Bounce flash recommendation

baachitraka · May 2, 2011

Hello there,

I am looking for very nice and powerful bounce-flash for olympus OM-1n. There are some known candidates like T45(bulky: not portable), T32 looks small on the images but I have no idea how powerful it is.

Currently, I own a canon flash 430EX II which I powerful enough for normal portraits and I am looking something of this range for olympus too...Any recommendations?

Mike Wilde · May 2, 2011

Do you want on camera, or off camera flash? On camera, no one ever went wrong with a Vivitar 285, or the older 283. Metz and Sunpak also made/make powerful on camera units.

I am partial to separate handle mount head , and pack and head flash, since bouncing or soft box diffusion and reasonable depth of field apertures with my medium format cameras needs a bit more of a whomp on occasion than 4-aa battery powered units can muster.

For handle mount I have a Sunpak 522, which is nice with a range of auto apertures, and manual dial back capabilities for fill use.

In the reliable older pack and head class I have Metz 60 series CT1/2 (#2 head, #1 pack, with multiple auto settings, and a lot more flexibility with a mecamat remote sensor) (100iso GN 160 in feet), an ancient Braun Hobby EF300 (GN about 150, with full and half manual control) and a Norman B200, (which at 200w/s with the reflector is GN about 160, and can be set to 200, 100 or 50w/s.

I would recommend you see what 'the strobist' web site is talking about before you commit to any grand ideas of what gear is really needed to get the shots.

baachitraka · May 2, 2011

Mike Wilde said:
Do you want on camera, or off camera flash? On camera, no one ever went wrong with a Vivitar 285, or the older 283. Metz and Sunpak also made/make powerful on camera units.

I am partial to separate handle mount head , and pack and head flash, since bouncing or soft box diffusion and reasonable depth of field apertures with my medium format cameras needs a bit more of a whomp on occasion than 4-aa battery powered units can muster.

For handle mount I have a Sunpak 522, which is nice with a range of auto apertures, and manual dial back capabilities for fill use.

In the reliable older pack and head class I have Metz 60 series CT1/2 (#2 head, #1 pack, with multiple auto settings, and a lot more flexibility with a mecamat remote sensor) (100iso GN 160 in feet), an ancient Braun Hobby EF300 (GN about 150, with full and half manual control) and a Norman B200, (which at 200w/s with the reflector is GN about 160, and can be set to 200, 100 or 50w/s.

I would recommend you see what 'the strobist' web site is talking about before you commit to any grand ideas of what gear is really needed to get the shots.

On camera in general, and I won't mind to carry an off camera gear when it is not so heavy. Thanks for the suggestion.

MattKing · May 2, 2011

I have a couple of T32s, and a couple of T20s. Both are great with my OM bodies.

The T32 offers bounce, but doesn't offer swivel. For that I use other, bigger flashes.

Have you seen this page (link to manual is at bottom)?:

http://www.star.ucl.ac.uk/~rwesson/esif/om-sif/flashphotogroup/t32.htm

Bounce flash recommendation

baachitraka

Mike Wilde

baachitraka

MattKing

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