DPChallenge: A Digital Photography Contest You are not logged in. (log in or register) 
 

DPChallenge Forums >> Hardware and Software >> Which flash would you recommend for the Canon 5D?
Pages:  
Showing posts 1 - 21 of 21, (reverse)
AuthorThread
 10/06/2006 08:09:59 PM · #1
I am looking for a flash for my Cannon 5d and I am not sure which is the best. Any suggestions??? Thank you.
 10/06/2006 08:11:49 PM · #2
The 580 would seem a natural choice. Are you not wanting to buy Canon?
 10/06/2006 08:13:00 PM · #3
I am all for Canon...What are the advantages of the 580 over the 430?
 10/06/2006 08:13:08 PM · #4
580ex, no question.
 10/06/2006 08:15:13 PM · #5
I have the 580 EX for my 20D which has been a wonderful flash for my purposes however the one thing that the flash doesn't have that it should is the ability to be triggered optically by another flash or strobe. If you ever think that this is an option you want I would go with the High end Sigma flash. It is much cheaper anyway. (The point is moot if you have a set of pocket wizards ... but I don't as of yet :)

Have fun shopping!
 10/06/2006 08:24:33 PM · #6
Originally posted by jlhudson:
I have the 580 EX for my 20D which has been a wonderful flash for my purposes however the one thing that the flash doesn't have that it should is the ability to be triggered optically by another flash or strobe. If you ever think that this is an option you want I would go with the High end Sigma flash. It is much cheaper anyway. (The point is moot if you have a set of pocket wizards ... but I don't as of yet :)

Have fun shopping!


Eh? The 580 can act either as a master or slave in a system. It can be trigered by another Canon flash, or it can sit on the cam and trigger other Canon flashes.
 10/06/2006 08:55:06 PM · #7
Originally posted by kirbic:
Originally posted by jlhudson:
I have the 580 EX for my 20D which has been a wonderful flash for my purposes however the one thing that the flash doesn't have that it should is the ability to be triggered optically by another flash or strobe. If you ever think that this is an option you want I would go with the High end Sigma flash. It is much cheaper anyway. (The point is moot if you have a set of pocket wizards ... but I don't as of yet :)

Have fun shopping!


Eh? The 580 can act either as a master or slave in a system. It can be trigered by another Canon flash, or it can sit on the cam and trigger other Canon flashes.


Off camera it can only be triggered by another cannon flash acting as a master or the wireless transmitter. It cannot be optically triggered off camera by a strobe or other optical flash source. So if you have your strobes plugged into your PC port you cant set the 580ex to slave off the strobes.

Its a minor point but it is something I found lacking in the 580ex that is present in most other high end flashes.

I hope I am wrong on this but as of yet I haven't been able to pull it off. I have a cheapo optical slave trigger that plugs into the hotshoe but the Canon EX series flashes have a recycle problem with these so you only get one fire and you have to power the flash off and back on.
 10/06/2006 09:03:47 PM · #8
I like a 70/30 mix of KCl04 and german blackhead (2 micron) aluminum. Makes a great flash. ;p

10/06/2006 10:12:34 PM · #9
The fact that the 580ex doesn't work as an optical slave notwithstanding, the biggest advantage to the way it does work is that it still uses e-TTL even off camera.

So you can set up multiple flashes (I use a 580, a 550 and a 420 all together for on-location shoots) and the camera + flashes still figure out the proper exposure. And if you want to get even more creative, you can set ratios for the flashes so that one is stronger than the other, etc.

The only downside is that the slaves *must* be able to see your main flash (or the wireless transmitter if you use it instead).

For this one reason, I'm actually considering upgrading to the Quantum T5D flashes with their brand of QTTL which works similarly but uses a radio transmitter instead of an optical transmitter. It also has a much faster recycle time, but a pair of these flashes plus the transmitter will cost about $2300.

But if you're not ready for laying out that kind of money, then I highly recommend the Canon 580EX.


10/06/2006 10:41:11 PM · #10
I don't use my flash much, some for fill, and when there is no other choice. I have the 430EX. I wanted something light that I could carry on the camera if I had to. It works just fine but not sure I made the right decision, doesn't quite have pro power. Might upgrade someday, but like I said, I really hardly use it.
 10/07/2006 12:23:37 AM · #11
Hope I'm not highjacking this thread - but I'm curious.
I've used the built in flash on the 350D - results are ok on auto but I don't really understand how to use it for fill in (but that is another thread I suppose).
Am looking at a flash unit. What is the difference between the Canon Speedlite 580Ex and independant makers - Sigma EF 500 ST or EF 500 Super ?
Are these as good or are the canons much better for canon cameras ?

Message edited by author 2006-10-07 00:24:23.
 10/07/2006 12:35:26 AM · #12
Originally posted by Tajhad:
I've used the built in flash on the 350D - results are ok on auto but I don't really understand how to use it for fill


Any time your ambient light is the main source of light, the flash itself is only playing "fill". For example, outside the light is likely to be much brighter than your flash, so the flash is only filling in the shadows. Indoors, you could do the same thing by setting your exposure down to what would be appropriate to take the picture *without* the flash, and then turn the flash on (using the same exposure) and now your flash is in the role of fill flash.

So when is your flash not a fill flash? When it is the main source of light on the subject. Mostly indoors with low light where your exposure would not have allowed the ambient light to light the subject. (you would typically do this if you want a faster shutter speed in order to avoid motion blur)

Originally posted by Tajhad:
Am looking at a flash unit. What is the difference between the Canon Speedlite 580Ex and independant makers - Sigma EF 500 ST or EF 500 Super ? Are these as good or are the canons much better for canon cameras ?


I'd personally stick to Canon. But I've read other threads here from people that like the other units as well.


10/07/2006 12:55:31 AM · #13
Metz flashes work rather well.
 10/07/2006 01:50:06 AM · #14
What do you plan to do with it? What's your budget?

Least costly choice is the sigma EF500DG Super. the ST model lacks features you'll probably want to use one day.

'safe' choice is the canon 580EX. it's got more features and more power than the 430. You can always turn a more powerful light down, but if you need more light than the flash can provide you're stuck.

Shooting weddings? Metz 54MZ4 or Quantum TD5 are very popular and withthe right adapters will do eTTL, and both have Auto modes - the Metz's auto mode it particularly good, often more consistent than canon's eTTL.

If you want to slave other lights quick and dirty the canon or sigma are the better choices - the other lights can do it but you need various chips or adapters and such. if you want to slave things in a bigger way then you'll likely use PocketWizards and probably studio strobes.
 10/07/2006 01:56:42 AM · #15
Originally posted by Tajhad:

Am looking at a flash unit. What is the difference between the Canon Speedlite 580Ex and independant makers - Sigma EF 500 ST or EF 500 Super ?
Are these as good or are the canons much better for canon cameras ?


I have a Metz 54 MZ4 and a Sigma EF500DG super. I've used a 580EX.
The canon feels very solid, the sigma the wimpiest. I wouldn't recomend dropping any of them though.
They all have similar power and features - sigma and canon both do the canon wireless bit if that matters to you. Metz builds solid units, their biggest feature is an Auto mode that is very reliable (meaning solid exposures from shot to shot).
The canon recycles the fastest but i think the metz is easier to use (as in accesing the special features, etc). You don't need a manual with the Metz as it's menu is pretty simple to figure out. the sigma's special functions are not very intuitive and if you don't use them often you;ll need the manual handy.
The metz flashes are the same for all cameras - the 'shoe' is all you need to change ($75) to use the same flash on a canon or nikon or oly, etc. this can be very usefull if you have more than one brand of camera or plan on changing in the future.
 10/07/2006 01:57:38 AM · #16
Chris
Does the Sigma EF500DG Super compare to the Canon 580EX ? or does the canon have more features etc.
I don't quite understand about the Metz ? I thought they were an independant company who prized themselves on pushing flash units - the Rolls Royce of flashes so to speak. So they need adaptors etc to work with canon cameras ? I thought they would have been compatible with all makes of cameras.
 10/07/2006 02:28:53 AM · #17
Buy a Qflash.
 10/07/2006 03:00:09 AM · #18
Chris - you answered my questions - by a minute. Thanks
 10/07/2006 03:07:35 AM · #19
Originally posted by Tajhad:
Chris
Does the Sigma EF500DG Super compare to the Canon 580EX ? or does the canon have more features etc.
I don't quite understand about the Metz ? I thought they were an independant company who prized themselves on pushing flash units - the Rolls Royce of flashes so to speak. So they need adaptors etc to work with canon cameras ? I thought they would have been compatible with all makes of cameras.


Metz first..the flash unit (bulb, batteries, lcd, etc) will work on any camera. BUT Nikon's iTTL and Canon's eTTL are different - different philosophies, different pin configuration on the hot shoe, etc. A metz flash comes with a dumb hotshoe that will work on any camera BUT only in teh flash's auto mode. If you want the flash and camera to communicate you need the 'shoe' - litereally the hot shoe part of the flash is changed and in there is a chip with the knowledge to make it work. My metz 54 I got before Canon upgraded from eTTL to eTTL2. I sent the shoe to Bogen in New Jersey for a free updage to the shoe's chip - a week total time including mailing, and no charge at all. Nice to be able to upgrade like that. Now if i want to use the flash wirelessly metz sells a shoe for that too, as well as a few other shoes for various specialty things.

As far as I know the Sigma Super and 580EX are very similar if not identical in features. The Sigma ST has a limited feature set like the canon 430 (neither of which have an LCD or adjustable output in manual mode).

As to what features you use or need? Hard to say. For some the canon wireless bit is important, but i'd never use it. Some like FP flash (for using flash over the Xsync shutter speed of 1/250). I don't use that either. The sigma can be triggered when it sees another flash - i've used this a few times (and have to get out the manual to make it do it). all these flashes tils swivel bounce and auto zoom, will sleep and wakeup on their own, etc. The Metz can be made to beep when recharged and ready to fire, and will beep if the pic is properly exposed or beep differently if underexposed (damned handy and you get used to it)

I got both my flashes used - the Metz w/ canon shoe for $300 including a LightSphere 2. The Sigma I bought mainly as a backup - $170 with an omnibounce included. (see //www.fredmiranda.com - the buy and sell forums)

I've used a friends 580 on my camera and it seemed fine for the testing I did (a few shots in his basement). I borrowed one from Canon last march for a day and a 5D too (school is a good thing sometimes - they didn't ask for ID or a deposit or nuthin! and threw in the 24-105 IS lens). I found the 580 to be inconsistent in exposure - granted, borrowed equipment i was not familiar with, so i put the flash on my camera and got the same mixed results. Perhaps it was that flash? Who knows. I can say teh sigma and metz have performed flawlessly. The canon flash did feel much more solidly built and I liked that, but I buy toilet paper based on feel, not machinery LOL
10/07/2006 11:13:58 AM · #20
Originally posted by hoff44:
I am looking for a flash for my Cannon 5d and I am not sure which is the best. Any suggestions??? Thank you.



If you have a Canon 5D, you wouldn't be asking this question. If you step up to the level of a Canon 5D, you should be knowledgable about Canon's line up and photography in general and not have to actually ask this question.


I'm jealous. I wanna Canon 5D. To answer your question, I would need more information such as what you intend to do with your flash. Since you have money to blow on a Canon 5D, pick up a Canon 580.

Actually, you don't need a flash in the first place since you have money to burn (I'm still stuck on the price thing). Why not just buy studio strobes. A beginning setup won't cost you more than a grand. Actually, that would've been a better question to ask. Sounds less newbie to ask about lighting than to ask about a flash.

Enjoy
 10/07/2006 12:06:14 PM · #21
Following on from what Prof Fate said, I use fill-flash occasionally and this is where the Canon scores. When FP mode is engaged on the Sigma, it is automatically cancelled when the shutter speed falls below the x-sync speed.This can be a pain. The Sigma is slightly less powerful than the 580, but has the optical slave mode, which is perhaps not that much of an attraction, seeing that the 5D does not have a built-in flash with which to trigger it. Do bear in mind, though, that the Sigma can only fire at a manually-set output level when using it in optical slave mode. This is not that much of a problem, as you'd need another flash to fire it, so could use one that can act as a wireless master.


Pages:  
Current Server Time: 04/23/2024 08:05:32 AM

Please log in or register to post to the forums.


Home - Challenges - Community - League - Photos - Cameras - Lenses - Learn - Prints! - Help - Terms of Use - Privacy - Top ^
DPChallenge, and website content and design, Copyright © 2001-2024 Challenging Technologies, LLC.
All digital photo copyrights belong to the photographers and may not be used without permission.
Current Server Time: 04/23/2024 08:05:32 AM EDT.