A2 and 3rd-party flashes

[kotkinjs1]

Hi all,
I've got a pretty noob question about the A2 and 3rd-party flash units. I've got an adapter with the little connecter for the camera's PC link port and I'm familiar with the Sony DSC-F717 which used the Sony flash with a cable that ran into the camera. But the Minolta flashes don't seem to have this cable. If I buy a 3rd-party flash, don't I need to have the PC link cable to utilize all of the camera's flash controls?
Does anyone have a recommendation for 3rd-party flashes on an A2? Thanks!
[email protected]

[KCan]

Third party Minolta dedicated flash, as well as Minolta flash, use the hotshoe contacs to communicate all signals. Only If you want to move the flash away from the hotshoe, you then need a Minolta dedicated cord. But better flashes have wireless control, which frees you from any cord, and preserve all function.
The PC terminal just allow you to trigger the flash, nothing else (no zoom, no ttl , no AF assist ....) it"s a simple "fire" contact just like the old time.

[hdburnham]

Pretty common and cheap are a hotshoe to pcadapter. The flash can then be mounted on a side bracket or wherever. The A2 should fire any old flash with that set up. But, indeed, there will be no bells and whistles. So, you have to set the A2 to manual exposure, and either figure out the flash exposure or use the flash on its own automatic setting. After many years of using manual or near-manual flash units, I found I got pretty good guessing. The nice thing about a digital camera is that you can try out the exposure at various distances, with and without bounce, and in twenty minutes build yourself an exposurechart.

[NHL]

kotkinjs1 wrote:

Does anyone have a recommendation for 3rd-party flashes on an A2? Thanks!

FYI http://www.sigma-photo.com/html/news/500dg_super.htm

[CastleDude]

Minolta has the FS-1100 that converts the hotshoe on the Minolta to a Normal dumb hotshoe. So you can use other flashes with it. It runs about $25 and is a lot easier to use than an external cable to an adapter. I've used it with a pocket wizard and a Sunpak 383 and both work great. www.bhphoto.com has them

I also have a Quantaray PZ-1 which is a low cost dedicated strobe and the head zooms with the lens on the A2. www.ritzcamera.com has them. It also has some interesting modes like a programmable multi-strobe that can do some fun stuff.

[KCan]

FYI: SYSTEM CHART

http://www.steves-digicams.com/2004_...l#system_chart

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hdburnham and CastleDude,
kotkinjs1's question was about preserving all functions
("If I buy a 3rd-party flash, don't I need to have the PC link cable to utilize all of the camera's flash controls?")
otherwise, the A1 is already equiped with a PC socket



Quote:
The DiMAGE A2 is also equipped with a standard PC flash sync port for connecting any type of external flash equipment including studio strobes.

[hdburnham]

KCan,

You are quite right. We were just trying to suggest work-arounds.

DB

[nickfanmn]

also consider this cheap adapter





more details here

http://www.network54.com/Forum/messa...eid=1074226637

[fhaber]

Absolute digital and smart-flash newbie here, but something of an old hand at 35mm photography. I'm tagging on to this flash thread, because I'd like to do the following with my new A2.

1. Have an attached-to camera flash with the following properties:

a. Pictures at 20-25'atASA100
b. Spacing from lens to minimize redeye naturally
c. Room to clap on a bit of diffusion, a la the old Honeywell potato mashers.

2. and, us a slave flash at 3-4x the power of a reduced-power dialed-downon-camera unit. I'm willing to go manual for this.

Maybe I do want a masher (Vivitar?).

[NHL]

fhaber wrote:

Absolute digital and smart-flash newbie here, but something of an old hand at 35mm photography. I'm tagging on to this flash thread, because I'd like to do the following with my new A2.

1. Have an attached-to camera flash with the following properties:

a. Pictures at 20-25' atASA100
b. Spacing from lens to minimize redeye naturally
c. Room to clap on a bit of diffusion, a la the old Honeywell potato mashers.

I believe the Sigma will do all the above and more...
http://www.sigma-photo.com/html/news/500dg_super.htm

2. and, us a slave flash at 3-4x the power of a reduced-power dialed-down on-camera unit. I'm willing to go manual for this.

You have to go manual because I don't think the built-in flash on the Dimage can do wireless master/controller (It does on film camera though )

With two Sigma's you will retain the automatic mode, ie one master and 1 slave.