Customer Reviews

Opteka EF-600 DG Super EO-TTL II Speed Blitz Flash for Canon EOS Digital SLR Camera

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

I only have this flash for few days.
I currently own Canon 580EX-II and 420EX, so this will be my 3rd flash to complete my home studio.
This flash, in general speaking is BETTER than average.
Do I recommend it? Such a features flash for under 100... YES.
Pro:
ETTL works with my Canon XSi. (The Amber light ETTL will light if it's on)
Manual power output: From 1/1 to 1/16
Zoom head: From 24mm to 85mm
Auto off: The "OFF" will display on the LCD. Press any button to active it
Slave mode: Work right together with my Canon 580EX-II
Body material: Feel like those of Canon Speedlite flashs
Con:
Battery door feel like a toy once it open, very "loose".
Those soft rubber buttons, it's ok but "too silence". I prefer a little "click" on Canon 580EX-II.
The Diffuser plate looks cheap compare to Canon 580EX-II
No green LED light after each good shoot, only the "OK" flash up on the LCD display.
Illuminated LCD looks cheap. It makes me remember those LCD watch in the 80's.
Noise: Motor zoom head and recycle time, but not too bad.
Other:
The Bounce & swivel head do not require to press any lock button.

Update:
After couple weeks of testing it as a slave flash for my home studio, here is some bad thing that you may need to know:
This flash declared as compatible with Canon ETTL-II DSLR. Well true if you mounth it on your camera, but NOT when use it as a slave ETTL.
(This may be the advantage for those Canon Speedlites and which you have to paid for a premium price).
When I press the shuttle release button on my XSi, all 3 fire at the same time (Speedlite 580EX-II, 420EX and this Opteka flash)

When I set to ETTL mode on the Master flash (or on XSi camera) picture TURN DARK. But if I turn the Opteka flash off and leave the other 2 Speedlite on, picture look good (They work ETTL together)

When I set to MULTI mode on the Master flash (or on XSi camera) The Opteka flash work fine with other 2 Speedlites. The inconvience is you have to run around and set the output power for each flash and for each scene of studio (1/1 to 1/16 for Opteka, 1/1 to 1/128 for 580EX-II, etc...)
Bottom line:
If money is not an issued, paid a couple hundred extra, get the 430EX-II flash and enjoy the benefit of ETTL feature during the studio. Because not only they work well together, you can control the function of each flash from your camera (Canon XSi) without run around because... kids don't want to wait :)
I hope this help to some Canon users.

I have shot professionally for several years now. Unfortunately the gear is owned by my boss and therefore I don't have access to his Canon arsenal and must rely on my low budget Canon rig. Although I shoot professionally with a 580ex II mounted on a 5D, I was shooting an XTi with the built in flash until I sprang for this unit. The flash works quite well with the XTi, the power zoom head works flawlessly and the metering is always on cue. In addition, the camera is able to focus quickly in the dark with the built in red focus projection that the flash puts out. The photos turn out beautifully and the recycle time on the flash is fast when Lithium Ion rechargeable batteries are used. However should you choose to use alkaline batteries the recycle time is painfully slow. In addition, you can get a good number of photos on each battery charge, I won't quote a number however as the number depends on the flash power settings for individual photos and can vary greatly depending on those settings.

Overall I highly recommend this flash for an amateur looking for a great flash at a great price.

***UPDATE*** 1/5/2010

After having this flash for several months, it got knocked over with it attached to my camera. Because the boot it plastic it broke instantly. I contacted Opteka and they sell replacement boots for only $10.00 including shipping. Not a bad deal and it should be somewhat easy to replace. If I have installation issues I will add another update to this review.

***UPDATE*** 3/37/2010

I have been in contact with Opteka several times in the past few months. I paid the $10.00 for the flash boot and have still not received it. They keep telling me the item is on back order. I now must NOT recommend this product, because of their poor service. They eventually refunded the $10.00 I paid for it, and said they'd give it to me for free when it arrived. However I am still without my flash and would much rather have it fixed than have it sitting broken in my camera bag.

This flash is a steel, I give it a 5 based on price. You can pay more but I doubt you'll do much better. It was recognized by my camera right away in the E-TTL mode. It works great with my rechargeable batteries. I'm using it on my Canon S5IS. I'm getting great results. You quickly learn how to bounce the flash off white ceilings. My favorite feature is the two built in flash reflector and / or the diffuser. It's great because you'll never misplace these items. I also like the flexibility of the swivel in all directions, it allows me to take some great angles.

If you bought a G10, you know it takes excellent photos in a small package.

In daylight.

Low light screws it up completely, and not just because of the notorious noise of its tightly-packed 14 MP sensor. The built-in flash does not illuminate the entire image, leaving an unlit bar across the top of the shot.

If you shoot in 'panorama' mode or crop your images you can get around this. But it's a glaring weakness I was aware of when I bought the camera. To shoot indoor and night shots, you must have a good flash gun.

I looked like crazy for a flash I wouldn't be afraid to carry with me in the bag. The Canon Speedlites are nice, but they're just too pricey to take out and use without ruining your outing with worry about where you put everything.

At less than half the price and more than 85% of the functionality, this gun is a worthy competitor. I mount it to the hotshoe almost exclusively, though I have the hotshoe extension cord and bracket if I'm headed to the family reunion. We shoot a lot of family shots on sunny days in a shady park with lots of bright sunlight and shadow.

This flash allows the shadows to recede, giving proper detail and exposure to your shaded subjects even on the sunniest of days. It gives you full tilt-swivel action to get your lighting right and the built-in diffuser does just as good a job as the Canon version.

Also, compatibility with Canon's E-TTL II protocol means that it communicates properly with the G10 for exposure, metering and focus. This is crucial if you're allowing the computer to determine your settings for you in auto, or one of the priority modes. My experience with the Opteka is that it is pretty much right on in its decision making. If you don't like the shot you can heat it up or cool it down a bit, just as you can with the Canon.

There is _no_ flash nor camera that will work exactly how you want it to, every time. But this unit has the flexibility to make all needed adjustments in a perfectly straightforward way. No weird Chinese menus or hiding essential functions two menus deep.

Bottom line: If you need only one primary flash and you are trying to save cash, this unit has what it takes to get you the shot.

WOW..... I couldn't be more pleased.
I have a Nikon D60 and with it I purchased the Nikon SB400 flash both serve me well.
However, early on I realized that there were limitations with the SB400 that did not fit some shooting conditions. So I decided it was time for more power in my flash photography. I was asked to do some pictures at a friend's wedding (not to replace the pro photographer but to contribute my perspective to the event). The wedding was going to start at 7:00 PM (oh, NO) pictures at night !
Anyway I ordered the Nikon SB600 paid the additional fee for faster delivery so I would have enough time to work with the flash before the event. I checked my order status a couple days later and discovered that the unit was on back order and I would not receive it till way after the event.
I was also running out of time. I canceled that order and started searching for a substitute. I read the specs on the Opteka Speed Blitz and decided to try it. I am no stranger to 3rd party flash systems but this was a new one for me and I was a little worried. I received the flash on time but with just 3 days before the event. I tested and worked the flash as much as I could before the rubber met the road.
This flash did everything I needed and more. I use a flash for daytime as well as night time pictures.
The event started with still daylight and ended with at night shooting. Every shot was well exposed and distance did not cause flash fall off (again WOW). If there were any bad shots it was for composition not exposure and using the flash head tilt at 60 degrees with the built in bounce card gave me some exceptional dramatic photos. The flash worked perfectly with the dedicated flash features of my Nikon D60. Also, it used TTL BL to control exposure. Anyway I got some great pictures.
I'm not a professional Photographer but I'm pretty fussy and critical with my photo work. Being able to not only tilt but rotate the head 90 degrees left and right and then a full 180 make for some very creative photos. I can remember mounting a flash backwards on my camera so I could bounce the light off a card on to the subject. Man this thing does it all. Plus I saved 150 dollars from the price of the SB600. What can I say life is good and my pictures are gooder :)

This unit works quite well. I use it with a Canon XSI. When I first switched it on and pressed the zoom button, the motor stared running continuously. I switched it off/on a few time and it stopped. Since the it has worked flawlessly.

When used with the built on diffuser, the results are very pleasing; faces are not washed out. The unit is quite powerful, and the slave mode works well.

The only downside is that the flash does not recycle fast enough when the camera is in continuous shooting mode. It flashes every other shot. Otherwise it syncs to the camera perfectly.

Overall it is an excellent buy for the price.

I was surprised and impressed for $[...] and it does have some nice features. I do believe that there is a design flaw with the battery compartment and the stand did not come with the unit. My Canon XSi did recognize the flash unit and I was able to control some features from the camera's LCD. All-in-all, I was happy with my purchase. Although, periodically, the flash shuts down (for no apparent reason) and the camera doesn't see it. If I reseat the batteries in the EF-600 and boot the camera, then all is well. Recycle time is not as fast as the 430 EX (not II), but it does the job when it works properly (sort-of strange to say it that way).

If Opteka would re-design the battery compartment, this would be a great value for the price. Good for amateurs on a budget, but not for the prosumer. I would spend the extra $$$s and go for the 430EXII

I picked up this flash here on Amazon due to the price, not being able to afford the Canon 430EX II and 580. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality when I received it. Yes, there are some things - i.e. plastic shoe mount, and the plastic battery holder that are not up to the standards, but I didn't expect more from a $100 flash. It looks massive on my 7D, and adds a little to the weight, but I like how it performs in low light situations that I'm constantly faced with.
I shoot ballroom dancing competitions, and the lights are very bad, making it almost impossible to be able to stop the action. I'm using Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 lens, and also will be getting a Canon 85mm f/1.8 to complement that.
As far as the features, they're all that you'd expect from a Canon flash. Opteka does have power! You'll be amazed at how it's able to light up the rooms, or bounce off the walls. Make sure that you get some good batteries to go along with it. I decided to go with Sanyo, due to some rave reviews.
To summarize, I think this is a decent piece of equipment, considering what you're paying for it. After playing with it for a day, it greatly improved all of my low light pictures, and now makes things much more easier when working with smaller apertures or fast shutter speeds.

Good flash for the money. Comparing to the lower end of Canon speedlites, i'd say this flash is just as good. I bought it for my XTI, and it works just fine on the hot shoe and as a slave. We'll see how it keeps working as time goes on.

The Flash works great with my Canon Rebel XTI, the results of the pictures are great although it is sometimes a little bit noisy.
If you are looking for a low price flash that does the job you can pick up this one.
But it did not come with the small plastic stand which is in the picture..