I need some help

[debbie_gampolo]

Hello there :) I really have two questions for you tonight. The first one is, I am looking to buy a flash for my rebel 2000. I am looking at the 220ex and the 380ex. I was wondering if you could tell me if the 220ex has a zoom head on it. I would like something better than my pop-up flash, but also needs something that will go the distance when I am using my 100-300 lense for close up pictues in a some what low light situation. Can you please help me?? My second question is, when something says it is 100mm, how can you turn that into feet?? I read it somewhere and do not remember where I saw it at. I would like to know this so I will know who many feet my flash will go. And also so I can figure it out for my self in the future when I go to by a new lense. Thank you for taking the time to read my questions. I hope I didn't confuse you with the way I typed the questions. I look forward to hearing from you.

[kurt_heintzelman]

Debbie: It is my firm belief that one should strive for a hotshoe

flash that first-and-foremost features a flash "head" which both tilts

AND swivels, because this allows for "bouncing" the flash's light

output in both horizontal and vertical compositions while the flash

remains mounted on the camera's hotshoe. Therefore, the new EOS 420EX

flash may be your best bet, although I don't know if this flash has

actually been released onto the market yet.

 

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To learn more about "guide numbers" of electronic flashes, click on

the "Learn" section of Photo.net, find the discussion on flashes, and

you'll find some useful information. Best regards.

[jim_strutz]

To expand on Kurt's answer; the 380EX's head zoms and tilts, but does

not swivel, so you are somewhat limited while bouncing flash. Mostly

limited while in a vetical shooting format. The 220EX doesn't tilt

or zoom, and as I recall, it doesn't zoom either.

 

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As Kurt said, tilt & swivel are much more important than a zoom

head. Especially while shooting closeups. The zoom feature will

allow you to get farther away from your subject and still properly

expose it, but you don't need a zoom head for a long lens, only for

long distances.

 

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Either of these will do what you want it to, as well as mimick tilt &

swivel, if you attach it to your camera with Canon's Off Camera Shoe

Cord 2 and mount it on a flip type bracket. The 380EX has more power

as well as more features.

[roy_kekewich]

Debbie,

 

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I have the 380EX which I use on the ElanIIe. I am very pleased with

this flash. I don't know anything about the 220EX except that it's not

as powerful as the 380EX. However, one thing I have learned is that if

you are deciding between two flashes, it's always better to go with

the more advanced one if you can at all afford it. I did that

regarding the EX flashes you mentioned as well as the Vivitar flashes

I own and can see, in retrospect, that I would've quickly outgrown the

smaller, cheaper flash units. If you can afford the 420EX or 550EX

all the better. The more advanced flash will give you good results and

offer features you can "grow into" as you progress.

 

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Your second question is probable referring to the Guide Number system.

A guide number is an expression of the power of the flash. I find an

understanding of the Guide Number system very useful. Using simple

formulas, you can determine the effective range (often called working

distance ) of your flash, determine what aperture to use in Manual

flash mode and so on.

 

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It's not complicated, but keep in mind that your flash's power,as well

as your film speed, lens aperture and focal length ALL effect your

Guide Number--and therefore your calculations.

 

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Check your flash manual for a guide number table. Be aware in ads and

brochures they are often overstated, by referring to the number at a

telephoto focal length.

 

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Here's a website that offers several short clear explanations, along

with other info regarding flash:

 

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http://www.chem.helsinki.fi/~toomas/photo/flash-faq.html

 

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Good luck!

Roy

[jim_strutz]

Oh yeah, the conversion from meters to feet. There are 39.37 inches

to a meter, as I recall, so if you multiply meters by 3 you get

something close to feet (you have to add about 10% to get it closer

to being right). Also, there are about 25 mm per inch. So if you

divide your hypothetical 100mm by 25 you end up with about 4 inches.

This last conversion is of limited use in modern photography since

even in the USA we stopped using inches to describe lens length.

 

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As far as guide numbers for flash, you might see something like

this; GN 42 meters (138 feet) @ 100 ISO on the new 420EX. All that

means is if you were using 100 ISO film with an f:1.0 lens (You don't

have one of those, and nobody I know does either) you could shoot

with flash as far as 138' (42 meters). Since you are more apt to be

shooting with an f:4 lens (2 stops slower), you can only get out to

69' (21 meters). At f:8 you would be limited to 34'. You can gain 2

stops back (and the distance) if you switch to 400 ISO film.

 

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The 220EX has a bit more than half that power (22 meters) but is

still adequate for most uses. The problem with it is it's crippled

without the features that you probably want.

[brad_hutcheson]

Pretty good answers. I just felt the need to mention that there is a

4 stop difference between f1.0, and f4.0 - 1.0, 1.4, 2.0, 2.8, 4.0,

in full stops. It is an easy mistake to make, but you multiply by

approximately 1.4 to get the next smaller f stop, not 2.

 

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By the way, I use the 380EX, but the 220EX isn't really the slouch it

seems like. The guide number rating of 22 meters covers the angle of

a 28mm lens, which is only 1 meter less than the 380EX at the 28mm

zoom position. The power of the 380EX and the other zoom flashes is

deceptive because they are rated at maximum zoom. To find the guide

number of a Canon flash, just drop the 0 from the end of the number,

and you have the guide number in meters. Multiply that by 3.3 to get

a close approximation of the guide number in feet. Also keep in mind

that using a 220EX will be fine with a long lens, but it won't cover

the full angle of view if you have a 24mm or wider lens. The 380EX

can cover a 24mm lens, the 550EX can cover as wide as 17mm.

[steven_fisher1]

So the 220EX will be great if you always use a 28mm lens...

 

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The 380EX has a guide # of 102 at 50mm and it's only $30 more at

B&H. IMHO zoom & tilt for that price make it an easy choice. Sigma

recently announced a new flash that uses E-TTL, does tilt & swivel,

and has full manual control. 550EX functionality at what is bound to

be a much lower price.

 

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Even with a 550EX I wish I had more power when doing bounce, which is

almost the only type of flash I do.

[jim_strutz]

"Pretty good answers. I just felt the need to mention that there is a

4 stop difference between f1.0, and f4.0"

 

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Well, that's what I get for thinking when tired. Just divide all my

distance calculation in two.