380EX as a starter flash?

[996GT2]

I've seen some pretty good deals on 380EX flashes lately (between $75 and 90 shipped) on forums and other places, and was wondering if the 380EX was worth that price as a starter flash. I know it doesn't have manual controls or a swivel head, but how much do those affect actual performance?

The next step up would be the 420EX at around $125-150, but again, no manual controls on this one either.

Or there's the Vivitar 285HV, but that one is manual ONLY.

What do you guys recommend?

 

[foghorn67]

I remember mine had a decent amount of power. Probably between the 430 and 580 output wise. Only guessing. I keep it in the trunk for backup.
It actually does okay with ETTL. Non digital distance registering, but it seemed okay.

I rarely use manual on the shoe. Most of the time, I do okay with EV compensation flash exposure.

I usually reserve manual flashes for off camera setups.

 

[996GT2]

Originally posted by: foghorn67
I remember mine had a decent amount of power. Probably between the 430 and 580 output wise. Only guessing. I keep it in the trunk for backup.
It actually does okay with ETTL. Non digital distance registering, but it seemed okay.

I rarely use manual on the shoe. Most of the time, I do okay with EV compensation flash exposure.

I usually reserve manual flashes for off camera setups.

Is it a big limitation to not have manual controls on a flash? What kinds of shots are not possible without manual power settings?

 

[soydios]

Originally posted by: 996GT2

Originally posted by: foghorn67
I remember mine had a decent amount of power. Probably between the 430 and 580 output wise. Only guessing. I keep it in the trunk for backup.
It actually does okay with ETTL. Non digital distance registering, but it seemed okay.

I rarely use manual on the shoe. Most of the time, I do okay with EV compensation flash exposure.

I usually reserve manual flashes for off camera setups.

Is it a big limitation to not have manual controls on a flash? What kinds of shots are not possible without manual power settings?

Manual is good for flash-triggered remote flashes (Nikon calls it SU-4 after an earlier product of their's dunno what Canon calls it). Basically whenever the flash sees another flash going off, it goes off too. It's also good for when the flash metering is completely confused, like shooting through rain/snow/dust, particularly with lenses that don't transmit focus distance information to the camera (i.e. pre-D Nikon lenses).

More important is the tilt/swivel of the 420EX and above flashes, versus the tilt only of the 380EX. This is useful for bounce flash.

 

[xchangx]

Originally posted by: 996GT2
I've seen some pretty good deals on 380EX flashes lately (between $75 and 90 shipped) on forums and other places, and was wondering if the 380EX was worth that price as a starter flash. I know it doesn't have manual controls or a swivel head, but how much do those affect actual performance?

The next step up would be the 420EX at around $125-150, but again, no manual controls on this one either.

Or there's the Vivitar 285HV, but that one is manual ONLY.

What do you guys recommend?

I'd spend the extra $ and get the 420EX as the swivel/tilt will be better in the long run. I rarely shoot direct flash (almost all bounce indoors & in a softbox outdoors).

 

[corkyg]

Originally posted by: xchangx
I'd spend the extra $ and get the 420EX as the swivel/tilt will be better in the long run. I rarely shoot direct flash (almost all bounce indoors & in a softbox outdoors).

This! Your "starter" flash is built in to your 40D.

 

[angry hampster]

Check out Sigma's EF 500 DG Super or EF 530. I've used an EF 500 for about two years and am very satisfied. I've got a Vivitar 285HV as well. It's a great flash, but not being able to swivel the head is a pain.

 

[ivan2]

have used the 430EX myself, to me the only time when I use swivel is when I don't want to flash directly into a baby's eyes to preserve his vision. otherwise i am almost always 60 degree up with stofen (a stofen is highly recommanded). Does bouncing off a further or closer wall help the picture? sometimes, but to me difference isn't very big.

 

[Jawo]

Originally posted by: 996GT2

Originally posted by: foghorn67
I remember mine had a decent amount of power. Probably between the 430 and 580 output wise. Only guessing. I keep it in the trunk for backup.
It actually does okay with ETTL. Non digital distance registering, but it seemed okay.

I rarely use manual on the shoe. Most of the time, I do okay with EV compensation flash exposure.

I usually reserve manual flashes for off camera setups.

Is it a big limitation to not have manual controls on a flash? What kinds of shots are not possible without manual power settings?

I am assuming that you have a Canon, as you mention the 380ex/420ex. Canon's E-TTL only works good indoors, as it likes to be the primary source of light. Going outdoors makes it much harder to use you flash for a fill flash as the flash will try to be brighter than the sun. I have the 430ex, and have found its quite an art to get the right flash outdoors. Manual mode is the only way to get the lighting exactly the way you want. I took these pictures at the Cherry Blossoms this year, using a very weak flash (~1/32 power) to cross light the blossoms.

 

[foghorn67]

Originally posted by: Jawo

Originally posted by: 996GT2

Originally posted by: foghorn67
I remember mine had a decent amount of power. Probably between the 430 and 580 output wise. Only guessing. I keep it in the trunk for backup.
It actually does okay with ETTL. Non digital distance registering, but it seemed okay.

I rarely use manual on the shoe. Most of the time, I do okay with EV compensation flash exposure.

I usually reserve manual flashes for off camera setups.

Is it a big limitation to not have manual controls on a flash? What kinds of shots are not possible without manual power settings?

I am assuming that you have a Canon, as you mention the 380ex/420ex. Canon's E-TTL only works good indoors, as it likes to be the primary source of light. Going outdoors makes it much harder to use you flash for a fill flash as the flash will try to be brighter than the sun. I have the 430ex, and have found its quite an art to get the right flash outdoors. Manual mode is the only way to get the lighting exactly the way you want. I took these pictures at the Cherry Blossoms this year, using a very weak flash (~1/32 power) to cross light the blossoms.

Lolz. Manual isn't the only way to get good fill flash outdoors, again lol.

 

[ghostman]

For the most part, the 380EX will serve your needs if you only care to shoot forward or bounce upwards. Those are probably the majority of shots that people take. Seeing that you're not just a snapshots kinda guy and you're actually interested in photography (judging from your posts and your gear), I think you'll run into the limitations of the 380EX rather quickly.

You'll eventually want to give that whole strobist thing a shot (you know you will). The 380EX and the 420EX have no manual controls, so they are not very good flash candidates. In that sense, the 430EX, Sigma Super flashes and others provide you with good ETTL and manual controls. But they are close to $200 (possibly a little less used). Another alternative is to use a flash that has a built-in light sensor, allow it to judge the amount of light rather than through ETTL. I've found that these tend to be fairly good at measuring the proper exposure. They come in the Sunpak 383 as well as the older Sunpak units (422D, 433D, etc.). These Sunpaks have tilt and swivel. Vivitar 285HV's don't have the "auto" option or swivel option to my knowledge.

I have 2 430EX's, a 540EZ, a Sunpak 5000AF, a Minolta Maxxum 4000AF and I've had a Nikon SB-25 and Sunpak 422D (before I ended up frying them). I really only care for 1 ETTL flash (I'll be selling one of the 430EX's), but all of them have manual settings and swivel/tilt.

 

[angry hampster]

Ghostman: Sigma EF 500 Supers can be had used for under $150.