speedlite 420ex

[pipodeclown]

Hello,

I would like to buy a Canon Speedlite 420 EX. My current Metz 32MZ-3 flash does not work properly with my new G3.
I've seen de Speedlite 420 EX in the US for much lower prices than here in Europe. Does anybody know if there are differences between the 420 which is sold in the US and the 420 sold in Europe.

Thanks in advance

Robert

[benca1]

Robert, I did a little research on this just before ordering my 420 yesterday. What good timing you have!

No. There are no physical differences whatsoever between "gray market" goodies and domestic ones. Apparently the only real difference is that the warranty will not be honored. So order from the US if you like. By the way, it's cheaper here to buy the european 420 then it is to buy the American (domestic) version.

I purchased my 420ex from andoramacamera for 170 american dollars. It includes a 15 dollar rebate making the final price 155. I chuckle about this, because this is the going rate on ebay for one used. Ebay annoys.... people always bid up the good stuff to a price that with a little research could be done for new (and from a reputable seller).

Anyway, I hope this helps.

[pukkita]

none (apart from warranty) that I know of.

Prices in Europe are laughable (230 euro the best price, 270 euro average) while you can get one at bhphoto or adorama for $160, which is about 136 Euro. Add about $30 shipping for a total cost of $190, and that's 162Eur. that's almost a 100 eur price difference.

The only problem are customs. Depending the country you're in, even with customs the price will be lower. On mine staying away from couriers (specially USPS) and using postal service results usually on customs ignoring these packages.

[pukkita]

benca, I agree with you regarding ebay; hot items (cameras, flashes, etc) reach prices that are usually above those from competitive online shops.

[jpmccormac]

As mentioned, there is no difference in USA vs European models except price and warranty. However, be aware that the G3 does NOT support the 420EX's AF assist.

[Dana]

jpmccormac wrote:
As mentioned, there is no difference in USA vs European models except price and warranty. However, be aware that the G3 does NOT support the 420EX's AF assist.

FYI:

If you purchase the European model in the US from B&H Photo Video, they provide a full year warranty that matches the Canon warranty.

Dana

[discusws]

Yo All,

I did order many times outside Europe to get things cheaper but my country is doing an extra tax on top of it (19%) so it is probably not worth to do it.

In the Netherlands cheapest price for an 420 EX = 220 Euro and in Germany 200 Euro

So for me the difference prices are:
Netherlands = 220 € + 11 €schipping = 231 €
German = 200 €+ 22 € schipping = 242 €
USA = 160 $ +30 $ schipping = 162 € + 19% vat = 192 €

I personally think that that is it not worth.

In another way when you know somebody and you can send mony in an enveloppe and they send it back in an noname package you can fool import authorities and than it is a lot cheaper.

Regards Walter

[dujie]

jpmccormac wrote:
As mentioned, there is no difference in USA vs European models except price and warranty. However, be aware that the G3 does NOT support the 420EX's AF assist.


Does the G3 AF assist work with any flash? I am interested in purchasing an external flash and was just wondering.

Thanks
Dujie

[verT]

dujie wrote:
Does the G3 AF assist work with any flash? I am interested in purchasing an external flash and was just wondering.

Thanks
Dujie

From my understanding the only flash that will "talk" with the G3 is the Canon flash. You can use another flash but you will have to set the flash up manually.

[dujie]

Thanks verT.

It is unfourtunate that the AF assist does not work with Canon lenses.

dujie

[jglisson73]

I emailed Canon support about the AF Assist light on the 420 EX not working with the G3, and asked if the AF Assist on works with any other flash. They wrote back that the speedlite flash AF Assist light will not work with any camera that has its own AF Assist light built in.

Well...there it is, straight from the horse's mouth!

John

[dujie]

Thanks John. That is interesting information!

Dujie

[benca1]

jglisson73 wrote:
I emailed Canon support about the AF Assist light on the 420 EX not working with the G3, and asked if the AF Assist on works with any other flash. They wrote back that the speedlite flash AF Assist light will not work with any camera that has its own AF Assist light built in.

Well...there it is, straight from the horse's mouth!

John

Oh man. But then they only sell a 58mm adapater that blocks the AF assist light.

I'll blame marketing instead of Canon engineering.

[jglisson73]

That's a great point benca1...definitely a disappointment.

[RajaBhat]

Benca1:
>

Have you looked up www.lensmateonline.com where they have all kinds of tests comparing their 52 mm barrel and how it affects flash etc...as compared to the 58 mm Canon.
Raja

[pukkita]

They wrote back that the speedlite flash AF Assist light will not work with any camera that has its own AF Assist light built in.


That IMHO sounds like... bull****. The on camera AF assist can be disabled. I'd like to know which Canon cameras, for whose the 420 or 550 are intended do not have AF assist beams.

Anyway, I can't see the point of that incompatibility; disable the on camera AF beam, then instruct the flash to fire its own, then let the AF do its work.

Given the laughable AF performance of this camera, with good lightning included, plus the AF blockage if you use any lens adapter (52mm included), this is the minimum Canon could do for us, which have spent $170 more on a brand flash.

Maybe we should start a collective petition; they won't move a finger unless they feel there's palpable demand for that.

[jglisson73]

I would sign it!!! I plan to get a 420 EX one of these days. It's the best flash I've found for the g3 in my research. I would certainly like the AF to work!

John

[jglisson73]

BTW...just for the record, here's the actual email I got back from Canon:

Dear John,

Thank you for contacting Canon product support.

The AF assist beam of a Speedlite flash will only operate if the camera
to which the flash is attached is not equipped with its own AF assist
beam. Because the G3 has its own AF assist beam, the AF assist beam of
the 420 EX will not operate when that flash is mounted on the camera. We
regret this inconvenience.

Thank you for choosing Canon.

Sincerely,

Jenny
Product Support Representative


Oh well!!!

[shrumtrop]

even withe the off camera shoe cord 2?

[pukkita]

yep...

[yallcome]

Hey -- tell me about the off camera shoe? Does it come with the flash?

[jglisson73]

This link shows what the flash comes with from B&H...yes, it comes with a hotshoe stand.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh6/controller/home?O=NavBar&A=getItemDetail&Q=&sku=206436&is=USA&si=inc#goto_itemInfo

John

[BruceW]

The hot shoe stand is different to the off camera shoe cord 2.

The hot shoe stand is just a small plastic stand that comes with the flash. It could be useful if you had a 550EX or the ST-E2 acting as master on the G3 and the 420 as slave off camera.

The off camera shoe cord 2 doea not come with the flash and is quite expensive, but very useful. It is a cord with a hot shoe adaptor at one end for connecting to the camera and another at the other end for connecting to the flash. It allows you to hold the flash further away from the camera, but only at a max of about arms length. I use mine on a side bracket which connects to the camera tripod thread.

Bruce

[Psaint]

BruceW wrote:
The hot shoe stand is different to the off camera shoe cord 2.
The off camera shoe cord 2 doea not come with the flash and is quite expensive, but very useful. It is a cord with a hot shoe adaptor at one end for connecting to the camera and another at the other end for connecting to the flash. It allows you to hold the flash further away from the camera, but only at a max of about arms length. I use mine on a side bracket which connects to the camera tripod thread.

Bruce

Bruce, I've been wondering about this but couldn't tell by looking at the picture of the cord. Does the cord mount on the side bracket shoe and the flash on top of the cord? I know that one end of the cord goes on the camera hot shoe but I wasn't sure if I could use my non-hot shoe bracket with it. My previous camera, a Minolta SRT-101, had a socket that the flash plugged into for the flash connection. TIA.

[BruceW]

psaint,

The part that fits onto the camera hot shoe has the usual 5 contacts common to most canon flashes.

The part on the other end of the cord has a hot shoe foot with no contacts, on its bottom half, which allows it to be placed onto any hotshoe type bracket. The top of this end of the cord has a hotshoe with the 5 contacts, allowing a canon flash to be connected.

The cord is coiled and only about a foot long when unstretched.

Bruce

[Psaint]

Thanks Bruce. That clears it up nicely for me.

[pukkita]

BTW, regarding Canon statement that the 420EX IR beam cannot be used in cameras with in-camera focus assist beam, here's what a D60 user says:


If you don't already have one, consider buying either the 420EX or 550EX flash. I use the 420. You can set a custom function to emit the infrared focus assist beam without firing the flash for use in low light. Really helps the AF snap in quickly when it might otherwise struggle with the white lamp built into the camera.


Taken from http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=3302#14484

So what Canon said is just plain... bullsh*t as I suspected.

[jglisson73]

I'll have to reply back to the email I got from Canon and point out that the Speedlite AF Beam works with the D60 which has its own internal beam.

Thanks for the info. I call this peeling the onion (one layer at a time!)

John

[pukkita]

Maybe we should ask permission to Pekka if we can open a thread in this forum (or other place) to collect petitions from users asking Canon to implement this feature in the G3/G5.

[rangersvtsplash]

i get the the same thing from canon with the use on the canon g3. either the guy has no clue or its true. mm yeah is the emails

"Dear Mr. Luis Mateus

Thank you for your E-mail inquiry.

The Canon Speedlite 420EX is designed for use on a number of different
models of Canon Cameras. The Canon Speedlite 420EX is fully compatible
with the features offered with the Canon PowerShot G3.

Should you require further assistance, please feel free to email us or
visit our customer support website at http://www.canon.ca


Sincerely,

David S.
Technical Support Representative
Customer Information Centre
Canon Canada Inc.

--------------------------------------
You wrote:
im sorry to inform you but the assist beam of the flash is not compatible
with the g3. you caint shutoff the cameras one and use the flashes one.
unless you know anything more than i do? i am pretty sure it was a crap
design in doing so and i hope canon comes up with a firmware to correct
it.
their is many who use the lense adaptors and the cameras assist beam
becomes
useless. hope i aint wrong and hope their is a way to use it but if not i
hope canon comes up with a solution for this problem.

luis



----- Original Message -----
From: "Customer Support"
To:
Sent: Wednesday, June 18, 2003 8:32 AM
Subject: Digital Camera/PowerShot G3 - Hardware Questions


> Dear Mr. Luis Mateus
>
> Thank you for your E-mail inquiry.
>
> The Canon Speedlite 420EX is fully compatible with the Canon PowerShot
G3.
>
> Should you require further assistance, please feel free to email us or
> visit our customer support website at http://www.canon.ca
>
>
> Sincerely,
>
> David S.
> Technical Support Representative
> Customer Information Centre
> Canon Canada Inc.
>
> --------------------------------------
> You wrote:
> i have the g3 and thinking of getting a speedlite 420Ex
> flash for it.
> i need to know is that if the flash works on the g3. if all the
> features work like the assest lamp.
>
> luis
>
>"