Today's dumb question

[2blue4u]

I know, I know. But I have to ask although I fear I know the answer.

Sigma produce flashguns, such as the EF-500 DG Super sitting on my desk, for a variety of cameras. My question is this - can one of these flash guns bought for one camera (Sigma) work on another (a Canon for example)?

There's nothing on the flash to say that it is camera specific but I seem to recall, when buying it, that I had to specify the camera it was to be used with.

:shrug:

 

[Marcel]

I've not heard of them being camera specific either.

 

[Slapo]

I would say it's specific for a brand, as they use different methods of automatically determining the power which a flash should use.

i-TTL for Nikon, P-TL for Pentax, etc.
I don't think these are quite compatible, the internals could be different enough to make it not work and contacts could be arranged differently as well.

 

[Chuckurbarla]

I bought a Canon dedicated Cobra 700AF and noticed that the mount module that slides into the hotshoe is removeable. When I saw that I expected the module to be interchangeable so I could just buy another one for a Nikon (say) but the manual says not.

They say that the internal electronics are Canon specific and a complete new unit is necessary for it to be used (with all bells and whistles working) with another make.

I'll bet Sigma do the same thing but I have been known to be wrong

 

[Slapo]

The hotshoe could be removable for two reasons:
- the rest of the body is virtually the same, it's just internals and the hotshoe that are different
- for better servicing

 

[chrisiow]

See here

 

[Canon Bob]

Not sure whether this helps...

When I bought my Sigma ring flash I had to specify that it was for a Canon EOS and the manual states that my flash is "Exclusively for Canon EOS range". Sigma also make the same unit, same number for Nikon.

Bob

 

[2blue4u]

thanks for the help. I've come to the conclusion that a unit designed for one type of camera isn't to be used on another type.

 

[Marcel]

See? Not a dumb question after all!

 

[Ally]

the box for my Sigma 500 DG Super has for canon E-TTL on it and I know they make a diffrent one for nikon and sigma so I'm pritty sure their brand specific.

 

[Joe T]

Just remember there are no stupid questions.....






....just stupid people

/south park mode off

 

[dazzajl]

I've come to the conclusion that a unit designed for one type of camera isn't to be used on another type.

It should work in a manual mode if it has one. If not it'll probably just fire at full power.

 

[dougdarter]

Metz mecablitz supply a flash, and a module for whichever camera you wish. Expensive perhaps, but high quality, and certainly cheaper than a Canon or Nikon pro model. They are very well made, and specified. A lot of pro's use them off the camera, on a flash bracket, with a cable to the camera module.

http://www.metzflash.co.uk/