Canon's 550EX flash

[LoungeLizard]

Anyone have this? What do you think of it? I'm considering it, the 580EX, or the Sigma 500 (I know there's a huge price difference).

It is to be used with a DRebel (and possibly a 20D at some point in the future.)

Thougths?

[MyKey]

I can not speak for the Sigma but I can say that the Caon 580ex is amazing!

It recharge time is lighting fast and the overall size is smaller than the 550ex. All around great little flash!

[ctp93]

I have the Sigma 500 DG Super and it does everything I ever need it to. I could not justify the cost of the Canon becuase:

1) I hate using the flash
2) I only use it as a last resort, thus I don't use it enough to justify the cost.

Now that I bought that promax 80-20 system though, I might use it more.

[Abel]

if youre thinking of getting a 20d down the line i'd get the 580ex specifically because then you can utilize the ETTLII capabilities of the new camera body...

i have a 550ex (left over from 10d days) right now for my 20d and i want a 580ex

[Jim Victory]

Ditto what Abel said. If you have the 20D in sight definitely get the 580EX. I have both and the 580EX is allot more intuitive than the 550EX. I use it on the 1Ds too even if it isn't ETTL2. Works great on the 20D and 1DMk2.

Haven't tried it on the 1DsMK2 yet but I will soon, unless I switch to Nikon :D

[Abel]

well if u switch to nikon gimme a good deal on your L glass!!! hehe ;)

[Jim Victory]

Originally Posted by Abel

well if u switch to nikon gimme a good deal on your L glass!!! hehe ;)

I'm probably going to keep two kits. My wife likes the 20D so I'm going to keep some lenses for her kit.

Just waiting to try out the new D2x but if I like it I will have allot of glass and other equipment for sale.

Now this is highjacketing a thread :oops:

[LoungeLizard]

Originally Posted by Jim Victory

I will have allot of glass and other equipment for sale.

Now this is highjacketing a thread :oops:

Yes, it is. Shame on you!

By the way, let me know too! Things on my "wish list":

17-40L or 16-35f2.8L
100mmf2.8 macro
100-400L
external flash (isn't this how this whole thing got started?)

[AustinModelsAndTalent]

I have the Sigma which I got for my 10D. Now that I have a 20D also, I have tried using it with and have found some problems. Just this past weekend at the group shoot the motor in the flash started to go wild... I assume because it was engineered for previous camera's and the 20D was giving it some issues. Now even if you got a Sigma engineered to be compatible with the 20D... what happens when the 30D or 40D comes along?

I opted for the huge price savings of Sigma vs. Canon. Now wish I had not.

[Steelsun]

I got the Sigma 500 DG recently (and was also gifted with a Lightsphere for it), but have yet to really try and use it. The instruction manual for it is kinda cryptic.

[jtford]

Originally Posted by LoungeLizard

Anyone have this? What do you think of it? I'm considering it, the 580EX, or the Sigma 500 (I know there's a huge price difference).

It is to be used with a DRebel (and possibly a 20D at some point in the future.)

Thougths?

I have a number of flash units, including the 420, 550 and 580, and have used a number of others, including the Quantum X2 and TD4.

The 420 is an automatic-only toy. The 550 takes a barely-adequate second to the 580. Everything, from the amount of light to recycle time, even the controls and physical size of the unit, is vastly improved on the 580. It's well worth the extra money.

If the price of the 580 is a concern, get the Sigma 500 Super.

That being said, it's my opinion that your best bet is to shoot manually and ignore E-TTL, as it's inconsistent as hell, and requires that you use either use the craptacular Canon infrared remote system for multiple flashes, or 3rd party addons that are five times as expensive as the same model for non-ETTL flash.

Good luck.

[soundbelly]

I use the 550EX and I think it works great. There are times when my wide angle glitches, due to multiplication factor. Overall, it's a good flash. The 580, if I'm not mistaken, can compensate for the conversion factor for the DRebel and the 20D.

You guys can double check me on that. :)

[speedydave]

[thread jack]

Originally Posted by Jim Victory

Just waiting to try out the new D2x but if I like it I will have allot of glass and other equipment for sale.

I got dibs on the 1DmkII! :D

My boss was on the waiting list for a D2X as soon as it was possible to be. He was probably one of the first people to get his. About two days after he got it, he had a race to cover, and brought the D2X with him (along with his D1X's in case something happened to the D2X). He loved it so much that he ordered a second D2X almost right after he got back from the race. This past race he shot (Phoenix IRL/IPS), all he used was the D2X's. I don't know how they compare to a 1DmkII, but I don't think I've ever seen someone be so excited about a camera before. ;) I can PM you a link to some samples if you'd like, but right now it's pretty easy to find D2X samples online...

[/thread jack]

[LoungeLizard]

OK...so it looks as though it'll be the 580. I can get a used 550 for about $260 or a new 580 for about $380...heck, it's only money! Still wondering if it's 50% better than the 550, though.

So, what diffuser do people recommend? I've seen (and am leaning toward) the LumiQuest Softbox ones as they fold flat. I've read about a "sphere" type (and saw someone use one) but it is just too bulky for travel.

Any recommendations?

[Jim Victory]

I use the Lumniquest and the Omnibounce. The Lumniquest is my first choice because it diffuses better for close ups.