Looking for a small external flash for travel -- possibly 270 EXII

We will be taking an Alaska cruise and land combination trip this summer, and I really do not want to pack my 430 EXII Speedlite, as my camera backpack will already be quite full. I am considering adding a smaller flash for interior shots of the ship, and shots of my wife and I on board. I would be using it on a 5D3.

I was also looking at the less expensive Speedlite 90EX, but that unit does not have a swivel head for bounce flash capabilities.

Are either of these smaller flashes worthwhile for my intended use, or should I just live with my wife's Canon S100 and my 7D's built-in flash for shots of us? I am planning on taking both the 5D3 and 7D anyway, along with 17-40L, 24-105L, 100-400L and 40mm f/2.8 pancake. My serious shooting is outdoors -- landscapes and wildlife -- and the interior shots will be more of the snapshot variety.

Canon web site shows the $20 between the 90 and and 270II. I dunno. At at least your 430 swivels. To spend near $170 to take snapshots on board. Why not just put the 430 in a suitcase (when you are not flying) and leave it in the room and pull it out when you need it. If you are flying just put it in small bag.

Are you staying in hotels on land? Just leave it in the room. I'd have a hard time giving up the swivel. Maybe just use the 7D if it is just snaps and not your serious work.

A tough call.

How do you feel about the popup flash on your 70D? The 270 is pretty much the equivalent of the popup added to the 5D3.

digital paradise wrote in post #16762993
Canon web site shows the $20 between the 90 and and 270II. I dunno. At at least your 430 swivels. To spend near $170 to take snapshots on board. Why not just put the 430 in a suitcase (when you are not flying) and leave it in the room and pull it out when you need it. If you are flying just put it in small bag.

Are you staying in hotels on land? Just leave it in the room. I'd have a hard time giving up the swivel. Maybe just use the 7D if it is just snaps and not your serious work.

A tough call.

It's not just the added baggage. I really do not want to walk around the ship with a large external flash, either. Was hoping the 270 EX would be both low profile and functionally much better than a pop-up built-in flash.

gonzogolf wrote in post #16763007
How do you feel about the popup flash on your 70D? The 270 is pretty much the equivalent of the popup added to the 5D3.

That's the information I was looking for. If that is the case, then I will probably just save my money and use what I already own. I cannot see spending $150 on the 270EX for the equivalent of a pop-up flash. The 90EX is pretty cheap at under $55, but it's still probably a waste of money.

Is there any kind of small diffuser I can add to the built-in flash of my 7D that actually works well? That is about the only other option I can think of that may help.

That is what I'm thinking. If this was a wedding but just for snaps why spend money.

Scott M wrote in post #16763080
Is there any kind of small diffuser I can add to the built-in flash of my 7D that actually works well? That is about the only other option I can think of that may help.

There will very little you can do for a pop up flash. It is all about the size and distance of the light source and the pop up is not that big. I have seen ones that bounce the light back off a wall or ceiling but I have no idea how effective that is considering the size and power it has.

Stay away from small gimmicky ones that are slightly bigger than the flash head itself as they are pretty much useless.

The 270EX is pretty limited by power and lack of swivel capability. I own one and carry it with me. When bounced in conjunction with a Joe Demb Photojournalist FlipIt, it does a fair to middling job.

IMAGE LINK: http://rpcrowe.smugmug​.com …our-2010-Hong/i-wjkGcjJ/A

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Business card trick? http://m.cnet.com …r-your-dslr/57474371?ds=1

I have the 270EX and I use that with the EOS-M. It's not going to give you the swivel support but it does allow you to bounce off the ceiling pretty easily, and I find the bounce power more than sufficient for most shots, especially when you raise the ISO and lower shutter speed. The quality is no comparison to the flashy look of the built-in flash, and the 270EX fits easily in my cargo pants pocket.

The cruise ships I've been on usually have enough light that I don't use flash. But I always throw a Metz 58 AF 2 in my suitcase just in case I need to light up the world.

hes gone wrote in post #16764023
=he's gone;16764023]Business card trick? http://m.cnet.com …r-your-dslr/57474371?ds=1

Thanks. I'll have to give that a try. It's certainly an attractive price!

advaitin wrote in post #16764640
The cruise ships I've been on usually have enough light that I don't use flash. But I always throw a Metz 58 AF 2 in my suitcase just in case I need to light up the world.

It's been 15 years since we have been on a cruise ship, so I didn't remember the lighting conditions. I will have a 40mm f/2.8 pancake and the high ISO capabilities of the 5D3, so hopefully the combo will be enough to shoot without a flash most of the time.

Well I was going to suggest this earlier but changed my mind. If you are willing to shoot high ISO and the ambient is pretty good then just use the pop up direct. It will be reduced enough to just finish off the image. Slower shutter and open up the aperture. Can't hurt to play with that reflected card idea.

Scott M wrote in post #16764842
Thanks. I'll have to give that a try. It's certainly an attractive price!

small, lightweight and inexpensive, you really can have it all!

A business card works just fine, but you can step it up a notch with a bit larger card, maybe 4"x4". If you want to go all out, experiment with foil or foil tape on the side facing the flash. Shooting through the card (without foil) would probably be best for short distances between camera and subject.

digital paradise wrote in post #16765027
Well I was going to suggest this earlier but changed my mind. If you are willing to shoot high ISO and the ambient is pretty good then just use the pop up direct. It will be reduced enough to just finish off the image. Slower shutter and open up the aperture.

totally agree.

I'm not afraid to admit I own a Puffer, and use it with negative FEC when out with the family taking snapshots.

Another way to look at it is if you really want the 270 and have the money then buy it. This way you will have both options with the 7D and never think later I should have purchased it. You can always sell it later or keep it for future travel.

I purchased a 2X extender just to get a moon shot that was on my list of things I wanted to do. Better than spending $10,000 on a lens. When you read "snaps" then some of use are just trying to save you money which sometimes isn't everything.

digital paradise wrote in post #16765330
Another way to look at it is if you really want the 270 and have the money then buy it. This way you will have both options with the 7D and never think later I should have purchased it. You can always sell it later or keep it for future travel.

I purchased a 2X extender just to get a moon shot that was on my list of things I wanted to do. Better than spending $10,000 on a lens. When you read "snaps" then some of use are just trying to save you money which sometimes isn't everything.

If I went that route, I am wondering if the 90EX would work just as well as the 270EX? It's about 1/3rd the price. The main difference I can see is that the 90EX cannot be bounced. On a ship, will I have any ceilings low enough to bounce off anyway?