New Pro Speedlite
I was told today that a new pro flash is in the process of being tested and will greatly benefit users of gels, as well as a “few other surprises” I haven't been told about yet.
Feature List
– Gel info built into unit
– Custom gel accessories from Canon
– A guide number higher than 58. Perhaps as high as 70.
– Some functions of the flash unit are not yet available in EOS cameras, not even the 1D4. Possibly new camera firmware needed.
– Exact announcement date unknown, although 2010 is likely.
That's all for now.
cr
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68 Comments
sb800 and sb900 have almost same output,
i think because it drains battery life badly
Even though I’m not a Nikon guy, I bought and really enjoyed Joe McNally’s “Hot Shoe Diaries.” Based only on that and not personal experience, It certainly looks like Nikon’s flash system kicks Canon where the good lord split’em. I’d never switch to Nikon based on flash technology alone since can’t take the time to learn to focus “backwards” again (previously switched from Nikon to Canon in the early ’90’s). But it does make me think.
If such a flash does come from Canon in the future, I’ll be interested to look at it, but Canon has a lot of history to overcome before I’d buy one. I completely bailed on any kind of TTL flash about three years ago due to inconsistent fill flash performance, poor build quality, and outright self-destruction, such as corrosive fluid leaking from a 550 which ruined my $130.00 bag. (Canon replaced the flash, but said “sorry for your luck” on my bag.)
I’ve tried multiple flashes on multiple cameras and also tried a Metz 54MZ, but never got reliable fill flash performance or TTL metering, so it seems to be the system and not just one lemon flash (or three). Therefore, I still light the way I did in the 1980’s — with 283’s. After over 2 decades, I can set them up and know pretty much exactly what I’m getting faster than I could set up master and slave TTL units. Plus, I have less money in my 6 283’s (35 to 50 bucks each on eBay) than I would in a single Canon 580.
+1
Since the small flashes tend to be used more for ‘on location’ work than big studio lights… with big studio lights you can just blow away whatever lighting is already there… with little flashes, you tend to need to work with what’s there.
It’s funny, the 580EXII is better than the ST-E2 for controlling multiple flashes, and I’d say that the 580EXII hooked up on top of a 40D/5DII/etc is really nice and easy to control multiple flashes, since you can do it all through the camera menu system.
It REALLY annoys me that the ST-E2 doesn’t give you the same control options as a 580EXII when its on camera!