Off Camera Flash

[anomaly]

Hey, I have a K10D and just got a Sigma 530 DG Super.

I have a light stand and am trying to figure out how to trigger the sigma with my pop up flash without pttl, so that I can just set the flash amount manually.

Thanks.

[jshurak]

you have to put it in designated slave mode. Press the mode button until you see three things

1) a flash symbol with some dashes to another, smaller, flash symbol
2) power levels (1/1, 1/2, 1/4 etc...)
3) to the right of the power levels you should see 'SL' meaning it is in slave mode

[anomaly]

Ok thanks alot. I think I was on this setting but the pre flash was setting off the flash before the shutter actually opened.

Is there anyway to turn off the preflash on the K10D?

[and]

Originally Posted by anomaly

Is there anyway to turn off the preflash on the K10D?

not really.
but if your lens has an aperture ring then you can move it out of the a position and the built in flash will fire a single maximum power burst. also works with old manual lenses.

you would have to cover the flash so that it doesnt hit your subject at max power.

this is not really a viable solution. your built in flash will suck a lot of power and will recharge slowly because its at max output.

it is possible to buy seperate slave triggers that have delay modes built in. these slaves will not be fooled by the preflash. some strobes like the nikon sb26 has this kind of slave built in and i can successfully trigger mine despite the preflash if i set their slaves to the delay mode.

[anomaly]

Gasp.. I may actually be able to get this to work when using the aperature ring.

I'll just put a stocking over it to cut down the light, lol.

Hope it doesn't overheat..

[anomaly]

I am going to test this when I get home, but if someone could tell me whether you can use wireless mode plus the delay optical triggers so that you wouldn't get any on board flash in your exposure, please do.

[Entropy]

Originally Posted by anomaly

I am going to test this when I get home, but if someone could tell me whether you can use wireless mode plus the delay optical triggers so that you wouldn't get any on board flash in your exposure, please do.

They're not really "delay" triggers but "count multiple" triggers. Instead of triggering on any flash they see, they will only trigger when they see N flashes (usually N=2) in a short period of time, at the same time as the last flash.

You can get wireless RF triggers off of fleabay for $30ish or so. Not the most reliable, but they do the job cheap. BTW, if your goal was not to use wireless P-TTL, you might have been better off with a Vivitar 285HV and fleabay triggers for a total of just over $110 for the same flash output power.

[Geekybiker]

Check out the strobist blog too. Lost of good info there for off camera flash.

[anomaly]

Originally Posted by Entropy

They're not really "delay" triggers but "count multiple" triggers. Instead of triggering on any flash they see, they will only trigger when they see N flashes (usually N=2) in a short period of time, at the same time as the last flash.

You can get wireless RF triggers off of fleabay for $30ish or so. Not the most reliable, but they do the job cheap. BTW, if your goal was not to use wireless P-TTL, you might have been better off with a Vivitar 285HV and fleabay triggers for a total of just over $110 for the same flash output power.

I got them because they have a faster recycle time, higher guide number and the pttl could still be useful in some situations.

I should have bought one though, then I could have gotten a skyport trigger and reciever at the same time.

I think I have enough suitable ways of firing it off camera for now though.

[Ken T]

Originally Posted by anomaly

Ok thanks alot. I think I was on this setting but the pre flash was setting off the flash before the shutter actually opened.

Is there anyway to turn off the preflash on the K10D?

I use a Nikon SB-10 put on my K10D hot shoe to trigger 2 Promaster FTD-7000M slaves. The SB-10 won't fire pre-flash though.

The 5.2v trigger voltage of the Nikon SB-10 is safe for the K10D.

With this set up, the first couple shots exposure usually off, but with some adjustments of the camera or slave flashes' power/location, then when with correct exposure the images come out pleasantly good. I like this combo alot and by the total cost was about $160.

[anomaly]

I would probably go with ebay triggers before I get another flash to tell you the truth.