Sunpak G-flash strobe

I have been searching the net high and low for any kind of review of the Sunpak G-flash and I have been unsuccessful. Several people have stated that they had bought one, but they had not yet used it underwater. Is there anyone out there that has used one and who can offer their opinion on the results? Several people have posted similar inquiries but as of yet there have been no responses.

I have a Sony DSC-P10 with the Marine pack MPK-PHA. I thought that this strobe might be a good, inexpensive alternative. Any thoughts or suggestions? Has anyone tried the Sony Marine pack video light with this or similar cameras?

Thanks,

Bob

I have been searching the net high and low for any kind of review of the Sunpak G-flash and I have been unsuccessful.  Several people have stated that they had bought one, but they had not yet used it underwater.  Is there anyone out there that has used one and who can offer their opinion on the results?  Several people have posted similar inquiries but as of yet there have been no responses.

I have a Sony DSC-P10 with the Marine pack MPK-PHA.  I thought that this strobe might be a good, inexpensive alternative.  Any thoughts or suggestions?  Has anyone tried the Sony Marine pack video light with this or similar cameras?

Thanks,

Bob

Hi Bob,

I owned 2 sunpak g-flash.

I am not any way near a pro so my comments are not really useful, i think. G-flash is basically identical to Epoque strobe on the exterior. I did some test before purchasing and found that the slave sensors are more sensitive compared to Epoque. They provide more than enough lights for macro pictures and reasonably well (for its size and costs) for normal wide angle.

These are some simple test I tried in another forum

These are some pictures I took my short Bali recently.

Thanks for the feedback. It has been helpful.

Bob

I just purchased a Sunpak G-flash from B&H and it seems to work fine topside as a slave strobe with a housed Canon A85 point-and-shoot. On land, I've had to choke it all the way down to get acceptable macro shots. It uses 2 AA rechargeable batteries and the recyle times are acceptable when using it chocked down for close-up/macro shots. More distant subjects require longer cycle times, up to 7-8 seconds after a full dump. The switch has a setting for pre-flash cameras and a power adjustment range.

The Sunpak G-flash appears virtually identical to the Epoque 150-DS digital strobe and I'm confident the Epoque fiber connector DS would fit perfectly if desired. But the camera's internal stobe has no problem triggering the Sunpack G-flash. Now, it's not the end-all, but for under $200 with diffuser, arm and tray, it's definitely cost-effective. I put together a rig with the Canon A85, Canon underwater case and Sunpak G-flash for around $600. I don't think that's too bad for a housed 4-megapixel camera with an external strobe. I'll carry this setup as a backup and use the camera itself for surface snaps.

Here is a shot of Sunpak G-Flash setup, with the included diffuser, arm and tray.

Hi,

I have a Canon A80, with WP DC900 housing. Do you think Sunpack G Flash could be fitting for my camera?

Bye, Raf

I use a Sunpak G-Flash with a Sony W5 + Sony Housing.

I have taken it on three dive trips since last fall and have obtained very good results. I rarely crank it up from its lowest range settings. It is especially suitible for those close or macro shots (using difuser). Cycle time is fine under these low power conditions.

I found that that the slave sensor works, but is way too dependent on the scene/shot conditions since it relies on light feedback. I made myself a fiber optic slave trigger cable and have been very pleased with the results. I do believe the Epoque 150-DS cable will work, but it was too pricey for my tastes -- I was was able to produce a more robust setup by making it myself.

Overall, I think it is an excellent strobe for its purpose. It also seems to be holding up very well to seawater emersion.