Camera Labs

As the title suggests, I just bought two of these Cobra flashguns;

http://www.cameraworld.co.uk/ViewProdDetails.asp?prod_code=PON09J000085&Prod_name=Cobra%20FL-MX29%20Auto%20Flashgun

yes, 2p! I paid £8 delivery, I felt cheated!

They're cheap and cheerful, and seeing as I want to start understanding flash and how it can be used off-camera, it's no large commitment to grab a pair!

I typically only shoot in ambient light, no flash. This is due to my being aware that the camera built in flash produces a harsh light which should be avoided.

In ambient light without flash, the camera's light meter detects that a particular combination of shutter, aperture and ISO will produce a particular exposure. I begin to get confused when i look for ways to automatically meter my flash.

My question is - what gauges/dials should I be reading when using flash? Do I lose the ability to see the correct exposure through the viewfinder? Will I almost always need 2 attempts when using a flashgun? (once at a standard flash power, then one with my own adjustment?

If I look at getting a wireless trigger for use with my 500D, will the above flash accept any adapter? Can something recommend a robust and reliable wireless solution which I will also be able to use on say, a Canon speedlite 430EX II or the 580?

_________________

Does it meter through the camera or is it a dumb manual flash? That's a nice headline price, but this ebay seller is doing them for £7 delivered. Did you get 2 from cameraworld? They say one per customer.

_________________
Canon DSLRs: 7D, 5D2, 1D, 600D, 450D full spectrum, 300D IR mod
Lenses: EF 35/2, 50/1.8, 85/1.8, 135/2+SF, 28-80 V, 70-300L, 100-400L, TS-E 24/3.5L, MP-E 65, EF-S 15-85 IS
3rd party: Zeiss 2/50 makro, Samyang 8mm fisheye, Sigma 150 macro, 120-300 f/2.8 OS, Celestron 1325/13
Tinies: Sony HX9V.

I don't know mate, all it says is hot-shoe flash. I really do know diddly-squat about flashguns!

I managed to phone them and place the order after the online basket allowed me to put in two for 4p, then charged me 4p for delivery. It declined to accept the payment! When I phoned, they said it was someone's bright idea to offload them at that price, not thinking about the sagepay system. The guy processed two for me over the phone, at £8.03 in total.

I can't find any information on these flash guns, perhaps someone with a more experienced eye can explain what they're capable of.

As I say, they're just a precursor to getting a Canon speedlite.

_________________

Have you got them yet?

I had a quick google and didn't find much about them, hence asking the questions... I think they're old film-era flashes, and as I don't see any talk of specific camera brand compatibility, I was assuming they might be manual even though it has auto in the name.

If you were to buy a modern dedicated flash in auto mode, the camera would typically fire a pre-flash to determine what power to use before the actual shot. If the flash is manual, I think you might have to shoot fully manual to get the right exposure. A light meter might help, but if the situation doesn't vary too much then you can just guess the right settings. Providing the setup doesn't change you can stick to it.

_________________
Canon DSLRs: 7D, 5D2, 1D, 600D, 450D full spectrum, 300D IR mod
Lenses: EF 35/2, 50/1.8, 85/1.8, 135/2+SF, 28-80 V, 70-300L, 100-400L, TS-E 24/3.5L, MP-E 65, EF-S 15-85 IS
3rd party: Zeiss 2/50 makro, Samyang 8mm fisheye, Sigma 150 macro, 120-300 f/2.8 OS, Celestron 1325/13
Tinies: Sony HX9V.

I like manual, manual is good! I'll learn exactly what it can do without the worry of whether the flash or camera are making decisions for me.

I've not got them, I think they'll arrive Monday sometime but I won't be in to collect them, I'll have to grab them from the RM depot.

Can I get a wireless flash trigger onto this do you know?

_________________

I think a wireless trigger should be no problem for these.

_________________
Canon DSLRs: 7D, 5D2, 1D, 600D, 450D full spectrum, 300D IR mod
Lenses: EF 35/2, 50/1.8, 85/1.8, 135/2+SF, 28-80 V, 70-300L, 100-400L, TS-E 24/3.5L, MP-E 65, EF-S 15-85 IS
3rd party: Zeiss 2/50 makro, Samyang 8mm fisheye, Sigma 150 macro, 120-300 f/2.8 OS, Celestron 1325/13
Tinies: Sony HX9V.