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Gear / Technical Help => Photo / Video Recording => Topic started by: balou2 on March 09, 2009, 02:36:34 AM
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Howdee.
So, for the wife's birthday, I bought her a new Canon Rebel XSi kit. Multiple lenses...nice kit. It came with the stock flash, of course, and a removable one as well. The removable one is o.k., but it is not adjustable, so there are times when the light is too much. I told her to turn it around and face it backwards, and it works well for some things, but what I really need is an adjustable/swivel flash.
Any recommendations on one that won't cost me a mint?
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Looks like the Canon 420EX is going for decent prices these days (~$150ish). Nice smaller swivel-head flash that will do ETTL and all that stuff with the Canon body.
You may also be able to pick up older model Nikon flash units on eBay for decent prices. These used to be pretty cheap online until a website/blog started pimping them for doing off-camera flash work. I picked up a couple of the older Nikon units (SB-25's) a couple years back for about $60-70 each on eBay. Not sure what they're running now. But, of course, these will be full manual flashes with the Canon body (no ETTL), so they aren't quite as convenient.
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When it comes to the flash unit, I come from the school that if you're gonna spend the money, there's probably a minimum that you're gonna want to go for, or else you might as well wait until you can go for it. In this case, the minimum, IMHO, is ETTL functionality.
There's nothing quite like having the flash unit be compatible with the camera so that your exposures are dead nuts.
So, if you decided against one of the Canon flash units, at least get a unit that somehow communicates with the camera.
I just sold my 430EX to Ted for $175. That might be more than you're willing to spend, but I can tell you from personal experience that your wife would be EXTREMELY happy with this flash unit.
I was skeptical also at first, but I was impressed enough with it that the reason I sold it was to pay off my recent audio purchase, but I felt it was expendable because I'm gonna upgrade to the 580EX, which goes for $350 or so. Ridiculously expensive, I know, but based on my experience with the 430EX, I know it will be worth it.
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I've got a sigma 500 flash that swivels in all directions and have been using it on multiple canon bodies for the past 2 years or so. Works great, in great shape and has ETTL capabilities. I'll sell it for $110 if your interested. Bought it from mmmatt on here.
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get the Canon 430EX. I've heard about troubles or detriments with the 580 and it's a lot more.
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if my removable you mean a hot shoe flash, check out the Lumapro lp 120 over at midwest photo exchange:
http://www.mpex.com/browse.cfm/4,12311.html
It has lots of power, power ranging from full down to 1/32, four different ways to fire it. This is just a manual flash so you set the power on the flash (1/4 power for example) and set the cameras shutter speed and aperture. The head tilts left and right, has a manual zoom to 85 mm, etc
If you're serious about flash photography and off camera flash photography, I highly recommend this blog
http://strobist.blogspot.com/
Like any other hobby, its about how much you're willing to spend but you must master the tools in order to take full advantage of them. No sense of having a nice camera and always using the on camera flash or using the camera in a program/auto mode all the time. You can get really expensive flashes but they may not look any different than your on camera flash if you're not properly using it.
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I'm a Nikon guy so don't know the Canon speedlights as well, but I'd definitely say go with one of the Canon units. You will have the most flexibility, best TTL metering integration and I believe they do off camera TTL like the Nikon system does. Plus you can always go manual. Like RastaSean said go to the strobist blog. It rocks!
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what kind of flash did you decide on?