Decent Flash that will shoot Automatic and TTL

jd1585

Does anyone have suggestions on an affordable flash that can run TTL and automatic for a Canon 40D? I appreciate the help.

zacker

i think Vivatars can as well as sigmas.. check their web sites.

ziggy53

jd1585 wrote:

Does anyone have suggestions on an affordable flash that can run TTL and automatic for a Canon 40D? I appreciate the help.

I have 2 of the Sigma EF 500 DG Super flashes and they have a very good version of Canon E-TTL II support.

I use them with:

XT/350D
40D
1D MK II

While they are no longer available, I don't see any negative press on the newer EF 530 DG Super flashes, so I recommend them for a new purchase.

I read negative reviews about the Vivitar and Nissin units so I cannot recommend them. Metz has a model 36 AF-4C that is supposed to be compatible, but again, I read that it does not do proper E-TTL II.

I highly recommend staying with just Canon and Sigma for best results.

Remember too that you need lenses which supply distance information for full E-TTL II operation and that when you switch to bounce configuration with "any" flash unit E-TTL II is no longer possible.

(In bounce configuration the flashes revert to E-TTL, which does not use distance information. Use FEC to compensate based on test exposures. The FEC will vary according to the scene.)

ziggy53

I do not know of any flashes that are reasonably priced and can do both E-TTL II and "auto" modes. The Sigma flashes I mentioned and the Canon 430EX and 580EX have very good manual modes which I believe is more valuable. Once you calibrate the flash to your camera's sensitivity, manual mode gives you absolute control and perfect exposure, time after time. Just use the simple calculation of:

GN/Distance = Aperture setting

If you use an ISO of 200 instead, then you adjust the distance by an increase factor of 1.4. If you use ISO 400 the factor is 2, and at ISO 800 the factor is 2.8 (just like f-stops). ISO 1600 gives you the same effect as 4x the GN.