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Easy to use95% stimmen zu
Consistent output92% stimmen zu
Flash recycles quickly92% stimmen zu
67 Rezensionen
No more cords....
The speedlite 550 ex has delivered great results thus far. I use it in tandum with an EOS 10D and the Sto-fen Omni Bounce which delivers great results. Although I have shot for professionally years, this is my first experience with TTL or ETTL. The old tried and true way of hand held meters, flash to suject distance and balancing the flash with the ambient light was the way I learned and practiced the craft with my medium format equipment."This is a useful skill to know"..."Although one can get quite speedy with the process, One "CANNOT" keep up with the speed and accuracy of the 550 ex". So far the 550 ex is nailing the balance dead on. Of course it took the normal process of getting to know the unit and the camera it's attached to..."Oh, and reading the manual was a great help". But all kidding aside, I have found the flash to be an invaluable tool. Another very cool aspect of the 550 ex is the ability to function as a master unit in a wireless, multi flash set up. It's seamless to achieve studio type lighting anywhere with another 550 ex, 420 ex or the ST-E2 transmitter."No more nasty cords"....."Free at last, free at last" For those of us old guys practicing the art of photographic expression....PROGRESS IS GOOD, IT IS OUR FRIEND!
Strengths:
Powerful, accurate, wireless capabilities
Weaknesses:
Expensive, but well worth itVollständige Rezension lesen...
Most of the performance of a 580EXII at a fraction of the price.
I wanted a second flash for my 40D that could be used as a master to control my 430EXII, but I'm just a hobbyist and not a pro, so spending $400-500 for the 580EXII was way out of my budget. After a little looking around, I heard the 550EX performed nearly as well as the 580EXII for a mere fraction of the price.
I picked one up that is as good as new and it works just as it should. I haven't done a lot with it yet, but it works great and does the job of controlling my 430EXII just as it should.
The battery door is a little awkward versus the newer Speedlites, but it's not that big of a deal to me. The 580EXII is also said to have a longer battery life and recharge time over the 550EX, but for my usage, it doesn't hinder me any.
The 550EX has a release button for the tilt and another for the swivel functions of the head. The later 430 and 580 Speedlites have a single button for both tilt and swivel. Being used to my 430EXII, I keep forgetting about the different swivel button when I'm using the 550EX.
I also prefer the lock for the mount of the later Speedlites over this 550EX. The 430EXII and 580EXII have a "lever" that you slide to lock it onto the mount and a simple button to unlock and then slide the lever to release. The 550EX (and 580EX) have a wheel that you turn to screw it tight. Again, it's just a minor niggle.
The cons of this 550EX Speedlite vs. a 580EXII are really very small and do nothing to hinder the overall performance of this flash. Aside from a slightly shorter battery life, they're all basically just ergonomic nags. If you're a low-budget hobbyist or even a budding professional just starting out and need a reasonably priced master flash or just an additional flash for your collection, the 550EX is a worthy alternative to the 580EXII.Vollständige Rezension lesen...
Canon Speedlite 550EX
*Disclaimer: I would say that I am an intermediate level photo enthusiast, and the idea of flash photography is a whole new realm for me, so bear with me, this review isn't going to be thorough.
When it comes to usage, I'm not quite sure what to say since I'm still trying to figure out how to get what I want out of it. I use it on ETTL (which I guess is probably auto) and usually use it on Manual (M) or Aperture value (Av).
So far, after reading through a variety of online guides, my best photos came out using it indoors and bouncing it off the ceilings or walls. My usual setting is in Manual at 1/60th, f/1.8 to f/4, and ISO 100. The photos indoors always turn out great! The light looks really natural, and I always use the built in diffuser for the catch light. Subjects turn out sharp so it's perfect when inside a building (for reference, I shoot with an XSi/450D, usually with my 50mm f/1.8).
I still have issues using it outdoors (both day and night). Photos always turn out with the subject highlighted (I always use it on ETTL mode) and the background always becomes underexposed. I'm trying to find out if I can use the index card method, but so far no success. Directly shooting at the subject also remains unsuccessful.
Overall though, I bought this over the 430EX and I am very pleased. I know a lot of people care about the recycle times, size, weight, etc., but I don't see the point, there's really no reason to complain in my opinion. The 550EX is still an excellent flash coming from it's time, being top of the line back then, I would still recommend getting it over the 430EX, (especially since I got it for $197, thanks to eBay).Vollständige Rezension lesen...
Best bang for the buck Speedlite you can buy.
I love the 550EX flashes. I owen 4 of these now as well as A 580 EX mkII and a 430 EX mkII. Of the Canon 500 pro series flashes I think the 550EXs by far, offer the most bang for the buck. They are almost as powerfull as the 580EXs; Offer the versatillity to be used as a master or a slave (unlike the 430EX which can only be used as a slave); And function with the most Important features such as ETTL (evalutive the lens meatering)and HSS (high speed sync) They are also somewhat easer to use because of less menue mumbo gumbo W/dedicated buttons or switchs ie:when you switch to slave mode ect. I've picked these up for between $175.00 to $225.00 and for that price you cant go wrong. Another thing worth mention, I bought 2 550EXs than bought my 580EEX mkII after that I bought 2 more 550EXs, like I said bang for the buck wise, you can't go wrong.Vollständige Rezension lesen...
An excellent flash!
Does everything the 580ex II does,at half the price. Single Unit/Master/Slave switch is BETTER than the 580ex II menu access for these items. The only drawback is that you CAN'T control this flash (except for FEC) from the Canon DSLR menu. This takes about 30 seconds to get used to. All in all - an excellent flash unit.
Edit 5/8/2010:
I now use one of these as master and another as slave, along with a 430ex II. I couldn't ask for better flash units. The 550ex is very easy to use in a multi-flash setup. It has more than enough power to work quite well with my 30" umbrellas. This is a fantastic flash unit! I love it (them).Vollständige Rezension lesen...
A Very Good Flash
The positive is that it is a powerful, dedicated flash and will work hand-in-glove with your Canon digital slr. The downside is that it is big. However, if you want to use flash creatively with your Canon (not just redden a few eyes in your pictures) then this really is the best flash for you.
This flash will tilt and swivel allowing you to bounce your flash off just about anything, even a wall behind you if you want. It will work directly with your Canon to provide E-TTL flash, allowing your camera to make the necessary adjustments to ensure you get a good shot. If you are a more advanced photographer, it gives you plenty of options, all the way to using it manually, to create the exact lighting effect you want. It has a zoom head that will zoom from 24mm out to 105mm to provide the light you need for those focal ranges. With the built in diffuser attached you can also provide flash coverage for a 17mm wide angle lens. However, you should be aware that this flash is calculating the flash power at these focal ranges for 35mm, so this flash will be providing more flash coverage then necessary for those with APS-C digital cameras.
It is a little pricey, even on E-Bay, but it is generally worth it to ensure worry free flash with your Canon camera.Vollständige Rezension lesen...
Excelent alternative to the 580exII
If you think about the reason for getting this flash over a Canon 420ex or 430ex, its the guide number (the total amount of light the flash can produce). With light midifiers you sometimes would need the extra power of the 55 (550ex) or the 58 (580ex) guide numbers over the 42 (420ex) or 43 (430ex). So its a no brainer this is a better flash than the 420ex or the 430ex. for the same price as the 430ex. and this flash is also a master. The TTL II metering and "quality" of the light is the same on all the canon ex flashes.
Now compare to the 580exII the difference is the 550ex has a little less light, a little slower recycle time, and a few other small nice to haves. If your a Pro then the 580exII is your flash. but if your on a budjet and want ttl flash then the 550ex (used) is the best buy in my opinion.Vollständige Rezension lesen...
Good ballance of the most used features for a flash.
It has a good balnce of the most needed features. FP (high speed shutter sync) wireless capability built in when used with command mode on the camera. I have used it with the Nikon D200 and D300. The head can go bacwards for bonce flash from behind when camera mounted. It has focus assist lighting, multi strobe feature, standby mode to save power, and auto zoom for the beam width. It is also fairly compact.Vollständige Rezension lesen...
Bestätigter Kauf: Ja | Verkauft von: trublue884
Beats 3rd party flashes
I'm buying a second 550ex for off-camera flash photography. I tried a Nissin i866, but it will not work on a lengthy off-camera cord from FlashZebra. My 550ex does. The 580ex II is just too expensive, and another 430ex II would cost about the same as a used 550ex. The 430ex II is nice because it is smaller if you want to carry it around on top of your camera and don't need a master flash. The 550ex is larger than the 430 or 580, but I'm using it off camera, anyway. With 2 masters I have a backup if one goes down. The only thing I found odd is that the + and - buttons seem backward to me (+ on the left, - on the right). This is opposite of the 430ex II. Also, the Nissin had some nice features like "My ETTL" and the fact that the master was on a separate group from A,B and C, effectively giving you 4 groups.Vollständige Rezension lesen...
Canon 550ex Flash Value
I have intensively studied this flash compared to the 580ex & 580ex II. PROs great power for price. Same power out as 580ex but 1/2 the price. A huge benefit involves Pocket Wizards. The 580ex has tons of RF interference but this 550ex has none.
CONs Slow recycle time of 6 seconds on full manual vs 4.5 secs with 580ex and 3.8 secs with 580ex II. Also fairly poor operating control. Vertical & Horizontal Bounce require two buttons. HS sync is nearly impossible to set and changing settings has two small awkward buttons. 580 is much easier. All these disadvantages are totally mute when used as a slave on a battery pack. No controls are used and the recycle time is blazing fast because of the pack. Great value for use as a slaved flash and backup flash.Vollständige Rezension lesen...