Fuji EF-X20 for X100T

[rekstar]

Hey

I have a fuji x100T and am trying to learn flash photography. I've used the on camera flash for couple of weeks and the results are on and off. Sometimes the image is good but most times the subject (in the image) is washed out or looks unnatural. The on camera flash seems too "harsh"....

So I deiced to buy an off camera flash...the ef-x20 seems like a good choice cause it's compact. However, I have some concerns

Is the flash harsh? Does it ruin skin tones?

Recycle times? How long? I've read review that said the flash turns off when you turn camera off and the flash takes 5-6 seconds to startup! Is this true?

Would greatly appreciate any tips or user experience with the EF-X20

Also any other suggestions for compact flashes?

 

[historianx]

Hey

I have a fuji x100T and am trying to learn flash photography. I've used the on camera flash for couple of weeks and the results are on and off. Sometimes the image is good but most times the subject (in the image) is washed out or looks unnatural. The on camera flash seems too "harsh"....

Yeah Im not a big fan of the flash on my X100S. Just not powerful enough, its inconsistent in output, plus it wastes precious in camera battery life.

So I deiced to buy an off camera flash...the ef-x20 seems like a good choice cause it's compact. However, I have some concerns

There are so many opinions about the little Fooj flash most everyone loves to hate--do a search on this forum and you will see. I bought one for my S for run-and-gun individual and group shoots at events and couldn't be happier with it, but I have a lot more experience in dealing with flash than you do. Decades of it.

Is the flash harsh? Does it ruin skin tones?

I'm not sure what you mean by "ruin skin tones." Yes it's harsh if you overexpose, but you can always dial that back in post. I use it mostly for fill in manual exposure, and tend to bump up my ISO to 800-1600 so there's less flash output and shorter recycle times. Fujis can handle it.

Recycle times? How long? I've read review that said the flash turns off when you turn camera off and the flash takes 5-6 seconds to startup! Is this true?

Depends on your ISO settings, the kind of batteries you're using (I use Eneloop Pro aaa rechargeables), and whether you decide to bounce the light or any other means of diffusion, which can negatively affect recycle times. If you do decide to shoot it wired off camera, say to bounce, the Vello TTL cord for Canon is your best bet.

And yes it is true that the flash turns off when you power down the camera, and can take awhile to charge back up. One of its weak points, but the work around is never shut your camera off.

Would greatly appreciate any tips or user experience with the EF-X20

Eneloop batteries, keep your ISO up, and while TTL is a nice feature experiment with manual mode. Remember that your T has an in-lens mechanical leaf shutter so you can sync it at any shutter speed. None of that gimmicky HSS stuff.

Also any other suggestions for compact flashes?

No, but I'm sure others will chime in here. I like mine because it's simple to operate (I mean one dial?) does decent TTL and manual exposure, is solidly built (metal), and fits on the X100/XPro1/2 series very nicely. Your needs may vary. Good luck.

--
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Stop Whining, Start Shooting

 

[akin_t]

Hey

I have a fuji x100T and am trying to learn flash photography. I've used the on camera flash for couple of weeks and the results are on and off. Sometimes the image is good but most times the subject (in the image) is washed out or looks unnatural. The on camera flash seems too "harsh"....

So I deiced to buy an off camera flash...the ef-x20 seems like a good choice cause it's compact. However, I have some concerns

Is the flash harsh? Does it ruin skin tones?

Recycle times? How long? I've read review that said the flash turns off when you turn camera off and the flash takes 5-6 seconds to startup! Is this true?

Would greatly appreciate any tips or user experience with the EF-X20

Also any other suggestions for compact flashes?

Here is my opinion.

Get a real flash gun or stick to the on-board flash. I drag the shutter and dial down the flash EC and I haven't had any issues with hard looking flash since it's being used as fill anyway.

EF-X20 was the biggest waste of money in the Fuji ecosystem; I went to pick up a YongNuo 560 III, it's a purely manual flash with no eTTL but at least it's a real flash gun similar to what I used on the Canon ecosystem.

 

[rekstar]

EF-X20 was the biggest waste of money in the Fuji ecosystem; I went to pick up a YongNuo 560 III, it's a purely manual flash with no eTTL but at least it's a real flash gun similar to what I used on the Canon ecosystem.

Why was the EF-X20 a waste of money? Can you elaborate on this?

 

[rekstar]

Is the flash harsh? Does it ruin skin tones?

I'm not sure what you mean by "ruin skin tones." Yes it's harsh if you overexpose, but you can always dial that back in post. I use it mostly for fill in manual exposure, and tend to bump up my ISO to 800-1600 so there's less flash output and shorter recycle times. Fujis can handle it.

Recycle times? How long? I've read review that said the flash turns off when you turn camera off and the flash takes 5-6 seconds to startup! Is this true?

Depends on your ISO settings, the kind of batteries you're using (I use Eneloop Pro aaa rechargeables), and whether you decide to bounce the light or any other means of diffusion, which can negatively affect recycle times. If you do decide to shoot it wired off camera, say to bounce, the Vello TTL cord for Canon is your best bet.

And yes it is true that the flash turns off when you power down the camera, and can take awhile to charge back up. One of its weak points, but the work around is never shut your camera off.

Would greatly appreciate any tips or user experience with the EF-X20

Eneloop batteries, keep your ISO up, and while TTL is a nice feature experiment with manual mode. Remember that your T has an in-lens mechanical leaf shutter so you can sync it at any shutter speed. None of that gimmicky HSS stuff.

First of all, thanks for taking the time to write out this thoughtful and detailed answer.

By harsh flash I meant does it make people look white washed. The on board flash is even and I like that however, it feels under powered.

Is the EF-X20 suitable for group shots? For example, a group shot of 10 people....will the flash evenly light up everyone or will center be brighter leaving the people on the edges darker?

 

[historianx]

Is the EF-X20 suitable for group shots? For example, a group shot of 10 people....will the flash evenly light up everyone or will center be brighter leaving the people on the edges darker?

That, I cannot answer because those kind of shoots, for me, are usually paid events, and for that I use a Quantum flashes on my Nikons because I need good, even light across a wide field. Bigger group portraits, I use studio lights, at least two. However, I have shot smaller groups of 6-8 or so with the EFX20, using its flip-down wide angle diffuser (28mm equiv, or 18mm on APSC) with acceptable results.



Here is a run-and -gun, very quickly set up in a chaotic setting group shot of a designer friend of mine at a show a couple months ago. I don't remember my flash setting but I do think it was TTL. About a 2 second recycle to the the next shot. Ones with just the models and him, and not his parents on the sides, were illuminated a little more evenly. In hindsight, It would've helped to put his parents down in front next to him, but they are elderly with bad knees so I nixed that and just dealt with it the way it looks.

He and everyone else loved them, and that's what counts. Real world use

--

http://jamesmbailey.com
Stop Whining, Start Shooting

 

[leggeron]

I bought a rather cheap (70-80 euro brand new on Alyexpress) Meike MK 320 for Fuji. It's really small, has an LCD, works in ttl, manual and slave mode. The head tilts and turns, power is adequate at gn32. Works with 2 AA batteries and recycles almost instantly with eneloops. Couldn't be happier.

 

[HowlinDawg]

I use a EF-X20 with my X100T and have been very happy with it.

Used on camera for small groups indoors it's fine.

Used off camera for fill flash outdoors it's excellent.

I regularly use mine in conjunction with a Canon off camera flash cable so that I can just freehold the flash in whatever position and orientation I want and the small size allows me to do this easily.

As has already been said, with the small AAA batteries it can be a little slow to powerup and recycle compared to bigger packs but using eneloops will minimize this.

This was taken outdoors in bright sunlight with an X100 and EF-X20.

f/2, ss = 1/1000th, ND3 in place to underexpose and blur the background and then the EF-X20 handheld off camera in TTL mode to illuminate the subject .

 

[Richie15]

Could I ask which canon flash cable this is? I had a fuji one but it was like an old telephone cord and way to short

 

[Rod McD]

Hi,

I'm not a major user of flash and bought the EFX-20 thinking it might suit occasional use, daylight fill and some macro. ( I accepted that it would have neither swivel nor tilt.) It works but I can't actually recommend it. The tiny AAA batteries work OK for a few flashes but the recycling time then becomes glacially slow.

I have yet to sell it, but I'm doing my research and I think my plan is to buy a Nissin i40 when I get around to it. It's small but they've managed to shoehorn 4XAAs into it. You get a reasonable zoom range, exposure options, swivel and tilt plus a useful range of manual power adjustments. I like the dial controls more than the Metz. The i60 is much bigger, but it does offer HSS and wireless remote. So does the EF-X500, but I'm told you need two of them.....

BTW, if you're looking at buying, beware of assuming that any modern flash's guide number can be compared directly with other models. They all tend to specify the GN with a lens of the same FL as the flash's maximum zoom setting. And they all vary in maximum zoom setting. It's marketing BS. No-one specifies the flash's GN at some consistent FL and ISO. Fuji specs can sometimes be confusing too - they don't tell you the FL at which the EF-X20 is GN 20 at all.

• The EF-X500 has a GN of 33 with a 23mm lens on APSC (35mm on FF) at ISO 100.
• The Nissin i40 has a GN of 27 with a 23mm lens on APSC (35mm on FF) at ISO 100.
• The Metz M400 is a GN28 with a 23mm lens on APSC (35mm on FF) and 100 ISO.
• The Nissin i60 is a GN32 at that standard.....

Hope that helps.

Cheers, Rod

 

[historianx]

Could I ask which canon flash cable this is? I had a fuji one but it was like an old telephone cord and way to short

Vello TTL cord for Canon, 3' Amazon it.

 

[historianx]

I use a EF-X20 with my X100T and have been very happy with it.

Used on camera for small groups indoors it's fine.

Used off camera for fill flash outdoors it's excellent.

I regularly use mine in conjunction with a Canon off camera flash cable so that I can just freehold the flash in whatever position and orientation I want and the small size allows me to do this easily.

As has already been said, with the small AAA batteries it can be a little slow to powerup and recycle compared to bigger packs but using eneloops will minimize this.

This was taken outdoors in bright sunlight with an X100 and EF-X20.

f/2, ss = 1/1000th, ND3 in place to underexpose and blur the background and then the EF-X20 handheld off camera in TTL mode to illuminate the subject .

I've done this before as well, with outstanding results.

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[HowlinDawg]

Could I ask which canon flash cable this is? I had a fuji one but it was like an old telephone cord and way to short

Mine is a generic 48", third party, version that I picked up on eBay.

It's coiled but easily stretches out to arms length.

You can get them in all sorts of lengths and the coiled versions pack away really neatly.

 

[Richie15]

Thanks. On camera I am. It sure about the flash but with a 10m cord and TTL it's a different kettle of fish. Will this carry HSS or is it capped?

 

[historianx]

Thanks. On camera I am. It sure about the flash but with a 10m cord and TTL it's a different kettle of fish. Will this carry HSS or is it capped?

I don't understand what you're asking. EFX20 does not do HSS. Use it on an X100 series camera and you have the camera's leaf shutter for "real" high speed flash sync (see howlindog's outdoor fill picture posted).

And no it's not a different kettle of fish using the Vello Canon TTL cord off camera. You still have full TTL control if you wish.

--
http://jamesmbailey.com
Stop Whining, Start Shooting