Customer Reviews

Olympus FL-50R Electronic Flash for Olympus Digital SLR Cameras

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Summary: If you have an Olympus Four-Thirds System Digital SLR camera, this is the flash to buy for it.


My Background: I am an accomplished amateur, with quite a bit of experience. I got my first "real" camera as a teenager in the 1960's. My last one before my current camera was an Olympus OM-2n. I have won awards in both the photo contests I have entered. I enjoy the technical aspects of photography. I didn't just read the manuals that came with my camera and flash, I studied them.


My camera: My newest camera is an Olympus e-520, which has all the communication capability necessary to use the FL-50R's features. Some features may not be available with your camera, so you should check your camera's manual and the flash unit's manual to be sure. [Aside: I was unable to find a download for the FL-50R manual anywhere, so I e-mailed Olympus support. They sent me a link that worked for me, but is no longer valid. I suspect that if you e-mail them, you can get the manual in PDF format, as I did.] [Edit-24 December 2009: In his comments on this review, Neal E. Tornberg gives the following link to a PDF file of the manual for this flash. Thanks, Neal. [...]

Pros:
* Absolutely the best feature of this flash (for me) is its power. At ISO 400, with the lens at f4, the auto flash will shoot out to 25 meters. That's 82 feet! Switch to ISO 800 or f2.8 and you can shoot a subject over 100 feet away. The GN (Guide Number) for this flash is 50 (in meters). If you do your calculations in feet, the GN is 164!
* The flash zooms in and out automatically with the camera lens, up to a point. It has an equivalent focal length range of 12-42 mm (24-84 equivalent in 35 mm). This is exactly the range of the standard lens on my camera. There is a wide angle diffuser panel built in so you can use wider lenses if desired. You may zoom the flash manually in some modes.
* My camera uses its built-in flash to illuminate dark areas when auto-focusing. With the FL-50R mounted, it uses the auto-focus emitter on the FL-50R. This is a separate, relatively low-intensity, red emitter. It is much, much faster and much, much less annoying to people than the camera's built-in flash.
* If the flash is mounted on the camera, when you turn the camera off, the flash also turns off. (Actually it goes into SLEEP mode, but the result is the same.) When you turn the camera back on, the flash comes on as well. This will save your flash batteries.
* While you can use the Olympus lithium battery ($10), this flash works extremely well with NiMH rechargeable batteries. The manual says NiMH batteries will take about 200 photos. I took about 250 flash photos of various power levels before recharging my 2700 mAh, NiMH batteries, but the LOW BATTERY indicator had not come on yet. With NiMH, the flash charging time (time from turn on until you get a CHARGE light) was 4.8 seconds with fresh batteries. This increased to 6.8 seconds after about 60 flash photos at various flash intensities. Even after 250 flashes, the charging time never got ridiculously long.
* There is an FP AUTO mode that allows you to use the flash even at high shutter speeds. This allows use of fill-in flash for backlit subjects on bright day.
* The flash has a LIGHT button that illuminates the flash's control display. How nice that someone thought that you might be using a flash because the light was dim. The display will also illuminate on a signal from the camera.


Cons:
* The manual warns not to use this flash on non-Olympus cameras. (Page 49)
* This unit is big. I don't find it uncomfortably large, but that's mostly because I am willing to deal with the extra weight and volume in order to get the features this flash supplies. When it's mounted on my camera and it's hanging from the neck strap, the camera flops down and is difficult to carry easily.
* There is a limit to the number of flash emissions you are allowed in a given time. This is difficult to use in real life. The limit is 10 full-power flashes in 10 minutes, or 20 half-power flashes in 10 minutes, etc. Since you don't know the power of any given flash emission in any of the AUTO modes, you must estimate the usage and curtail flash photography as required. The reason is that the light unit gets hot, as do the batteries.
* The attachment for the reflector adaptor is seriously hokey. Basically, Olympus uses the equivalent of a rubber band to strap the adaptor to the flash. About the only good thing you can say about this is that the reflector adaptor doesn't seem to be very useful, so you'll probably leave it in a drawer anyway. There is no place to stow it on the FL-50R.


Additional Notes:
* The RC (Remote Control?) mode allows you to mount the FL-50R on a small stand (included), or a light stand, or a tripod. The flash can be controlled by a compatible camera. The drawback to this is that the FL-50R must be able to "see" the camera's flash (which is used to control the remote FL-50R). That is, there must be a line-of-sight between them. While this feature is nice, the line-of-sight requirement can be a serious limitation, especially if you want to use the FL-50R to illuminate the background for a portrait. As an alternative, the flash can be used in SLAVE mode, and it will fire when it senses a flash from another source.
* If the flash is mounted on the e-520 camera and turned on, you cannot use the camera's built-in flash. If the FL-50R is turned off, the camera's flash will try to pop up, but it will be prevented by the FL-50R from extending all the way. You must remove the FL-50R in order to stow the camera's flash. This is not true for all camera models, and you may use the camera's flash in addition to the FL-50R with other cameras.
* Like most modern flash units, this one will vary the intensity to fit the situation. You can always use MANUAL mode to override this. After taking a photo in one of the reduced power modes, the AUTO CHECK light will flash if the flash had enough power. If the light doesn't flash, your picture is likely underexposed.

There is an old saying in photography, which goes something like this: "What really determines the quality of a photo is the lighting and not so much the camera that you are using" I find this to be emphatically true. So to have good lighting I needed a powerful flash. The Olympus FL-50 is one of the most awesome pieces of equipment you could ever add to your photographic arsenal. I have been use the FL-50 since way before I even upgraded to using the Evolt SLRs to take photos. I used my Olympus FL-50 originally with an Olympus C-770 UZ camera. I have shot thousands of photos using this flash and I shoot 99% in bounce mode even if the ceiling is 60 feet above the subject. (Baruch College Relay for Life 2008) Most often times I have the flash heads pointing straight up at the ceiling so I get a nice effect of soft overhead natural lighting. Because the flash works through the Olympus TTL system the exposure comes out right no matter which way the flash head is pointing. I shoot mostly events and gatherings and I use this flash exclusively. You can view hundreds of photos I shot with this flash at "Rutherford High Class of 77" and "Baruch College photos". Just type those words into Google and click on the 1st link to see the photos. I have upgraded my cameras to higher-level models, but the FL-50 is my number 1 flash unit and goes with me on every event.

Update 12/2008

When the "50R" was first introduced with the E3 camera body, initial lack of product inventory and poor documentation led to speculation that the communications link between the camera & flash when used off the camera used radio. The "R" led to "R"umors of a "Radio" interface because two FL-50Rs were advised as needed to benefit from the E3's full ability. This is true, but not for a radio link but because the E3 body defines 3 groups of flashes and when they fire, and just owning one FL-50R does not allow you to fully utilize this featue. With 2 FL-50Rs you can make two flash groups each with different exposure. If you plunk down close to seven benjamins you can fully utilize this 3 flash group feature on the E3, but its not done with radio - read on.


The interface is optical, not radio, the transmitter is the built-in popup flash on the E3, so the FL-50R MUST be able to see the camera's flash.

Two FL-50Rs CAN talk to each other, but it is in the SLAVE mode that they do, not the programmable light output mode.

Additionally, the 50R includes in the flash kit a white bounce card made out of plastic with a notched rubber grip to hold it behind the flash, as well as a diffusing cup to go over the flash head and a "foot" so that the flash may operate remotely off the camera entirely. It is well equipped to use as a supplemental or primary flash.

--- end update, original review below ---

If you ever think you might upgrade your camera body and are deciding between the FL-50 AND FL-50R then the smart money goes on the R. A few items from the existing 4/3 system (such as the FL-50 and the 50-200 mm zoom lens) have "R" versions that work with the new E3 and also the older models. The FL-50R incorporates a remote trigger that uses fast paced flashes from the pop up on the E3 body which are read into the FL50R remote sensor, so that part must face the E3, then rotate the head to wherever you want the light - it comes with a small stand that has a plastic deadshoe to screw down the flash and keep it in place to accommodate oddball twists. Also if you own more than one FL50R, multiple flashes can be setup and triggered from the camera's internal flash. That is the added feature you are buying with this flash that works with the E3. It also supports a built in optical trigger fill flash mode. All in all, it's worth it when later on in life you have an E3 and 2 flashes (one subject / one background) and want to tie them together without a cord. The amount of work doing it with cords is a nightmare, and the radio would sure be nice at times like that.

If you never plan to go to an E3, the FL-50 will do everything you need in a flash and save you some cash. It supports the HV-1Olympus SHV-01 High Voltage Flash Power Pack (for FL-50, SRF11, STF22 & FC01) and can keep up with rapid recharge rates and multiple flashes per second using the external battery / high voltage pack.

That's all there is to it - no more power, no more fancy features, works with the existing flash system and is future proof to the E3 camera body.

1. I've used the Olympus FL-36 for around a year and it's a decent flash. But the FL-50R a no brainer purchase for all those who own Olympus SLRs (or even the EP-1) for the following reasons:
a. Size: yes, it is bigger than the FL-36 via specs, but in actual practice and feel, it's pragmatically not significantly bigger nor heavier. In my opinion, the size / weight factor shouldn't dissuade one from purchasing this flash.
b. Ease of use from a mechanical point of view is easier with the FL-50 compared to the FL-36. It may seem like a minor thing, but with the FL-36, you have to push two buttons in order to rotate the head to shoot in a bounced fashion; with the FL-50--> just one button. I minor thing, but in the field, every little thing counts.
c. Power: as others have said, this definitely has more power--> which translates into more flexibility while shooting; an obviously statement but one of huge importance.
d. Battery power: having 4 AA vs 2 AA (FL-36), is an obvious advantage. The recycle time is much much much quicker with the FL-50.
e. Overall resulting image: obviously since the FL-50 has more power, one is apt to get a higher percentage of good shots compared with the FL-36.

2. Thus, having used both the Olympus FL-36 and FL-50R, I would strongly recommend that all strongly consider getting the FL-50 for the above reasons.

I now own three of these and recently used them along with Gary Fong Lightspheres to create an instant Pet Portrait Studio. The results were fantastic. I shoot with the Olympus E3, but I understand the new E520 also can control the wireless FL-50R. You might want to invest in light stands. The tabletop base has extremely limited uses, especially if you need to tilt the flash along with a Lightsphere!

What can I say, this flash is awesome!!! I am not a professional photographer but was getting tired of constantly being one of many parents running back and forth from the stage to take pictures at my childrens events. The built in flashes really don't provide enough for more than maybe 10 feet away. Even on the SP-570 I own. Adding this flash was one of the best investments I've made when it comes to camera equipment. Now I can take pictures from 40 to 50 feet away and the end result is a beautiful picture, sometimes better than the ones I took having to run up to the stage. I'm sure as I learn more about the proper use of the flash my picture taking skills will continue to improve.

I've owned the OLY FL-36 for over a year now. I've been happy with it, but the refresh rate was not good at all, especially when the batteries started running low. I recently broke down and bought the FL-50r and I couldn't be happier with it. The refresh is so much faster. I've played around with the fact it will fire when it sees another flash go off, which I think is a neat function. I have an E-510, so it doesn't have the ability to fire it wirelessly, but I'll upgrade to the E-30, E-3 or the replacement for the E-3 (whenever that happens). Anyway, if you are considering the FL-36, don't bother. Find the money for the FL-50r.

This is my second FL-50R. I also own one FL-50 and one FL-36. For the money, the FL-50R is my choice. With my E-3, I can now use three flashes at once. I do weddings and in the past used Quantum flashes. Now with the very easy to set up FL-50R's I can use studio type lighting for my wedding formals. I can very easily set up ratios and with three flashes ( one on camera and two externals) I can light up the darkest of churches. The price on Amazon was absolutely the best. Hight recommended.

Purchased Olympus FL-50R to use with Olympus E-620 Digital SLR. I have only used about 50% of the unit's capability, but consider it to a good match with the camera. This purchase was part of an upgrade from an Olympus OM-2 35mm SLR, so there were many new impressive features. I'm on my 8th reading of the manual for both camera and flash. I'm still being impressed with every new feature that comes to fore. One very important finding: As automatic as all these new generation cameras and flash are, you still need to understand the basics. I'm glad I learned on the older, not so automatic, SLR's

This is my second unit, purchased the first unit three or four years ago. I struggled with spending so much money on a flash but after a few uses quickly realized that this is an amazing unit, justifying the significant cost. Unfortunately the first unit has become erratic and after testing on my 520 and 620 cameras I'm convinced that the flash output is not consistent. Thus again after struggling with the decision to drop considerable dollars for another unit, I've purchased this second FL-50R. My decision was somewhat driven by the fact that I did not want to continue shooting while the flash unit was in for repair. I plan to have the first unit checked out and plan to report back with what is determined. I've read that firing the flash more than 10 times in 60 seconds can cause damage, this concerns me as I do like the rapid firing that this unit is capable of. In summary this is an outstanding enhancement to my photography results but I'm concerned with the durability and life of the unit.