Cheap slave flash for Digital Camera (esp F707)

[Wai]

Brand : Kako 9000 (cannot find any info online, anyone can help?)

Colour : Silver (match with most digital camera, but the build is not very good)

Guide Number : 24 @ ISO 100

What's included? Flash, a horizontal adapter for those camera WITHOUT hot shoe, sync cable....etc

Warranty : 1 year

What's so special abt this flash?? Some camera have pre-flash and red-eye reduction, therefore u cannot use a normal slave flash becos it will trigger at the pre-flash instead.

This flash can set to trigger on SECOND flash, that's why it can work perfectly with F707. You can also set it to trigger at BOTH pre-flash and second flash, but it will be a bit weaker. Anyway, here is a simple test, i dunno if the method i use is correct or not.

Shutter : 1/1000s
Aperture : F4
Exposure bias : 0EV
F707 manual mode, red-eye reduction disabled.

No external flash, just use F707 build in flash

Set to F2 mode, that is, the slave flash will fire twice, once on pre-flash, once on second flash

Set to F1 mode, that is, the slave flash will fire ONCE, only on the second flash

See the different??
Wiily, are u free to go peninsula with your F1000, then we try out if this flash is as poweful as your F1000 or not.

There is a sync cable, i wonder if it is used for connection to another slave unit and trigger via cable.

BTW, the flash head can be turn 90 degree so that u can fire at any angle u like, also there are 4 different zoom level, from wide to tele(what's the proper name for it??)

I will try to do more tests on it, anyone interested to get this flash together? Probably can ask for more discount if we buy in bulk.

Listed Price : $88 (haven't bargain yet)

 

[Wai]

btw, take a look at the reflection of the flash on the glass

the first photo, u will see a small spot of light, cos only internal flash was used

the 2nd & 3rd photo, u will see a much bigger spot of light, cos both flash was used.

if the sync cord can use to trigger another slave flash...wow..i can put two external flash on my camera, one on the cold shoe, another on the horizontal mount that come with the flash

 

[willyfoo]

Originally posted by kamwai
See the different??
Wiily, are u free to go peninsula with your F1000, then we try out if this flash is as poweful as your F1000 or not.

Difference not distinct leh...
I don't mind going down to test it out... when??

 

[Wai]

Originally posted by willyfoo


Difference not distinct leh...
I don't mind going down to test it out... when??

ya lor...may be becos i dunno how to test...did 1/1000s too fast??

btw, went to MS colour at Ang Mo Kio, the same flash is selling for $75 (can bargain for more)


what is the GN for F1000??

 

[Flare]

1/1000 seems really too fast... even for the internal flash (I think). Try 1/100? or 1/60? Hmmm... this seems nice thing to have since my camera doesn't support wireless flash. Can use for ratio flash or illuminate background.... Nice~

So 90 degrees up and down? And where can I find this?

 

[willyfoo]

Let me clear up a misconception here... (learnt this from someone who posted this sometime back)...

Aperture affects flash while shutter speed affects ambient light..

So while 1/1000 probably affects the flash slightly, it's way too fast to capture the ambient light...

I would probably try F2.8 - F3.2, 1/30 - 1/60 to be able to see the difference in flash properly..

 

[YSLee]

Geez. Just read the guide number, and test the flash at the limit of its range.

 

[Flare]

hahhah... I think Kam wai and Me are newbie at flash photography... teach teach ley~

 

[Wai]

Originally posted by willyfoo

I would probably try F2.8 - F3.2, 1/30 - 1/60 to be able to see the difference in flash properly..

why not we go down to MS colour at AMK or TCW at peninsula to try it out?? See if it is as good as the Sony's flash.

 

[Wai]

upon closer look, this flash actually manufactured in Singapore, by Dou Yee's subsidery Suntax

www.douyee.com.sg
www.suntax.com.sg

but i dun seem to be able to find any info abt this flash in their website...probably it is still very new.

 

[mpenza]

you probably need 1/60, 1/125, etc to allow the flash to fire fully .

Is the guide number in meters or feet? Some use feet, some use meter. The Sony one is definitely more powerful.

Anyway, is it an auto flash? Is there a sensor that detects the amount of ambient light and fire accordingly? It would be better to get one with a light sensor.

 

[cutter]

You want proper specialist digicam slave flash can refer to these as recommended by US digicam users:

http://www.srelectronics.com/

 

[Wai]

Originally posted by cutter
You want proper specialist digicam slave flash can refer to these as recommended by US digicam users:

http://www.srelectronics.com/

for me, it is the price which matters

GN40 one (Digi-Slave PRO) is US$249.95 excluding shipping....

 

[YSLee]

Ahaha, and that's a Vivitar 285HV, which cost me S$150!

 

[cutter]

couple weeks back there was a Dutch auction on Ebay by a US online store selling the Digi 2000 (US$119.95 list) for US$49.95! Even after US$20 3-day Global Priority Airparcel... thats less than S$130 for a quite capable flash. But I already got a cheepo one and don't take too many flash photos anyway... Good thing abt slave flash is that can use for any model, brand and type of camera.

 

[Zoomer]

Hmm, so what happened to the order?

A good GN40 (meters) flash would srue be useful for these long range, short exposure shoots - such as shooting these models catwalking.

Btw, can it be tweaked to allow for subjects that are closer?

 

[mpenza]

how was it?

saw a poting in dpreview about a cheap Sunpak digital flash. you could take a look if you're interested.
http://www.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1010&message=2407261

There's another one. More expensive though (a Metz 34 CS-2)
http://www.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1010&message=2414317

 

[Kevin]

Originally posted by mpenza
how was it?

saw a poting in dpreview about a cheap Sunpak digital flash. you could take a look if you're interested.
http://www.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1010&message=2407261

There's another one. More expensive though (a Metz 34 CS-2)
http://www.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1010&message=2414317

KC, I check the spec for the Metz 34 CS-2 which does not have slave flash function. How come this guy claim he use it with S30 as slave?

 

[Flare]

Perhaps he use a slave trigger? Something that you slot onto the hotshoe which triggers the flash when the slave trigger detects the main flash?

 

[Kevin]

Originally posted by Flare
Perhaps he use a slave trigger? Something that you slot onto the hotshoe which triggers the flash when the slave trigger detects the main flash?

I C...