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12-30-2010, 10:26 PM   #16
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QuoteOriginally posted by Ratmagiclady Quote
I was hardly doubting your experience, just going by the general anecdotal experience around here, and all. I've been in the market, myself, you know.
Is there any anecdote you can cite that says the Rokinon D980AF-P does not function properly in P-TTL mode?

I don't want to keep telling people it is an ok flash if there's evidence it sometimes fails.


Last edited by newarts; 12-31-2010 at 05:52 AM.
12-30-2010, 10:34 PM   #17
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QuoteOriginally posted by SlickYamaha Quote
When attached to the sync cord, the flash was faulty about 80% of the time. When attached directly to the hotshoe, it still was faulty 5-10% of the time. I noticed this at the last two christmas parties. Through about 100 or so pictures, there would be spurts of 3-4 pictures in a row that would fire at full flash power. I would turn off the unit for a little bit, turn it back on, and it worked fine again. This would happen when the flash was in full auto P-TTL, and with the camera both in auto or full manual mode.

The first sync cord caused full flash in most pictures, Cameta exchanged it and the second one did full flash with every picture.

Cameta was nice enough to credit me back fully for the cords and flash unit. I believe i will get the sigma next.
Thanks, it is good to hear that Cameta has handled this well.

Is there a chance the flash was tilted up a bit when it fired fully? I believe that's a characteristic of some P-TTL flashes.
12-30-2010, 10:36 PM   #18
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QuoteOriginally posted by hoanpham Quote
I have 2 sigma 530 super, and thinking get 2 more when price drop during introducing 610 super.
The sigma standard version is so handicapped - not for my use.
Does the Sigma 530 do wireless P-TTL when not connected to the hot shoe?

Last edited by newarts; 12-31-2010 at 05:53 AM.
12-30-2010, 10:59 PM   #19
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QuoteOriginally posted by newarts Quote
Thanks, it is good to hear that Cameta has handled this well.

Is there a chance the flash was tilted up a bit when it fired fully? I believe that's a characteristic of some P-TTL flashes.
Yes, I usually keep it at about a 45. Not directly at teh person, but not straight up either.

And Cameta was awesome. Will continue to purchase from them.

01-02-2011, 04:00 PM   #20
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QuoteOriginally posted by newarts Quote
Does the Sigma 530 do wireless P-TTL when not connected to the hot shoe?
yes. only the super version do, not the standard version (as I was informed).

I have only 2, and the popup is using as controller. Popup can be turned off, but not completely off. The most annoying is the pre-flash makes the children close their eyes. So all these issues result me to buy radio trigger/receivers and use with all my existing flashes. But I still use build-in wireless from time to time with these sigmas.
01-02-2011, 05:35 PM   #21
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QuoteOriginally posted by newarts Quote
Is there any anecdote you can cite that says the Rokinon D980AF-P does not function properly in P-TTL mode?

I don't want to keep telling people it is an ok flash if there's evidence it sometimes fails.
Well, I think a quick look around this board'll show even the major brands 'sometimes fail.' A lot of the off-brand ones (appearing under several nameplates, Rokinon included: the Vivitar name sure isn't the workhorse-making go-to-brand I remember,) seem to come from the same place, and there's just more of a QC issue there: doesn't mean they're a ripoff at the prices they're available for, just it's something to bear in mind. Complex and cheap aren't usually a combination I find go well together, but if you have one that works, it works.

mattdm 's site might give a bit more info.
01-02-2011, 06:09 PM   #22
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QuoteOriginally posted by Ratmagiclady Quote
Well, I think a quick look around this board'll show even the major brands 'sometimes fail.' A lot of the off-brand ones (appearing under several nameplates, Rokinon included: the Vivitar name sure isn't the workhorse-making go-to-brand I remember,) seem to come from the same place, and there's just more of a QC issue there: doesn't mean they're a ripoff at the prices they're available for, just it's something to bear in mind. Complex and cheap aren't usually a combination I find go well together, but if you have one that works, it works.

mattdm 's site might give a bit more info.
So far as I've been able to tell based on physical configuration and specs, the Rokinon D980AF- P is not the same as the other flashes that have been relabeled. In any event I've yet to see any data that it is a poor flash or is prone to failure.

Where is mattdm's site?

01-02-2011, 10:05 PM   #23
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While I was waiting to 'invest' in my first AF-540, I purchased one of the Digital Concepts for Pentax. It was model 952AF/PEN which tilts/swivels, offers a pull-out wide-angle diffuser and catchlight cards and offers less power than the AF-540. I paid $110 for mine 2 years ago. Since then, I've seen it priced as low as $80.

It seems to perform well via PTTL, however, I tend to prefer to rely on external meter and manual control.

Here's a thread from 2008 that mentions it. MattDM gathered information on a bunch of flashes. You may find that useful, too.
01-03-2011, 01:27 AM   #24
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QuoteOriginally posted by SlickYamaha Quote
Yes, I usually keep it at about a 45. Not directly at teh person, but not straight up either.
You should have the flash 90 degree up bounce or a bit backward. The p-ttl result is more consistent then. 45 may have some spill light directly in the camera's meter and p-ttl may adjust the power after that - of course depend on the location, but ceiling bounce eats light about 4-8 times and is very inefficient regarding controlling light and output power. I shoot with manual flash 99.99%, still p-ttl is useful sometime.
01-03-2011, 10:11 AM   #25
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QuoteOriginally posted by newarts Quote
So far as I've been able to tell based on physical configuration and specs, the Rokinon D980AF- P is not the same as the other flashes that have been relabeled. In any event I've yet to see any data that it is a poor flash or is prone to failure.

Where is mattdm's site?

It's at The Definitive Guide - Pentax P-TTL Flash Comparison

He's always interested in new information, too. (Well, at least when he's not on vacation, ) If there's something particularly good out there, especially amid all the off-brands, that's probably welcome news.

As far as I'm concerned, flash prices are pretty out of hand. These fancy features aren't cheap to develop, I know, but if something costs like a camera body, it ought to last rather more like one.

I'm a big advocate of not spending more for a flash than you have to, really: even the best are pretty crunchy in gravity's eyes, not to mention electricity's, after all. So, it's certainly good if there's a 'sleeper' model or two out there. Name brands being able to cut corners from the top down isn't so good, either.

Anyway, I'm actually kind of rooting for some of these off-brands to get their games together, hopefully end up with names worth protecting, but it's a mixed bag so far.

I think if China wants to start getting any reputations for quality, they're going to need some sophisticated equivalent of those little gold oval stickers (Which themselves ended up just being copied once the pressure was off) so you know a particular unit's up to standard or comes from where it says it does. There's enough just-plain-counterfeiting out there that it'll have to happen in general. But I ramble. Bottom line is, a lot of off-brands are kind of a maze regarding where they come from, who actuallymade them, what the real specs may be, and other complications.

Things change. 'Made in Korea' used to mean 'Utter Crap,' (So did 'Made in Japan,' actually, that's why the little gold stickers) now I'm proudly sporting a Samsung sensor and stuff, and most of the rest of my trusty K20d comes from somewhere I'm pretty sure hadn't made so much as a Holga not too long ago. I'm sure the transition was pretty spotty, and all, and it looks like a lot of these off-brand flashes have been in the spotty phase. The name changes themselves aren't particularly reassuring, but hopefully they'll be learning fast.
01-03-2011, 11:01 AM   #26
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QuoteOriginally posted by newarts Quote
So far as I've been able to tell based on physical configuration and specs, the Rokinon D980AF- P is not the same as the other flashes that have been relabeled. In any event I've yet to see any data that it is a poor flash or is prone to failure.

Where is mattdm's site?
QuoteOriginally posted by Ratmagiclady Quote
It's at The Definitive Guide - Pentax P-TTL Flash Comparison

He's always interested in new information, too. (Well, at least when he's not on vacation, ) If there's something particularly good out there, especially amid all the off-brands, that's probably welcome news. ....

The Rokinon D980AF- P appears identical to the Tumax DPT383AFZ-C TUMAX

It seems well built, has a little gold oval sticker , and works well for me!

Thanks for the link. I'd seen it when I was looking for an inexpensive flash a while back. I need a better way of keeping track of such things.

Dave
01-03-2011, 12:03 PM   #27
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QuoteOriginally posted by newarts Quote
The Rokinon D980AF- P appears identical to the Tumax DPT383AFZ-C TUMAX

It seems well built, has a little gold oval sticker , and works well for me!

Thanks for the link. I'd seen it when I was looking for an inexpensive flash a while back. I need a better way of keeping track of such things.

Dave
Eh. Heheh. The little gold oval sticker hasn't had anything behind it for a long time. Once there was no 'JCII' behind them, it was open season for 'Inspected' symbols. (Kind of mandatory even for big makers, but anyone could print em.)

There actually used to be this superstition where I was from where it was bad luck to remove those. I guess it's like the mattress-tags meme, everyone'd joke about em, but there they stay. My Super A's got one, (in awful shape, not even real, and well, I just haven't gotten around to it.
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