A flash for my Pentax K10 ?

[guillermovilas]

Which should i buy ?

Hesitating between a pentax 360 or a sigma 500 super ?

[SteveB]

guillermovilas wrote:

Which should i buy ?

Hesitating between a pentax 360 or a sigma 500 super ?

I don't own either but have given time to considering them and the Pentax 540 while I soldier on with my old Nissin 360TW auto which actualy works fine by the way but it''s limited to 1/180sec sync. The main problem with the 360 is that it doesn't swivel so that rules out portrait bounce shots. The Sigma is a good flash but it's reverse engineered so that means if you buy another Pentax camera in a couple of years there's no guarantee that the flash will work fully. It's build quality is adequate but not as good as Pentax flashes, but it's cheap for what it can do. I believe that the flash zoom is sluggish compared with other makes and doesn't let the flash fire until it's finished moving the reflector, but I haven't been able to confirm this. At the moment, I'm hanging on, but I think the Sigma may be the winner in the cost/performance battle, it's powerful and does the main things right at low cost.

[guillermovilas]

SteveB wrote:

guillermovilas wrote:

I don't own either but have given time to considering them and the Pentax 540 while I soldier on with my old Nissin 360TW auto which actualy works fine by the way but it''s limited to 1/180sec sync. The main problem with the 360 is that it doesn't swivel so that rules out portrait bounce shots. The Sigma is a good flash but it's reverse engineered so that means if you buy another Pentax camera in a couple of years there's no guarantee that the flash will work fully. It's build quality is adequate but not as good as Pentax flashes, but it's cheap for what it can do. I believe that the flash zoom is sluggish compared with other makes and doesn't let the flash fire until it's finished moving the reflector, but I haven't been able to confirm this. At the moment, I'm hanging on, but I think the Sigma may be the winner in the cost/performance battle, it's powerful and does the main things right at low cost.

I might be able to buy a Sigma for $170 (6 months old in perfect condition) , what do you think ? i`d be stupid to hesitate ?

[anthlover]

They sell new for about $200. There is also a version with out the Master Slave Capabilty for $150. I would go new.

[anthlover]

They sell new for about $200. There is also a version with out the Master Slave Capabilty for $150. I would go new.

[guillermovilas]

anthlover wrote:

They sell new for about $200. There is also a version with out the Master Slave Capabilty for $150. I would go new.

Can you tell me where ?

I`m in Brussels (Belgium) , i`m a bit scared about the extra VAT with the belgian customs.

Here in Europe the cheapest price is 259 euro (+- $300) which is much more then in the US

The other version you are talking about is it the ST ?

[guillermovilas]

I must say that i read a lot of complaints about the buid quality of the Sigma flashes , i am now wondering if i wouldn`t be better of with a Pentax 360 ?

[fghouse2000]

I would suggest the Sigma DG500 Super (239 dollars or thereabots). This flash adds high speed sync and some other capabiltieis that the plain old Sigma DG 500 does not have.

The Sigmas have to be rechipped (unless you buy after particular serial number). Search this forum the serial number has been posted. If you get a unit that is relatively new, it should work with the newer K10D and the K100 series of Pentax Cameras.

Feroz

[SteveB]

I have now bought a Sigma Ef-500 DG Super after much decision making. Free postage special offer from Fotosense on the day clinched it. It works very well, no problems at all with my K100D in P-TTL, it seems to get the exposure right enough for me in every situation I've thrown at it, bounced or direct. Build quality seems adequate for amateur use.

Now the question is do I get another one so I can do wireless between them? I say this because I've had a play with the internal flash triggering the Sigma off camera, it can't do this in P-TTL on the K100D but it can in manual mode and it works a treat, the Sigma gives a distance readout for the power level selected so you can put it in roughly the right place. Two lights are better than one, and with 2 Sigmas they can work in P-TTL.

[BobTheNailer]

I just picked up the pentax az360. It comes with the $25 rebate. That makes it about $175 or so. And I love it. Here is a shot with the flash off camera in wireless mode at a 45 degree angle.
BOB