Speedlite

I have a 300D(DRebel)and a film EOS5 with a Canon 540EZ speedlight.

Can the 540EZ be used with the 300D? I've read that the 580EX

speedlite now knows the sensor in the new Canon DSLR's. Does this

mean that the 380EX and 550EX cannot be depended upon?

I don't think the EZ series of flashes will work with Canon's digital cameras.

 

As far as I know, EZ flashes use a scheme that "looks" at the film as it is being exposed to know when to turn off the flash. EX flashes add the capability to fire a quick preflash, meter that preflash, and then preset the flash duration before opening the shutter.

 

The image sensor of a digital camera doesn't change brightness or color, like film does, when exposed. So, digitial cameras must utilize the preflash metering method. Therefore, an EX flash unit is required.

The 550EX and the 380EX will both work fine with both the 300D and compatible film bodies (starting with the Elan IIE). The 580EX adds some features to better accomodate digital bodies such as the 20D and 1D MkII, but it will still work fine with the 300D although its zoom head will automatically zoom to the full frame coverage of the lens in use rather than the cropped equivalent focal length.

Have a look at http://photonotes.org/articles/eos-flash, it explains everything about that.

 

I have the same 2 bodies, but with a Sigma EF 500 Super (which is 550EX compatible -- got the 300D and the flash first, a used A2E later). The digital SLR can't switch to TTL mode and will therefore not work with a non-ETTL-flash (like the 540EZ) because TTL meters the light that reflects from the film, as Aaron said.

 

On the other hand, the ETTL-capable flashes (all with ...EX as well as the Sigma EF 500 Super) can turn into TTL mode and will work on all EOS bodies, with or without ETTL. They do not support A-TTL, though, like the EZ-flashes, but it seems A-TTL is not a big hit anyway.

Anesh,

 

Take a look here for checking out compatibility between various flashes and 300D:

 

http://www.eosdoc.com/manuals.asp?q=types

 

- Harman

<i>"Can the 540EZ be used with the 300D?"</i><br/>

<br/>

Yes, but only via the 540EZ's manual controls. The 300D will trigger the 540EZ's flash, but it won't tweak the output. That can be fine for some uses, but it's certainly not as convenient as a flash that your 300D can automate, like any of Canon's EX series.