Sony F828 + Sunpak Question

[Stormdancing]

I recently bought a Sunpak 383 to use with my F828. Can someone tell me what I need to use it off camera on a tripod? In simple beginner terms please.

[Stormdancing]

I recently bought a Sunpak 383 to use with my F828. Can someone tell me what I need to use it off camera on a tripod? In simple beginner terms please.

Hellooooooo
Can any of you guys who have/had a F828 help me out here? I'm lost in a sea of wires and gadjets.

[SCS_Photo]

Hellooooooo
Can any of you guys who have/had a F828 help me out here? I'm lost in a sea of wires and gadjets.

I haven't done any off-camera flash work with my old 828, but what you need is a PC Sync Chord. It plugs in on the bottom right side of the lense barrel, denoted by the letters ACC. Looks like a headphone jack.

Anyway, I believe just about any PC sync chord will do... after all since the sunpak (presumably) can't communicate with the camera, all you need for it to get is the signal to fire.

[Stormdancing]

Thanks from a fellow Hoosier!
I've been told several different things. My concerns were Sony's proprietary plug and improper voltage. Just don't want to screw up my baby.:):
When I was looking for extensions for my remote, I went to 3 different Radio Shacks and they said they had nothing to fit it because it was Sonys plug. I finally ended up ordering online from Accurate Electronics. Works like a charm.

Again thanks for your advice.:thumb

[Art Scott]

From what I see on the camera, a hotshoe, you can get a shoe to PC plug adapter or you could get a slave trigger ($10 to 20 depending on how strong -many feet from camera it will work)....just turn down your on board flash and use it to trigger the slave or use an onboard as mail and second as fill......I have used the el-cheapo hotshoe-pc adapters (from Ritz ina mall) and also a higend from Nikon...both work and i would recommend the el-cheapo cause the highend ones do not allow ttl anyway (manual only)....I search the sony site and they don't list the F828...How old is it?

Hope this helps.

[Stormdancing]

Hi Art!
The 828 was introduced 1-10-04. I've only had mine a little less than a year now.
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/sonydscf828/

I've had advice to buy just a cord and then others say to get the hotshoe adapter. I ended up ordering both since I can put the flash on on a tripod and connect to the hot shoe adapter and still use my ACC port for my remote.

Well anyway thats the plan and I'm sticking to it. Ammmm until I find that it doesn't work.

Thanks for the advice.

PS Tessa HD won the Challenge 56 with a shot from an 828. Check it out!
here (http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=26727)

[Art Scott]

By getting a $10 slave trigger no need for long cables running to flash on stand...however I would also suggest a light meter a soon as you can afford one.....an incident meter for flash or an ambient / incident....both my meters will read either or any combination of the 2.....keep watching FM as they may very well wind up there.

Good luck.


Art Scott

[Stormdancing]

By getting a $10 slave trigger no need for long cables running to flash on stand...however I would also suggest a light meter a soon as you can afford one.....an incident meter for flash or an ambient / incident....both my meters will read either or any combination of the 2.....keep watching FM as they may very well wind up there.

Good luck.


Art Scott

Art, I hate to be a ninny here, but I don't have money to throw around. Can you give me a link to the slave trigger, so that I can see what I'm looking at.

A good light meter is tops on my list of purchases. I'm saving for a DSLR, but in the mean time any money spent needs to be on items that I will still be able to use in the future with a new cam. A light meter is one of those items and I feel a great investment in my learning process.

[SCS_Photo]

Art, I hate to be a ninny here, but I don't have money to throw around. Can you give me a link to the slave trigger, so that I can see what I'm looking at.

A good light meter is tops on my list of purchases. I'm saving for a DSLR, but in the mean time any money spent needs to be on items that I will still be able to use in the future with a new cam. A light meter is one of those items and I feel a great investment in my learning process.
Why meter when you can chimp? <img> Seriously, though, if you're working with the sunpak in a studio, a flash meter probably isn't needed. Just have a decent rez screen nearby that you can check real quick, and fine tune the results as needed. A flash diffuser would probably be a better use of money... and cheaper too.

[Stormdancing]

I think we need a little monkey smilie. :rofl
I have a couple flash diffusers - a Lumiquest and a Photoflex.
What I'm trying to setup is off camera fill flash for some outdoor portraits.
Nothing fancy, just good practice for me.

Eventually I will buy a light meter as I think it's important to understand the fundamentals and help my learning process.

Thanks again for all your help.

[Art Scott]

Backside of slave trigger
http://contemporary-visions.smugmug.com/photos/54150088-M.jpg

Side view showing pc cable plugged in....
http://contemporary-visions.smugmug.com/photos/54150089-M.jpg

Plugged into Vivatar 285
http://contemporary-visions.smugmug.com/photos/54150090-M.jpg


http://contemporary-visions.smugmug.com/photos/54150093-M.jpg


The ones I saw today at a local Camera store was nice and clear and realtively cheap (approx $10)...these have always been a golden color......

Hope this helps

[Stormdancing]

Praise to you Art.
I'm such a visual person. Seeing helps me put this all together in my mind.
I doubt my local camera shop will have anything like this. I called about a hotshoe adapter and they said NO Sony doesn't make that part. LOL
Instead of trying to convince them that it was not a Sony part, I politely said goodby. (They still insist that digital is passing fad and cannot compare to film. Very small town.) I would like to drive to Indy, Louisville, Nashville or St Louis - about 3 hours to any of them and visit a real camera shop.

I'll try to find one online. In the mean time I will try out the cords and hotshoe adapter and see how that works. I would rather have a "wireless" setup.

Thanks so much for your kind and patient help.

[Art Scott]

Praise to you Art.
Thanks so much for your kind and patient help.

Your very welcome....that is what these forums are all about....methinks.
I will get an absolute price for you and working distance.:thumb