Metz mecablitz 50 AF-1 TTL Shoe Mount Flash for Canon DSLR

Comments about Metz mecablitz 50 AF-1 TTL Shoe Mount Flash for Canon DSLR:

I was looking for a good flash that has at least following features: E-TTL, Manual Power, Tilt and Swivel Head, HSS, Rear Curtain Sync, Slave Modes and Light Weight for my Canon T2i DSLR. I researched several speedlites: Canon 270EX II, 430EX II, Nissin Di466, Nissin Di622 II, Sunpak PZ42X, Metz 44 AF-1, Metz 50 AF-1, Vivitar DF383, Meike MK431 and Yongnuo 468 II.

I excluded following flashes from the list due to mentioned reasons:

1. Canon 270EX II (No Swivel Head and manual power option on flash body, otherwise perfect, has all I need)
2. Canon 430EX II (Perfect, but expensive)
3. Nissin Di466 (No Swivel Head and no HSS)
4. Nissin Di622II (Perfect, but no HSS)
5. Sunpak PZ42X (Perfect, but no HSS and slave mode)
6. Vivitar DF383 (Slow recycling and reliability issues, also lacks HSS and pre-flash cancelled slave mode)
7. MK431 and Yongnuo 468 (Both lags HSS and not so powerful)
8. Metz 44 AF-1 (limited manual power options and no HSS)

Only Metz 50 AF-1 has all the features that I was looking for.

What I liked:

1. Very good E-TTL performance and OK built quality
2. Has HSS, Optical and Wireless Slave Modes
3. Auto Zoom, Manual zoom, Sensor Detection and Ex Zoom options
4. Tilt (-7 negative tilt also) and Swivel Head
5. Firmware upgradable for future generation camera

What I did not like:

1. Old style hotshoe locking mechanism
2. Two buttons simultaneously need to press for selecting/changing settings
3. Heaviest and bulkiest compared to others
4. Built quality not so good as Canon 430EX II
5. Only full stops variable power in Manual flash modes
6. No case and stand are included

Comments about Metz mecablitz 50 AF-1 TTL Shoe Mount Flash for Canon DSLR:

I use this flash as a slave, or secondary flash, when my metz 58 af-1 is in master mode, or seems like overkill (if I want something a little less bulky and I don't need all the features of the larger flash). If you can afford it, go for a 58, but if not, the 50 works great and is plenty powerful for a small room, or a portrait shot. Great for use as a fill or rim light in more composed lighting--as a slave--especially if you have something to help shape the light. Be aware that the wireless functionality is optical, and not radio, so it's far from perfect, and the flash only works as a slave. Also, the menu is a bit unintuitive, but for the money, I can't complain.

Comments about Metz mecablitz 50 AF-1 TTL Shoe Mount Flash for Canon DSLR:

I have used this flash mostly for portraits (photographing my baby moving around), and indoor photos, so far it is performing consistently and up to my expectations. Exposure metering is not 100% accurate when using eTTL but you can always adjust that +1/3 if needed, I am used to checking my histogram. eTTL and manual modes both work as described in the manuals, again you may have to adjust the exposure. I clocked a 3 second recycling time on full power. It is definitely a good investment for someone on a budget and wanting the bells and whistles of a semi-pro flash. I would consider this the budget equivalent of a 430EX canon or something a bit higher.
Overall I am impressed by the performance and given the low price this unit is loaded with features.

Comments about Metz mecablitz 50 AF-1 TTL Shoe Mount Flash for Canon DSLR:

Very well build flash. I use it both outside and inside for the last month and I can't find nothing wrong with it - quick recharge, enough power and versatile settings.

Comments about Metz mecablitz 50 AF-1 TTL Shoe Mount Flash for Canon DSLR:

This is a great flash, and works well, but since I'm a beginner to flash photography, I was very confused by how to work it. The manual is written in technical jargon and doesnt explain what the functions are or what they can be used for. It's pretty confusing, but as far as basic, shooting in auto, maybe bouncing the flash here and there, it works pretty well. The recycle time does seem a bit longer than 5 seconds, but that may just be my inability to understand how to properly use it.

Comments about Metz mecablitz 50 AF-1 TTL Shoe Mount Flash for Canon DSLR:

We bought 2 of these as a 430exII replacement flash after we started using the Metz 58 AF-2 as a 580exII replacement. These are simple great flashes. Less expensive than the Canon flash and built to last. We have dropped them melted gels on them, the usually battle-wounds, and they just keep flashing. We fire them with the on-camera infrared transmitter or with the on-camera speedlight infrared for HSS... They fire every time and they work reliably in bright sunlight.

On the down-side they are bulky. The menus on the flash are a little hard to get used to. They are pretty fiddly and fussy when a model or a portrait subject is waiting for you.

Still - net of the cons - we are sold on Metz speedlights.

Comments about Metz mecablitz 50 AF-1 TTL Shoe Mount Flash for Canon DSLR:

I am a portrait photographer and I bought this as a second fill/off-camera flash. It delivers all that is promised. It has consitantly performed well mounted on my 40D, as a slave to my 580EX, and by remote with my alien B trigger. It's ability as a slave was attractive as, as of now, I only have one trigger, and the Metz frees this up for other flashes. The directions (manual) are clear and easy to follow and the controls are very similar to my 580EX.

Comments about Metz mecablitz 50 AF-1 TTL Shoe Mount Flash for Canon DSLR:

This flash is easy to use, go from ETTL to manual and back without having to get the book out to remind yourself how to do it. Would be nice if it had a built in auto sensor but no biggie. Build quality is very good although this one hasn't gone through the "Submerged in Jet A fuel" test like my Metz 45 ct-3 twice did while shooting fuel nozels due to a leaky plastic bag. (that flash survived, that's why I'm staying with Metz)

Comments about Metz mecablitz 50 AF-1 TTL Shoe Mount Flash for Canon DSLR:

Just purchased this flash and I am happy with the product.
I do not do enough indoor/flash photography to justify spending a fortune on a flash, but I was not happy with the pop-up flash my T3i camera has.
After a lot of research, I decided on this one.
It was very intuitive to setup and I was producing quality flash images very quickly. The wireless trigger worked like a champ with almost no learning curve.
I was a little disappointed that it did not come with a flash stand, I should have paid more attention to the "whats in the box" section to avoid the surprise.
The quality of construction seems consistent with the price, perhaps even a little better than I expected.

Comments about Metz mecablitz 50 AF-1 TTL Shoe Mount Flash for Canon DSLR:

The Metz 50 was a Christmas gift to myself. Right out of the box I attached it to my new T3i. The pictures I took on Christmas Eve were simply outstanding. I couldn't have asked for more.

Comments about Metz mecablitz 50 AF-1 TTL Shoe Mount Flash for Canon DSLR:

This is my first flash unit. When I was making the decision to buy a flash, I weighed the features between the 430exII and this flash. They were 4 things that got my attention, a guide No. of 50 vs 44 on the canon version, HSS (hyper synch), a built in reflector and the price.

Since using this product on my 60D I have grown to love it and I plan to buy 1 or 2 more for off camera flash use. Some persons say it feels flimsy on the tilting of the head but that is a miniscule matter when considering the features over the 430exII. By the way the head of the flash has a similar degree of tilt as the 580exII. You can't get it better than that.

Comments about Metz mecablitz 50 AF-1 TTL Shoe Mount Flash for Canon DSLR:

This flash is an overall great VALUE for COST.I use this flash for portraits, indoor photography, weddings and much more. the flash has many great features,it really is a good flash.

Comments about Metz mecablitz 50 AF-1 TTL Shoe Mount Flash for Canon DSLR:

I use this flash for outdoor portraits in the shade and as a fill flash in full sun .
It has good power and ettl works very well when
things are moving too fast for manual.

Comments about Metz mecablitz 50 AF-1 TTL Shoe Mount Flash for Canon DSLR:

Flash works great on my EOS 450D. ETTL mode is right on. Manual modes are what I expected. Optical slave feature works great. Build quality is really quite good. This flash is made in Germany. It's refreshing to purchase something not made in China for a change.

The complaint about the battery door being hard to open is valid, but I'm guessing that after the flash sets with batteries in it for a few weeks it won't be as hard to open and close.

Printed manual is good. It took a few minutes to understand how the buttons work but after that it's easy to use.

This flash is OK. I don't feel bad about not buying a Canon flash.

Comments about Metz mecablitz 50 AF-1 TTL Shoe Mount Flash for Canon DSLR:

This is my 3:d Metz flash, and I have only been using it twise, but it seems to be a work horse.

Comments about Metz mecablitz 50 AF-1 TTL Shoe Mount Flash for Canon DSLR:

I'm very much an amateur photographer (like 98% of us dslr owners out there =) and wanted to start getting better results with my flash usage. Weighed both the Cannon and Metz options but the price on this was impossible to beat and I'm still looking forward to using the advanced functions in the future (mostly as a slave).

Comments about Metz mecablitz 50 AF-1 TTL Shoe Mount Flash for Canon DSLR:

This unit was returned after I called BH support to discuss issue where flash would go off before shutter, and after. I was referred to the US distributor. Their tech support did not return my calls or my email. This unit worked fine on my friend's Canon Rebel XS. It's a shame, it looked nice.

Comments about Metz mecablitz 50 AF-1 TTL Shoe Mount Flash for Canon DSLR:

Being slightly cheaper than comparable models of other makes, this flash gets the job done just as well as its competitors. It has a powerful output, decent synchronization with the host camera and recharges at a good speed, although you might be in trouble if you do a lot of bracket shooting.

The flash itself is light weight, but doesn´t feel all that sturdy - it has a plastic feel and the head drops easily with larger/heavier diffusers. The battery hatch feels a bit flakey and the batteries can be difficult to get out, as part of the hatch cover two of the batteries even when opened.

Programming it is very straight forward and does not require a lot of consulting of the manual. The display works well in most conditions, but is hard to read from an angle, which sometimes makes changing settings difficult, if the camera is set up in a tight spot.

In all, the flash output is great and equally good or even sharper than its competitors, but it does feel less sturdy than other flashes in the same range. My biggest complaint is probably that it is unnecessarily difficult to change batteries, due to the badly designed battery hatch.