Customer Reviews

Olympus FL-36 Electronic Flash for SP series, C7070, E1, E300 & E500 Cameras

5 star:		(46)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

People who use Pns cameras don't know what they are missing with a flash like this. Bouncing light off of walls and ceilings allows for great flexiblity. I once spent a whole evening pointing this flash in different directions and admiring the the sometimes profound differences it made.

The E-300 Camera already has a popup flash which is good for pointing directly at people. But the thing is, that is all it can do. The FL-36 can light up whole rooms.

The flash has a bunch of modes. The two that I find the most useful are Auto TLL. This is basically fully automatic and as foolproof as you can get. Note: the wheel does not function by default in Auto TTL

Since I like trying different stuff, I find the so-called manual to be the most useful. When you use manual, the flash display indicates the power of the flash (guide number) and the expected useful distance. The wheel on the flash allows you to dial in the amount that you need. Take a picture, see how it comes out, adjust accordingly.

Pros:
* Brings numerous creative options
* Lights up stuff that the built in popup can't

Cons:
* Buttons can be hard to press. Wheel is a bit too stiff
* The manual covers all the modes of all sorts of different cameras. It is easy to get information overload from it.

This is the mid level flash for Olympus SLR's. It does everything you need for a digital flash and more. It can be used with the onboard flash as well. It takes some time getting used to all of the functions so I recommend taking a couple days practicing using it in different levels of light. With any digital product read the manual closely. This baby can do more than you think. Have fun.

I agree with a lot of people about the "light quality" of this flash. It has a good light range (not long, but it is what I expected from this price). But I must warn you: it is EXTREMELLY SLOW recharging. I really did not know that the flash worked on only 2 AA batteries (this would have been a good hint about the recharging speed); and there was no information about the recharging time nor in Amazon nor in the Olympus site. A fully discharged flash (because of a full flash shoot) charges in about 7 to 10 seconds using 2700 mAh, brand new and fully charged NiMH batteries. It is too slow to get the action from those concerts that my kids use to offer with their school classes.

Since I live in Argentina, it is very difficult for me to return it, so I will live with my mistake. I just want to warn the people looking for advice: if you pretend a "shot-after-shot-after-shot" performance, look for other flash. If you only want the AutoTTL (very nice for my Olympus C-730UZ), fully adjustable flash head (useful in "portrait" photos) and the Olympus Brand, then go for it.

I've always been a Nikon user. I needed a prosumer digital camera; so instead of getting a Nikon again, I wanna try out the Olympus since people tells me that the Olympus camera and accessories are great. It's true! With this compact FL-36, I get all the features as I'm using my SB-28. It's light, takes only 2 batteries, and have an excellent range.

I will definitely recommend this product to other people.

Good extra light to have if you take a lot of indoor pictures. My friend had one and I borrowed it for my e500. Great result, bought one for myself at B&H Photo for $179 + shipping.

Update:
At the end of 2007, I decided to upgrade to FL-50. I had a lot of great shots with FL-36. FL-36 is not a bad flash unit but I found FL-50 is a lot more powerful with no or little recharge time. A set of 4 new batteries on the FL-50 will last you 120+ indoor shots with no or minimal recharge time where FL-36 only lasts about 30 shot with 2 batteries then the recharge time starts to get too long and I often would miss good shots. If you have couple hundred dollars more to spend I would recommend FL-50 for one time investment.

This is just to let others know that the FL-36 Flash and the FZ50 are completely compatible! I did a lot of searching to find this info, so I thought I would make it easier for anyone shopping for a good flash for their FZ50. (I bought both from "Amazon".)

I am extremely pleased with this flash. Olympus is well ahead of the curve in digital camera, lens and flash integration. The FL-36 can achieve beautiful photographs that appear to be taken in natural light. I am just beginning to discover its capabilities. You have to spend some time with the manual to fully utilize its features. Before purchasing, I had read complaints about the fact that it utilzes only two AA battries and short battery life. I haven't found this much of a problem, using 2400 mah NI-MH batteries. They're cheap, easy to carry and can be recharged quickly with a fast-charger. It's not cheap or disappointing. I highly recommend.

Bought this flash with my EVOLT 500. Great flash for most types of typical low light situations and for fill-flash. It offers all the advanced features for creative lighting such as bounce, diffused light and the angled bounces. Allows manual settings and works incredibly well in auto settings with camera. Olympus makes several accessories for this flash to help you get this off the camera and for multiple flash or slave set-ups. For more power and throw distance, and complete professional capabilities, go with the more expensive FL-50.

I found myself on stage and being responsible for this flash working on each cadet as they approached the stage to receive various awards for their accomplishments over the past year of ROTC activities at Hagerty
High School Yes,it worked fine and made my job easier,my only remark is
that I dont know how I shot 5000 pictures in 2006-7 with the small flash built into the camera and not really offering enough light to properly
flood the area.It really makes my confidence shoot up now and for the future.I am a retired Military man and 76 years old and all my pictures are placed on disc and donated to the cadets.This is my way of paying back and also my hobby.It also makes me feel good to be able to look back over the past three years at the School and say I have never taken a penny for my services and never will.Thank you for allowing me to run
my mouth and speak for the flash.
Sincerely,Ronald J Nogle
Winter Springs Florida

I really enjoy using the flash, i have an evolt 500 and the flash works great with the camera. Pictures come out great indoors with limited lighting. The only knock i have on the flash is that it uses batteries very quickly. It took about 20 pictures with very little wait between picture taking, but after that it took much longer. I will carry at least 6 rechargable batteries with me next time i plan on using it indoors with the intent of taking a lot of pictures. Other than the battery issue, this flash works great. I'm happy with my purchase.