G7 - Problem with Cullmann AF 20-C Flash

[Loom]

Hi,

just bought the Cullmann AF 20-C Flash, and it's not working properly with the G7. Whatever you set, the flash always fires with maximum strengh.

Also strange: When you put the flash on the camera, turn both on, the ETTL light on the flash lightens up, but only until you press the shutter for the first time. Then it goes off and stays off. Seems the whole ETTL thing is not working.

The flash itself seems okay, it works good with my old G6 in ETTL.

Any suggestions ?

Michaeö

 

[Savas Kyprianides]

Canon flashes work exceptionally well with the G7. You might consider switching.

 

[Savas Kyprianides]

I checked the G7 advanced manual page 145. It states when using flashes that fire at full strength, set the shutter speed and aperture accordingly.

 

[Loom]

Right, but it's definately a fault of the G7 here, since the flash works good with the G6.

Seem it doesn't get E-TTL information from the G7 and thus always fires with full strengh.

Michael

 

[BushmanOrig]

Hi

I currently tested a Metz 36 on my G7, please have a look at my initial experience, on the link below. I see no mail details for you?

Regards

Siegfried

http://www.mycanong7.com/65801/150522.html

--
My Canon G7 is always fun

 

[Loom]

Looks like Canon changed something with the E-TTL.

The Cullmann works great on the G6, but not with the G7 anymore.

Makes you think ... Even more since the 420/430EX are working great. Seems Canon wants us to bei their stuff instead ...

Michael

PS. Slightly annoyed, since I need a small flash, and not such a monster like the 430EX, where the flash is actually bigger then the cam.

 

[Loom]

I contacted Cullmann about the issue with the G7, and they confirmed it.

The 20 AF-C is definately not compatible with the G7.

Michael

 

[BushmanOrig]

Hi

Same here, also spoke to them.

Seeme to me the 220EX needs a closer look.

Regards

Siegfried

http://www.mycanong7.com

--
My Canon G7 is always fun

 

[Ned L]

Siegfried,

Exactly. I am waiting for the "experts" out there to compare the 220EX with the 430EX. I like the smaller size and smaller cost of the 220EX, but I just don't know if the size will make that much of a difference. If I was willing to carry an external flash unit with me, would I hesitate because the flash was the 430EX versus the 220EX? I am guessing that most of the time I would carry either flash because I will be in a situation where I know that I need an external flash. It isn't like the carrying the camera just in case I see something interesting to shoot.

So what about extra features/capabilities for the extra dollars?

I am hoping more people who have gone through this exercise share a little bit more about their decision process (and yes, I have read all the posts I could find so far on this).

Ned

Hi

Same here, also spoke to them.

Seeme to me the 220EX needs a closer look.

Regards

Siegfried

http://www.mycanong7.com

--
My Canon G7 is always fun

 

[FXTalbot]

Siegfried has it right. If you really need an external flash, size isn't that much of a problem.

The built-in flash is OK for short distances. Only problem is red eye, but this is easily taken care of in PP. For longer distances, flash power makes a difference. That's a plus for the 420/430. For really good indoor shots of people, there's nothing better, IMHO, than bounce flash and for bounce you need both a swivel head and lots of power, again a vote for the 420/430 or bigger. Outdoor fill flash can also benefit from more power.

I admit that they do make the G7 top heavy and hard to hold. One solution to this, which worked when I used a G6 and a 430 at a wedding, is to use the lens adapter for the G7, Canon LA-DC58H. This gives you a good place to hold and support the camera with your left hand though it does block a bit more of the picture through the optical view finder.

 

[BushmanOrig]

Hi

First let me give a few thoughts I recently had on the 220EX and I did change my mind to previous statements.

1) The 220 is 100% compatible with the G7
2) I do not have any experience with the 220
3) It is fully E-TTL compatible
4) The flash intensity is adjustable
5) No swiwel head, but one can use a diffuser to help if needed
6) The height of the unit should reduce red-eye
7) From a size and weight point of view a good match for the G7
8) More than double the reach of the build in flash

There are other alternatives but the G7 seems to be not friendly to other units.

Regards

Siegfried

http://www.mycanong7.com

--
My Canon G7 is always fun

 

[matthew hilton]

seems the 220 is best, no experience myself either but have the same decision to make, why not use the 220 with the off camera cable to facilitate bounce?

 

[Savas Kyprianides]

seems the 220 is best, no experience myself either but have the
same decision to make, why not use the 220 with the off camera
cable to facilitate bounce?

It is feasible, but a bit fiddley in practice. Setting it up each time, for one, and hand holding both the camera in one had and flash unit in the other as the second. It might be underpowered in certain instances. 220EX in your bag along with the cord can take up as much space as a 430EX. I don't know about the weight of the two together. If you can live with the limitations, it would work. For my sheckels, ease of use and peace of mind, I'd opt for the 430EX.

 

[Ned L]

At first I liked the idea of the 220 with the off camera cable. But it seems that the idea has its own negatives:

• difficulty holding flash and camera at the same time
• gets closer to taking up as much room as the 430
• closes a lot of the price gap between the 220 and the 430
• still not as functional/versatile as the 430

I think I have almost sold myself on the 430!

I just wish a few more people would add their opinions on the difference in functionality and quality of shooting with the 220 versus the 430.

Ned

seems the 220 is best, no experience myself either but have the
same decision to make, why not use the 220 with the off camera
cable to facilitate bounce?

 

[satureyes]

I have the Sunpak PZ40X II. It takes a wee while to recycle.. but it's compact-ish and SEEMS to work fine. It's not mega powerful, but it's got a bounce and zoom (no swivel) head. Its available in the UK too..

According to my tests it seems to work and zoom with my camera.. only have had a couple of shots blown out but i think this was me not waiting for the flash to be ready.

 

[edwin907]

I just wish a few more people would add their opinions on the
difference in functionality and quality of shooting with the 220
versus the 430.

Ned

I tried the 220, 430, and 580 on my G7 and the 430 won hands down.

First the lack of bounce with the 220 quickly eliminated it. And I got the feeling that even with bounce it wouldn't be powerful enough. To me it wasn't that much better than the built in flash.

I like to shoot with bounce and a little direct light from the smaller Stofen Two-Way accessory.

This, the 430EX does exceptionally well. It recycles plenty fast with Energizer NIMH AAs, and exposure is superb. I never had a problem with not enough flash power. Printing photos immediately for family members with my girlfriend's Olympus P11 dye-sub printer left them stunned at the quality of the combination.

The 580 gives up nothing to the 430 of course, except it is just that much bigger, but in my opinion, too big for the little G7.

 

[Savas Kyprianides]

This, the 430EX does exceptionally well. It recycles plenty fast
with Energizer NIMH AAs, and exposure is superb. I never had a
problem with not enough flash power.
The 580 gives up nothing to the 430 of course, except it is just
that much bigger, but in my opinion, too big for the little G7.

Agreed. Yet it's a problem for me as I already have been shooting wireless studio hot shoe flash with 5D; 2 580's and one ST-E2. All I need now is to buy yet another Canon flash for my G7, the 430. I tried the G7 - 580EX, liked the visual outcome, but it felt top heavy and was silly-looking. I tried the 430 on my G7 at B&H, except that it didn't have batteries in it, so it wasn't a fair test. But size-wise, that 1/2" reduction in two of the dimensions as compared with the 580 made a difference.

 

[Ned L]

I just wish a few more people would add their opinions on the
difference in functionality and quality of shooting with the 220
versus the 430.

Ned

I tried the 220, 430, and 580 on my G7 and the 430 won hands down.
First the lack of bounce with the 220 quickly eliminated it. And I
got the feeling that even with bounce it wouldn't be powerful
enough. To me it wasn't that much better than the built in flash.
I like to shoot with bounce and a little direct light from the
smaller Stofen Two-Way accessory.
This, the 430EX does exceptionally well. It recycles plenty fast
with Energizer NIMH AAs, and exposure is superb. I never had a
problem with not enough flash power. Printing photos immediately
for family members with my girlfriend's Olympus P11 dye-sub printer
left them stunned at the quality of the combination.
The 580 gives up nothing to the 430 of course, except it is just
that much bigger, but in my opinion, too big for the little G7.

Thanks for your input. Is the 430 really an okay size for the G7? I was surprised that someone else posted that it is only 1/2" smaller in two dimensions than the 580. How much bigger is the 430 than the 220 (I know I can go find dimensions, but I am also wondering what your impressions are of the difference in size between the 220 and the 430 when they are on the G7 and you are taking photos)? Thanks again.

 

[edwin907]

Thanks for your input. Is the 430 really an okay size for the G7? I
was surprised that someone else posted that it is only 1/2" smaller
in two dimensions than the 580. How much bigger is the 430 than the
220 (I know I can go find dimensions, but I am also wondering what
your impressions are of the difference in size between the 220 and
the 430 when they are on the G7 and you are taking photos)? Thanks
again.

430EX
2.8 x 4.8 x 4" (72 x 122 x 101mm) WxHxD
330 g

220EX
2.6 x 3.6 x 2.4 (66 x 91 x 61mm) WxHxD
150 g

As you can see the 430EX is considerably larger than the 220EX and over twice as heavy. It even weighs a little more than the G7 itself.

If Canon made a flash with the performance/features of the 430EX in 220EX size that'd be great, but they don't, and possibly can't (I know nothing of flash design).

While I found the size/weight of the 580EX to be definitely over the top (no pun intended) and you almost feel like you need to hold the flash instead of the camera, the 430EX is quite manageable on the G7 and the results will blow you away. The unfortunate thing about flashes is that there is no such thing as a good small one. And, despite the 220's smaller size, I didn't really feed the G7 handled any better with it than with the 430.

I still hope Canon will address the flash delay in a firmware upgrade, and it's a shame the flash's focus assist doesn't funtion with the G7 also.

 

[Savas Kyprianides]

I carry on neckstrap and against my chest the G7 with 220EX mounted and it remains upright, whereas trying that with the 580EX on top makes the combination waver forward and back so as to draw my attention. 430 is a size / weight compromise that might feel better in usage, but not a features compromise, as the output is reported to be very good. And it can eventually become the off-camera slave to either an ST-E2 or a 580EX flash unit. This photography thing gets expensive. Canon has created a point and shoot that compels people to get more equipment for it. I have three flash units and am now considering a fourth! I should get my head examined.