Canon vs Other Flashes

[dwdallam]

I'm going to buy a flash for my 20D, and was wondering if anyone had any experience with the Metz top of the line brand for the Canon Digital Backs. They are about 100.00 dollars cheaper.
Thanks

[G Lund]

What are you looking for, off camera flash or hot shoe mount.....full auto function or manual.....I have a canon 550 ex when I need hot shoe mount but, I almost always get my flash off camera and then I use sunpak 555's...about just as powerful and have a 6 stop power adjustment and only about 150.00 bones.
George

[John Camp]

I've never had one, but I've been doing research lately on Leicas and Metz flashes seem to be the flash of choice (even over Leica's own.) Given the fussy world of Leica users, I'd have to believe that they're pretty good.

JC

[jjphoto]

I'm going to buy a flash for my 20D, and was wondering if anyone had any experience with the Metz top of the line brand for the Canon Digital Backs. They are about 100.00 dollars cheaper.
Thanks
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=64344\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

I have a 10D, 20D and 1dsMk2 which I use with 2x Metz 54MZ3 and 54MZ4 (they are the same thing for non Nikon users). I've been using them for many years but am getting sick of some niggling problems with them. I think I'm going to get the Canon EX580 next time one of my Metz's play up.

I have inconsistent exposures when I select anything other than 100asa on my 20D.

The flash and camere sometimes stop 'talking' to one another so I have to switch both off and then back on.

The metz wont ttl when you withdraw the 20mm difuser either.

The front lens on the flash will burn/melt after about a year of heavy use (from the heat of the flash tube). It can be replaced but it shouldn't happen in the first place.

I'm told the Metz is better than the Canon in Auto mode (maybe the Canon doesn't even have one). The trouble I find though is that with the Canon dedicated foot fitted the Metz will cancel and exposure compensation after several frames, whilst in Auto mode. If I know I'm going to use Auto mode then I fit the standard, single pin foot on the flash and then I have no trouble except that if you change apature on the lens then you have to remeber to change it on the flash as well.

Maybe the EX580 has lots of problems with it too, I really don't know, but I'd probably just get the Canon item if you plan to use it mostly in ttl.

JJ

[Jonathan Wienke]

I've shot maybe 20,000 frames with an assortment of 420EX and 550EX flashes using the techniques outlined here (which are applicable to any Canon DSLR except the Rebels) and gotten good results and consistent exposures. I have not had any problems with my 2 420EX or 2 550EX flashes. My only complaint with them is that they are not powerful enough to light large interiors or group portraits of more than 4 people or so, and changing batteries is a hassle when shooting large numbers of people, like yearbook photo sessions. I have some Alien Bee strobes I use in such situations, but they require either AC power or really large, heavy, and expensive battery packs to run offline for extended periods. But for individual portraits on location or any other job that doesn't require shooting many frames of large objects the Canon flashes, some lightstands, and umbrellas or other small modifiers like the Westcott Micro Apollo mini-softbox make a fairly user-friendly portable kit.

[dwdallam]

Thanks for the comments.

I want to be able to use the flash with an arm that keeps it off the camera, but not as a self standing strobe unit. I also want to use it in maual and ttl if I choose. I'm assuming that the ttl gives you one specific exposure effect, such as matching the background light to the forgound so the background looks neither blown out nor underexposed--both of which I may choose to adjust for when the environment requieres it.

In any event, it sounds as if everyone leans towards the 580 for best all around flash.

[jjphoto]

Just a short amendment to me previous post. As of today I no longer have 2 Metz 54 MZ 3/4's. Turns out they don't like being run over by cars, especially 12" wide drag slicks. I don't think the Canon EX580 would have handled the situation any better though.

Looking at the bright side, maybe I'll get a EX580 and see if this sucker is any better than the Metz.

JJ