5600 flash on 5D--KM customer service says they work fine?

I'm considering buying a KM 5600 flash for my 5D, and have read all about the underexposure/overexposure problems that 7D users are having, and that many users have had to send in their units for calibration. When I called KM service today, the rep told me that it wasn't a known problem with the 5D, though "it depends on your particular camera".

Can anyone comment on this? Was there a change between the 7D and 5D that improved compatibility?

Thanks!

I was under the same understanding that there was no problems using the 5600HSD with the 5D. I know a few posters who have said that I may have problems, but I'm hoping not.

I ordered one and it is on the way. I should have it by this Thursday or Friday and then I will give it a workout. So by next week or sooner I will post my comments and hopefully some pictures.

If you are concern, wait until I can comment on the 5D with the 5600 first hand.

BTW, I believe there was a change between the 7D and the 5D firmware that improved the compatibility of the 3600 and 5600 flashes.

Thanks happyme, it was actually your post that inspired me to start looking at the 5600! But I just found out that BH won't ship to a hotel, so I have no hope of getting one when I visit the US later this week (I'm in Canada, and prices here are just unreasonable compared to US prices).

Anyway, I'm still interested in hearing from 5D users, because sooner or later (though i would like it to be sooner!), I will buy a flash.

I am one among many MANY 7D owners with the 5600 HS D that never had any problems whatsoever. I suspect user error in most of the cases that were sent in for calibration. The 5600 HS D is a sophisticated instrument with many settings that can be wrongly used for poor results. I bought mine in April 2004 for use with my A-2 before 7Ds were on the market. It makes no difference as to when it was made as some thought later versions were different. They are not. "D" has nothing to do with Digital, it is D for Distance encoding. I shot the 2005 Chicao Auto Show with over 300 faultless exposures under otherwise lousy interior lighting.





















VIVA 5600HS D!!
--Shercando

Excellent quality flash photos. The flash looks like it evenly distributes the light. I am really looking forward to using it. The flash represents one of the many reasons I bought the 5D to begin with.

Have you used the flash as a wireless unit with your built-in flash controlling the 5600? Also have you had the opportunity to use the HSS feature of this flash? If you did, does it have to be on the flashshoe or can it be used wirelessly to obtain high speed shutter?

Thanks for sharing your experience and your wonderful flash photos.

Shercando

Can you tell me settings used for the show, it must be me but I am having trouble with the 5600HS. A recommended starting point would help, very difficult to shoot motorcycles with allot of chrome.

Mike

The problems almost everytime occurs with the 7d and the 5600. Even KM service UK comfirms this issue in their FAQ website. I my self own two 7D and two 5600 and one 7D with both flashes is sent to KM Bremen Germany for calibration and testing. the older flash gives 2/3 EV underexposure and the newest flash gives 1 EV underexposure. If it was my fotogtraphy skill, both underexposures should be the same because the test pictures I took were made with the same lens, same settings and same camera. When connecting both flashes to the other 7D. everything is OK. Wonder how this will be when both flashes return????. Flash on my film 7000i and 7 was OK. Wireless flash in combination with bot 7D's was OK and exposure with the internal flash was OK too.

It is not the man but the machine that fails this time.))))
--
Best regards

Iggy

happyme said:

Excellent quality flash photos.

Click to expand...

Thank you.

happyme said:

The flash looks like it evenly
distributes the light. I am really looking forward to using it. The
flash represents one of the many reasons I bought the 5D to begin
with.

Have you used the flash as a wireless unit with your built-in flash
controlling the 5600?

Click to expand...

I have not used it off camera as a wireless flash.

happyme said:

Also have you had the opportunity to use the
HSS feature of this flash?

Click to expand...

I have not used the High Speed Sync either.

happyme said:

If you did, does it have to be on the
flashshoe (yes, to program it, then remove to flash location)
or can it be used wirelessly to obtain high speed shutter?

Click to expand...

As far as I know you can not make wireless setting changes. If you want to use HSS, you have to select it while the unit is mounted on camera.

You must first program the flash when it is mounted on the camera with both camera and flash turned on. Then select desired setting selections. Then remove it from the camera to the location you want to flash from.

happyme said:

Thanks for sharing your experience and your wonderful flash photos.

Click to expand...

--
Shercando

mcilenti said:

Shercando
Can you tell me settings used for the show,

Click to expand...

I used different lenses and a variety of camera settings. You can get the focal lengths and camera settings from an EXIF reader like Opanda off each photo. I used one set of settings mainly as stated below for the entire show on the flash however. First of all I had the flash tilt straight on. There is no bounce flash benefit from black ceilings and steel beams 100 feet high.

mcilenti said:

it must be me but I am
having trouble with the 5600HS. A recommended starting point would
help, very difficult to shoot motorcycles with allot of chrome.

Click to expand...

Turn on your flash. Tilt for direct forward flash. Select Mode= TTL , Select HSS=Off, Select WL=Off, Select Ratio=Off, Select level 1/1, Select Zoom 85mm. If you get over-exposure reduce level and/or Zoom.

Read the manual when you have time.

mcilenti said:

Mike

Click to expand...

--
Shercando

Iggy1965 said:

The problems almost everytime occurs with the 7d and the 5600. Even
KM service UK comfirms this issue in their FAQ website. I my self
own two 7D and two 5600 and one 7D with both flashes is sent to KM
Bremen Germany for calibration and testing. the older flash gives
2/3 EV underexposure and the newest flash gives 1 EV underexposure.
If it was my fotogtraphy skill, both underexposures should be the
same because the test pictures I took were made with the same lens,
same settings and same camera. When connecting both flashes to the
other 7D. everything is OK. Wonder how this will be when both
flashes return????.

Click to expand...

I hope KM gets it right for you. It is the best flash on the market.
Flash on my film 7000i and 7 was OK. Wireless

Member said:

flash in combination with bot 7D's was OK and exposure with the
internal flash was OK too.

It is not the man but the machine that fails this time.))))
--
Best regards

Iggy

Click to expand...

--
Shercando

Just buy it from B&H and have it shipped to Canada then.....

We bought our 5D from them and have it shipped to Toronto without any problems.....

--
Gareth

Yes, I could certainly have it shipped here, but I was hoping to take advantage of my tax-free allowance while I was in the US so that I could save the 15% in PST and GST. Oh well.

First time you use it put it on the camera and select remote flash on the camera. This is so that the camera can find out which remote channel the flash is set to (normally CH-1).

Later you can just select remote on the flash itself, and on the camera by it self, and it works. You do not need to mount the flash on the camera before you shoot, unless you change the channel on the flash.
--
A.Sagebø
http://www.pbase.com/asageboe

The 5D when you put it in 'Wireless' mode lets you do HSS without first attaching the 5600. And, yes it will attempt HSS even if you turn off the 5600, but you will know this right away since the picture will be black.

So, HSS works with the 5600 on camera or in wireless mode.

Shercando said:

happyme said:

Excellent quality flash photos.

Click to expand...

Thank you.

Shercando said:

The flash looks like it evenly
distributes the light. I am really looking forward to using it. The
flash represents one of the many reasons I bought the 5D to begin
with.

Have you used the flash as a wireless unit with your built-in flash
controlling the 5600?

Click to expand...

I have not used it off camera as a wireless flash.

Shercando said:

Also have you had the opportunity to use the
HSS feature of this flash?

Click to expand...

I have not used the High Speed Sync either.

Shercando said:

If you did, does it have to be on the
flashshoe (yes, to program it, then remove to flash location)
or can it be used wirelessly to obtain high speed shutter?

Click to expand...

As far as I know you can not make wireless setting changes. If you
want to use HSS, you have to select it while the unit is mounted on
camera.

You must first program the flash when it is mounted on the camera
with both camera and flash turned on. Then select desired setting
selections. Then remove it from the camera to the location you
want to flash from.

Shercando said:

Thanks for sharing your experience and your wonderful flash photos.

Click to expand...

--
Shercando

Click to expand...

--
Rick

--Personaly,I can't see how this can be 'The Best Flash on the market'..As far as i can see, by reading your comments,there be too many things to alter in that Flash before useing.Therefore confuseing lots of peeps..Whats the Point of it..Once you set the Apperture isn't the flash supposed to do it's job useing TTL etc.,---I bet that a lot of Old flash-guns,once mounted on the Adapter will do the same Job as this New un..
Just My Opinion as I've not used the new flash-guns..
MrScary (DennisR)
Swansea, Wales. UK

http://www.pbase.com/dennisr
http://community.webshots.com/user/mrscarecrow
http://digiden.photoshare.co.nz

MrScary said:

--Personaly,I can't see how this can be 'The Best Flash on the
market'..As far as i can see, by reading your comments,there be too
many things to alter in that Flash before useing.Therefore
confuseing lots of peeps..Whats the Point of it..Once you set the
Apperture isn't the flash supposed to do it's job useing TTL
etc.,---I bet that a lot of Old flash-guns,once mounted on the
Adapter will do the same Job as this New un..
Just My Opinion as I've not used the new flash-guns..
MrScary (DennisR)
Swansea, Wales. UK

Click to expand...

Your personal preference appears to toward P&S with little input from the user. You may be surprised to know that automation is not the most important factor in rating a flash or camera. A 7D would probably drive you batty. The 5600 HS D is not a new flash. It has been around for years and earned it's high esteem in the industry from reviewers and accomplished users. It is also the most powerful flash on the market.

MrScary said:

http://www.pbase.com/dennisr
http://community.webshots.com/user/mrscarecrow
http://digiden.photoshare.co.nz

Click to expand...

--
Shercando

Dennis,

You may be right, but I tend not to think so. This is such a small sampling of the amount of 5Ds and 5600HSDs posted here, that the picture you get here may not be accurate. I take whatever information that these great people pass on and realize that not all of it is accurate. You have to use some common sense. There seems to be many more posters who have not had any problems and had fantastic results. The real proof is in the pictures I see.

As you probably know, the electronics of today works more efficiently when accessories communicate with each other. In this case we are talking about "D" lenses and "D" flashes which communicate the distance of the focus in order to output the proper amount of light to make an accurate exposure taking all other variables into consideration. Of course in the old days you can figure all that out by yourself by knowing the guide number of your flash and the distance to the subject, and then hope for the best. I like it better this way.

I should have my 5600HSD flash delievered Thursday or Friday. I will run it through it's paces with my 5D and post my comments and hopefully some examples.

There are many other things to consider besides aperture. You have distant, ambient light, reflective light, shutter speed, and of course the level of light that the flash is producing for that shot. To me all of this is amazing and so much more accurate from the days of flash bulbs.

In any case, I will pass on my Pro & Con experiences using the 5600HSD with my 5D. BTW, I don't think anyone referred to the 5600 flash as the 'best on the market', at most it was indicated that the 5600 communicated better with the digital Maxxum SLRs, but even that was debated. Those were just some people's opinion and may or may not have been base their experience since not all those posters have tried different flashes.

Here is a very good review and "How To" use the 5600HS D from Imaging Resource:
http://www.imaging-resource.com/ACCS/56H/56H.HTM
--
Shercando

My 7D had a horrible time, with any Flash operation, until I sent it in for a firmware upgrade that Phil told me was only availabe in the Service Center.

My 5D performed flawlessly in all applications of Flash usage.

You have nothing to worry about.

--
Dave Patterson
---------------------
Midwestshutterbug.com

I respectfully disagree!

My 7D was consistantly, inconstistant, with any type of flash, on camera, wireless, stroboframe mounted, you name it.

Once I got it back from MinoltaUSA, it was vastly improved BUT I still had some flash issues with subjects under 7ft away.

Something I never had to concern myself with using the film 7 or even the 5D.

--
Dave Patterson
---------------------
Midwestshutterbug.com