Sunpak RD2000 Digital TTL Shoe Mount Flash for Canon EOS w/E-TTLII

Comments about Sunpak RD2000 Digital TTL Shoe Mount Flash for Canon EOS w/E-TTLII:

This is a vey small and handy flash. I use it with my Canon 5D Mark iii. It is powerfull enough for most uses indoor or as flash fill for backlit pictures during the day.

Comments about Sunpak RD2000 Digital TTL Shoe Mount Flash for Canon EOS w/E-TTLII:

Pros:
Excellent flash, I have used three of them for years now. It's compact and light, it's reliable and it can take a drop onto concrete and keep working. It folds up small. It recharges within 4 seconds or less with eneloop batteries and run all day. (I typically run it -1,-2 stops so it cycles/lasts faster/longer.) The controls are easy to use/understand but I control it with the camera settings. The built-in diffuser is OK but I strongly suggest the Sto-Fen diffuser made for this flash + a bit of gaffer tape to secure it. (Remove the diffuser outdoors if necc.)

Cons:
My main gripe is that it has no locking pin in the shoe mount. It relies on a threaded collar ring to stay in place with friction and this will work its way loose over time and you will get underpowered flashes until you push it forward again and retighten. Second gripe is that the Ready light is extremely bright and stays on or blinks constantly which is a problem at night. I covered mine with black gaffer tape with a few pin holes so I can still see the indicator. Simple fix. Last minor gripe would be no swivel, but the flash doesn't stick up enough for this to be as effective as a larger/taller flash anyway. Lastly, I wish it worked with Pocket Wizards but alas, it doesn't. Bummer.

Other thoughts:
I use three of these all the time on a G12, 5D, 30D, 40D and 60D. I have a Sto-Fen Diffuser on two with one using an amber gel, a third as-is w/o diffuser for more power/reach usually outdoors. In most situations, the diffuser is a key part. Get it. Most of my photography is journalism/candid lifestyle indoor/outdoor in all kinds of conditions. Wide to mid reach lenses. This flash is great for fill on faces, short range bounce, etc. It's not meant to replace a large 580 flash, it's an improvement over pop-up flash and provides a nice small flash on FF cameras that is less obtrusive and doesn't get in the way. If you don't get good results with this flash, rethink how you use flash. Most people misunderstand how flash should be used and expect too much. This flash isn't meant to light a large group, a big hall or reach 50 feet. It's best within 10-12 feet to fill shadows on faces, etc. At [$] you can't go wrong and if it takes a hit and dies, it's cheap to replace. Also, I'll disclose that Tocad America replaced one of these for me out of warranty when I inquired about repair after 2+ years of heavy use. That was super cool!

Comments about Sunpak RD2000 Digital TTL Shoe Mount Flash for Canon EOS w/E-TTLII:

DSLR camera flashes are to weak for some night pix. So, this Sunpak RD2000 Digital TTL Shoe Mount Flash is strong enough to brighten the scene without "washing" the picture.

Comments about Sunpak RD2000 Digital TTL Shoe Mount Flash for Canon EOS w/E-TTLII:

I purchased this Sunpak RD2000 flash with great expectations but I am sorry to report that it is a big disappointment. The flash when mounted to the hot shoe on most cameras sits too close to the lens axis and as a result creates far too much red eye when pointed directly at the subject. It is not worth the extra effort required to post process your photos for the purpose of removing red eye reflections. My recommendation is to select a different flash.

Comments about Sunpak RD2000 Digital TTL Shoe Mount Flash for Canon EOS w/E-TTLII:

This sunpak little flash is the best way to upgrade the built in flash on any camera, Its small and yet powerful.

Comments about Sunpak RD2000 Digital TTL Shoe Mount Flash for Canon EOS w/E-TTLII:

Nice for indoor shots and for family pixs.

Comments about Sunpak RD2000 Digital TTL Shoe Mount Flash for Canon EOS w/E-TTLII:

It's good enough for pictures to be taken in indoors and to take family pics,refresh rate is slow, overall small and compact and easy to take anywhere.

Comments about Sunpak RD2000 Digital TTL Shoe Mount Flash for Canon EOS w/E-TTLII:

used for suppliment to my g12 popup flash. great for fill outdoors also.

Comments about Sunpak RD2000 Digital TTL Shoe Mount Flash for Canon EOS w/E-TTLII:

This flash is great, it gets the job done.

Comments about Sunpak RD2000 Digital TTL Shoe Mount Flash for Canon EOS w/E-TTLII:

Bought this flash for photojournalism. I use a Canon 7D in the field and needed a little extra flash for fill light and across the room. I thought this lightweight flash would fit the bill and not attract a lot of attention that larger flashes do. No such luck! You get what you pay for. This flash is no more powerful than the built in flash on the 7D in spite of it's claims to be twice as bright. This flash is also sickeningly slow which makes it useless for just about anything. The small compact design makes it easy to take home and send back.

Comments about Sunpak RD2000 Digital TTL Shoe Mount Flash for Canon EOS w/E-TTLII:

I needed this flash where the build in flash on my Cannon Rebel XT wasn't giving enough light in certain situations. This was a low cost solution. It may not be excellent in all situations, but in most it is just what most average people need. It was worth the money especially since rechargeable batteries and a charger came with it.

Comments about Sunpak RD2000 Digital TTL Shoe Mount Flash for Canon EOS w/E-TTLII:

Pros: The TTL flash control is very accurate. It is compact and its cycle time is short.Cons: The built quality is only decent. Plastic shoe mount. The wide angle adapter is very thin, and it will not stay in one position.Overall: a decent flash for its price. For [$], it may be the best value flash on the market.

Comments about Sunpak RD2000 Digital TTL Shoe Mount Flash for Canon EOS w/E-TTLII:

This is aa great flash for the price. Don't expect out of it what you would the full-priced Canon model, but for [$] it does exactly what it's supposed to. I got it for my T2i, and wanted a low profile flash that would fit in my camera back while on the camera.

Comments about Sunpak RD2000 Digital TTL Shoe Mount Flash for Canon EOS w/E-TTLII:

I am continuously looking for the smallest flash I can get away with - this is it so far, but to be honest, I went for it because the Canon 270EX II wasn't shipping yet. Of course, a week after the Sunpak arrived, the Canon started shipping! But the Sunpak does what I needed. Unfortunately, it isn't triggered by my Cactus wireless remotes, but I can now carry my 60D, the Sunpak, and a coil cord, and be able to handle and all day scenario with my kid. If we go into a museum or indoors, I can get shots without having to carry a large flash. I wish it had better manual controls, but like I said, I can get the shot now.

Comments about Sunpak RD2000 Digital TTL Shoe Mount Flash for Canon EOS w/E-TTLII:

I purchased this to use with my Rebel XT. Extremely satisfied. My pictures have a much more professional quality than with the built-in flash. The flash leads to much more clear pictures. I use the flash primarily to bounce off the walls and celing when taking candid portraits of my 4 year old twins. I highly recommend the flash and I wish I had purchased it sooner.

Comments about Sunpak RD2000 Digital TTL Shoe Mount Flash for Canon EOS w/E-TTLII:

I bought this because I need a lightweight flash for travel purposes, and I wasn't disappointed. The fill flash was a drastic improvement from the fill flash. The flash can also pivot at 0, 45, 60, and 90 deg. I found the built-in diffuser sufficient for indoor use, and I actually like how it creates a warmer tone (some people might not like the yellowish tone though). And with the price....the RD2000 is really hard to beat. Recommended for casual photographers like me.

Comments about Sunpak RD2000 Digital TTL Shoe Mount Flash for Canon EOS w/E-TTLII:

I tend to do a lot of indoor photography for those special social occasions on my Rebel EOS Xsi (450D). A lot of times the room is relatively dark, and my built-in flash simply won't do (I even made it to bounce the ceiling, but just wasn't powerful enough).

This little external flash works perfectly for my situation; pictures look better and keeps my camera low profile and not intimidating compared to a large flash.

Comments about Sunpak RD2000 Digital TTL Shoe Mount Flash for Canon EOS w/E-TTLII:

Nice small flash. Great to bounce off ceiling for indoor photography.

Comments about Sunpak RD2000 Digital TTL Shoe Mount Flash for Canon EOS w/E-TTLII:

I think this is a great on-camera flash in its class; I use it with the Canon T2i, and it gives nearly perfect E-TTL II results with the Canon EF 18-55mm kit zoom at about 35-55mm focal length. The 90 degree bounce / tilt head gives excellent results. I also tried it with an off-camera cord, and the E-TTL II works great with that too. If I didn't have the off-camera cord, I would have liked to have swivel capability in the flash. Note that the flash power is not as high as the very expensive proprietary Canon flashes or the more expensive generic flashes, but it is certainly better than the pop-up flash that is on your camera. The built-in white plastic diffuser gives good results too, the light at the corners of the frame begins to fall off below 35mm focal length. The EV compensation is another great tool. Fast flash recycle time. Overall, a good purchase for the money, but don't expect that it will match the higher output expensive flashes. It also came with a free Sunpak 4AA Ni-MH / Ni-Cd worldwide AC/ 12V DC car charger with four AA rechargeable Ni-MH batteries which works as an excellent companion to this flash.

Comments about Sunpak RD2000 Digital TTL Shoe Mount Flash for Canon EOS w/E-TTLII:

This very compact and simple to use flash works nicely on my Canon G10, exposures accurate, recycle time reasonable. The light quality from the small reflector, which lies close to the lens axis, can be readily improved by using a rubber band to attach a white card reflector made from a 5 x 8 inch note card. Used instead for regular bounce flash, the unit has enough power to allow use of ISO 250 or so in a moderately large family room. Anyway, the G10 plus RD2000 combination will serve nicely as my "party camera," used on social occasions when carrying around a DSLR with external flash would be excessive. Note that the hot shoe design is specific to Canon; I actually bought the same flash with the Nikon shoe to use with my DSLR's, easily feasible because one of these units costs less than half of the corresponding Nikon or Canon units.