I use the Elan ll for Wedding Photoraphy along with the 550EX flash. The results have been quite good. I would like to know if I am utilizing all the features with the Elan ll. Everything I read says that the 380 is the best for this camera. Any insight would be much appreciated. Also, I was at a wedding this past weekend and I noticed that the flash wasn't firing, my heart skipped a few beats after the one of the groomsmen said "O, your flast hasn't been going off for the past 5 minutes" I quickly took out my back-up gear and started shooting. I got to the reception and the flash worked great the rest of the evening. This only happened one other time - and that was because I didn't have any film in the camera. I will clean all contacts with and eraser and make certain that the flash is on tight (which I believe it was when this happened). Any help would be greatly appreciated.

-- David Pascolla (dpascola@mail.slocs.k12.ca.us), July 19, 1999

Answers

Why on earth would you think the 380ex is better then the 550ex???

-- Bob Atkins (bobatkins@hotmail.com), July 20, 1999.

The 550EX didn't exist when the Elan II was released. At the time, the 380EX was the "best" flash that could make use of E-TTL. The 540EZ is more powerful, but doesn't have the newer features. Although I haven't used it, the 550EX should combine the best features of the 380 and 540, even though its worth as much as your camera. One feature I like about the Elan II/380EX combo is that the pre-flashes are visable in the viewfinder. Its reassuring to know that the camera is communicating with the flash.

-- Geoff Doane (geoff_doane@cbc.ca), July 21, 1999.

Likely the reason you've read that the 380 is "best" is that it was designed specifically for use on the ElanIIE. (I have the same equipment. The EX series is the new generation. The 550EX is the big brother (introduced later than the 380EX) to the 380EX. The 550EX equates in terms of power to the 540; both are Canon's most powerful shoe-mounted (vs. handle-mounted) flashes. The guide number of the 380EX (iso 100, 50mm) is 102 feet, whereas the 550EX is much higher, I think it's 140 feet. So you've already got all the advantages of the 380/Elan combination, PLUS more power and more options on the flash--not to forget wireless flash with additional 550EX's and/or the transmitter.

Though compatible across the board, the EX flashes when used ONLY WITH the ElanII, the EOS 3 and the very low end bodies (but not the 1N), provide E-TTL autoflash (the most sophisticated to date), high speed synch and FEL. Roy

-- Roy Kekewich (roykekewich@yahoo.com), January 18, 2000.

I've read on the Canon USA website that the 550EX can only sync to a max of 1/125 on Elan IIe !

So is the high speed FP flash available?

Thanks in advance.

-- NG Ting Shan (tingshan@netvigator.com), January 29, 2000.

To the above, yes, high speed is available between the 550EX and ElanII.

-- Nguyen Thang (nguyentnt@hotmail.com), February 04, 2000.