Looking for flashes, my 530 ex was murdered... cheapest one

[alfa147x]

So my 530 ex was murdered yesterday. I was doing a shoot yesterday and was shooting out the back of a 4 wheeler while a friend was holding the flash + monopod on another 4 wheeler (pocketwizard) and it clipped a branch. Broke off the mount and landed in a puddle
oh well, it was a lot of fun shooting like that
:hmm:
But now I need a new flash, would it make a difference if i bought an off brand instead of a 430 ex? since I only use it manually and off camera? I really want to get the cheapest one possible, I also don't need something that recycles fast either.

Help a college student in need!

Thanks,
Alfa147x

 

[PurdueRy]

So my 530 ex was murdered yesterday. I was doing a shoot yesterday and was shooting out the back of a 4 wheeler while a friend was holding the flash + monopod on another 4 wheeler (pocketwizard) and it clipped a branch. Broke off the mount and landed in a puddle
oh well, it was a lot of fun shooting like that
:hmm:
But now I need a new flash, would it make a difference if i bought an off brand instead of a 430 ex? since I only use it manually and off camera? I really want to get the cheapest one possible, I also don't need something that recycles fast either.

Help a college student in need!

Thanks,
Alfa147x

I don't know too much about third party flashes but you will lose ETTL. If you only set the flash brightness manually and have been using radio triggers I suppose this isn't any loss. If you use a IR transmitter or use the flash on camera I would get at least a 430ex II. I went with that one and sometimes wish I went with the 580ex II.

 

[angry hampster]

You can get several Vivitar HV285s for the price of one used 580EX. They're nearly as powerful, too. I use mine for club/party shoots where it might get dirty or hit/kicked/whatever. They're great flashes. The light they produce is very directional, but that can be easily remedied with an umbrella or some other light modifier. Paid $65 for mine if I recall correctly.

 

[alfa147x]

I don't know too much about third party flashes but you will lose ETTL. If you only set the flash brightness manually and have been using radio triggers I suppose this isn't any loss. If you use a IR transmitter or use the flash on camera I would get at least a 430ex II. I went with that one and sometimes wish I went with the 580ex II.

I use either radio or wired, no IR transmitters (passionate hate)
I have a 430ex I love it, does what I want it to

You can get several Vivitar HV285s for the price of one used 580EX. They're nearly as powerful, too. I use mine for club/party shoots where it might get dirty or hit/kicked/whatever. They're great flashes. The light they produce is very directional, but that can be easily remedied with an umbrella or some other light modifier. Paid $65 for mine if I recall correctly.

Thanks ill look into it

Looks awesome might be what im looking for
So it hooks into my camera via PC sync cord, does it have a tripod mount?

 

[randomlinh]

I personally did not like the 285HV's because they were so awkwardly shaped. And didn't have a swivel head (I wanted it to double as on camera too) and only have full, 1/2, 1/4 and 1/16 power settings. But it was a good cheap flash. Amazon still has em for $85 it seems http://www.amazon.com/Vivitar-285HV-Auto-Professional-Flash/dp/B00004TVSP

If you need a little more, http://www.mpex.com/browse.cfm/4,12311.html
Strobist guys seem to love it as a manual alternative w/ optional slave built in if you need it. I think it was built specifically for the strobist community given the Sunpack 383 stopped production (I love mine). It is a bit expensive maybe for what it is, but an option nevertheless.

 

[alfa147x]

I personally did not like the 285HV's because they were so awkwardly shaped. And didn't have a swivel head (I wanted it to double as on camera too) and only have full, 1/2, 1/4 and 1/16 power settings. But it was a good cheap flash. Amazon still has em for $85 it seems http://www.amazon.com/Vivitar-285HV-.../dp/B00004TVSP

If you need a little more, http://www.mpex.com/browse.cfm/4,12311.html
Strobist guys seem to love it as a manual alternative w/ optional slave built in if you need it. I think it was built specifically for the strobist community given the Sunpack 383 stopped production (I love mine). It is a bit expensive maybe for what it is, but an option nevertheless.

Thanks, but im thinking the 285HVs with a cheap tripod should be able to do the trick. And they are way cheaper

http://www.amazon.com/Carrying-Pana...r_1_17?ie=UTF8&s=photo&qid=1265675678&sr=1-17

 

[angry hampster]

That tripod looks like absolute JUNK.


If you are interested in maintaining swivel capabilities and a little more adjustment, check out Canon's old 540EZ:
http://www.amazon.com/Canon-540EZ-Sp...5679987&sr=1-1

A bit more expensive than the Viv, but it's a layout you're familiar with and they're not (as aforementioned) awkwardly shaped.


Get a quality air cushioned light stand. Well worth the $$$. This is the one I've got.
http://www.mpex.com/browse.cfm/4,11667.html

 

[996GT2]

But now I need a new flash, would it make a difference if i bought an off brand instead of a 430 ex?since I only use it manually and off camera ? I really want to get the cheapest one possible, I also don't need something that recycles fast either.

Help a college student in need!

Thanks,
Alfa147x

If you want a cheap flash to use for off-camera, I recommend the Canon 420EZ and 430EZ. The 540EZ costs over $100 used on eBay, but you can pick up a 420 or 430EZ for around $25-40. These flashes, like the 540EZ, use Canon's older A-TTL system and will not give you TTL abilities with Canon's DSLRs. HOWEVER, for off-camera use, they are great, value-priced flashes. Both the 420EZ and 430EZ have tilt AND swivel heads, manual power control from 1/1-1/32, and LCD screens on the back for easy viewing of settings. Hook it up to a hot shoe PC adapter or a wireless transmitter and you're set.

The 420EZ has a 5 minute auto-off, and the 430EZ has a 90 second auto-off. This can be annoying for off-camera use, but it's easy to disable...just put a piece of tape over the LCD backlight button and the flash stays on as long as you want. Doing so keeps the backlight on all the time and reduces battery life a little, but...it's a $30-40 flash, so you can buy some extra batteries with the money you saved from not buying a 540EZ

Hope this helps. I just picked up a 430EZ for around $30 to use off-camera in addition to my 430EX (which was ~$200 ). It seems like the 420EZ and 430EZ might be some of the only flashes that haven't been discovered en masse by strobist photographers. The Nikon SB-24/25/26/28, Canon 540EZ, Vivitar 285HV, etc...all those flashes command pretty high prices these days due to the rise in popularity of strobist photography.

 

[alfa147x]

If you want a cheap flash to use for off-camera, I recommend the Canon 420EZ and 430EZ. The 540EZ costs over $100 used on eBay, but you can pick up a 420 or 430EZ for around $25-40. These flashes, like the 540EZ, use Canon's older A-TTL system and will not give you TTL abilities with Canon's DSLRs. HOWEVER, for off-camera use, they are great, value-priced flashes. Both the 420EZ and 430EZ have tilt AND swivel heads, manual power control from 1/1-1/32, and LCD screens on the back for easy viewing of settings. Hook it up to a hot shoe PC adapter or a wireless transmitter and you're set.

The 420EZ has a 5 minute auto-off, and the 430EZ has a 90 second auto-off. This can be annoying for off-camera use, but it's easy to disable...just put a piece of tape over the LCD backlight button and the flash stays on as long as you want. Doing so keeps the backlight on all the time and reduces battery life a little, but...it's a $30-40 flash, so you can buy some extra batteries with the money you saved from not buying a 540EZ

Hope this helps. I just picked up a 430EZ for around $30 to use off-camera in addition to my 430EX (which was ~$200 ). It seems like the 420EZ and 430EZ might be some of the only flashes that haven't been discovered en masse by strobist photographers. The Nikon SB-24/25/26/28, Canon 540EZ, Vivitar 285HV, etc...all those flashes command pretty high prices these days due to the rise in popularity of strobist photography.

Thanks a lot! Thats just what iv been looking for! Something that hasnt been discovered!