Tiny Fill Flash

[rpcrowe]

I like using fill flash and do not need a really powerful flash for most of my travel shooting.

I will use the Canon 420EX (I have two) because it is the smallest full size hotshoe flash produced by Canon. I also like the tiny Canon 270EX II because when I have it mounted to the camera, I hardly know that it is there. I first used the 270EX but gave that unit to my son-in-law to use with his Canon SX50-HS camera and I purchased a 270EX II because of the slave capability. This is especially nice with my 7D and 7D2 cameras because the camera built-in flash can act as a master for the 270EX II slave.

The 270EX and 270EX II also have bounce capability. Although the flash is not powerful, if I am shooting with a high ISO, it has enough power to act as a limited fill...

These images were shot with a Canon 30D camera at 640 ISO. I bounced the 270EX (before I had the 270EX II) with a Joe Demb Photojournalist FlipIt modifier...





The problem with the 270EX II flash is that it is very expensive (over $150 USD) for what you are getting and it has very limited controls (no controls on the flash, all control must be done through the camera). The 270 models do have HSS but, the flash is so under-powered that I don't use HSS on it.

Here is a substitute for the 270EX (series) as a carry-around flash.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/301933864662...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

It has bounce capability, slave capability and had quite a few controls on the flash unit, including manual. The power is equal to the 270EX models. It doesn't have HSS but, I don't often use HSS with my 270EX II. Best of all is that the unit costs only about $25.00. Since I often carry around two cameras, it would be nice to have a second tiny flash. At twenty-five dollars, I can afford an extra flash.

I can also envision times when I might want to use two slaves controlled by the 7D2 on board flash. The tiny flashes (both the 270EX II and this Chinese model) are so tiny and light that they could be stashed just about anywhere in the setup to provide some light in black zones.

I wish it had radio control, but for $25 how much can I ask for

[Cantab]

Richard, an interesting post.

I thought I'd likely find different colour temperatures in various areas of the two photos but could see nothing. My monitor is calibrated, etc. but maybe I'm colour blind or perhaps there really are no colour temperature differences where the fill light lit?

So, are you going to order the $25 flash?

[Shadowman]

Your proposed setup, two slaves; might make for some interesting lowlight action pup shots.

[rpcrowe]

I worked on the color values using NIK Viveza...

Yes, I have ordered the $25 flash. My intention will be to normally keep it with my Canon SX50-HS bridge camera kit. This is a kit that I keep in a very small bag for when I attend rescue events to shoot the newly adopted dogs with their new families.

I have a small insulated foam container (we get our vaccines shipped to us in these containers) into which the SX50-HS bag fits perfectly. That is going to remain in my car. The insulation will protect the camera against heat and it is not something that any thief would likely break into my car to get. After all, it would likely contain an apple and a cheese sandwich, not a camera.

[inkista]

Richard, are you sure you wouldn't rather go for a Godox TT350C (aka the Flashpoint R2 mini)? Granted, it's $60 more than your eBay bargain, and can only be used as a dumb optical slave, but it has built-in radio master/slave for Godox's X1 system, 270º swivel and 90º tilt, HSS, and TTL.

Sorry. I've got this one on the brain right now, because Flash Havoc just announced that the Fuji X and Micro Four-Thirds versions are coming and available for pre-order on Adorama. And after the Godox lights all get a firmware update, they should be able to autoswitch between systems, which would mean I'd only need a single triggering system to use the same lights with my GX-7, X100T, and Canon dSLRs..., which would mean maybe it's time to look at the AD200 (which is essentially like having an AlienBee AB400 in a speedlight format factor).

[rpcrowe]

Since I already have a 270EX-II flash as well as a plethora of other flashes (5 Canon EX flashes from the 420EX thru the 600EX-RT), this little guy is what I need (want) to play with. It doesn't have HSS which is a function of my 270EX-II but, it does have manual capability as well as multi-flash (not that I will use that).

This little flash will sit on my second camera as a carry around fill flash. HSS is not all that necessary since one of my little flashes has that and my 7D and 7D2 cameras have a 1/250 second sync speed with which I can easily live.

The small size and light weight of the two small flashes are ideal when shooting with two cameras since they do not tend to topple the camera over when the camera is on a strap.

The little flash is built quite well and I have tested its ETTL capability and it seems right on. For twenty five U.S. Dollars it seems like quite a bargain...

I am also going to experiment with a double flash bracket for macro lighting... I can trigger the flashes with my built-in 7D or 7D2 flashes...