Quantaray Flashs good or bad or such???

[STICKMAN]

Hello all, as a new guy around here I have many questions. This being one of them. I posted here as I am looking for a more experenced answer than my fellow newbies.

I am looking for a external flash but am limited on funds. I have been looking a the Quantaray Flashes and was wondering if anyone here can give me a honest thought on the matter.

I shoot with a Nikon D40 and will be using this flash for landscape/animal shots and for shots of cakes and cookies for my wifes business.


Any thoughts good bad or such please post away. I would love to just but a nikon flash but watching the funds at the moment.

 

[Village Idiot]

Which one are you looking at? Some aren't much more powerful than the popup flash. You can find used Sunpak 383's and Vivitar 285HV's for probably about $50 on ebay. They're $80-$90 new. Those two are manual flashes, but I'm sure you're not going to find a ttl flash for under $200ish.

ED: www.strobist.com

 

[Sw1tchFX]

The quantaray's are lousy peices of junk, don't get them you'll be better off with an SB-400/600/800/ or 900. They're flimsy, cheap construction, and aren't very powerfulcompared to the Nikon SB's. :thumbdown:

 

[STICKMAN]

Ok, Glad I asked. So i will be loking in the ebay ones or just saving up my $$ and buy a nikon one...

 

[Sw1tchFX]

Get the Nikon one. You can walk into any Ritz and see what I mean.

 

[Mike_E]

Stickman, have you been to the strobist site?

Read through that before buying anything if you have not yet done so.

 

[RyanLilly]

I have a cheap quantaray, or very similar flash somewhere(probably gave it away). It was a cheap piece of plastic, had a obscenely long recycle time, but was still 20 times better than the pop-up flash. I also only paid like a few dollars for it at a garage sale, so for the price I have no complaints. Something real cheap can get you by for a while, but I would suggest buying used on the cheap side and save your money for a nice Nikon.

 

[frXnz kafka]

You can pick up a used Nikon SB-24/25/28 for under $100, and they'll do you just fine for off-camera work. Unless you're going to be using CLS, you don't need an SB-800.

 

[Early]

I've used a Quantaray with no ill effect up until I upgraded to another camera that came with a more modern flash unit. I also think the build quality was at least as good as the Vivitars or Sunpaks.

 

[STICKMAN]

Stickman, have you been to the strobist site?

Read through that before buying anything if you have not yet done so.

Not yet but I will search it out this evening. I guess I really need to do more research and figure out what it is I really need. I am thinking kinda of a general purpose that i can direct for a start. Am I in left field here or what? This is all new to me, and thanks to all who have replied!!!!!!!

 

[Joves]

You might want to go to B&H and, see what they have there. They have some non-Nikon flashes that will work with the i-TTL. If you really need a flash that badly. Then you can save for a nice SB.