashshoe
being plastic, does it seem fragile to you ?

Best wishes

Jakob

Click to expand...

That's what broke on David Lal's Sigma flash
He picked up an SB800. I believe he still uses the Sigma as a
wireless remote. I believe he liked the Sigma but loves his SB800
even more. I think he also likes using manual flashes for certain
applications. FInd one of his threads and touch base with him Maybe
his email is in his profile. I email him occasionally, he's a good
guy.
--
Stan ;o()

In the spirit of Occam’s Razor one should embrace the less
complicated formulation or simply put, less is more.

kwiebus · Oct 10, 2006

I don't own either nikon SB-6/800 or the sigma, but since I'm in the market for another flashgun too I read this topic.
At the dutch sigma site it says: In manual there are 2 steps 1/1 and 1/16 only.

An online store has the ST and ST Super both in the Nikon section and clearly NA-iTTl in the name. So when buying in a store that should be at least on the box.
--
http://www.flickr.com/photos/70641975@N00/ random pics
http://kwiebusch.blogspot.com Underworld fan blog (the band, not the movie...)

stephiewilliams · Oct 10, 2006

--I just bought this flash about 2 months ago and I hate it. Wish I would have sprung for the super or for the sb-600. The flash powers off by itself after something rediculously short like 1 min of inactivity. Which is a problem for me since I do sports. You basically have Na-Ittl (which you can only use with 1/500 under) Min and Max power no Ev settings on the flash...

I would say if it is a good price get it, I mean it does work just takes a lot more effort than using a better one. You kind of have to figure out the tricks around using it.

Stephanie
Blog - http://myphotogblog.blogspot.com
Gallery - http://stephaniewilliams.smugmug.com
d70, 18-70mm f3.5-4.5, Nikkor 70-300mm f4-5.6G, Sigma EF-500 DG ST

kwiebus · Oct 10, 2006

The Tumax DPT 386 AFZ N ... what a name... dos have more settings in manual. It is about the same price as the ST version of the Sigma.
Never did read anything about them tho, so don't know how good/bad they are.
http://www.icorpandtumax.com/product_info_b.php?cat=263&id=100&pre=95
manual in pdf
http://www.icorpandtumax.com/uploadfiles/file_42c1086bc2c5a.pdf

--
http://www.flickr.com/photos/70641975@N00/ random pics
http://kwiebusch.blogspot.com Underworld fan blog (the band, not the movie...)

jagge · Oct 10, 2006

David Lal said:
Knowing what I know now, I'd probably have got a SB600 instead of
the Sigma if I could not have afforded the SB800.

Hi david

ANd thanks, very usefull info. I have acutally been surfing the sigma site and they are awfull in information. I did see that anywhere that it has to be that particular model so that is great info.

If i can get it cheap since its a used model i go for it, otherwise i will seek a sb600 later.

Thanks a bunch.

Jakob

jagge · Oct 10, 2006

Thanks a lot for your input. I wont buy it if its to expensive.

Best wishes

Jakob

Ronaldhogenboom · Oct 11, 2006

Only two steps? I specifically checked this because I was setting up my studio strobes (stepless) and wanted to try it.

You have 1/16 1/8 1/4 1/2 and 1/1. They probably mean in the specs that you can adjust between 1/16 and 1/1!

As I said before, good flash, dreadful manual and specs.

Kind regards,

Ronald

--
Ronald

http://www.lookupinwonder.nl

jagge · Oct 11, 2006

Ronaldhogenboom said:
Only two steps? I specifically checked this because I was setting
up my studio strobes (stepless) and wanted to try it.

You have 1/16 1/8 1/4 1/2 and 1/1. They probably mean in the specs
that you can adjust between 1/16 and 1/1!

That is very strange, the following statement is directly copy paste from their website.

--- -

In addition to the automatic mode, it also provides two power levels in manual mode: full and 1/16 power.
----

http://www.sigma-photo.co.jp/english/flash/flash_500st.htm

Best wishes

Jakob

Ronaldhogenboom · Oct 11, 2006

It is a sad thing indeed that their users know their flashes better than Sigma themselves... unless they 'updated' the flash.

If I can find the time I'll make pics of the output settings and post them here.

--
Ronald

http://www.lookupinwonder.nl

Ronaldhogenboom · Oct 11, 2006

Well, I don't know who writes the spec. sheet for Sigma flashes but I tried again and it REALLY is adjustable from 1/64th to full power in 0.3 eV steps.

At least mine is...

--
Ronald

http://www.lookupinwonder.nl

kwiebus · Oct 11, 2006

I see it says 'super' on yours, so I think the manual for the 'normal' ST version can still be right?

The website shows indeed more steps for the Super version, and only 2 for the ST.
--
http://www.flickr.com/photos/70641975@N00/ random pics
http://kwiebusch.blogspot.com Underworld fan blog (the band, not the movie...)

Sigma EF-500 DG ST how good is that one ??

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