Best Flash for D7/D7i

bob V · Jun 9, 2002

Hello everyone, what do you think is the best flash for the D7? I have read some things about the Sunpak 5000, and the Minolta 3600&5600? Price is a bit of an issue so the 5600 is out. What is better between the other two? I want the flash to zoom with the lens and would like to be able to use the flash in both fully automatic, fully manual, and other modes. I am not sure if one or both of these flashes allow this. Thanks for you info everyone.
Bob V

Jeff Tokayer · Jun 9, 2002

bob V said:
Hello everyone, what do you think is the best flash for the D7? I
have read some things about the Sunpak 5000, and the Minolta
3600&5600? Price is a bit of an issue so the 5600 is out. What is
better between the other two? I want the flash to zoom with the
lens and would like to be able to use the flash in both fully
automatic, fully manual, and other modes. I am not sure if one or
both of these flashes allow this. Thanks for you info everyone.
Bob V

--

The 3600 will only work fully automatic. The PZ5000 in a semi automatic and manual mode. Both have zoom heads.

Now comes the best part. The 5000 will bounce and tilt. It has power ratio to 1/64th. It has strobe effect. It's more powerful. Slave capabilities. It takes external power packs. And it's cheaper than the 3600HSD.

Your choice, Jeff

MartyV · Jun 10, 2002

Jeff Tokayer said:
The 3600 will only work fully automatic. The PZ5000 in a semi
automatic and manual mode. Both have zoom heads.
Now comes the best part. The 5000 will bounce and tilt. It has
power ratio to 1/64th. It has strobe effect. It's more powerful.
Slave capabilities. It takes external power packs. And it's cheaper
than the 3600HSD.

So what will the PZ5000 not do that the 3600HSD does (with D7i)? I would assume that 1. ADI and Pre-Flash TTL is not available, 2. if 1. is true then exposure is measured only on the flash with a sensor, 3. if 2. is true then exposure with the slave option (off camera flash) would be tricky and have to be done with manual flash, 4. does flash exposure compensation work from the camera or does it have to be with manual flash (power ratio), 5. does rear curtain sync work with this flash.

I am very interested in this flash, just curious what its limitations are?

MartyV

Pabletto · Jun 10, 2002

MartyV said:
So what will the PZ5000 not do that the 3600HSD does (with D7i)? I
would assume that 1. ADI and Pre-Flash TTL is not available

No, it is not.

MartyV said:
2. if
1. is true then exposure is measured only on the flash with a
sensor

Yeap, Auto Thyristor.

MartyV said:
3. if 2. is true then exposure with the slave option (off
camera flash) would be tricky and have to be done with manual
flash

Yeap, but then again with the D7 and 3600/5600 you do not even have the option of slave flash.

MartyV said:
4. does flash exposure compensation work from the camera or
does it have to be with manual flash (power ratio)

It does not work from the camera, but you can just adjust your flash at 2-3 stops lower than you camera with just a click of a button and turning the on-flash dial. That's all it takes. You can also do that in M mode if you wish, but it is much easier in A mode.

MartyV said:
5. does rear
curtain sync work with this flash.

Yeap!

If you search the posting of the last 5-7 days in this forum you will see that there is a lot of discussion about the SunPak PZ-5000AF. All of us who use it are very pleased with the results. Make sure you read as much as you can on this and you will sure get a pretty good idea of the advantages and limitations. Quoting what Stevem Sterne said in one of his postings:

".....I have gotten and shared great information on the use of the flash here, mostly with Jeff and Pabletto. If you look in the posting history for any of the three of us, you can find a pretty far-reaching discussion of the use of the flash with the D7 - fill flash issues (Jeff's solution works great), slave issues (Pabletto's method works great), and a description of some oddities that are easily coped with....."

It's a good idea you do that.

Good luck with your choice.

--
Pabletto

http://www.pbase.com/pabletto
(samples taken with the MINOLTA DiMAGE 7)
Last update 26 February 2002 (MORE food photos)

Pabletto · Jun 10, 2002

If you do need the TTL and/or ADI features though, then your only options are the 3600/5600. I thought I would need those features too and was ready to opt for the 3600/5600. Fortunately, I did not and now that I got used to the SunPak PZ-5000AF I can make do without them without even the slightest trouble. It does not take a lot of time to get use to the settings and adjustments.

--
Pabletto

http://www.pbase.com/pabletto
(samples taken with the MINOLTA DiMAGE 7)
Last update 26 February 2002 (MORE food photos)

MartyV · Jun 10, 2002

No Text

Richard L. Stuart · Jun 11, 2002

Pabletto said:
MartyV said:

So what will the PZ5000 not do that the 3600HSD does (with D7i)? I
would assume that 1. ADI and Pre-Flash TTL is not available

Click to expand...

No, it is not.

Pabletto said:

2. if
1. is true then exposure is measured only on the flash with a
sensor

Click to expand...

Yeap, Auto Thyristor.

Pabletto said:

3. if 2. is true then exposure with the slave option (off
camera flash) would be tricky and have to be done with manual
flash

Click to expand...

Yeap, but then again with the D7 and 3600/5600 you do not even have
the option of slave flash.

Pabletto said:

4. does flash exposure compensation work from the camera or
does it have to be with manual flash (power ratio)

Click to expand...

It does not work from the camera, but you can just adjust your
flash at 2-3 stops lower than you camera with just a click of a
button and turning the on-flash dial. That's all it takes. You can
also do that in M mode if you wish, but it is much easier in A mode.

Pabletto said:

5. does rear
curtain sync work with this flash.

Click to expand...

Yeap!

If you search the posting of the last 5-7 days in this forum you
will see that there is a lot of discussion about the SunPak
PZ-5000AF. All of us who use it are very pleased with the results.
Make sure you read as much as you can on this and you will sure get
a pretty good idea of the advantages and limitations. Quoting what
Stevem Sterne said in one of his postings:

".....I have gotten and shared great information on the use of the
flash here, mostly with Jeff and Pabletto. If you look in the
posting history for any of the three of us, you can find a pretty
far-reaching discussion of the use of the flash with the D7 - fill
flash issues (Jeff's solution works great), slave issues
(Pabletto's method works great), and a description of some oddities
that are easily coped with....."

It's a good idea you do that.
Good luck with your choice.

--
Pabletto

http://www.pbase.com/pabletto
(samples taken with the MINOLTA DiMAGE 7)
Last update 26 February 2002 (MORE food photos)

--

Soory Guys, but can you tell me what the 5000 does do with the D7i. - How do you most effective use the 5000. Is it just an external strobe, manually adjusted, but that the D7i will fire?? Does the zoom some how adjust etc. How is it cnntrolled and to what level.

thanks

Richard - D7i Newbie

Pabletto · Jun 11, 2002

Richard L. Stuart said:
Soory Guys, but can you tell me what the 5000 does do with the
D7i. - How do you most effective use the 5000. Is it just an
external strobe, manually adjusted, but that the D7i will fire??
Does the zoom some how adjust etc. How is it cnntrolled and to
what level.

Richard, I have answered the same questions for Marty in the same thread. See my thread above this one.

--
Pabletto

http://www.pbase.com/pabletto
(samples taken with the MINOLTA DiMAGE 7)
Last update 26 February 2002 (MORE food photos)

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Best Flash for D7/D7i

bob V

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MartyV

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Pabletto

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Richard L. Stuart

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