Generic flash for Canon 300D and Minolta Maxxum

Hi,

I have two cameras - Canon 300D and Minolta Maxxum 5. After using the
300D's built-in flash at a wedding recently it became clear to me that
I need an external flash to shoot at such occasions. However, I would
hate to buy one flash unit per camera. So are there any
non-Canon/Minolta units that can adapt to both the cameras?

There is a Vivitar DF200 that seems to *adapt* to the host camera's
flash profile. But the features are fewer than two other flash units
that seem to be popular - Sunpak PZ5000 and Sigma E500 Super.
Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Siddhartha

"Siddhartha Jain" writes:

Hi,

I have two cameras - Canon 300D and Minolta Maxxum 5. After using the
300D's built-in flash at a wedding recently it became clear to me that
I need an external flash to shoot at such occasions. However, I would
hate to buy one flash unit per camera. So are there any
non-Canon/Minolta units that can adapt to both the cameras?

There is a Vivitar DF200 that seems to *adapt* to the host camera's
flash profile. But the features are fewer than two other flash units
that seem to be popular - Sunpak PZ5000 and Sigma E500 Super.
Any suggestions?

The simplest and cheapest approach is to get a generic 'auto' flash and the
adpator on Minolta cameras that allows you to use standard flashes. An auto
flash has a light sensor on the flash itself that measures the light level, and
shuts off the light when it reaches a certain level. The flash has a setting
for ISO, and several auto settings that indicate the f/stop you need to use
(for example, f/2, f/4, f/5.6). You choose which setting you want, and then
set your camera to manual mode, setting the ISO and f/stop to correspond to the
flash, and the shutter speed appropriate to the background (faster shutter
speed, the more the light will only come from the flash and not the background
light). The usual flashes in this category are the Vivitar 285HV, Vivitar 283,
or Sunpak 383, but there are quite a few to choose from. With the 300D, you
probably don't want to buy a used flash, as older flashes could send hundreds
of volts through the hot-shoe, frying the camera.

A step up if you want TTL support (through the lens, where the camera controls
the flash settings, and it will work with auto mode) is the Metz 54MZ3/54MZ4
flash with the appropriate adaptors for each camera.

Using a slave flash like the DF200 complicates things unless you want multiple
lights or unless your camera doesn't have support for an external flash.

--
Michael Meissner
email:
http://www.the-meissners.org

Michael Meissner wrote:

The simplest and cheapest approach is to get a generic 'auto' flash
and the
adpator on Minolta cameras that allows you to use standard flashes.
An auto
flash has a light sensor on the flash itself that measures the light
level, and
shuts off the light when it reaches a certain level. The flash has a
setting
for ISO, and several auto settings that indicate the f/stop you need
to use
(for example, f/2, f/4, f/5.6). You choose which setting you want,
and then
set your camera to manual mode, setting the ISO and f/stop to
correspond to the
flash, and the shutter speed appropriate to the background (faster
shutter
speed, the more the light will only come from the flash and not the
background
light).

So does the flash recommend an ISO/f-stop setting at the press of a
button? And then I take those figures and feed them to the camera in
the "M" mode?

And I guess I need to use Canon flashes if I want the camera to tell
the flash what ISO/Power/f-stop to use when I half-press the shutter
release button. Right?


The usual flashes in this category are the Vivitar 285HV, Vivitar
283,
or Sunpak 383, but there are quite a few to choose from. With the
300D, you
probably don't want to buy a used flash, as older flashes could send
hundreds
of volts through the hot-shoe, frying the camera.

A step up if you want TTL support (through the lens, where the camera
controls
the flash settings, and it will work with auto mode) is the Metz
54MZ3/54MZ4
flash with the appropriate adaptors for each camera.

Using a slave flash like the DF200 complicates things unless you want
multiple
lights or unless your camera doesn't have support for an external
flash.

I looked at the Metz 54MZ3/4 but it is too expensive (I am looking at
spending a max of US$150) and the other thing is that with the lower
models like the Metz 44MZ-2 if I use the same head with the Metz
adaptor then I either loose Canon's E-TTL/HSS or Minolta's ADI.

I don't understand why do they build dedicated flashes? Why not build
the head and control circuitry that is camera specific in two separate
units?

- Siddhartha

Michael Meissner wrote:

The simplest and cheapest approach is to get a generic 'auto' flash
and the
adpator on Minolta cameras that allows you to use standard flashes.
An auto
flash has a light sensor on the flash itself that measures the light
level, and
shuts off the light when it reaches a certain level. The flash has a
setting
for ISO, and several auto settings that indicate the f/stop you need
to use
(for example, f/2, f/4, f/5.6). You choose which setting you want,
and then
set your camera to manual mode, setting the ISO and f/stop to
correspond to the
flash, and the shutter speed appropriate to the background (faster
shutter
speed, the more the light will only come from the flash and not the
background
light).

So does the flash recommend an ISO/f-stop setting at the press of a
button? And then I take those figures and feed them to the camera in
the "M" mode?

And I guess I need to use Canon flashes if I want the camera to tell
the flash what ISO/Power/f-stop to use when I half-press the shutter
release button. Right?


The usual flashes in this category are the Vivitar 285HV, Vivitar
283,
or Sunpak 383, but there are quite a few to choose from. With the
300D, you
probably don't want to buy a used flash, as older flashes could send
hundreds
of volts through the hot-shoe, frying the camera.

A step up if you want TTL support (through the lens, where the camera
controls
the flash settings, and it will work with auto mode) is the Metz
54MZ3/54MZ4
flash with the appropriate adaptors for each camera.

Using a slave flash like the DF200 complicates things unless you want
multiple
lights or unless your camera doesn't have support for an external
flash.

I looked at the Metz 54MZ3/4 but it is too expensive (I am looking at
spending a max of US$150) and the other thing is that with the lower
models like the Metz 44MZ-2 if I use the same head with the Metz
adaptor then I either loose Canon's E-TTL/HSS or Minolta's ADI.

I don't understand why do they build dedicated flashes? Why not build
the head and control circuitry that is camera specific in two separate
units?

- Siddhartha

So does the flash recommend an ISO/f-stop setting at the press of a
button? And then I take those figures and feed them to the camera in
the "M" mode?

Not at the press of a button. You set the flash for a certain setting
(on mine, f/8 at 400ISO is the option I usually use) and then set the
camera for that. The flash measures how much light bounces back, and
adjusts the output so the final picture is properly exposed at f/8,
which, of course, is what the camera is set for.

-Joel

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So does the flash recommend an ISO/f-stop setting at the press of a
button? And then I take those figures and feed them to the camera in
the "M" mode?

Not at the press of a button. You set the flash for a certain setting
(on mine, f/8 at 400ISO is the option I usually use) and then set the
camera for that. The flash measures how much light bounces back, and
adjusts the output so the final picture is properly exposed at f/8,
which, of course, is what the camera is set for.

-Joel

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please feed the 35mm lens/digicam databases: http://www.exc.com/photography
----------------------------------------------------------------------------