20D for sure but which flash setup ?

[Paul_Mc]

I plan to use my 20D for wildlife photography, including macro (plan to buy a 100 macro lense) and other photography of birds and other wildlife using the 100-400 IS lense.

I thought about getting the macro flash mt-24ex but that's only for macro. What if i stumble upon a frog in a pond and need some extra light or a bird in a tree on a rainy day or whatever where the macro flash can't be used and i'll neeed another flash instead.

Do i get just 1 flash like the 550ex ? Do i get the 580ex ?

Will this be enough for BOTH macro AND other wildlife photography?

Also, what is the range in feet for a flash like the 550? If there's a frog in a pond and i need the extra light of the flash to get the shot but he's like 20 or 30 feet away, will it help?

Thanks !

- Paul

[Cal Maier]

Do i get just 1 flash like the 550ex ? Do i get the 580ex ?

Paul,

I wouldn't bother with the 550EX now, as it has been discontinued and replaced by the 580EX. As far as the macro flash goes, I carry a small 12" reflector in my bag that allows me to bounce extra light onto the subject(s) as needed. You can also mount the camera flash on the camera and use the reflector to bounce its light into an area that it isn't reaching.

The reflector that I have is made by Photoflex and it works very well.

Cal M CPS432

[Jim_T]

I'd go for the 580EX..

The 580 can read the the sensor size of the 20D and adjust the back reflector to compensate for the 1.6 crop. So, for instance, when using a 50mm lens, the flash will show it's set for 50mm, but will adjust itself to a narrower 80mm...

This gives you the optimum flash spread for your selected focal length.

AFAIK the 580 is the only flash that does it and it only does it on the 20D...