Speedlite 380EX

[DapperDavo]

I am about to buy a 350D. I have done extensive research, especially since I have a normal Canon EOS 50e and I wanted to make sure the USM lenses and Speedlite flash are compatible.

Has there been any problems using a 380EX flash? Also I read that the DSLR does not use TTL technology as with film?

Regards.

Davo.

 

[Bigpapa]

No problems from what i heard. the E-TTL and E-TTL II is compatible with any canon EX Flash. The 380EX is alot like the 420EX is not as powerful,but a good flash

 

[amcomis]

the 380ex is a GREAT flash. White balance doesn't report I found - meaning you got to use flash white balance I found - but then its perfect.

And its technically weaker but the guide number are very close - you will not be able to notice

 

[dylanbarnhart]

It will be compatible, as I believe the 380EX supports ETTL.

I considered it a while back, but went with the Sigma DG500. The reason was because the 380EX tilts but doesn't swivel. When you shoot in portrait orientation, how do you bounce off the ceiling if the flash can't swivel? Bouncing is critical to have good flash photos, and the 380ex will not let you do that for all of your portrait orientation photos.

I was in for a surprised. The Sigma DG500 was so much fun. Features I never desired, like optical wireless mode, allowed me to be much more creative in my photos. I strongly recommend it, if you can afford it.

I am about to buy a 350D. I have done extensive research,
especially since I have a normal Canon EOS 50e and I wanted to make
sure the USM lenses and Speedlite flash are compatible.

Has there been any problems using a 380EX flash? Also I read that
the DSLR does not use TTL technology as with film?

Regards.

Davo.

 

[DapperDavo]

The 380EX does swivel up and down, but not left and right swivel. I just wanted to make sure my 380EX will work with the 350D.

Cheers for your replies..

 

[dylanbarnhart]

"swivel up and down", that's what I meant by "tilt". When you rotate your camera 90 degrees to take a portrait orientation photo, i.e. width is smaller than height, the "up and down" becomes "left and right". That means you can't bounce flash to the ceiling.

The 380EX does swivel up and down, but not left and right swivel. I
just wanted to make sure my 380EX will work with the 350D.

Cheers for your replies..

 

[MarcosV]

The 380EX is the first ETTL flash that was coupled to a Elan IIe (50E?) a number of years ago.

I've used a 380EX when I first bought a 300D. E-TTL works fine. I've since upgraded the 380EX for a Sigma 500 DG Super for the extra power and a tilt-swivel flash head.

DSLRs do not support the older TTL technology with Canon flashes per
http://photonotes.org/articles/eos-flash/

• Marcos

I am about to buy a 350D. I have done extensive research,
especially since I have a normal Canon EOS 50e and I wanted to make
sure the USM lenses and Speedlite flash are compatible.

Has there been any problems using a 380EX flash? Also I read that
the DSLR does not use TTL technology as with film?

 

[DapperDavo]

Oooh, I see what you mean. Yeah, good point. I hadn't thought of taking portrait shots with the Speedlite......

Thanks for that...

 

[Dan57]

I used my 380EX with my Elan-II and then used it for quite a while with my Rebel. It worked great, no complaints. Not too powerful but not too weak either. I finally bought a more powerful unit and sold the 380 on EBAY.

 

[Doug Kerr]

Hi, Davo,

I am about to buy a 350D. I have done extensive research,
especially since I have a normal Canon EOS 50e and I wanted to make
sure the USM lenses and Speedlite flash are compatible.

Has there been any problems using a 380EX flash? Also I read that
the DSLR does not use TTL technology as with film?

Yes, the EOS dSLRs use the E-TTL or E-TTL II flash metering systems. (They are of course "TTL" metering systems in the generic sense, but not the specific system Canon designates "TTL".)

I assume that the 380EX is compatible with that (the -EX suffix normally indicates that).

I have never used one.

Best regards,

Doug

Visit The Pumpkin, a library of my technical articles on photography, optics, and other topics:

http://doug.kerr.home.att.net/pumpkin

My EOS 20D must be a point and shoot camera - I find out that if I don't point, I get erratic results; if I don't shoot, I get no results.

 

[Anthony de Vries]

Oooh, I see what you mean. Yeah, good point. I hadn't thought of
taking portrait shots with the Speedlite......

In stead of buying a different flash, you could also buy a flash bracket. That allows you to keep the flash over the camera, while shooting portrait.

That's actually a little better than a sideways swiveling flash, because then the flash is beside the camera, and not above it. Sometimes that can be visible even though it's bounced.