Digital SLR Reviews Blog

Posts Tagged ‘Auto Flash’

Precision Design DSLR300 Universal High Power Auto Flash with Zoom Bounce Swivel Head for Canon Rebel XT XTi XS XSi EOS 30D 40D 50D 5D SLR Cameras

This universal high-power flash unit for Canon digital SLR cameras is the perfect accessory for any photographer looking for reduced red-eye, evenly lit subjects, or more power for telephoto shooting. This flash can be effective at ranges of over 50 feet, reduces shadows, and adds depth to your pictures thanks to the adjustable head, which zooms, swivels and tilts for added versatility.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Good Value Flash
I am an amateur photographer and I love the price and versatility of this flash. Perfect for anyone starting out!

5 Stars Does the job for a Great Price!
This product does a great job. I love that it can do a 360 which is super helpful when I take veritcal photos. The lighting is more equal that way, rather than it being only one direction. Delivery and packaging was fine, everything came in one pc. I would recommend this product for starters and plan to order thru this co. again.

3 Stars My experience with the Precision Design Flash
The flash was a little difficult to use at first. I was in a gym at a volleyball game and the lighting was very dim. I had to adjust the flash several different times to acquire a clear picture – which meant I missed some “Kodak” moments. I am learning how to bounce the light but overall it is a good product.

3 Stars Not as flexible as you might think
I found this flash disappointing. I am not a professional photographer but I am experienced and have owned Cannon SLR’s and done some medium format photography. To the positive it does tilt, swivel and the flash head does have a 4 position zoom shroud. It has an auto sensor that is designed to adjust the power of the flash. It comes with a PC cord which the instructions indicate, “is NOT required for normal use,” (their emphasis.)

As to the negative, the only link in the mount from the flash to the camera, a Canon Rebel XS, is just for the purpose of firing the flash. The instructions direct you to set the camera to manual exposure control, adjust the shutter speed to 1/60th of a second, ISO speed to 200 and the lens aperture to F4. You can pretty well forget action shots at 1/60th. Also, in practice I found that the flash was firing so strong that skin tones seemed bleached. In addition the cycle time of the flash with fresh batteries, based on the manufacturer’s instructions, is 1 – 6 seconds. Again no action shots, certainly you will lose a quick follow-up shot. In practice the cycle time seems just over a second with fully charged batteries.

The flash can be used but only within limited guidelines. The DSLR300 was specified for this model camera and yet is not receiving the data from the camera. The two do not work in harmony together. I don’t mind shooting in manual, in truth I prefer the control. What I don’t like is knowing that the camera and flash are not communicating fully. The flash is holding the performance of the camera back since it can only function in restrictive capacities. You can aim it where you want but after that the camera (and photographer) will be doing the serious work of trying to compensate for the limitations of the flash.

I recognize that this is not an expensive flash and it would not be fare to expect it to perform on the same level as the Canon Speedlite 430EX II. However, when you advertise that it is designed to perform on the Canon platform I expect full functionality. If they advertised the limitations so the consumer can make an informed choice I would not have had an issue.

Canon Speedlite 430EX II Flash for Canon Digital SLR Cameras

3 Stars Precision Flash
For the price, this flash is fine for simpler projects. The multi directional swivel capability is great. It locks and releases easily onto my Canon 350D. I used it for portrait session and it was cool. When I attempted to move around with it and shoot more spontaneously, the flash reset proved to be rather slow and cause me to miss an important shot — no rapid fire. Make sure to replace batteries often, because the more you use the flash, the slower it resets.

Buy/More Info