Sigma EF 500 Super DG

[Al Tee]

Hi, can anyone offer advice / experience of this item?
I'm considering buying this piece of kit to use with my Nikon D50. Looking at the spec it seems to have most of the benefits of the Nikon SB800 but at about £100 cheaper.
It states it is fully compatible with the Nikon D70, would I be right in assuming the same goes for my D50?
Any advice would be most appreciated.
Al.

[robski]

Apart from the compatibility issue I would be concerned about the build quaility if you intend to make heavy use of it.
I bought a cheap Jessops own brand and it fell apart after a week needless to say it was returned. I then bought a Canon own and difference was like chalk to cheese.

[Don Hoey]

Al,

This is the compatability chart http://www.sigma-imaging-uk.com/flas...-compat.htm#03

I have found a review against Canons top unit so worth a lookhttp://photonotes.org/reviews/sigma-ef-500-super/

I need to see if I can find a downloadable manual as from other comments I have read.

1) Poor manual with some of the English sections written in French. Manual does not properly explain the functions.
2) After a 8 flash firing the unit has to be turned off for 10 mins to cool down.

I will get back later.

Don

[Don Hoey]

From a manuals point of view we have to hope someone uses this gun as I am unable to find a downloadable manual to check out the comments about poor explanations and sections in French.

So ................................. ANY USERS ??

Don

[yelvertoft]

Al,

I use the (even cheaper) "Standard" version of this unit, not the "Super", I've found the unit to be very usable indeed. I had to have it re-chipped to work with my Pentax K10D when I swapped cameras, this was done by Sigma for only the cost of return postage (£7.99 IIRC), turnaround for doing this was about 5 days from me putting it in the post to me getting it back on the doormat. So, I'd have no worries about compatibility.

Build quality isn't 'pro-spec', but it's perfectly good enough for the light amateur usage I give it. I use it mainly for still-life subjects, and have not explored the multiple flash firings issue that Don has found. I dare say that if you are going to be using the flash for bursts of >8 in a row, you should be looking at something a bit more expensive.

I haven't had any problems with my manual, though the standard unit is a lot simpler and I tend to only use full program or full power manual modes anyway.

The flash itself has LOTS of power, you won't be wishing it had more ooomph. This is good because there's plenty of light even if you have to bounce it off distant walls and ceilings.

At the time I bought it, the standard unit was £100 and the Super was £200, I couldn't justify the extra at the time as I wasn't really into flash stuff then. Thanks to WPF, I do more flash photography than I ever used to and now wish that I'd bought the Super model, especially as the price difference is now so small. Bristol Cameras have the Super for £135 plus £10 P&P.

If you aren't going to hammer it like a pro, get the Sigma, if you are going to work as a hack for the local rag, get the Nikon.

Hope this helps.

Duncan

[Don Hoey]

I have not read it yet but here is a link to the Instruction Manual.

PDF file at 108 pages ( only 10 pages in English ) so it takes a moment to download. http://www.sigmaphoto.com/flashes/manuals/F14N05094.pdf

Don

[Don Hoey]

Al,

I have now had a read and saved a copy in my info library.

I have to agree with Duncan in that it does depend on how much use the unit will get, and how fancy the lighting setups could be if you want i-TTL. If you used manual on complex lighting set ups then any flash units with manual setting will handle that. For on camera use with i-TTL or manual then its a good value flash with a lot of power. No real worries on the limits of continuous shooting from the specs.

My attention was drawn to the slave ability as on price you could get two of these units for the price of a SB-800. Note though, that for i-TTL this only functions at a sync speed of 1/30 sec or lower - SERIOUSLY RESTRICTIVE. If this was the longer term route then I would only consider the SB-800 as i-TTL with Nikons own units is very fancy ( at a price ) but near enough foolproof.

Link to the SB-800 manual so you can compare
http://support.nikontech.com/cgi-bin...i=&p_topview=1

Don

[Al Tee]

As always; many thanks for the responses. I'll consider the pro's & cons over the next week or so.
One thing I have noticed is the variation in pricing, be that either for the Sigma or the Nikon. I even saw the Nikon for sale on ebay for about £220.00. (New)! Sold from some place in Scotland; slightly cheaper than Jessops; £299 & even Warehouse Express; £269; both plus P&P.
Thanks again,
Al.

[robski]

If your are talking about Kerso in Scotland a lot of folk have used him on Birdforum - well recommended.

Of Course his goods are grey market - If you email him you may get it even cheaper if you by pass ebay.

He is a Birdforum member.

[yelvertoft]

Originally Posted by robski

If your are talking about Kerso in Scotland a lot of folk have used him on Birdforum - well recommended.

Of Course his goods are grey market - If you email him you may get it even cheaper if you by pass ebay.

He is a Birdforum member.

Al,

Something to consider if you go down this route is that Sigma will only re-chip free of charge on officially imported goods. To get my re-chip done free, I had to send my copy of the till receipt showing that it had been bought from an official UK dealer. Sigma will re-chip grey imports, but they charge for it, about £60 I think they quoted if I couldn't show it was UK stock.

Duncan