Off camera flash: OMD EM5

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MikeHowarth

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Hi all

Just checking in for some advice.

Now I am back from my travels, I am wanting to experiment in a few different areas if photography particularly portraiture.

Knowing next to nothing about lighting I figured I would invest in an off camera flash for my EM5.

After picking up my jaw from the table when I saw the price for the OEM Olympus flash units, I was wondering if anyone had thoughts on more affordable systems up to around the £100 mark.

Neewer and Metz seem to pop up but was wondering if anyone had any experience of them?
 
I use a Nissin Di466 which works well with the 4/3 m4/3 cameras.

Metz do the 36 AF 5 for that money.

Lots of people use Yongnou though
 
Thanks for the recommendations.

I will probably go with the I40 as much of my photography is travel related so looking for a compact system.
 
Yongnuo 560IV & the 560TX trigger, total cost £70ish. No TTL or HSS but cheap, powerful and reliable. That'll leave you enough for a stand, an umbrella holder and a convertible brolly.

As far as I know if you want off-camera TTL (i.e. auto flash power) or high speed sync (i.e. shutter speeds faster than 1/200) with any OM-D camera you'll need to stick to Olympus flashguns.

fwiw I only occasionally use TTL when the flash is on the body, never when off-camera.
 
I have 2 Metz 48 AF-1 Olympus/Panasonic flashes which do support the Olympus RC off camera flash in Slave Mode. I fire them using the small supplied flash as Commander for the Olympus Pen E-PM1. They are also capable of HSS when fitted on any M4/3 body that supports HSS, which seems to be almost all the Pens and later, plus recent Panasonic bodies, from the GH3/G6/GX7 onwards. These specific flashes (and 50,52,58) are user firmware upgradable, but do not have a Master Mode. The Metz 58 AF-1 does have a Master Mode if I remember correctly. I bought mine secondhand and am very happy with them, I also have 2 Metz Canon (48, 58) dedicated units. Secondhand the 48's seem to go for £50-70 on Ebay auctions, much less than the Olympus 36R/50R go for on that site. Anything below the 48 AF-1 (44, 36 etc.) loses the HSS function and the USB socket to update the firmware.
 
I have always had at least one Metz gun in my arsenal, latterly a hammerhead with a Nikon module so that it can utilise a pocket wizard remote firing system. However in terms of economy and flexibility do check out those Cactus guns, they come well recommended and are well priced.

http://www.ilkoallexandroff.com/#_
http://www.ilkoallexandroff.com/portfolio/

Don't let the part Japanese text put you off, there is some seriously good portrait material from this guy who openly explains his kit and set up for shots on www.Strobist.com
 
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