Sunday, March 29, 2009

Flash Photography

Definitions:
  • Guide Number:
  • X-Sync. Value:
  • High Speed Sync.:
  • Low Speed Sync.:
  • First and Second Curtain:
  • Bouncing Flash:
  • Zoom Motor and Wide Angle Screen:

Canon Flashes:

580EX-II is the top of the line Canon flash. And 430EX and 430EX-II are the midrange ones. All these flashed can have tilt heads to bounce flash, they rotates 90 degrees up and 270 degree right and left. They have LCD screens and manual controls. Of course they support E-TTL-II technology which is the latest flash metering system by Canon, supported with all currently available dSLRs. All supports high speed sync, and second curtain modes. The only feature difference between the 580EX and the two 430EXs beside the guide number is the capabiliy for the 580EX to be the master unit when multiple flashes are used (i.e. you cannot use multiple flashes with a Canon camera with only 430EXs, you need at least one 580EX mounted on the Camera, or otherwise you will need third party utilities). This is unlike Nikon wich enables you to use even the camera internal flash as the master unit.

Here are the list of flash units specs:

Speedlites Guide Numbers (ISO 100):
  • 580EX-II: 58m
  • 430EX and EX-II: 43m
  • 270EX: 27m for 50mm FOV
  • 220Ex: 22m
Internal Flashes Guide Numbers (ISO 100):
  • 30D, 40D, 50D: 13m - FOV to 17mm (27mm eqv.)
  • 300D, 400D, 450D: 13m
Cameras X-Sync Values:
  • 30D, 40D, 50D: 1/250 sec
  • 300D, 400D, 450D: 1/200 sec

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