speed of 10D's built-in flash

[ldivinag]

can i assume that the 10D's built-in flash isnt "fast" enough to maintain that 3 frames a second rate?

so then are the 450 or the 550 flash unit fast enough? or there isnt such technology that is "cheap" that can do such fast rates???

thanks...

[RichardtheSane]

The 550 is fast enought if you use an external power pack :)

[mrbobco]

i'm certain that the built-in flash won't give you that speed...i've been using the 550 ex (i hardly ever use the built-in) and on a fresh set of ni mh 1600 mah batteries i've seen it fire off a burst of a good 6 or so shots before needing a moment (2 secs or so) to replenish...but not wanting to miss the shot, i use a quantum turbo 2x2 battery (expensive but worth it) i've seen the canon transistor pack too (a much more affordable alternative but i can't say much about whether or not you'll get the recycle time you want or the battery longevity, not to mention it uses (i think) 6 D cells or D sized rechargable packs) i'm able to pull off a good 6 or 7 shots in a row with the quantum before needing a moment to recycle (the quantum specs state 1-2 secs recycle time but i've noticed it much better than that) i use the 550 in tandem with an alien bees b-800 strobe and between the two of them i miss relatively few shots (as compared to the 550 only)

quantum has some other affordable options that work with teh 550 (although i love the 2x2...for $485 from b&h it's hardly what i refer to as affordable) as i mentioned, the canon transistor pack would probably be the most affordable option...

bob

[toddb]

I've only been using the 550 for a short time, but using just the 4 AA, the recycle time diminishes over time. A fresh set of batteries are soo much faster. I guess it's a good indicator you need to get a new set of batteries, but it sure goes fast. I can see why you would want to get that external battery pack.

[leony]

I've been using 550EX with the Canon CP-E2 Transistor Pack. The pack takes 6 AA batteries - of any kind. With Li-Ion batteries the 550EX takes 3-4 seconds to charge after a full discharge. Considering that I almost never have the flash put out full power, it works for me!

~ Leon.