Talk me in or out of the 550EX!

[DustyDesert]

My favorite photo store told me the 550EX would be best for my 10D. I'm going to be shooting a wedding reception in a gym setting with high ceilings and florescent lighting. I will be shooting some available light B&W with higher ISO's, but also want to use lower ISO's and a flash. I've read negative things about TTL and wonder if for the price I would be better off with something else. The other options I'm considering are the Nikon SB800 or the Sigma 500DG Super. I read at http://shootsmarter.com/infocenter/wc031.htm that the Nikon flash on a 10D was much better than the 550EX, but I'm a bit nervous about the compatibility and purchasing the Nikon flash based on one review.

I plan on getting the Lumiquest Pocket Bouncer, too. Is a flash bracket also going to be a must have? I "might" be doing more weddings, so I am willing to get the best I can afford now which would be in the $600 range or less.

[robertwgross]

Your camera's main flash mode is ETTL, not TTL, so Canon Speedlites with -EX are the best way to go. That leaves you the 580EX, 550EX, or 420EX. It would be possible to get a Nikon flash to work, but not ETTL mode.

For wedding receptions, the -EX flashes work fine. Put one on a flash bracket with the off camera shoe cord 2, and away you go. Orient the flash unit on the bracket so that it is directly above the lens whether you are shooting with it held horizontally or vertically.

---Bob Gross---

[Toogy]

On a similiar note, how much faster is the 550EX over the 420EX when it comes to recyling?
I used a 420EX last weekend at a wedding and the flash recycle times were pretty long, even with new batteries.
Is the 550 Quicker?

Or is there some other way I can speed up the recycle times?

[billsh]

You have heard the old axiom " bracket, bracket, bracket." Well its true for flash photography as well as exposure. I've shot a few weddings and the bracket makes all the difference. Getting the flash away from camera makes a lot of sense. You can purchase one for $30-$50 I think.

As far as the 550, I love mine. I would consider the 580 also. It's the new ettl II and makes more sense for the future. I don't know the price difference but I would definitely compare the two.

Hope this helps. Good Luck.

[Adam Hicks]

Can someone post the name or B&H link for a reasonably priced flash bracket? I know the flash cord is around $50, but I too need a recommendation on a basic flash bracket.

Thanks!

[robertwgross]

On a similiar note, how much faster is the 550EX over the 420EX when it comes to recyling?
I used a 420EX last weekend at a wedding and the flash recycle times were pretty long, even with new batteries.
Is the 550 Quicker?

Or is there some other way I can speed up the recycle times?

I find them to be roughly the same recycle speed. On some flash units, you can plug in an external battery pack, and that will speed up the recycle a lot. 550EX has that, and 420EX does not.

---Bob Gross---

[imagesense]

There are three things to consider when making your choice - compatibility, recycle time, price.

The Sigma cannot use an external battery pack so you are held to the default recycle time. But it is economical compared to the Canon 550ex.

The 550ex will do everything that the combination of your camera to flash is capable of doing and it can be powered by external pack for faster recycling time - but it is more expensive.

The 580ex is brand new and just came out this week so if you get one you will have to see if it functions properly before you use it for the event.
It is also the most expensive option at around $479 USD

If you are doing this kind of event only once and are not a regular wedding photographer, I'd recommend the Sigma. If you are doing lots of weddings you will want to think about the 550ex which is less expensive than the 580ex and is a good match for the 10D. If you are thinking of upgrading to the 20D, go for the 580ex. It will give you the most bang for the buck with the 20D.

[ScottH]

The 580EX supposedly recycles faster than than 550EX, but I only have the 550. I use Canon's CP-E2 with it for faster recycling.

Scott

[timmyquest]

The 580EX supposedly recycles faster than than 550EX, but I only have the 550. I use Canon's CP-E2 with it for faster recycling.

Scott

It's also almost $500 :shock:

[scottbergerphoto]

I use two 550EX's and two Quantum Turbo Z battery packs. Recycle time is virtually instantaneous.
Scott

[DustyDesert]

I guess I'll go for the 550EX since I might be doing more weddings. There seems to be a wide range of flash brackets available and I could really use some pointers on what to look for. Are the ones on http://www.pictureline.com/photographic/accessories/acustombrackets/index.html beyond what I would need? The brackets seem a bit expensive, but I've bought from this place before and they are good to work with, but will buy elsewhere if I need to. I'm in the US.

What are the recycle times like with a NimH battery? The Quantum Turbo Z mentioned is out of my price range for right now.

[scottbergerphoto]

Custom Brackets are well respected as are Stroboframe's like the Pro RL, and Kirk Brackets.
Scott

[imagesense]

I use the Stroboframe Press-T. It's small and light and works fine with 10D & 20D.

[drisley]

Or is there some other way I can speed up the recycle times?
Increase the ISO.

[johndm]

[quote="DustyDesert"]My favorite photo store told me the 550EX would be best for my 10D. I'm going to be shooting a wedding reception in a gym setting with high ceilings and florescent lighting. I will be shooting some available light B&W with higher ISO's, but also want to use lower ISO's and a flash. quote]

I've been trying to decide for weeks...........420 or 550.

Took the plunge today, now have a nice new 550, and spent an hour or three playing with it. Was it worth the extra over the 420......?

YEP...wonderful bit of kit, looking forward to the weekend to try some serious stuff. And it makes even my humble 300D look the buisiness.. 8)

[robertwgross]

Took the plunge today, now have a nice new 550, and spent an hour or three playing with it.

Hell, it took me that long to find the feet/meters switch.

---Bob Gross---

[johndm]

Took the plunge today, now have a nice new 550, and spent an hour or three playing with it.

Hell, it took me that long to find the feet/meters switch.

---Bob Gross---

What switch is that then?? :roll:
I hadn't planned on looking at the instruction book for at least a week.. :D

[robertwgross]

What switch is that then??

Maybe we should make this a test for each new 550EX owner.

I suppose Canon wanted to put a switch for feet or meters somewhere near the electronics, but they wanted it to be sort of out-of-the-way. It isn't the sort of switch that you will be changing several times per day. Look really hard inside the battery compartment.

---Bob Gross---

[drisley]

Battery compartment? Wassat? :lol:

[nosquare2003]

If you do not upgrade your 10D shortly (from ETTL to ETTL II), you may also consider Metz:

http://www.metz.de/en/photo_electronics/empfehlung.142.html

I will try Metz myself some time later as I won't have ETTL II for quite some time.

[DustyDesert]

When I do upgrade, I will be keeping the 10D for a backup or secondary camera. The Metz 54 MZ4 ranked very high on the report I listed in my first post and it's only a bit more $$. Does anyone here have experience with this flash on a 10D?

[imagesense]

The Metz may well be the best flash of all but the Canon adapter has not yet been released for the 20D. When that happens I may look at the Metz myself. Even if it works now with the 10D, if you plan on getting a 20D you won't be able to use that flash correctly.
For now I use a Sigma, but the 580EX is next on my shopping list.

Lou

[Steven M. Anthony]

I went to my local camera store (oriented towards pros, which I am NOT) to buy the 550ex for my 10D and they would not sell it to me. They said I would hate it because it doesn't really work well--very inconsistent flash results. They said I would just end up bringing it back. But the comments above seem to show people are happy with it. What do you think gives?

[Groundworxs]

Get it you won't regret it. Range, accurate, features galore, high speed sync nice, and re sale price. Read the manual!!! I have never had a problem with this flash that was not due to my own mistakes.

cheers
Tom

[robertwgross]

I went to my local camera store (oriented towards pros, which I am NOT) to buy the 550ex for my 10D and they would not sell it to me. They said I would hate it because it doesn't really work well--very inconsistent flash results. They said I would just end up bringing it back. But the comments above seem to show people are happy with it. What do you think gives?

If you spend only about two minutes trying to learn it, you may get very inconsistent flash results, and that would correlate to the way that local camera store guys work.

OTOH, if you get one, read the manual, practice, read the manual again, practice more, read some here, practice more, etc... then it gets much easier to handle. I would never think of trying to shoot a wedding without one. Well, actually, I take a 420EX along for backup, and there was only once when I pulled out the backup. On my 550EX, there is a little wide-angle diffuser screen that pulls down if you are shooting wide. That little item was just slightly pulled out, so the 550EX thought that it was fully pulled out into wide mode, so it changed the zoom setting on the flash for wide. Of course, I was not intentionally shooting wide, and my long lens did not agree with what the flash was trying to tell me about wide, so I saw this discrepancy. To be safe, I removed the 550EX and used the backup until I studied the wide-angle diffuser screen position and changed it.

That is the kind of stuff that you can get into. There is a lot going on inside the 550EX and its interaction with your camera, and you have to keep up with it.

---Bob Gross---

[DustyDesert]

This wedding reception is the end of November. I realize I need to learn to use it, but if the 550EX is that difficult to use that I have to read the manual over and over, that concerns me. The Metz claims to be simple. Is it when compared to the 550EX?