Cheaper flashes vs more expensive flashes

I Saw Silence

I'm looking to get an external flash for my 400d and I don't feel like paying for a canon brand one.
I've seen some third-party flashes on ebay going for about 50 euro. Obviously the build quality wouldn't even be close to that of the canon brand but what are the other disadvantages of going cheaper when it comes to external flashes?

swingking

the metz 45 or Nissan 622 are amazing flashes and have been compared to Canon's own brand flash and have equaled if not beaten the Canon flashes

nilhg

I Saw Silence wrote: »

I'm looking to get an external flash for my 400d and I don't feel like paying for a canon brand one.
I've seen some third-party flashes on ebay going for about 50 euro. Obviously the build quality wouldn't even be close to that of the canon brand but what are the other disadvantages of going cheaper when it comes to external flashes?

The big difference is the ability of the flash and camera to talk to each other, the cheap ones won't so you have to do all the work in your head and set both up manually, the camera will fire the flash that's all.

One thing to be careful of is that the cheap flashes are actually electrically compatable with your camera, some older flashes have high trigger voltages that will fry your camera.

Freddie59

nilhg wrote: »

The big difference is the ability of the flash and camera to talk to each other, the cheap ones won't so you have to do all the work in your head and set both up manually, the camera will fire the flash that's all.

One thing to be careful of is that the cheap flashes are actually electrically compatable with your camera, some older flashes have high trigger voltages that will fry your camera.

You get what you pay for then.:) Save up and buy the Canon.

nilhg

Freddie59 wrote: »

You get what you pay for then.:) Save up and buy the Canon.

Metz or Nissin would be fine, it's the really cheaper stuff you see on ebay that you have to be careful with, make sure you have your research done.

To the OP, there is no point buying a cheap flash and never using it because it's complex and slow to setup, but also remember it's not rocket science and generations of photographers had no choice but to do everything manually.

melekalikimaka

swingking wrote: »

the metz 45 or Nissan 622 are amazing flashes and have been compared to Canon's own brand flash and have equaled if not beaten the Canon flashes

really?

swingking

check this months issue of digital photo magazine. They ran a test on lots of different flashes and the Metz came out really good.

melekalikimaka

swingking wrote: »

check this months issue of digital photo magazine. They ran a test on lots of different flashes and the Metz came out really good.

have they sorted out the ol ttl issues and the like. i'm nikon myself and have never ever heard anyone recommend any flash other than own brand

stcstc

i have a canon 580 and a nissin, a couple of vivitars

the nissin works well on the camera

but you do have to mod it to work with the ebay triggers though it does use the centre pin to fire

I Saw Silence

I think I might stick with the Nissin or Metz brand. They seem better than the super cheap looking ones that I've been looking at and I wouldn't use it enough to warrant the price of the Canon flashes.

pete4130

buy cheap, buy twice!