Which Speedlite Flash to use ?

[pancho135 0]

Hi there,

I want to buy an external flash.

Somebody has experience witht the speedlight 420 EX ? Or higher ? Batterylife by skydiving, ... ?

http://www.usa.canon.com/html/cameras_speedlite/index.html

I want to use it for 35mm eso 300 and slr d10

Cheers, Pancho

• Quote

[XDV 0]

I use a 420 ex for a year now, and I change my batterie every 2 jumps, they are 1800miah rechargeable .

I shot with a 10D about 25 to 30 exposure during each jumps

[vdschoor 0]

I am going to get the 550EX, I've seen the results from Deuce's 550 and it is very nice.

Thanks,
Iwan

[pancho135 0]

Hi, much diffrence with the 550 ?

i saw your pictures, nice. Shutterfly works in Europe too ?

Cheers

Pancho

PS : if you come in Spa, we drink some beers

[vdschoor 0]

I don't know, I just know that the 550EX is the most powerfull flash available, and if you are filming formations, you don't want light, you want LIGHT!

And you want it fast, I don't think the 420EX has the high speed sync, the 550EX does.

We will drink some beers when I come out there, but I have no clue when.. ha ha. California is just treating me too well.

Iwan

[genoyamamoto 0]

550's guide #'s (at ISO 100):

138 feet at 50mm focal length
180 feet at 105mm focal length

420's guide #'s (at ISO 100):

101 feet at 35mm focal length
138 feet at 105mm focal length


GN = fstop * distance_to_target

Don't quote me on this but I *think* the power output scales as guide # squared, so the 550 has 70% more light output as the 420 ex for a given focal length, aperture and distance to target.

Guide # increases by sqrt(2) for every stop increase in ISO, so this means you can basically shoot the same scene using an ISO 1 to 2 stops slower with the 550 than with the 420 if the flash is the primary source of light.

Then again, I could be blowing smoke up your arse!

Gotta go... plaything needs to spank me
Feel the hate...
Photos here

[genoyamamoto 0]

Quote

And you want it fast, I don't think the 420EX has the high speed sync, the 550EX does.

420 has high speed sync. I've done some high speed photography using it (before I gave the flash to my sister) all the way to 1/4000th. You just don't get as much light output at that point. Got some cool pics tho.

Gotta go... plaything needs to spank me
Feel the hate...
Photos here

[psw097 0]

420Ex has High Speed Synch up to max. shutter speed.


Well, that was a redundant post. I must learn to type faster.

[diablopilot 2]

Quote

And you want it fast, I don't think the 420EX has the high speed sync, the 550EX does.

High speed Sync is a wierd thing. The reason a flash can only sync with a camera at lower shutter speeds is that's the only time both peices of the shutter (focal plane shutter) are open at the same time. The High speed sync function flashes the bulb (leaves the lamp on) for a longer period of time so there are no dark or "dead" bands on the image. This greatly reduces the output ot the flash. I find high speed sync to be pretty useless for skydiving, as flash photograpghy at about 1/200th (1/180th or 1/250th for Canon 10D) is suitable.

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You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

[vdschoor 0]

Quote

Quote

And you want it fast, I don't think the 420EX has the high speed sync, the 550EX does.

I find high speed sync to be pretty useless for skydiving, as flash photograpghy at about 1/200th (1/180th or 1/250th for Canon 10D) is suitable.

Hmm.. that's funny, from the people I have been talking to this was one of the reasons to get the 550, next to the amount of light it produces.

Thanks,
Iwan

[diablopilot 2]

I wanted to explane that the limitation on flash sync is a PHYSICAL one, and Cannons solution is an electronic fix, but there are trade offs.

High speed sync is a nice tool to have, I just don't use it much. The highe output is the first reason I bought mine, and then the selectability in manual modes, and thirdly the IR slave functions.

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You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

[vdschoor 0]

Thanks JP!

Mine should be in the mail right now...
Now I only need to figure out how to mount it on "the dome" haha

Iwan

[hoym 0]

Some time ago, Quade posted a link to a site with a lot of information on flash.

http://photonotes.org/articles/eos-flash/

I have the 420EX and it won't rapid fire multiple frames without taking too much of a delay to re-charge.

This is an excerpt from the site...

"Flash units with rapid-fire capabilities:
Speedlites 160E, 300EZ, 420EZ, 430EZ, 540EZ, 550EX, 480EG.

Flash units with no rapid-fire capabilities:
Speedlites 200E, 220EX, 380EX, 420EX, ML-3, MR-14EX, MT-24EX, 300TL. "

I am buying the 550EX (maybe two of them) before the spring season starts.

I have an unused 420EX for sale.

-mh.

[XDV 0]

for those who don't want to search the all pages

http://photonotes.org/articles/eos-flash/index3.html#rapidfire

thks for the info I also have a 420ex to sell

[vdschoor 0]

I knew I read it on here somewhere, I guess I just used the wrong terminology.

I was after the rapid fire functionality.


Does anybody have pictures of how they have actually mounted their flashes on the Flat Top Pro?

Thanks,
Iwan

[diablopilot 2]

Quote

Does anybody have pictures of how they have actually mounted their flashes on the Flat Top Pro?

Crap, you want me to buy *another* digital camera to take a picture of how I have my camera set up?



I'll go find a mirror later......

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You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

[vdschoor 0]

JP,

Sure, then you can add it to the list of gear in one of the other threads

Thanks for the effort though!

Iwan

[ille 0]

It would be nice of a picture of a 550EX mounted on any type of helmet. What do you do with all of the cable from the camera to the flash.

/Christian, who got a 550EX this week.

http://www.lufk.nu

[Deuce 1]

Here's two examples. On my FTP both the 550EX's will be behind and slightly above the 10D. The hot shoe connection cable just loops around the lens. It's no problem.

The Bat rack is for sale.

[vdschoor 0]

Deuce,

Will they be mounted in the upright position?
I was thinking of mounting mine on the side, flat to reduce snag possibilities.

Iwan

[XDV 0]

I have monter mine flat on my FT pro, to have less snag point, I also cut the shoe extension cord and reconnect it with a cable with 6 small cable inside, and now no more coil wire everything is clean.


will send picture tonight

[XDV 0]

there is 2 picture of my flash set up you can also see what I did with the shoe cord.

X

[vdschoor 0]

That looks very clean!

A question to throw out there.. I just got my 550 EX in this week and I have been looking as to were to mount it on my helmet.
The cleanest from a snag point would probably be on top, but since my helmet is really high already I don't want to do that.

What would you guys recommend? I attached a bigger picture of the helmet to this post.
I am saving for the new FTP, but that might be a while before I get that. So maybe I should hold off on putting the flash on altogether..

Any advice?


Iwan

[bmcd308 0]

420 ex will work with all 7 focus points, but 550 ex will only work with the center point on the cameras you mention.

550ex is half a stop more powerful.

550ex has more flash-mounted controls so more of its features (modeling flash, FEL, etc.) will work with your 300. D10 has on-board CF controls so that will not be as critical with that camera.

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