which speedlite do you recomend me for the canon eos 5?

-- ione (ione799@hotmail.com), August 30, 2001

Answers

Ione,

The Canon 380EX, 420EX & 550EX are all fine flashes that can do A-TTL with the EOS 5. The prices go up with the model numbers, as they have more features. If you get an EX series flash, you will be able to use E-TTL flash exposure metering if you buy a new camera body in the future (EOS 30/33, EOS 3, etc.). A-TTL stands for Automatic-Through The Lens exposure, E-TTL stands for Enhanced-Through The Lens exposure. They're both good exposure modes, one's just newer.

-- Hung James Wasson (HJWasson@aol.com), August 30, 2001.

this doesnt matter at all, im sorry, but the A is for Advanced and the E is for Evaluative.

-- peter bg (pbg333@hotmail.com), August 30, 2001.

If you don't plan on buying a more recently designed EOS camera in the near future, I'd recommend not buying a EX series Speedlite. The EOS 5 was designed with the EZ series in mind. The only one still for sale by Canon is the 540EZ. You can certainly save some money over the 550EX since you won't be paying for a lot of features that you can't use with your camera anyway. You can use TTL and A-TTL with any of them though.

I always thought of A-TTL as a joke. The only improvement over straight TTL was that the camera could make a choice for a small aperture when it thought best. I'd rather make that choice myself, thank you.

E-TTL isn't just newer, it's better. It has a lot of nice features (FEL, FP flash, etc.) and better metering for difficult situations. Too bad the EOS 5 can't use E-TTL. Otherwise it's a great camera.

If you are willing to settle for used equipment, the 430EZ and 420EZ are better buys than a 540EZ and offer power & features that are nearly equal. Also, since E-TTL isn't an issue, a third party flash will work just as well for even less money. Of course, you usually are getting what you pay for.

-- Jim Strutz (j.strutz@gci.net), August 31, 2001.

>I'd recommend not buying a EX series Speedlite. The EOS 5 was designed with the EZ series in mind. The only one still for sale by Canon is the 540EZ. You can certainly save some money over the 550EX since you won't be paying for a lot of features that you can't use with your camera anyway. You can use TTL and A-TTL with any of them though.

While it's true that the 550EX is $70 US more than the 540EZ ($370 vs $300), a 420EX will function well with her camera & costs only $185 US. It's a well featured Speedlight that will function great with her camera (& still be advanced enough for a future body), and Ione may not need all the bells & whistles of either the 540EZ or 550EX. I'd certainly recommend the 420EX over the 380EX, which saves only $35 -- and the idea of spending $120 for a 220EX which has no features at all makes me choke. So Ione, if you're buying a new flash (as opposed to used), I'd recommend the 420EX.

>I always thought of A-TTL as a joke. The only improvement over straight TTL was that the camera could make a choice for a small aperture when it thought best. I'd rather make that choice myself, thank you.

>E-TTL isn't just newer, it's better. It has a lot of nice features (FEL, FP flash, etc.) and better metering for difficult situations. Too bad the EOS 5 can't use E-TTL. Otherwise it's a great camera.

Jim, you seem to make the argument for the EX series flashes yourself! :-) Ione may not get a new body in the next 5 years, but when she does, she'll have access to a flash technology that you endorse.

-- Hung James Wasson (HJWasson@aol.com), August 31, 2001.

Guys,

As far as I know the EX550 has only manual/TTL/E-TTL modes. So with any of type B cameras (before 1N) it will do TTL (and no A-TTL!) only. I use an EZ540 that's the best for this camera.

mgy

-- Gyula Markus (mgy@dublin.com), September 03, 2001.

Gyula,

Thank you for the correction. You are absolutely right -- No A- TTL with the EX series flashes. However, that still leaves TTL with older bodies, and the option of E-TTL & high speed sync & Flash Exposure Lock with future bodies. According to Jim, A-TTL in no big deal over TTL, and E-TTL is great. I believe him. So my recommendation is still a 420EX, which is still loads less expensive than the 540EZ & still very capable on the EOS 5.

-- Hung James Wasson (HJWasson@aol.com), September 03, 2001.

Just to let everyone know, Ione found a used 420EZ in excellent condition, and went that route!

PS A very belated thanks to Peter, for his correction of the meanings of A-TTL & E-TTL (that's what I get for firing a rapid response based on faulty memory, and not double checking my facts)! ;-)

-- Hung James Wasson (HJWasson@aol.com), September 06, 2001.