Flashes - basic info required

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Ian T

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Ok, since getting into photography properly, I've yet to use a flash, preferring to stick with a tripod. However, I want to do some sport photography (BMX specifically at this stage...) and I'll need a flash. The thing is I've no experience of them - my old one on my film SLR I just used to put on the hot-shoe and turn it on.

I've been warned not to use an old flashgun on my D50 as it may mess it up, so I'm looking to buy one. I've been told there's a fairly good Sigma one for around £160.

Do I have to have it attached to the body directly, or can I use a cable between the two? Also, can you get flashes that are triggered by the on-board camera flash? What do I need to know about setting up the flash itself, or are there standard/default settings that I can start off with?

Thanks for any advice.
 
The sigma one is probably the EF 500 DG, by all accounts a good flash, but some say build quality is not great.

I think you can use it either on or off the camera
 
The top of the range Sigma can be had from onestopdigital for £130 delivered, that's where I got mine from.

What ranges are you expecting to be from the action? a very good flash will light a subject up to about 50-60ft away.

You should be able to get an off camera flash lead fairly cheaply.

The onboard flash will NOT successfully fire the separate gun as it emits a preflash to measure light and that sets off the slave. You would need to use a radio transmitter of some kind for that.

Your old flash may be suitable depending on the trigger voltage but it would need to be used in manual mode, easy enough to do but not so convenient.
 
I have the Sigma EF 500DG Super which I use on my D50 & D200. Its a good bit of kit but beware the instruction booklet is very badly written and hard to follow.

If I had my time again I would go for the SB800.

Got mine from OneStop for about £130.

Regards,

Bob
 
Hi Ian.

As a fellow D50 user, flash is something I am just getting into myself - so I thought I'd share what I've learned so far.

The Sigma flash that you refer to is probably the 500DG. It is meant to be a decnt enough bit of kit, as stated below, but read up on it as lots of people complain about it breaking easily and being fairly flimsy.

If you can afford it, I would recommend you go for the Nikon SB600 or SB800 as they are dedicated flashguns and both have excellent reviews. They're not too cheap however. I am getting mine in the states for $154 which is cheaper in dollars than in £'s in this country!!!!!

This flash aslo has ITTL so you can simply whack it on auto and play around with it to get used to it. As said, not got mine yet - getting it in a few weeks so I can give you a report once I've played with it!

To use the flash off camera, you do indeed need a cable - if I remember rightly, it's a SC28 / SC-29 cable.

As regards using your old film flash ..... as Steep says - it is something to do with the trigger voltage - don't use it until you have checked this as it will fry your camera if it's the wrong one. There is a site somewhere that tells you what flashes you can and can't use - but I am buggered if I can remember which one it is!!!!

Anyway, good luck - let us know what you for and how you get on.

Cheers

Anth.
 
magpieant said:
Hi Ian.

As a fellow D50 user, flash is something I am just getting into myself - so I thought I'd share what I've learned so far.

The Sigma flash that you refer to is probably the 500DG. It is meant to be a decnt enough bit of kit, as stated below, but read up on it as lots of people complain about it breaking easily and being fairly flimsy.

If you can afford it, I would recommend you go for the Nikon SB600 or SB800 as they are dedicated flashguns and both have excellent reviews. They're not too cheap however. I am getting mine in the states for $154 which is cheaper in dollars than in £'s in this country!!!!!

This flash aslo has ITTL so you can simply whack it on auto and play around with it to get used to it. As said, not got mine yet - getting it in a few weeks so I can give you a report once I've played with it!

To use the flash off camera, you do indeed need a cable - if I remember rightly, it's a SC28 / SC-29 cable.

As regards using your old film flash ..... as Steep says - it is something to do with the trigger voltage - don't use it until you have checked this as it will fry your camera if it's the wrong one. There is a site somewhere that tells you what flashes you can and can't use - but I am buggered if I can remember which one it is!!!!

Anyway, good luck - let us know what you for and how you get on.

Cheers

Anth.
Click to expand...

Try this Clicky thingy

It would help if you could use the D50 as a "flash commander" then you could use the SB600 or 800 off camera without a cable but I'm not certain the D50 is capable. Haven't got time to look at the mo.... The D70 can as does the D200... D50 :shrug:
 
chuckles said:
Try this Clicky thingy

It would help if you could use the D50 as a "flash commander" then you could use the SB600 or 800 off camera without a cable but I'm not certain the D50 is capable. Haven't got time to look at the mo.... The D70 can as does the D200... D50 :shrug:
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure the Commander Mode starts with the D70 :( - Lots of good flash info here http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html & here http://www.planetneil.com/faq/flash-techniques.html
Paul ;)
 
New to this DSLR lark myself (another D50 here). The D50 doesn't include any sort of slave mode but there are wireless remote gubbins on e-bay that get reasonable reviews on the web. Or you could shell out £300+ for the professional wireless remotes.

As for flash, I bought the SB-600 with a sto-fen diffuser from Kerso and am really pleased with it. As with all new things I need to work with it more and learn the ins and outs but on full auto it offers much more pleasant lighting than the onboard flash. As it rotates 180 degrees it can be bounced behind you for a more even light but watch for charred hair :D

The onboard flash is still pretty good though compared to your typical compact.
 
Does the SB800 Nikon flash have much to offer over the SB600? Onestop Digital are doing them for £199 and £139 respectively.
 
Ian T said:
Does the SB800 Nikon flash have much to offer over the SB600? Onestop Digital are doing them for £199 and £139 respectively.
Click to expand...

More power which is the main thing, and usually a few more features. You can never have too much power in a gun but it's very easy to have too liittle and sports is one area where you'll definitely need all the range you can get sometimes.
 
So over the SB28.. which the SB800 is obviously a superior successor what main differences can one expect? ie range and battery duration?
 
db247 said:
So over the SB28.. which the SB800 is obviously a superior successor what main differences can one expect? ie range and battery duration?
Click to expand...

Some info on the two models HERE
 
magpieant said:
The Sigma flash that you refer to is probably the 500DG. It is meant to be a decnt enough bit of kit, as stated below, but read up on it as lots of people complain about it breaking easily and being fairly flimsy.
Click to expand...

I'll second most of that. Build quality isn't actually too bad, pretty decent in fact but mine just stopped working for no apparent reason, the zoom head just kept trying to zoom and you had to take the batteries out to stop it :(
 
The SB800 can be used as a wireless commander for other flashes to remote trigger something i don't think the SB600 can do.
 
Ok, I think I'm going to buy a flash (and a new Nikon 18-70) from Onestop Digital. Before I do, does anybody know of anywhere cheaper? I doubt it as I've looked and nowhere else comes close, but thought I'd ask anyway. Thanks.
 
Ian T said:
Ok, I think I'm going to buy a flash (and a new Nikon 18-70) from Onestop Digital. Before I do, does anybody know of anywhere cheaper? I doubt it as I've looked and nowhere else comes close, but thought I'd ask anyway. Thanks.
Click to expand...

Worth asking Kerso as he has always done the Nikon flashes even when he was stocking mainly Canon gear
PM him from here & you should get a reply in a day ...
If you go the HK route look no further than you have done already IMO ... Paul ;)
 
Thanks. One more thing... if the SB800 can act as a 'commander', can it be used to trigger SB600s?
 
I am picking one up next week in Calumet San Francisco for $199. About £100.

Might be worth contacting them as you'd probs still save money on delivery.

cheers.

Anth.
 
Thanks, but Kerso is sorting me one out for a very reasonable price.

Cheers again for all the advice everyone!
 
Ian, Just joined myself.
I am primarily a BMX photographer, and I work closely with alot of other BMX photographers, our flashes of choice are Vivitar 285s, When I first got them I used to use them with PC sync cables but now have upgraded to cheap radio triggers off ebay, If your interested I'll send you some shots and give you some hints that I wish I had been told when I started!


George.
 
I'd definitely be interested to hear more. When I take delivery of my flash I'm going to Rampworx in Liverpool to have a play and see what I can come up with. Which radio triggers did you buy?
 
Dont take this too seriously :lol: but this is what I had to learn at college about the behaviour of flash its call the 'Inverse Square Law' and once learnt you will never remember it.:shrug:



[edit] Light and other electromagnetic radiation
The intensity (or illuminance or irradiance) of light or other linear waves radiating from a point source (energy per unit of area perpendicular to the source) is inversely proportional to the square of the distance from the source so an object (of the same size) twice as far away, receives only ¼ the energy (in the same time period).

More generally, the irradiance, i.e., the intensity (or power per unit area in the direction of propagation), of a spherical wavefront varies inversely with the square of the distance from the source (assuming there are no losses caused by absorption or scattering).

For example, the intensity of radiation from the Sun is 9140 watts per square meter at the distance of Mercury (0.387AU); but only 1370 watts per square meter at the distance of Earth (1AU)—a three-fold increase in distance results in a nine-fold decrease in intensity of radiation.

Photographers use the inverse-square law to determine optimal location of the Flash bulb for proper illumination of the subject.

The law is also particularly important in diagnostic radiography and radiotherapy treatment planing.:bonk:
 
I bought these I wouldve bought pocket wizards but no way can I afford those!!
If you have a look at my BMX photos (in the transport category I can describe where the flashes are and such.
As far as I remember, rampworx uses the same kind of lighting as our skatepark, and is very orangey when using flashes, you should make sure the colour settings in your camera are not boosted or it wil be totally over the top orange.

George.
 
I was looking at them the other day. They work ok then? Are they compatible with older flashguns?
 
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