Customer Reviews

Canon Speedlite 220EX for Canon EOS SLR Cameras - Old Version

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I purchased this flash to use with my Canon G1 digital camera. When using the latest Canon camera lines there is a huge benefit in going with the Canon "EX" flashes, as they deliver E-TTL metering. Without boring you, the essence of this is that when you press the shutter button the flash is momentarily fired so the camera can measure the actual light and determine the best exposure, and then it fires the flash again and takes the actual picture (all in a fraction of a second). Sorry, if you don't have a Canon camera, you don't get E-TTL.

Why is this important? Because it is measuring the real light and not estimating what might be needed or trying to turn off the flash while it takes the picture when it thinks enough light has been delivered. Its complicated, but trust me you're pictures will be a lot better.

Now the 220EX model is Canon's smallest and lightest. You can opt for other Canon models (380EX is discontinued, 420 EX, 550EX), and you'll get higher light output (so you can use flash from more than 100 feet away), and swivel/tilt so you can bounce flash - but at the added cost of larger size, more weight, and more cost.

The 220EX also provides a long battery life (check out Amazon's price on Kodak photolife batteries) - I seem to get well more than 300 shots per set of AAs. And it also manages power by shutting down the flash after inactivity.

The 220EX makes sense for any smaller Canon camera, or even a larger one where the photographer is less likely to use flash form more than 70 feet away or use bounce flash capability. If that sounds like you, then buy this flash. Its a winner.

Having just purchased a Canon PowerShot G1 digital camera a few weeks ago, I felt the built-in flash to be of OK performance, but it was far from what I was used to using with some of my older SLR (single-lens reflex) cameras.

After reading the review here on the 220EX, I decided to go for it. I have seen the other EX offerings, and they are really big flash units. Since the G1 is pretty compact, I figured the 220EX would be the best fit. And after having used it for a while, I know I made the best choice. With 4 AA batteries in the flash, it's pretty heavy (especially in addition to the already somewhat heavy G1). Throw on your lens(es) of choice, and you have a camera of substantial size and weight.

But getting back to the flash, it's so user-friendly that you'll be taking great pictures in minutes. The real light metering works wonders, even in conditions where the subject you're taking a picture of is in complete darkness. I was really happy with how well this flash lit up rooms, evenly and naturally.

This flash is a great value, and comes highly recommended, as is the camera that I bought it for, the PowerShot G1.

I bought my G6 in December, borrowed a Canon 420 EX speedlite and liked the results but I wondered if the smaller, lighter, less expensive 220 EX would be good enough? Some of the reviews here say it is underpowered. Is it? I bought one to find out and took both out into my backyard in 8 PM darkness to try them at 5 feet, 10 feet, 20 feet and 40 feet on the G6.

Conclusion #1: The G6 has a good builtin flash. It makes good images within it's limited range of 5 meters/16 feet (or 4 meters/13 feet when the lens is set to telephoto) and works well as a fill flash. Complete failure beyond 20 feet.

Conclusion #2: The 420EX (range 24.2 meters) and the 220EX (range 15.7 meters/51.5 feet) both make better images than the builtin flash and both offer longer range. But both are limited by the autofocus range of 5 to 7 meters. That's right, neither flash can focus on a subject more than 20 feet away in darkness with the lens set to telephoto. Both worked fine when the lens was set to wide angle at 40 feet.

Final Conclusion: I'm keeping the 220 EX. The G6 is small and light, so is the 220EX. They make a good team, but the G6 also does well alone up close.

I notice another reviewer called the Speedlite 220 the perfect companion for your G1; I thought of it as the perfect companion for my G2. Whichever camera you have, the Speedlite 220 is indeed the perfect way to get better illuminated flash photos and extend battery life in your G-series camera.

The single most important thing you can do to get rid of red eye and insure that your flash photography subjects don't have that flat, pasty-faced, deer-caught-in-the-headlights look is to seperate the camera from the flash. (You'll need Canon's off-camera extension cord for this) You can shoot with the camera in one hand and hold the flash in the other, or use a bracket to hold them. Or you can get creative, bouncing the flash off the walls, lighting behind your subject, etc. It's great for providing fill flash on sunny days, lighting shadows- and with digital cameras it costs you next to nothing to experiment with lighting and get immidiate feedback.

The 220 talks to all the G-series cameras (as well as all modern Canon SLRs) so you can concentrate on lighting and composition and let the camera worry about exposure. Add a couple sets of rechargeable AA cells and a small charger- cheap these days- and you have an inexpensive but powerful lighting studio. Some may recoil at the price- after all, you can get a tiny flash unit for half or a quarter the cost- but the ability to integrate withe the camera electronics are well worth it.

I bought this tiny flash for my digital Rebel XT. Mistake. A few test shots in the dark indicated that the Rebel's pop up flash was more powerful than the 220. I called Canon customer service to ask about this and was told that yes, in fact the pop up flash IS more powerful than the 220. Stay away from this flash. If you can't afford a bigger, better one, than you'll have to do without while you save up your money.

I recently purchased a new Canon G7 and ordered the 430EX flash. Turned out to be way too big although it did take great flash pictures. I sent it back to Amazon and ordered this much smaller flash. It's a perfect match for the Canon G7. Small yet quite powerful! The built-in flash is good for close-up shots up to 7 or 8 feet away but quickly loses it's strenght over longer distances. This is where the 220EX steps in and saves the day. I have posted comparison pics using the built-in flash and then the 220EX flash on the customer images above. Overall very satysfied with this small flash and works perfectly with the camera's E-TTL.
Buy this flash. You won't be disappointed.

Does exactly what it is meant to do on powershot cameras -- easy, no frills. Lights up a room nicely. For those occasional moments where the casual photographer needs a bit more lighting beyond what is available on the built-in flash. No advanced features on this item. I love mine -- I do next to do indoor photography, and once or twice a year will do some portrait or headshot work on request at a party with my G9. At those times, this flash works great, is economical, and small and lightweight to throw into any bag. Please note that this flash is intended for smaller units such as the Canon G7, G9 or Pro 1...if you have a dSLR like the XTi, 30D, 40D, this flash unit is NOT AS STRONG as your built-in flash already and would be a waste of your money.

This is Canon's smallest EX flash. With a guide number of 22m it is about 2.9 times as powerful as the typical onboard flash (guide number 13). It does not allow for tilt or sviwel. There is a cheaper Cullmann flash, the 20 AF-C, that does allow for tilt but unlike the 220EX it does not support high speed sync. The support of high speed sync is crucial for use of the flash for daylight fill. For me fill is the primary use of this flash.

The small size is a big advantage over its larger cousins. It has adequate power for bounce flash of standard height ceilings though you will need a flash bracket and off shoe cord since the flash does not support tilt.

Unless you can convince yourself that you need the features of higher models (such as the 430EX), this is a great flash. It is very simple - turn it on, take the picture, turn it off.

It seems to be a little less harsh than the popup flash on my Rebel XT. it also claims to be a little more powerful than the popup flash. Finally, I have lens hoods on a few of my lenses. Thus, the popup flash often creates a "shadow". This flash takes care of that problem.

If you fall somewhere between being a clueless photographer who has no idea what this flash might do for you, but are short of an overeager hobbyist who might want to fiddle around with more advanced features, then this is a good flash.

It does not swivel or tilt, but I don't care about that. I mainly wanted a little more power than my popup/builtin flash and I wanted to get above my lens hoods to prevent shadowing. This flash works for me.

I give it 4 stars b/c there seems to be a notable reduction in light output if you take rapid fire shots.

I purchased this flash to go on a Canon SX10 IS camera. The built in flash is just too slow and not very powerful at all. This flash is GREAT for me. It is small enough (eventhough I did order another camera bag) to go anywhere and it recycles fast enough to catch the expressions of my singers as they are singing. This is really important because one half a second after you see the expression, it is gone. Also, the flash is cheap enough to compete with the off-brands. I went with the little Canon and I am very happy.