On May 16, 2006, at 8:04 AM, Richard Chu wrote:
I am searching for a portable flash setup that would provide diffused lighting for taking photos of people at family gatherings and church events. I have tried the pocket bouncer and the omnibounce but have not been satisfied with the results. I am interested in your experience with the Paterson Eflash panel. I understand that this is a manual flash unit. Have you used it by itself for portraits? What is the flash recycling time and is it safe to use with your DS?
The EFlash is handy. It's not terribly powerful (GN 38'/11m), it produces a very even, broad-light flash. It has both PC connection and built-in slave trigger. I've never connected it directly to the camera and haven't measured the trigger voltage. With fresh AA NiMH or Li batteries, recycle time is pretty fast ... about 3-6 seconds.
I use it mostly for product/tabletop stuff in conjunction with a Sunpak 383 mounted on the camera or via a Promaster sync cord. For illuminating a larger area, you would want a few of them mounted on light stands. They could do a good job of providing directional but not harsh lighting.
I bought it as a test and like it enough that I'll likely get a second one.
Godfrey
