G7 bounce flash

This week I bought a G7 and would like to use a cheap bounce flash (<$150) for indoor still life and family pix.
No one at Best Buy, Samy's or Ritz seems to be able to recommend a small, safe and appropriate yet cheap flash other than the 220EX which does not articulate. Neither could these sales persons explain E-TTL etc, Dependent vs Non-Dependent.
Please advise.
TIA
Alva

I'm suprised by seeing samys on there, but the others don't have any actual knowledge, just minimum wage earning commisioned salesmanthat got thrown into the mix.

are you looking for ettl or manual flash controls?
Ettl is a metering feature for the flash and camera to understand eachother and make the flash's power appropiate to what they see together. It works great, sometimes. You really have to practice with it and understand how it works to take full advantage of it.


Theres some great links stickied at the top of the lighting forum to help understand flash a bit better.

As for which flash, it just depends on what all you want it to do. The 220 or more feature rich 430/580 are great choices. Ir a $20 vivitar will work too, but you'll have to change the settings a lot more.

Read this thread for some information on a very viable, yet inexpensive flash option, the Sunpak 383:

https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=242847

Here is also a recent thread from someone that just purchased a used 383:

https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=248969

A 383 would work just as well on a G7 (It does have a hotshoe and a manual mode?) as it does on a Canon DSLR.

Enjoy! Lon

Thank you for your help. I learned a lot from the links you both mentioned
Turns out my next door neighbor bought a Sunpak PZ 40X for his Rebel last week. I was able to try it on my G7. BuyDig has them for $129

I was going to say grab a 380ex off of fleabay and see if that can do what you want. I used one for 4ish years on my G-1

Sunpak makes several versions of the PZ40X. Make sure you get this one, made for Canon E-TTL.

Its lack of swivel capability would be a deal-breaker for me, but it does have some nice features, including an AF assist light. Not sure about high speed sync (doubtful). Its "low profile" design is not a benefit, in my opinion. Compared to flashes that sit higher on the camera, it will be more prone to producing redeye.

It uses only two AA batteries and its recycle time (8-10 seconds) is painfully long. Judging from the guide numbers it seems to have about the same power as a 430EX.

For about the same money, you could get a Sigma EF-500 DG ST, which has more power, faster recycle, more zoom range, and a swivel head.

Curtis
The PZ40X that I tried Sunday afternoon had vertical tilt capability. i.e. able to bounce off the ceiling. It didn't have horizontal swivel if that's what you meant by "lack of swivel capability". I still have time to cancel my order, (I think) if I have this all wrong
Yes, I did order the Canon version.

Alva wrote in post #2387216
The PZ40X that I tried Sunday afternoon had vertical tilt capability. i.e. able to bounce off the ceiling. It didn't have horizontal swivel if that's what you meant by "lack of swivel capability".

Yes, that's what I meant.

Swivel is a must if you want to rotate the camera for vertical shots while bouncing off the ceiling. There will also be times when you want to bounce the light off the wall beside or behind you, or shoot up at the ceiling while pointing the camera downward. Swivel is needed for these scenarios, too.

I'm not saying it's a bad unit. Sunpak is a good brand. I just wanted you to be aware of a comparably priced alternative. The decision is yours.

Curtis N wrote in post #2386440
Sunpak makes several versions of the PZ40X. Make sure you get this one, made for Canon E-TTL.

Its lack of swivel capability would be a deal-breaker for me, but it does have some nice features, including an AF assist light. Not sure about high speed sync (doubtful). Its "low profile" design is not a benefit, in my opinion. Compared to flashes that sit higher on the camera, it will be more prone to producing redeye.

It uses only two AA batteries and its recycle time (8-10 seconds) is painfully long. Judging from the guide numbers it seems to have about the same power as a 430EX.

For about the same money, you could get a Sigma EF-500 DG ST, which has more power, faster recycle, more zoom range, and a swivel head.

Has anyone actually used this Sigma with the G7? I;m interested in it so your comments are appreciated. I'm looking a flash that has bounce but is not so big it overpowers the camera.