Cheat Sheet for Sigma EF-500 DG Super
Geo Kuenning June 19, 2008 Note: This cheat sheet doesnt cover things that are obvious or Camera Controls easy to gure out. Function Camera button FE Lock *10 Symbols Modeling ash DOF Preview + 11 FEC / Symbol Meaning 1 (E)TTL blinking Exposure OK Optically Synchronized Wireless Flash 2nd-curtain sync2 Optically synchronized wireless ash can be done in three ways: FP High-speed sync3,4 Wireless ETTL controller ETTL 1. Wireless ETTL (ETTL ). ETTL /SL Wireless ETTL controllee (slave) Controlling (master) ash is on-camera or connected by /SL Manual wireless controller or controllee o-shoe cord. Controller controls but doesnt re5,6 Maximum sync speed depends on camera (1/250 and up). + / Flash exposure compensation enabled 4 channel choices. Fb Flash exposure bracketing enabled7,8 Pre-ash to communicate with controlled (slave) ashes. Pre-ash may illuminate scene weakly (roughly 1/256 power). Shooting Limits Full ETTL, with FEC and Fb, available. After the following numbers of continuous shots, wait 10 min (Almost) all control comes from on-camera unit. utes for cooling: Ratios available (3 groups, including controller). Manual and multi-ash modes available. Mode Max Flashes FEC available on controlled ashes. (E)TTL, M(1/1, 1/2) 15 2. Simple optical wireless ( /SL C0). M(1/4, 1/8) 20 M(1/16-1/128) 40 Controlled ash responds to any visible ash, including Multi 10 cycles pop-up ashes, ETTL pre-ashes,12 and other photographers. Enabling Flash Features Flash unit also responds to radio triggers. Only manual mode available on controlled ash unit. Feature Enable by Power levels (ratios) must be set on controlled ashes. ETTL on controlling ash (e.g., popup) doesnt interact FEC9 SEL [(E)TTL only], then +/with controlled units. Bracketing SEL to Fb [(E)TTL only], then +/ Maximum sync speed depends on camera (1/250 and up). Normal multi ash MODE to MULTI, then SEL and +/to set power, rate, # ashes. /SL C1-C2, also known as des3. Coded optical wireless. ( Wireless multi ash In ETTL hold SEL for 2 secignated slave mode).13 onds, then use MODE to select and Controlled ash only responds to compatible Sigma conpress SEL again troller. Wireless manual ash In ETTL hold SEL for 2 sec Flash unit also responds to radio triggers. onds, then use MODE to select and 2 channel choices. press SEL again Controlling ash may illuminate scene weakly (roughly 2nd-curtain sync Push + without rst pushing SEL 1/256 power). High-speeed sync Push + twice without rst pushing Only works when camera is in M mode.14 SEL Power levels (ratios) must be set on controlled ashes. push + without pushOn-camera ash con- In ETTL Maximum sync speed is 1/30 second. ing SEL trols but doesnt re ETTL wireless
1 When my Canon 30D is in P or Auto mode, I always get Exposure OK even when the exposure is obviously bad. My Canon G3 works correctly in all modes. 2 Second-curtain sync is controlled only on the ash. The cameras setting has no eect. 3 On at least the Canon 30D, choosing high-speed sync in Av mode sometimes sets the shutter speed to 1/8000 even in relatively low light. HSS works correctly in the other modes. 4 In Av and M modes, the cameras shutter speed will not go above 1/250 until high-speed sync has been chosen. High-speed sync is lost the shutter button is pressed or half-pressed while a shutter speed of 1/250 or below is selected. This behavior is especially dangerous in Av mode. 5 Some light from the controller may appear in the nal image. 6 When the controlling ash is disabled, choosing ratios may cause the controlled ashes to misre. This seems to be an intermittent behavior. 7 After Fb, the digits 1-3 will appear to indicate which shot in the sequence is to be taken next. 8 Flash bracketing auto-cancels after the third shot. 9 Also available in the camera. Flash FEC overrides in-camera FEC if both are enabled.

On controller: Use MODE to choose ETTL. Select FP, , zoom, FEC, Fb, and channel 1-4 as needed. For ratios, SELect until r 1:1 appears. Then use + to choose 12 (2 groups) or 123. (The controller is always group #1; the controlled ashes can be set to any group.15 ) Choose multiple or manual mode if desired.
settings in the camera may disable this feature. available on ash; camera overrides ash if both set. 12 The pre-ash res before the shutter opens. 13 This mode seems useless except with radio triggers, since ETTL wireless supports all of this modes features and more. 14 In Tv mode, the smallest f-stop is selected, and the shutter speed is extended to match. In Av mode, 1/250 is selected. In P mode, 1/250 and the smallest f-stop are selected. 15 It is not possible to use group-3 ashes and ash ratios unless there is at least one group-2 unit.
11 Also 10 Custom-function
For normal ETTL, SELect ratios of group 1 to group 2, and Guide Number Adjustments for ISO Changes additional FEC stops for controlled #3.16,17 Apply the following adjustments if you arent at ISO 100: For manual ETTL, SELect until r appears, then use + to ISO Multiply GN by ISO Multiply GN by choose 12 or 123. Flash power in each group is given in abso125 1.3.2 lute terms. 160 1.3.5 For multiple-ash ETTL, all groups re at same power. 180 1.3.1.4.0 On controllee: 250 1.4.1.5.0 Choose ETTL /SL. 350 1.5.5 Use SEL and +/- to pick channel and controllee group (ID). 400 2.5.7 Channel must match controller. Group 1 res with (and as 500 2.6.3 strongly as) controller. Group 2 res according to selected 640 2.7.1 a:b ratio. Group 3 res according to 3-stop range chosen on 750 2.7.7 controller. 800 2.8.0 Additional FEC can be applied on controllee, independently of controller settings. Guide Number Adjustments for High-Speed Sync Simple optical wireless On controller: Choose any ash mode (even a On controllee: Choose /SL and channel 0 (C0). SELect desired power. F-stop aects displayed scale but doesnt aect picture. Coded optical wireless On controller: Choose /SL and channel 1 or 2 (C1 or C2). SELect power 1/1 and then press + to display Ctl. F-stop is irrelevant; controller will re only weakly.18 On controllee: Choose /SL and channel 1 or 2 to match controller. SELect desired power. F-stop aects displayed scale but doesnt aect picture. Guide Numbers at ISO 100, in Meters Power 1/1 1/2 1/4 1/8 1/16 1/32 1/64 1/20.0 14.1 10.0 7.1 5.0 3.5 2.5 1.30.0 21.2 15.0 10.6 7.5 5.3 3.8 2.35.0 24.7 17.5 12.4 8.8 6.2 4.4 3.40.0 28.3 20.0 14.1 10.0 7.1 5.0 3.46.0 32.5 23.0 16.3 11.5 8.1 5.8 4.48.0 33.9 24.0 17.0 12.0 8.5 6.0 4.50.0 35.4 25.0 17.7 12.5 8.8 6.3 4.4

non-ring mode).

Note: According to my measurements, Table 2 in the manual is incorrect. The following table gives, for each HSS speed, the adjustment to apply to the guide number. This table works regardless of ISO, focal length, and measurement system. Shutter Multiply by Divide by 1/320 0.56 1.8 1/400 0.50 2.0 1/500 0.45 2.2 1/640 0.40 2.5 1/800 0.35 2.8 1/1000 0.31 3.2 1/1250 0.29 3.5 1/1600 0.25 4.0 1/2000 0.22 4.5 1/2500 0.20 5.0 1/3200 0.18 5.6 1/4000 0.16 6.3 1/5000 0.14 7.1 1/6400 0.12 8.0 1/8000 0.11 9.0
Guide Numbers at ISO 100, in Feet
Power 1/1 1/2 1/4 1/8 1/16 1/32 1/64 1/65.6 46.4 32.8 23.2 16.4 11.6 8.2 5.98.4 69.6 49.2 34.8 24.6 17.4 12.3 8.114.8 81.2 57.4 40.6 28.7 20.3 14.4 10.131.2 92.8 65.6 46.4 32.8 23.2 16.4 11.150.9 106.7 75.5 53.4 37.7 26.7 18.9 13.157.5 111.4 78.7 55.7 39.4 27.8 19.7 13.164.0 116.0 82.0 58.0 41.0 29.0 20.5 14.5
16 I have been unable to determine whether the FEC stops are relative to the controller or to controllee #2. I assume they are relative to the controller. 17 The 1:2 ratio can be set to a range of 8:1 to 1:8, in what seems to be 1/2-stop increments. The 1:3 ratio can be set to a range of 3 stops in 1/3-stop increments. 18 This mode can be used to achieve a manual ash at 1/256 power.