what kind of flash should i get...

j photog

for less? guys. as you know i'm always trying to get a deal. i know you all are mostly against ritz/wolf but i have a little more money on a gift cert. i received from a friend. so here is something i saw:
http://www.ritzcamera.com/product/531660850.htm

is this total crap to start out?

i'm just wanting to build my camera a little at a time and upgrade when money gets better. but for now i just need a better flash. i was using a Quantaray QB-350A from my childhood camera, which Ziggy pointed out might be too strong of a voltage for my D50.

so...i have a budget. and a little money on a gift card.

what should i do?:scratch

ziggy53

j photog wrote:

for less? guys. as you know i'm always trying to get a deal. i know you all are mostly against ritz/wolf but i have a little more money on a gift cert. i received from a friend. so here is something i saw:
http://www.ritzcamera.com/product/531660850.htm

is this total crap to start out?

i'm just wanting to build my camera a little at a time and upgrade when money gets better. but for now i just need a better flash. i was using a Quantaray QB-350A from my childhood camera, which Ziggy pointed out might be too strong of a voltage for my D50.

so...i have a budget. and a little money on a gift card.

what should i do?

If you are really on a tight budget, this looks like an acceptable flash if you must purchase from Ritz. Some folks say nice things about it:

http://209.85.165.104/search?q=cache:KZSDv0UGCIQJ:www.stevesforums.com/forums/view_topic.php%3Fid%3D43168%26forum_id%3D21+Quantaray+QAF+6600+%2Breview&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=1

I would still rather see you with a Sigma 500 Super, or even a Sunpak 383 auto flash.

The problems with the Quantaray QAF 6600 flash are:

It is TTL, which is not necessarily the best way to go for digital flashes. (I don't believe it is a good way at all. I don't believe that most digital cameras are accurate in simple TTL flash mode.)
It has no manual settings.
It has bounce but not swivel. (Makes portrait mode more difficult to light.)

On the other hand, it has a focus assist light, which could make a major difference in low-light focus accuracy and speed. It is also a major bump up in power.

If you do purchase this flash, practice with JPGs to learn how to compensate for some flash exposure difficulties you might encounter, but then shoot important events in RAW, still remembering to adjust like you would for JPG after your experience. You will prevail.

ziggy53

j photog

thanks as always, ziggy.
that is wonderful advice. though i never shoot raw...i know. i know. not yet anyway. my publication does fine with my shooting jpg and so do my clients but i am still learning....so much to learn.