Customer Reviews

Olympus FL-50 Electronic Flash for Olympus Digital SLR Cameras

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I know, I know... you're looking at this Olympus flash and thinking "Oh ____ (substitute your particular phrase here)... I can't afford that, why would Olympus do me like that... I just shelled out good money on my E-500 or E-330 and I don't want to pay that much for a freakin' flash unit". We've all been there. So you start looking at the FL-36 (I own one too and like it) and you start rationalizing that well, maybe you don't need the biggest/"bestest" flash on the planet... Maybe you've even taken a glance at the FL-20 (got that one as well, not bad for portability)... well, just stop already. Start saving your change from the store and save and BUY THIS ONE... why? Because it is everything a flash unit should be. Big. Bright (guide # is 164 feet people!). Full control. and best of all, it recycles fast, fast, fast. I just couldn't believe how quickly I could hit that shutter button a 2nd, 3rd, 4th, & 5th time (careful not to go too far... all flash units can be damaged if you overtax them). It was awesome... practically no waiting as I do with my FL-36 (my only real complaint about that unit, otherwise it is excellent). Lastly, I suggest you purchase an Omni Bounce cap to fit over (Sto-Fen makes a large line of them). Once you have, you will have rendered the darkness impotent against you and your mighty Olympus FL-50... after all, you and I are after the same thing, right? GREAT PICTURES. The FL-50 helps get you there. No doubt it is one expensive flash unit... but worth it in the end.

Update 12/2008

When I wrote this review your choices were the fl-50 or the 36 which made the choice simple. Today the 50R is an option that alot of people are going to evaluate. I own both units and here's what I can tell you to help decide between the 50 / 50R flashes

The 50R is an advanced 50 designed for the E3. It has alot of extra features that even non olympus owners can use. It will operate as a remote flash / flood light and trigger by the initial flash of the first camera, no matter what it is.

In another mode of operation, the 50R can be "told" to participate in one of 3 groups of flashes by the E3. The intensity of each group can be varried in the E3 flash setup menu. The 50R has a second mode that will listen to the E3's special signal which is sent ONLY by using the internal flash on the E3.

Finally the 50R can be put on the hotshoe on many cameras. Even on the hotshoe of an E3, the 50R can NOT talk to other 50Rs set to the remote program listening mode, so you MUST use the E3's internal flash to trigger the 50R with the custom programming mode. The 50R can ALWAYS act as a supplemental flash.

Finally, the 50R includes a couple nice gifts in the package - they have a diffuser cup that snaps over the 50R as well as a plastic version and rubber snap that is an elegant solution to the photographer's 3x5 card and rubber bands trick for light direction. It is a white plate and a rubber strap and hook. The last of 3 gifts is a base that the 50R slides into and locks in place to act as a foot. This allows it to operate off camera for fill flash applications easily.

In summary the 50R is the more modern solution, while the 50 will work with alot of olympus cameras. Technically the 50 is obsolete, while the 50R has many extra options.

(original review follows below - its dated - be sure to read my 50R review separately before you purchase a FL-50x flash. If you have an E3 - DO NOT BUY THIS FLASH - buy the FL-50R - even if you think you may upgrade to an E3 someday. The remainder of this review applies to the FL-50R as well)
---end update--- 12-2008


If you have read this far on the FL-50 you should also read my review on the FP-1 (search for olympus fp-1) - it is a side grip designed to go with the fl-50 and speed up it's cycle time.

By now you know the FL-50 is the flagship flash from Olympus - but there's more you should know about this particular flash.

First - there are 4 exra pins in a row under a rubber cover. 2 of them bring in 6V regulated (as in 6.000 volts) and the other two, well upwards of 300 volts for charging the main cap come in on those pins using a special signalling system spoken by the HV-1 (I believe) High Voltage adapter (more later)

Second - The FL-50 is also the basis for the twin flash and ring flash controller. A few things get changed - the red lens is blacked out because the other flashes (at least the ring flash) have modeling lights so you can focus and see where the flash "star" or "blast" will end up in your photo (or even get it out of your photo!)

That is NOT to say that you can unhook your flashtube from your FL-50 and make a ring flash controller - its simply that the plastic and controls and LCD will be very familiar to you if you get a macro flash later in life (None of the "up top" flashes work well when your subject is inches from the lens filter)

More on the HV-1. Hidden deep inside the FL-50's "brain" is a remarkable ability to parallel process with the OLY HV-1 supply. What makes the HV-1 soo good? Well, first off, it's got a 2700 mAh battery pack. -- you say, well - I can put 2700 mAh nimh cells in the FL-50 -- I fully encourage you do do that as well. The FL-50 holds 4 2700 mah cells. The HV-1 starts off with 6, giving it a 50% voltage boost, plus the current boost on top of that. In other words, the HV-1's battery supply is really heavy duty compared to what you can do with 4 AA nimh cels.

Now here's the best part!

FL-50 w/ 4 2700 NIMH AA cells - full recharge - about 6 or 7 seconds
FL-50 w/ HV-1 and EMPTY battery compartment on the FL-50, same conditions - 1 sec.
FL-50 w/ HV-1 and those 2700 mah NIMH batts inside it - < 1 sec recharge

In other words, the FL-50 will use BOTH its internal inverter and the HV-1 as a pair to recharge as fast as possible. (oh yea - and we know with such a huge capacitor as the FL-50 that we're not going to empty it every time, so its more likely the recharge times are fractions of a second.)

And now we put all the above together. Our best 2700 mah AA cells - the HV-1 adapter (which also works on the ring flash and twin flash and modeling lights) - we set the "MODE" switch on our Evolt cameras to sports mode, turn the flash on - guess what happens!

If you are just using the flash for fill - it can keep up with the sports shooting rate! I used a sandisk 4GB E-III 133x card, a compressed picture, and pow-pow-pow-pow-pow it kept firing as long as I held down the shutter. At ISO 100. Inside. Natural light.

So to sum it up - if you are content to wait for the flash to cycle, or shoot those shaky 1 second exposure pictures, forget the FL-50 and HV-1 system. Just get a FL-36 and you'll save alot of $. But - IF - and only if - you think you are headed for a flash __SYSTEM__ then start it with the FL-50. You can by the HV-1 later (I did) - and then when you get some good lenses and you want a ring flash for up close and even modeling work, all your flash parts will work together! You will own not just a speedlight but a portable studio strobe - with TTL metering - and you'll never go anywhere without the HV-1 / FL-50 combination. With 10 cells charging your battery instead of 4 you flash takes on a new personality.

I own the Oly C8080 WZ and was deciding on what flash to use for an upcoming wedding. I was going to purchase the FL-36 and now that I sprung for the FL-50, I'm glad I paid the little bit extra for it! It is a great piece of equipment. Photography is mostly about learning to control the light in order to get what you want. And with the bounce, swivel and power contained in this flash, you will be capable of some really great shots.

One of the first things I noticed besides how great my indoor shots were coming out, was the FAST recycle time. Even when I have a string of action shots to put together the flash keeps up. And some good 2300 - 2500 mAh rechargable AA batteries will keep you flashing for nearly 300 images without a misfire.

The only thing I don't like is that the flash's focus light is not enabled with the C8080 (only on the E-class systems). But that does not shorten its usefulness. Big rooms, outdoor fill flash, low or high ceilings... it doesn't matter it still performs like a champ.

Panasonic sells this same unit under their brand for substantially more money. If you dig real deep on the Panasonic site under "compatibility," you'll learn that Panasonic and Olympus teamed up on Panasonic's new high end camera.

The collaboration, it appears, has been going on for some time: this unit is the same as the Panasonic DML-FL500 and works perfectly with the Lumix FZ-50. So if the price of the Panasonic unit has held you back, get this one.

It is worth it.

Today I shot pictures of the grandkids at a children's museum. I had excellent flash lighting in TTL AUTO mode from about 25 feet away. Shots of people within five feet or so of the lens are over-exposed, so just dial in -0.7 stop correction on the FL-50 and everything is fine. You can go plus or minus 3 full stops on the flash itself.

You can set the flash mode (i.e., auto flash with redeye pre-flash) from the FZ-50.

Overall, this is a superb smart flash that is fully compatible with the Lumix FZS-50 at a substantially lower price. You will not regret this purchase if you're serious about your photography. The head rotates practially 360 degrees, swivels almost 240, is powerful and has a built-in diffuser for super-wide angle lenses. It uses AA batteries.

Full manual control when you want it.

A very sweet package.

Jerry

There was a reason why you selected a D-SLR over a point and shoot. I know that when I was considering the investment (no getting around that word - investment) of a D-SLR I also thought about a good compact camera; you know one of those 12x - 15x zooms that look like an SLR, but do not have the detachable lenses. But I went for the D-SLR and then I did my homework into which make & model I wanted to get. For me the choice was the E-510 and I have been really happy with it. The reason I am happy is that the camera has the features and options that I want that allow me to get creative with my camera shots. Sure the auto feature makes it handy as a point and shoot, but I did not but it for that reason - I have other cameras that fit that need. No, the D-SLR has a special purpose in my camera bag.

The same is now true with my flash. The FL-50 is to flashes what the E-510 is to a point and shoot. The pop-up flash that came with the E-510 is not that great - sure it works in a pinch, but not that well. The FL-50 does everything you could ever want out of a flash and allows you the flexibility to be creative.

Case in point - As soon as I got the FL-50 I popped it on my E-510 and started to play with it. I set the controls to TTL-Auto, turned it on and took 4 pictures of my wife reading her book (yeah - she LOVED that!). First shot was 4 feet away from her, flash facing dead straight at her, the second was the same location but the flash facing the ceiling, the third was the same location with the flash facing the wall and the last was the same location with the flash facing away from her (shooting back over my head!). Results - all four were in perfect exposure with very different results (look & feel). Even the shot where the flash was facing 180 degrees from her came out just fine - COOL!

Bottom line is that this flash talks to the camera, understands the f-stop, aperture and distance and then adjusts based on where the flash head is pointing. You can hear the zoom feature kick in as soon as you start re-positioning the flash head. If you want full control over these functions, just turn it to manual and do what ever you want - VERY COOL!!

The flash is ultra strong too. I set the camera to manual so that I was shooting at 100ASA with a medium opening; then standing in my back yard at night I manually adjusted the focus and clicked. I shock me neighbor because the flash was as bright as a bolt of lightning. The end result was a perfectly exposed shot of my back yard (it is big). Even the stuff that is 80 feet away was visible - TOTALLY COOL!

These just are extreme cases but it does highlight how powerful & flexible the flash is. I took a point blank, full on flash and a wide open, pitch black shot and both came out looking great. I did not even read the manual yet.

Yes - there was a reason why you bought your D-SLR and saving money was not part of the equation. Do not make the mistake of trying to save money on your flash either. This is an expensive unit, but it is as versatile as the camera you will bolt it to. Say good buy to your pop-up flash. After you get this unit you will never go back to that thing ever again.

Question to self - "Would I buy it again if I lost it or had it stolen?". Answer - It would be hard to choke down another few hundred bucks, but yes - I would buy it again if I lost mine.

Oh, and buy the way... the recycle on this unit is tops too. Just a few seconds are needed before you can take your next photo.

So you got your high-dollar D-SLR home, and took a picture of your child that evening using the pop-up flash. The shot has an over-bright smiling face surrounded by almost pitch darkness in the room - in fact it looks remarkably like you took it with a point-n-shoot.

When you get this flash, you will not fear indoor photography ever again. Tilt up the head and shoot off the (white) ceiling, and the whole room is flooded with even and bright light. The results are completely stunning if you are used to snapshots coming out of a compact. A tip I read that also works well: bounce the flash off your white t-shirt if you want to keep some of the party "atmosphere".

It is so easy to use. Plug in. The camera turns it on, and detects what you are doing with the head. If you point the head straight at the subject, the flash "zooms" itself to match the zoom setting on the lens. And when you shoot, it does TTL metering to get a beautifully even shot. You can access fill-in flash mode from either place, but the flash makes this slightly easier.

This is a big unit. In volume it is as big as the E-510 body (although a different shape). But this is what it takes to make a powerful flash: lots of battery, a big capacitor, big projector, and big diffuser. This is the only downside of buying the FL-50 over the smaller FL-36, which I imagine is just fine for domestic photography and fill-in flash. But the FL-36 is not extensible, so you can't upgrade to the monster handle and shoot your friend's wedding. If I need a more compact flash, I can get the FL-36 later.

EDIT 1: I don't want to sound like a sales guy, but there is a great rebate in play right now. It is a fine opportunity to get the big flash instead of the small one, if the price difference is the sticking point.

A wonderful unit. Versatile and very effective. Works beautifully with my Olylmpus E-300. If there is a drawback its that it eats up batteries real fast. Rechargeables are essential. Also, for an old codger like me, it's darn near as complicated as my camera itself. In fact the instruction manual is larger! Nevertheless I like them both.

I've been using the FL-50 on my Olympus Evolt E-300 for about one month, and I'm very satisfied. The battery life and recycle time have been very good. I took a number of photos in the Auto mode; TTL Auto, Auto, and FP Auto. The FP mode worked quite well for outdoor fill-in flash and using higher ISO for action flash. TTL Auto showed excellent exposure on all indoor and night photos.

I just bought(today) FL-50 to replace FL-36 after I use it for about a year. This is a much better light with better photo results and fast recharge time. The disadvantages are the unit is big and heavy.

update:
used it a few times in the house. The range of the light is amazing. I could light up the room better than FL-36.
One other function I like is that once the light is connected to the camera, it will turn on when the camera is turned on. Unlike Fl-36 which you have to manually turn it on if the camera is off for a while.

Update II:
This flash unit is incredible. I have not received my rechargeable batteries so I used the regular batteries to try it out. First set of 4 new batteries lasted 120+ indoor shots with no or min recharge time before they died on my. With my old fl-36 I usually have to change the batteries after 25-30 shots.

Update III: (Jan, 2008)
I took this flash unit with me on vacation. I noticed if I use burst mode the unit will not be able to catch up on the 4th shot and will be okay again on the 5th picture(using Sony 2500 mAh AA Rechargeable Nimh Batteries). Other than that everything is great outdoor or indoor. Each set of batteries will last a while.

Okay, let's start with a few basic knowledge points:

1. I have worked at, or in support of, photography and videography for the last 20+ years.

2. I have used Olympus equipment for the majority of my still-photography needs. Yes, I own Leicas, Nikons and other more esoteric brands of equipment, but my working (and personal) stock of choice has been Olympus since at least the early 1980s.

These two points mean that I have a predisposition (i.e. bias) in favor of Olympus, but some significant - even credible - experience to back it up.

Now that we have that "Honesty in Advertising" part out of the way, on to the review:

Several other Amazon users favorably reviewed the Olympus FL-50 Electronic Flash for Olympus C7070, E1, E300 & E500 Digital SLR Cameras itself, and I agree with their observations. This flash is not only powerful enough for your extreme lighting needs, and rapid in the majority of typical ones, but (unlike several strobes I have owned in the past) using the FL-50 is intuitive. So much so that I have yet to actually read the instruction manual! This unit becomes an integral part of your imaging system: The strobe turn on and off with the camera itself, takes full advantage of the camera's metering and control systems (remembering my -0.7 stop fill-flash preference), and tilting/pivoting effortlessly when you need to redirect this source. By itself, the Olympus FL-50 is awesome.

Couple the FL-50 with a Sto-Fen OMEW Omni-Bounce Diffuser and you have one perfect out-of-the-bag lighting combination. Yes, the included high-capacity (2700 mAh) NiMH batteries you probably already have, but even here there is a little bonus: an awesome little charger with both the 12VDC vehicle and Euro-plug adapters included. Everything here went from the shipping box straight into my circa 1984 Domke F-3X Super Compact Camera Bag, Canvas, Chocolate Brown. For all of the gear that's been in and out of that bag, this has been a wonderful, welcome addition; one that I highly recommend to any Olympus digital user.