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02/15/2005 12:45:18 PM · #1 |
When I'm using my 550ex in manual mode as "fill" flash and I zoom the flash, does it put out more light? For example, would the flash put out more light at 100mm than at 50mm?
Thanks!
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02/15/2005 12:51:15 PM · #2 |
Originally posted by photomayhem:
When I'm using my 550ex in manual mode as "fill" flash and I zoom the flash, does it put out more light? For example, would the flash put out more light at 100mm than at 50mm?
Thanks! |
I've got a Sigma 500 Super DG, (which is pretty much a reverse engineered 550EX) and as far as I can tell, it only zooms the head of the flash (you should hear it whirring backwards and forwards in the casing) changing the coverage of the flash, so at 100mm you will get a narrower bean of light, more concentrated than at 50mm. Remember to take into account the crop factor of your camera though, so even though the lens is zoomed to 100mm, its actually the equivalent of 160mm but the flash is only zooming to the reported lens zoom. The 550ex does not compensate for this crop factor (in auto mode), however I believe the new 580 does...nice.. |
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02/15/2005 12:56:58 PM · #3 |
Originally posted by photomayhem:
When I'm using my 550ex in manual mode as "fill" flash and I zoom the flash, does it put out more light? For example, would the flash put out more light at 100mm than at 50mm?
Thanks! |
yes...the difference between the 24mm setting and the 105mm setting is 1.5 stops more at the 105mm setting. This is with the flash aimed directly at the flash meter.
Actually, your question was did it put out more light at one setting that the other. It probably puts out the same amount of total light, but with the zoom, it is concentrated in a narrower beam.
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02/15/2005 01:05:38 PM · #4 |
Well your answers explain why one of my test shoots at the beach of my wife didn't come out too well. I had my lens set at 75mm and had the flash zoomed at about 50mm (or less) and had the flash at full power 1/1. My wife was about 10-15 feet away from me and the flash wasn't even reaching her. I'll have to try again with it zoomed.
Thanks again! |
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02/15/2005 01:28:03 PM · #5 |
| yea sounds like you definetly had something set wrong. The reach on a 550EX is over 100 feet I think. Did you test it in Auto/ETT-L? |
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02/15/2005 01:36:03 PM · #6 |
Originally posted by GoldBerry:
yea sounds like you definetly had something set wrong. The reach on a 550EX is over 100 feet I think. Did you test it in Auto/ETT-L? |
No I haven't. My flash photography has mostly been with my studio strobes. I really haven't done too much testing with my 550ex so I'm not sure how much better the e-ttl vs manual is. I'm going to do some model shots at the beach so I had to start testing out that flash. |
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02/15/2005 01:38:23 PM · #7 |
| I personally don't know much about the capabilities of flashes, but I do own a 550EX and use it in Auto all the time - you don't have to set anything which is great when you're shooting on the fly. A great tool for sure. |
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02/15/2005 03:08:17 PM · #8 |
| While you can get no more power out of your flash than it can give, having it set properly for your lens will put what light you can get where you need it. If you find that you are shooting out past where your flash can focus it's lumens, consider aBetter Beamer a brilliant little device favored by birders and other wildlife long lens folk. |
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