Slave flash for S30

Mike185620 · Nov 3, 2003

Hi all.

I tried the Sunpak DS 20 for my Canon S30 in a slave mode.

The problem is that the Sunpak wouldn't fire if the distance from the object is more than about 13 or 15 feet.
I need to take outdoor photos of houses for business during evening time

and parties etc for recreational photography and this arangement is very limiting.

Any suggestions for a good S30 and flash combo?

If none exists, would the Canon G3 and a dedicated flash be a good solution?
If yes, what shall I do with my beloved S30

James Finch · Nov 3, 2003

I am using Vivitar DF200 and seems to work quite well. I am not sure if it is any more powerfull than Sunpack you are using. The GN is 98. It has settings of 1/16, 1/4 and full power. I only wish it would be smaller. It is larger than the camera itself. Did not use it much yet, just tried a few times.
So far I like it.

Mike185620 · Nov 3, 2003

Do you also use it with the S 30? Do you use the internal flash at max
power?
Can you please report what's the effective range?

Here's a simple test I did. I took outdoor shots of the front of my house at night, starting from a few feet away, and gradually retreating.
At about 15 feet distance the external flash stopped firing.
If yours fires at, say, 45 feet, I'll go and get it.

TIA
Mike

James Finch said:
I am using Vivitar DF200 and seems to work quite well. I am not
sure if it is any more powerfull than Sunpack you are using. The GN
is 98. It has settings of 1/16, 1/4 and full power. I only wish it
would be smaller. It is larger than the camera itself. Did not use
it much yet, just tried a few times.
So far I like it.

James Finch · Nov 3, 2003

The largest distance between the slave flash and camera was probably not more than 15 ft. Df200 can be rotated 180 deg and be looking at the camera while firing in opposite direction. That should make it more sensitive. The range is up to 100 ft. I don't think I tried various flash settings on S30. I was just curious if it will work at all.

Next week I will have camera back and if you still need more answers I should be able to provide them.

Mike185620 · Nov 3, 2003

James Finch said:
The largest distance between the slave flash and camera was
probably not more than 15 ft.

In normal use I hold the flash and the camera together, so this distance is actually zero.

The distance I was referring to was the distance between the camera-flash

combo and the object. I don't think you can get 100 feet, but I'd love to hear that you can.

Meanwhile I did some homework and discovered the Wein hot shoe slave.

This gadget should sense the reflection of the internal flah from up to 150 feet. (Longer range models are available). On top you mount the hot shoe flash of your choice and viola! I just ordered the enire gizmo, flash and bracket included, from B&H. I'll report results as soon as I have them.

I guess the Wein hot shoe slave was designed to solve this particular problem - a regular slave flash isn't sensitive enough.

BTW. I called Canon tech supp and asked for their advice. They know nothing. They referred me to B&H, from whom I had ordered before.

Df200 can be rotated 180 deg and be

James Finch said:
looking at the camera while firing in opposite direction. That
should make it more sensitive. The range is up to 100 ft. I don't
think I tried various flash settings on S30. I was just curious if
it will work at all.
Next week I will have camera back and if you still need more
answers I should be able to provide them.

Adam-T · Nov 3, 2003

you are running the S30 in manual mode as this disables the pre-flash which would otherwise trigger the Sunpak .. use 80th sec and try adjust the aperture to suit the setting on the flash or the reverse

If so then it looks like the Sunpak isn't powerful enough, I got great results from the Vivitar 283 with an optical slave thing underneath on a flash bracket

--
Please ignore the Typos, I'm the world's worst Typist

-- Canon EF35-80 F4-5.6 Owners Club Member #3580 -- ;-)

tranworld · Nov 3, 2003

I don't understand why your flash care about the subject distance, it should fire regardless, even if you are aiming at the blue yonder. Flash gun do not measure the object distance before firing, it does so after firing. The sensor actually quenches the flash AFTER it has measured that enough light has reached the subject (via a device called a thyristor), so if the subject is too far away the flash simply fired at full power.

I think your problem is because the slave sensor can only see the S30 triggering flash by the reflection from the object, thus when it's too far it cannot see it. In this case the Wein device which could be oriented and which is more sesnsitive, will solve your problem.

Mike said:
James Finch said:

The largest distance between the slave flash and camera was
probably not more than 15 ft.

Click to expand...

In normal use I hold the flash and the camera together, so this
distance is actually zero.

The distance I was referring to was the distance between the
camera-flash
combo and the object. I don't think you can get 100 feet, but I'd
love to hear that you can.

Meanwhile I did some homework and discovered the Wein hot shoe slave.
This gadget should sense the reflection of the internal flah from
up to 150 feet. (Longer range models are available). On top you
mount the hot shoe flash of your choice and viola! I just ordered
the enire gizmo, flash and bracket included, from B&H. I'll
report results as soon as I have them.

I guess the Wein hot shoe slave was designed to solve this
particular problem - a regular slave flash isn't sensitive enough.

BTW. I called Canon tech supp and asked for their advice. They
know nothing. They referred me to B&H, from whom I had ordered
before.

Df200 can be rotated 180 deg and be

Mike185620 said:

looking at the camera while firing in opposite direction. That
should make it more sensitive. The range is up to 100 ft. I don't
think I tried various flash settings on S30. I was just curious if
it will work at all.
Next week I will have camera back and if you still need more
answers I should be able to provide them.

Click to expand...

Mike185620 · Nov 3, 2003

Tranworld said:
tranworld said:

I think your problem is because the slave sensor can only see the

Click to expand...

S30 triggering flash by the reflection from the object, thus when
it's too far it cannot see it.

I agree. The sensitivity of this sensor must be lousy. One could expect that a slave flash's sensor should have a reasonable sensitivity.

Perhaps this is too much to ask for. I think this is across the board - otherwise Wein wouldn't have come up with their product which should be built in as an intergral part of a good slave flash.

In this case the Wein device which

tranworld said:
could be oriented and which is more sesnsitive, will solve your
problem.

Mike said:

James Finch said:

The largest distance between the slave flash and camera was
probably not more than 15 ft.

Click to expand...

In normal use I hold the flash and the camera together, so this
distance is actually zero.

The distance I was referring to was the distance between the
camera-flash
combo and the object. I don't think you can get 100 feet, but I'd
love to hear that you can.

Meanwhile I did some homework and discovered the Wein hot shoe slave.
This gadget should sense the reflection of the internal flah from
up to 150 feet. (Longer range models are available). On top you
mount the hot shoe flash of your choice and viola! I just ordered
the enire gizmo, flash and bracket included, from B&H. I'll
report results as soon as I have them.

I guess the Wein hot shoe slave was designed to solve this
particular problem - a regular slave flash isn't sensitive enough.

BTW. I called Canon tech supp and asked for their advice. They
know nothing. They referred me to B&H, from whom I had ordered
before.

Df200 can be rotated 180 deg and be

tranworld said:

looking at the camera while firing in opposite direction. That
should make it more sensitive. The range is up to 100 ft. I don't
think I tried various flash settings on S30. I was just curious if
it will work at all.
Next week I will have camera back and if you still need more
answers I should be able to provide them.

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Mike185620 · Nov 3, 2003

Adam-T said:
If so then it looks like the Sunpak isn't powerful enough,

I don't think it's " power" (Sunpak's guide number is 59 as compared to 120 for your Vivitar 283) but rather the sensor's low sensitivity.

I got

Adam-T said:
great results from the Vivitar 283 with an optical slave thing
underneath on a flash bracket

I understand that the "optical slave thing" is the crucial extra gadget -

it doesn't come with the flash, right? I ordered today a Wein hot shoe slave and the Vivitar 285. (Don't know why the B&H salesman suggested this one rather than the 283). How far away from the object can you shoot and get decent results? The Wein I'm getting has a 150' range but some have an amazing 600' to 1000' range!

Adam-T said:
--
Please ignore the Typos, I'm the world's worst Typist

-- Canon EF35-80 F4-5.6 Owners Club Member #3580 -- ;-)

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Slave flash for S30

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