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Samsung SEF20A
by pnefc22
I am quite a keen amateur photographer and have always tried to constantly try and upgrade my equipment to be able to improve my own personal photos. Having said this, I always used to buy a new camera every couple of years instead of improving other important equipment like tripods and flashes. This was actually the first flash that I ... bought costing around £200 at the time of purchase.
The flash came in a small box with a nice handle on top, similar to that of a McDonalds Happy meal but slightly smaller. Obviously, the quality of the item inside is far superior to that of a Happy Meal!
Inside the box, you get a Flash Users Manual which gives you an in-depth run-through of everything you can do with your new flash. This was very helpful in setting up the flash as for a first-time flash user, I was a bit clueless. Also, included in the box is the aftersales guarentee, a stand for the flash, a small leather case and obviously, the flash itself. The small leather case is of a good enough quality to keep the flash clean and safe whilst in transit as long as you are sensible with what you put it next to. The stand is just a round black plastic lid which the the flash clips on to. This allows you to show off your new flash in the corner of your room or to place it next to your shiny camera and create yourself a little photography corner.
So, let's talk about the flash. It is a clip-on flash which takes 2 AA batteries. As far as I know, this is quite common in most flashes and I found the batteries to last for around a month of usage which is acceptable. The flash itself clips on to the top of your camera. I personally use a Samsung NX10 which it fits on to perfectly. From this position, you can rotate the flash upwards or downwards to create different lighting effects. There are also three buttons on the back of the flash which allow you to change the intensity of the flash. I found this ideal when taking photos in the evening when the light levels are constantly changing and you need to quickly adjust how much flash you need depending on the angle of the shot. There is also an indicator which tells you how much flash you are using.
Overall, I found this to be a terrific flash which I have used solidly for 2 years now. It has been very reliable and sturdy although I have treated it well, trying not to drop it.....too much. The quality of the flash is terrific and it can light up a completely pitch black room to almost blinding proportions. I would highly recommend this flash to everyone as it will vastly improve the quality of images that you produce, especially if you are a fan of late night photography but always find your images to be slightly lacking in colour.
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Canon Speedlite 600EX-RT
by metaphiston
This is one of Canon's premium flash units and it oozes class and functionality.
Construction: The flash unit is very well constructed out of robust materials, with no awkward hinges that look like they'll break through harsh use, and a weatherproofed and dustproofed (to reasonable level of use, I assume - I have used it in ... sandy and rainy conditions for short periods and it was perfectly fine, but I wouldn't want to push it to see where its breaking point is). The buttons are responsive and setting manual output, for example, is easy - no re-pressing a button because the first time didn't register, a problem I have had with cheaper manual flash units like the Yongnuo 460-II.
Power: Using AA batteries is handy as they are easily available, and I have a set of rechargeable Lithium Ion batteries which are good for a whole day's shoot on this flash (several hundred shots) with a set of spares. The power output goes up to a whopping 60 at ISO 100, which is great for bouncing flash and diffusing flash as the light that reaches the lens is much reduced by the spreading out with distance - so that big topline power gives you flexibility to light a bigger subject from further away or fill a room with bounce flash. The recycling rate is excellent, though at full power the several seconds seems a little long and can leave your subjects waiting - so I'd like to see a little faster at full power.
Head tilt/rotation: Full 360 degree horizontal coverage and 90 degree upward vertical coverage gives me the full range of bounce options. The head turns solidly and always feels well-locked into position. The downward tilt of 7 degrees feels a little measly, as I shoot macro and would like a little more, maybe 20 or so degrees just to give me that little more shooting versatility, but no other flash unit offers this either so it seems harsh to seriously judge the 600EX-Rt for this.
Integration with camera: Great. The flash uses the latest E-TTL II mode and I've found in full auto it rarely over or underexposes, and when it does the cameras I use it with (5d mkII and 7d) have easily enough latitude to fix it in post as the over/under exposure is never by much.
Additional features: Off camera wireless mode, slave mode and modelling flash I have not used, so can't comment. However this flash offers all three and my experience with this flash as a faultless unit inspire confidence in these areas too.
Included accessories: The wide angle panel is a good extra to include though I don't use lenses wider than the 20mm the flash goes to natively (20-200mm). The flash stand is similarly useful to those who use it off-camera, and it's good to see Canon considering these extras as necessary to include and not selling them separately (as they do with lens hood, for example)
Conclusion: This unit can take heavy use. I have used it for whole day events and I have never experienced a fault, which is of course vital for professional use. For more casual users or amateurs I would suggest considering one of Canon's cheaper flash units with less advanced functionality for much less cash, but if you're serious about flash and want to experiment with the full range of functions Canon offers I'd definitely consider this.
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Olympus FL 36R
by jj1977
If you have a digital camera, then in all probability you will start wondering about buying a flash. Most new models do come with a flash of some nature, be it built in or not, but this will probably not be up to any real test. I certainly found this to be the case with my Olympus E-PL3 so after one trip away and understanding the ... limitations of the flash, I opted to spend £190 and purchased the Olympus FL-36R.
This is a much larger unit so two benefits are greater light, be that in your vicinity or further away. Both of these options are impossible with the box standard flash. It fits into the port on the top of the camera in the same way the standard flash does. Also there are no cables as you may usually find on devices of this nature. As a result, it fits into the Pen ethos of compact design for easy use in the field.
It folds in the middle allowing for more control over lighting and swivels 270 degrees to avoid top lighting. It has a zoom range to match the standard 14-42mm lens although there is the option to use the pull out diffuser for longer lenses. The 36 in the model name refers to the power rating at maximum lens range.
The selling point for this unit is that it has its own set of controls but also allows the camera to control the power through the lens or TTL as it is known. This enables amateurs and professionals to be equally at home with this piece.
It comes with a stand to allow you to position the unit elsewhere whilst you hold the camera. The wireless integration means that the camera can use one of the four channels to communicate in much the same way as it would if attached to the top section, albeit with a hardly noticeable delay. Setting the camera up for use in this manner is as simple as scrolling to the relevant menu and selecting 'RC' to on.
Downsides are few, but the main one is the power source. It runs off two AA batteries and goes through them at a rate of knots, so be prepared to have a constant supply for long trips. But aside from that, this unit is a solid al rounder that can handle pretty much anything you throw at it. Finished in matt black to complement most units it is compatible with in the Pen range it weighs 260g and measures 67x95x108mm it comes complete with stand and soft carry case and can be bought for around £184 on Amazon.co.uk.
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