Aftermarket vs. Name Brand Flash. Opinions?

[Jeremy Z]

I'm debating which flash to get for my Pentax K100D.

I'm mainly considering between these two:

Sigma EF-500
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/con...107&is=REG&addedTroughType=categoryNavigation

vs.


Pentax AF360-FGZ
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/con...172&is=REG&addedTroughType=categoryNavigation

First of all, will the Pentax flash be of higher quality? My instinct is yes, but I don't know from experience.

Second, how useful is a swivel head? (which the Pentax doesn't have) I assume it is mostly for use when I'm shooting vertically, but still want to bounce off the ceiling.

Which one would you get. (the Pentax is $45 more, after rebate)

Why?

 

[Digital Matt]

First of all, will the Pentax flash be of higher quality? My instinct is yes, but I don't know from experience.

Not neccesarily. Sigma makes a nice product. I would search out some reviews.

Second, how useful is a swivel head? (which the Pentax doesn't have) I assume it is mostly for use when I'm shooting vertically, but still want to bounce off the ceiling.

Yes, it is used for boucing upwards when shooting vertically, which I think you'll be doing quite a bit of. I don't know about you, but I pretty much only use a speedlight when doing portraits, and I'm shooting an awful lot of vertically composed shots. I use a homemade diffuser with mine, which works best when pointed straight up, so honestly, I can't be without the swivel head.

Oh and btw, I bought a promaster 7500 for my Canon 20D.

 

[ksmattfish]

It's a dilemma. The Sigma is more powerful and can swivel. The Pentax allows for more manual control over flash power. These are all very useful features for me. I think I'd skip both of them, and find something with lots of power, a swivel/bounce head, and fine control over manual power. The Sigma only allows for full power, and 1/16th power in manual. I'd like a variety of one or half stop steps. If it had that I'd get the Sigma.

 

[Jeremy Z]

Oh and btw, I bought a promaster 7500 for my Canon 20D.

Grrr, they apparently only make it for Nikon, Canon, and Minolta. I will search more for reviews on the Sigma flash unit.

One thing I was wondering specifically is whether the IR autofocus assist beam can be accurate from camera to camera? I assume the Pentax will be aimed properly for Pentax cameras. Is it a wide enough angle beam that the aim isn't that critical?

 

[Jeremy Z]

Can anyone tell me the difference between TTL flash and P-TTL? I notice some of the cheaper Vivitar & Sunpak flashes are TTL instead of P-TTL.

Does P-TTL mean that the flash knows what metering mode I'm using and TTL doesn't?

 

[Jeremy Z]

I think I'd skip both of them, and find something with lots of power, a swivel/bounce head, and fine control over manual power.

OK, after a little further searching, Sigma also makes a "Super" version of the flash I mentioned above:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/con...100&is=REG&addedTroughType=categoryNavigation

Also, Pentax's AF-540 FGZ has all of the above, plus wireless triggering as a remote flash. (from the on-camera flash) But the darned thing is $100 more than the Sigma, at $340. (its $50 rebate brings it down to $290 vs. the Sigma's $240)

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/con...856&is=REG&addedTroughType=categoryNavigation

 

[PNA]

I'd consider the fact that the Pentax flash was made specifically for Pentax products and may work best with their cameras. That's how I judged my purchase of a Nikon flash.

 

[ksmattfish]

I notice some of the cheaper Vivitar & Sunpak flashes are TTL instead of P-TTL.

I think that the "P" just stands for Pentax. P-TTL may be like Canon and Nikon's E-TTL.

I've used Pentax flashes on Pentax cameras, and Canon flashes on Canon cameras, and aftermarket brands on all of my cameras. No matter how much I paid for the flash, no matter how fancy the technology (I'm using a 550EX and 580EX with my Canon DSLRs), they all do a much better job in manual than in auto. I paid extra for the Canon flashes to get the high speed sync, and the built in remote features, but they really don't do much of a better job in ETTL than my old Vivitar 285HV does in auto.

For me the important features are:

lot's of power
bounce/swivel head
being able to manually select the power level
low price

If I was using bodies that didn't include second curtain sync, that would be a nice feature.

I do like the little flash modifiers built into the Canon flashes (and maybe others?). I'm finding the white card thing on the 580EX to be surprisingly useful. I stuck a piece of white reflective tape over the built in wide angle diffuser on my 550EX so it has one too. Of course you could do the same with any flash with a rubber band and an index card, but it's handy to have it fold down into the camera, so I always have it.

 

[Jeremy Z]

I've used Pentax flashes on Pentax cameras, and Canon flashes on Canon cameras, and aftermarket brands on all of my cameras. No matter how much I paid for the flash, no matter how fancy the technology (I'm using a 550EX and 580EX with my Canon DSLRs), they all do a much better job in manual than in auto. I paid extra for the Canon flashes to get the high speed sync, and the built in remote features, but they really don't do much of a better job in ETTL than my old Vivitar 285HV does in auto.

For me the important features are:

lot's of power
bounce/swivel head
being able to manually select the power level
low price

You said that you find you do a better job with the flash when you set it manually. Why do you suppose this is? It seems that if you spot metered your subject, the camera knew this and sent that information to the flash, it would expose properly.

...or are you specifically referring to slow sync flash, to allow natural light to burn in the backgrounds while you have the flash illuminate your subject?

I think that is the main thing I need to learn how to do in order to improve my wedding photography.

If that turns out to be the case, I don't even need a $100 flash. All I need is an auto thyristor flash with manual power adjustment in the manual mode. Oh, the IR focus assist would be handy too...

 

[Jeremy Z]

If I was using bodies that didn't include second curtain sync, that would be a nice feature.

What feature were you referring to when you said this, Matt?

 

[Digital Matt]

Second curtain sync is used during a long exposure. The first curtain is when the shutter opens. You can have the flash fire then, or just before the shutter closes (second curtain)

 

[Big Mike]

I believe the 'feature' he's referring to...is 'second (or rear) curtain sync.

Normally, the flash is fired at the start of the exposure...but some cameras and/or flash units allow you to set the flash to fire at the end of the exposure instead.

This can really make a difference if there is any movement when you are using flash (and a slower shutter speed). A front curtain flash will have a somewhat sharp subject with motion blur out in front of it...which looks really awkward. With rear curtain flash, the motion blur is behind the moving subject...which looks more natural and give the impression of motion (in the correct direction).

 

[Jeremy Z]

Ah yes. I remember now. Thanks for clarifying that for me. I'll have to see if my K100D has that feature.

 

[ksmattfish]

You said that you find you do a better job with the flash when you set it manually. Why do you suppose this is?

Because the world isn't middle gray, and at a wedding there is likely to be at least one important subject dressed in all black, and another important subject dressed in all white. If I leave my flash in auto it overexposes the groom and underexposes the bride everytime.

I do use the flash on auto sometimes. It's handy when I'm moving quickly between different lighting situations that I haven't had a chance to figure out yet. But my experience is that the longer I leave the flash on auto, the more work I'll have to do in post-processing.

I am rarely allowed to use flash during ceremonies, so I don't have to worry about it there. I usually have plenty of time to figure out and test the lighting for the posed portraits. For wandering around behind the scenes before the ceremony and the reception I usually take some initial readings bouncing off the ceiling with my flash meter (if I didn't have a flash meter I'd just take some test shots). I figure out what flash power I need for subjects at about 8 feet. Following the inverse square rule, everytime I double or half the distance, I adjust by 2 stops. Bouncing off the ceiling or walls may modify this.

 

[Johnboy2978]

Hi Jeremy, I bought the DG Super and I am quite pleased with it. I debated momentarily about going Pentax, but I've already spent too much money this year on camera stuff not to be making a living from it.

I really haven't played with it enough to understand all of its intricasies but I did use it during a wedding I recently shot on auto P-TTL mode and it worked beautifully. P-TTL is just Pentax TTL as previous posters pointed out. It also works well in conjunction w/ my AB strobe as a slave, though I haven't used it much like that either.

The swivel head is very nice indeed, particularly when shooting portrait mode and you want to bounce the flash off a wall or ceiling. It is very manuverable and does everything I would want one to do (so far I think).

I got mine from b/h for $229 and am well satisfied with it.