Generic flash for Canon 300D and Minolta Maxxum

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

Hi,

I have two cameras - Canon 300D and Minolta Maxxum 5. After using the
300D's built-in flash at a wedding recently it became clear to me that
I need an external flash to shoot at such occasions. However, I would
hate to buy one flash unit per camera. So are there any
non-Canon/Minolta units that can adapt to both the cameras?

There is a Vivitar DF200 that seems to *adapt* to the host camera's
flash profile. But the features are fewer than two other flash units
that seem to be popular - Sunpak PZ5000 and Sigma E500 Super.
Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Siddhartha

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

Michael Meissner wrote:
>
> The simplest and cheapest approach is to get a generic 'auto' flash
and the
> adpator on Minolta cameras that allows you to use standard flashes.
An auto
> flash has a light sensor on the flash itself that measures the light
level, and
> shuts off the light when it reaches a certain level. The flash has a
setting
> for ISO, and several auto settings that indicate the f/stop you need
to use
> (for example, f/2, f/4, f/5.6). You choose which setting you want,
and then
> set your camera to manual mode, setting the ISO and f/stop to
correspond to the
> flash, and the shutter speed appropriate to the background (faster
shutter
> speed, the more the light will only come from the flash and not the
background
> light).

So does the flash recommend an ISO/f-stop setting at the press of a
button? And then I take those figures and feed them to the camera in
the "M" mode?

And I guess I need to use Canon flashes if I want the camera to tell
the flash what ISO/Power/f-stop to use when I half-press the shutter
release button. Right?


> The usual flashes in this category are the Vivitar 285HV, Vivitar
283,
> or Sunpak 383, but there are quite a few to choose from. With the
300D, you
> probably don't want to buy a used flash, as older flashes could send
hundreds
> of volts through the hot-shoe, frying the camera.
>
> A step up if you want TTL support (through the lens, where the camera
controls
> the flash settings, and it will work with auto mode) is the Metz
54MZ3/54MZ4
> flash with the appropriate adaptors for each camera.
>
> Using a slave flash like the DF200 complicates things unless you want
multiple
> lights or unless your camera doesn't have support for an external
flash.

I looked at the Metz 54MZ3/4 but it is too expensive (I am looking at
spending a max of US$150) and the other thing is that with the lower
models like the Metz 44MZ-2 if I use the same head with the Metz
adaptor then I either loose Canon's E-TTL/HSS or Minolta's ADI.

I don't understand why do they build dedicated flashes? Why not build
the head and control circuitry that is camera specific in two separate
units?

- Siddhartha