Small flash for travel

I'm interested in getting a small, compact flash for my 5DIII for when I'm traveling or want to keep my kit as light as possible. Unfortunately, searching "compact flash" doesn't give many relevant results.

What I want from this unit is mainly for direct fill flash in portraiture, including as fill flash with the sun in the frame behind the subject.

I've come across a few different choices, the 270EX II (and its predecessors), the Metz 24 af-1, the Sunpak d2000 (I think?).

I have several questions:

Does anyone have any experience with this sort of small flash?

I already have a 430EX II which isn't the largest flash around, is the weight/size difference worth buying an extra flash for?

Are there any other alternatives that I haven't noticed, or is the 270EX II being updated anytime soon?

Is the 90EX worth looking at (lack of tilt head, low power, AAA batteries, but 24mm coverage)?

Any advice/comments/sugges​tions in general?

Thanks!

I have a 270EXII and use it a lot with both my 5D3 and SL1. It's a very capable flash and small enough to easily fit in your travel bag or keep in your pocket. The two AA batteries last a long time and the flash has a bounce/zoom head that I find are useful. You can also control all its functions from the camera menu on your body.

The only drawback I've found is that you cannot control it wirelessly. But in spite of that, I'd recommend it to any Canon shooter.

I'd buy the smallest light I could find. The 270 is perfect for this. These small flashes don't really have enough power to bounce from behind you, so tilt/swivel doesn't matter to me. They do, however, work well for direct fill outside.

I'm waiting for this little beauty to come out. Should be in the shops mid April. A lot of punch from a little package.

http://www.nissindigit​al.com …act-flash-nissin-i40.html

I have a 90EX which came bundled with my EOS M. I've never really used it. Lacks power and other features.

yogestee wrote in post #16781986
I'm waiting for this little beauty to come out. Should be in the shops mid April. A lot of punch from a little package.

http://www.nissindigit​al.com …act-flash-nissin-i40.html

Wicked looking control dials. Nice to see some manufacturers dare to be different. I'll have to keep an eye out for it's market release. Thx for the heads up.
Always the very best.

270EX II is a good choice for a small travel flash. The II, but not the original 270EX, does function as a wireless (IR, not RF) slave. One (little-noted) feature the 90EX has is it can be used as a master like the ST-E2, but it supports three slave groups, costs less than the ST-E2 and is smaller than the ST-E2. I have one of each in my work bag.

Thanks for the replies. The 270EX II seems to be the one to get so far.

I don't think the i40 is going to suit my needs, it doesn't save that much weight over the 430EX II, though it does look great for someone who doesn't already have a bigger flash.

I started this thread in the flash section a week ago on the exact same subject, so you can see the opinions there.

FYI, I ended up ordering a 270EX II from the Canon store yesterday, as they are having a 20% off sale on refurbished items, including this flash. It came to $120, including tax and shipping.

Scott M wrote in post #16784867
I started this thread in the flash section a week ago on the exact same subject, so you can see the opinions there.

FYI, I ended up ordering a 270EX II from the Canon store yesterday, as they are having a 20% off sale on refurbished items, including this flash. It came to $120, including tax and shipping.

I just got my ship notice from them (320EX and the S110 underwater kit); the specific numbers on the individual items didn't match what the order sheet said, but the bottom line was the same. One of their CSRs explained that the "$5 shipping" got charged back against the lens price. True, the shipping for both items (sent separately) showed a negative value. Apparently it's a way their accounting people make them do things so the Customer Service people keep busy (call was answered immediately, and I do mean immediately, like as soon as I hit the keypad "2" for questions about my order).

I picked up the Fujifilm EF-X20 for my rangefinders and love it for it's size, that's only if you don't mind going manual(and I imagine taping all but the center pin).

Scott M wrote in post #16784867
I started this thread in the flash section a week ago on the exact same subject, so you can see the opinions there.

FYI, I ended up ordering a 270EX II from the Canon store yesterday, as they are having a 20% off sale on refurbished items, including this flash. It came to $120, including tax and shipping.

Thanks for the link, I didn't find that thread for some reason.
I think I will be picking up a 270EX II soon then, although I'm not based in the US so I won't be taking advantage of the refurb sale!

20DNewbie wrote in post #16786237
I picked up the Fujifilm EF-X20 for my rangefinders and love it for it's size, that's only if you don't mind going manual(and I imagine taping all but the center pin).

Thanks, unfortunately I do need ETTL for this one as I don't want to have to fiddle with manual flash when on holiday

Sirrith wrote in post #16786306
Thanks for the link, I didn't find that thread for some reason.
I think I will be picking up a 270EX II soon then, although I'm not based in the US so I won't be taking advantage of the refurb sale!

I forgot about that until after I posted my reply. Sorry about that. Hopefully you can find a good price on the flash, too. I was on the fence on whether to buy one, and that sale was what pushed me over the edge to place an order.

Sirrith wrote in post #16786306
Thanks, unfortunately I do need ETTL for this one as I don't want to have to fiddle with manual flash when on holiday

Manual can be just as quick and easy as ETTL, providing you figure out a few solid anchor points first (for example, 1/2 power, f11 2m 100 ISO) which translates into 4m at 400 ISO
Or for the same example, f4, 800iso - 2m is 1/128 power.
The maths is pretty quick and easy, but after a day or two of playing, you will be setting it instinctively, and after a week, you will be within a stop either side of right 80% of the time, a cheat sheet makes looking up the correct power level real fast.
Ettl is just a computer making mistakes instead of you, and can be easily fooled, once the manual flash is set, it's set, until you adjust the camera settings again.

Echo63 wrote in post #16788055
Manual can be just as quick and easy as ETTL, providing you figure out a few solid anchor points first (for example, 1/2 power, f11 2m 100 ISO) which translates into 4m at 400 ISO
Or for the same example, f4, 800iso - 2m is 1/128 power.
The maths is pretty quick and easy, but after a day or two of playing, you will be setting it instinctively, and after a week, you will be within a stop either side of right 80% of the time, a cheat sheet makes looking up the correct power level real fast.
Ettl is just a computer making mistakes instead of you, and can be easily fooled, once the manual flash is set, it's set, until you adjust the camera settings again.

Perhaps, but the main point is that I don't want to do all this on holiday.

I'm happy to mess about with manual flash at home when I have time and nothing else to do (I have 3 manual flashes), but I don't want to do it on holiday.

Scott M wrote in post #16787556
I forgot about that until after I posted my reply. Sorry about that. Hopefully you can find a good price on the flash, too. I was on the fence on whether to buy one, and that sale was what pushed me over the edge to place an order.

I can actually get it for less over here!

My 270EX II arrived yesterday. It is definitely compact, so from a form factor standpoint it will meet my travel needs. I will not have time to try out the flash until this weekend, though, to see how well it works.