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

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Product Details

Product Manual [1.76mb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 3.9 x 2.9 inches ; 1 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B0006O4VNC
• Item model number: 260113
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (58 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: May 3, 2006

Product Description

Product Description

The FL-36 electronic flash unit has been developed especially for use in digital photography. With a lot of useful features, it is reasonably priced.It offers GN 36 at a focal length of 42mm (equivalent to 85mm on a 35mm camera: ISO 100), and GN 20 at a focal length of 12mm (equivalent to 24mm on a 35mm camera: ISO 100).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

99 of 99 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Flash adds creative options, October 7, 2005

By	J. Mohler "Transit Rider" (Orange County, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Flash, November 6, 2006

By	J. Thorne (Ann Arbor, MI USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect!, February 13, 2007

By	A. Obannon (Roselle, NJ) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I recently purchased this item for my Evolt 500 and all i can say is wow. I went to camera store and held both the fl 36 and fl 50 and decided to go with the fl 36. The fl 36 was alot smaller which I liked. I'm gonna mainly use it for vacation pictures, birthdays and holidays. So i really don't need the fl 50. My opinion, if you're not gonna be shooting weddings, you really don't need the fl 50. I've noticed that E 500 always had problems focusing in low light. The camera would search, fire the af illuminator off like crazy, and it still wouldn't focus. Even just focusing in regular indoor lighting was a problem. This completely solves this problem. I was able to focus on my girlfriend in complete darkness.. Accurately and quickly. I was already thinking about getting a different camera in a year or so just because of the low light focusing issue. But now.. I'll probably use this camera for a good five years, if not more. Even if you weren't looking for an external flash... buy it. Just the improvement in low light focusing alone is worth the money. Recycle is great, i threw in cheap dollar store batteries just so i can use it the first day i brought it and the recycle time is fast enough. I'm not really trying to shoot night pics at the INDY 500. Stop searching and buy this item. I also recommend the Sto_Fen OM-600 omni-bounce diffuser. Its made for the Nikon SB600 but if fits perfect on my FL-36. Nice and snug. It makes a big difference. TRUST ME, YOU'LL THANK ME IN THE COMMENTS LATER!!!!!!!