Flash recommendations

[lkWinnipesaukee]

Hey guys,

I'm looking for a flash for my Rebel XT. I was thinking either a 430EX or something made by Sigma or another third party that is around the same price.

I don't plan to use the flash for anything with slaves or whatnot--just a standalone
flash for shooting people in dark areas or as a fill flash.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of using a Canon or third party flash?

Also, what does something like "90' @ ISO100" mean?


Thanks.

 

[burtharrris]

Canon flashes on a Canon camera have a thing called E-TTL, which is a through-the-lens metering system. In other words, it takes your exposure plus your focusing distance plus everything else.... long story short it does it all for you. This is called a dedicated flash. Off-brand flashes might not have this capability.

And as for guide numbers, 90' is a indication of power. Divide the guide number by the distance to the subject (feet) and this gives you the aperture to use. E-TTL flashes calculate this for you without doing anything.

90' (GN) divided by 22 feet away = f/4.0, roughly.

 

[Big Mike]

The 430EX is a great flash and would be a good match for that camera. There are 3rd party flashes that do work with Canon's E-TTL metering, so you can get the same benefits as the Canon brand flash.

The Sigma 500 Super, is said to be a pretty good flash. It's more powerful than the 430EX, for around the same price.

The best flash would be the 580EX but it's rather expensive.