Speedlite 420EX vx 550EX

[JAB1]

HELP....in a dilemna!!!!!.....Help me decide between the two flashes....I am not a pro...just want to have a good quality flash for use with all my lenses and the 10D.....the 420 is half the cost of the 550....thoughts?...thanks...AB

[clos]

You might want to do a search on this forum, it has been discussed several times before, here is one:

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=16524#88686

You'll find a lot of other interesting posts too.

-Clos

[scollins]

JAB1,

I have the 420ex and it fits my needs perfectly. I'm strictly an amateur and depend on it as a good fill flash, and use it when shooting indoors. According to the other 420ex vs. 550ex thread, the 550ex can be used to drive the 420ex as a slave flash. The biggest complaint that I have is that it's only useful down to a 24mm lens. It barely covers my 15-30mm lens, however, an omni bounce attachment for $15 can give it a range down to 15mm. Personally, I couldn’t justify the price difference. Canon is also offering a rebate on the 420ex as well, so the price comes down to $165.

[DaveG]

JAB1 wrote:
HELP....in a dilemna!!!!!.....Help me decide between the two flashes....I am not a pro...just want to have a good quality flash for use with all my lenses and the 10D.....the 420 is half the cost of the 550....thoughts?...thanks...AB

Based on the lenses that you have I think that you are little bit more than just dabbling in photography. If you were just to use one flash then the 420 would be a good choice, but the true strength of the 550, besides being more powerful than thr 420 is that it's the first step down the path the wireless TTL.

Flash from the camera position is usually deadly. It's very flat and extremely unattactive. Many, many amateur photographers refuse to use flash because it's so bad. But with an off camera flash you can make magic.

So if you think that you have any interst at all in this kind of photography start with the 550 - the 420 CANNOT be the master - and add a 420 as soon as you can.

Send me an email and I'll show you a few shots done with a second flash. dgrandy@grandyphoto.com

[DAMphyne]

One thing about the 550 vs 420, the 420 can't be set to manual full flash.

[slau]

If you just want a good flash to use with your 10D, the 420Ex is a very good one for its price.

I have actually two 420 and one 550 myself. I started out exactly the same situation as yours, looking for a good flash that can do ettl fill flash with high speed sync with my D60. I bought the 420 and really liked it. Later on, as I need more power and like to have the wireless ettl control, I bought the 550Ex. My suggestion is to go for the 420 first to see if it fits your need. If not, go for the 550. Then you can decide either to sell the 420 or keep it (for easier/smaller to carry or as a slave unit).

[MediaMagic]

Well, in a wrestling match, the 550ex has the size advantage for sure.

I would emphatically suggest getting both. I also have the 550ex with two 420ex's and can cover or create a wide variety of lighting conditions. The 550 fires the 420's off camera and you can turn the output off altogether on the 550, or use ratios. The combination works very well.

If you are only getting one flash unit, go for the 550ex as it's a bit more versatile, and you can always add a 420ex or two later. The 420 is a nice flash unit, and does a good job, but you'd probably wind up wanting more in a very short period. I think the 420 really shines (pun intended) as a slave flash.

[DonCoon]

DaveG wrote:
[So if you think that you have any interst at all in this kind of photography start with the 550 - the 420 CANNOT be the master - and add a 420 as soon as you can.



I don't disagree with your logic re a 550 -- 420 combo sometime down the road. But why wouldn't it make more sense to buy the 420 first? With one unit, wireless TTL isn't possible so a Master isn't necessary. Right?

[DaveG]

DonCoon wrote:
DaveG wrote:
[So if you think that you have any interst at all in this kind of photography start with the 550 - the 420 CANNOT be the master - and add a 420 as soon as you can.



I don't disagree with your logic re a 550 -- 420 combo sometime down the road. But why wouldn't it make more sense to buy the 420 first? With one unit, wireless TTL isn't possible so a Master isn't necessary. Right?

The 550 is a much more powerful and functional flash han the 420. You get more power but also variable manual settings. If I was to have one flash for the 10D I'd want it to be the 550.

But if this was all about wireless TTL it woudn't make much difference whether you started with a 550 or a 420. At the end of the day you will spend exactly the same amount of money for the 420 and 550 no matter which order you bought them in.

Still, I think that I was more inclined to buy the 420 AFTER I had the 550 as I saw this big advantage of wireless TTL and then the 420 looked cheap. It's silly of me to think this way but there ya go.

I guess the one (and only) other rationalization for getting the 550 first might be that you could decide later that a second 550 (power, power, power) is a smarter buy than a 420. It's not from my point of view, but I'm out here tap dancing as fast as I can.

[robertwgross]

550EX has a bigger guide number, so it gets the advantage.

550EX can be Master, Slave, or None, so it gets the advantage. However, Master does not buy you much unless you are using multiple wireless flash units.

I purchased mine for the first advantage and then stopped there.

---Bob Gross---

[Cordell]

I first purchased the 420ex. It's a very nice flash for a lot less money. I could not justify the expense of the 550 even though it has the manual settings and is more powerful. But I haven't been shooting long enough to worry about more power. In any case, I did my homework and bought the Sigma 500 Super DG. I LOVE IT! The price is only $20 more than the 420 and it has all the manual controls I need (even controls the 420) and the power rating is very close to the 550.

I did have the opportunity to use a 550 for a wedding a couple of months ago, but I could not see why the 550 cost that much compared to the 420 or the Sigma.

I would strongly suggest to either go with the 420ex or the Sigma DG model. Please note though: the Sigma's build quality is not as good as the 550, but remember, the price is A LOT less. If you drop either one it probably doesn't matter anyway.

BTW, I do have to say I hate the instruction manual for the Sigma.

[nucki]

right now I am in the same situation. but I decided for myself to buy the 420EX first. All of you told someting obout 550 and two 420 and so on. so if anybody of you (exept a few like it seems) had as a minimum one additional 420, why dont start with the 420 and look if it is enough for you. if not, just buy the 550 and 3 additonal 420 of course ;-)

because its cheaper anyway...

best regards from austria
Peter