Sold my Sigma...

[cdifoto]

...no not my Bigma lens but my Sigma flash. I got close enough to my purchase price that I decided to upgrade to the Canon 580EX. Ordered it earlier today...should be here by the middle of next week.

Am I going to see significant improvement in performance? I'm hoping so...otherwise the $180 difference was spent for nothing. :eek: :p


Got another question. I'm looking for a cheap slave that I can control via the 580EX. Would the 380EX work or does it have to be a 420EX or higher up in the food chain?

[ktixx]

I don't have that much flash experiance as the only one I have ever used was the 580ex, but I love the thing and it has proven very good thus far. I think the exposures are very even and it is a wonderful tool.
As far as a slave goes, you probably should have kept the sigma...But I am sure the 430ex or 420ex would work as a good slave..
Ken

[cdifoto]

I don't have that much flash experiance as the only one I have ever used was the 580ex, but I love the thing and it has proven very good thus far. I think the exposures are very even and it is a wonderful tool.
As far as a slave goes, you probably should have kept the sigma...But I am sure the 430ex or 420ex would work as a good slave..
Ken


Thanks for your input Kevin. I had to sell the Sigma to help finance the upgrade so keeping it wasn't possible without tapping into my savings further than I wanted. I'm still working my way into an Alienbees studio light package. That brings me to saying that th e 430EX is out of the question since it costs more than the Sigma does. The 420EX is an option and I know it will work but if I can save even more with a 380, that's all I'd need. I'm just thinking something that can be used as a low powered hair light when I get my studio lights, rather than buying a third light (which I may do and forego the slave flash anyway).


Just trying to knock around some ideas...

[jamison55]

You will see a huge improvement in performance with the 580EX. My 550ex's recycle tons faster than my Sigma EF 500 DG Super, and the 580 is supposed to recycle even faster! The color is better too - my Sigma tends to be a little on the warm side. You're out of luck with the slaves, though. The 380ex predates Canon's wireless flash system. You'll need a 420 or 430ex (or Sigma EF 500 DG Super, dang didn't you just sell one?) to wirelessly slave to the 580. You can also pick up a couple of inexpensive Sunpaks or vivitars, and some optical peanut slaves, but other's flashes will trigger them as well.

Expensive hobby you picked there...

[cdifoto]

You will see a huge improvement in performance with the 580EX. My 550ex's recycle tons faster than my Sigma EF 500 DG Super, and the 580 is supposed to recycle even faster! The color is better too - my Sigma tends to be a little on the warm side. You're out of luck with the slaves, though. The 380ex predates Canon's wireless flash system. You'll need a 420 or 430ex (or Sigma EF 500 DG Super, dang didn't you just sell one?) to wirelessly slave to the 580. You can also pick up a couple of inexpensive Sunpaks or vivitars, and some optical peanut slaves, but other's flashes will trigger them as well.

Expensive hobby you picked there...

Thanks for that Jamie. I figured I'd have better results as far as performance goes...at least on paper. Specs only mean so much though. Real life is where it counts. I was eyeballing the 550 but then thought...screwit I'm going all out! heh.

Yeah we did pick an expensive hobby/profession/passion. Ah well. I don't NEED to play with slaves. By the time I feel I do, I'll have the AB Studio Slaves. Less portable but more powerful. If I didn't have to sell the Sigma I would have kept it...but I thought I better sell it while it still has decent resale value. People seem to have better luck with an all Canon or all Sigma system than they do mixing brands. I didn't want to buy another Sigma. Someday I'll get another 580 or it's successor for my othe camera and then I'll have 2 on camera flashes and either can serve as master or slave on demand.

I'm going to Disney World with my sister, bro in law, nephew, and mother so I gotta save a couple thousand pennies for that trip or I'd have that danged AB setup right this moment. heh.