p.1 #1 · Off brand flash for Canon R5 - Neewer option
I’ve got a EL-1 flash and have been going with a single flash since moving to mirrorless. I used to have 3 flashes with the ST-E2 as well. But don’t have a need for as many flashes anymore, but there are times a second flash would be useful.
I’m looking at getting a second flash, but not really intrigued by any of Canon’s offerings. I love the EL-1, but in hindsight the money probably would have been better served on lenses.
I wanted to get advice on a couple of Neewer’s flashes - some good deals on with Black Friday sales. Any advice on the following three:
1. NEEWER Z1-C TTL Round Head Flash Speedlite
(on sale for $140 CDN).
2. NEEWER Z2-C 2.4G TTL Round Head Flash Speedlite
(On sale for ($170 CDN)
3. NEEWER Z2II-C 2.4G TTL Flash Speedlite
(On sale for ($205 CDN)
Anyone have experience with these three
Any idea on reliability of the Neewer flashes
Is it worth spending more on the Z2 over the Z1, or Z2 v2, vs Z2
Can either be used with the R5 and R5 mkII
Is the Z2 v2 worth the extra money
?would all of these options work seamlessly in slave-master setup with the EL-1??
It would be ice to have smaller size full featured flash as as an option, any suggestions
I went with the Z2 Pro because according to the specs, it has better thermal control/cutoff than the Z1 or Z2. My intention is to use these as remotes in a mixed strobe environment that sometimes will require rapid, sustained recycling rates. These are all basically the same as the Godox equivalents and the specs are essentially the same. Between the Z1, Z2 and Z2 Pro, there wasn't much of a price difference either, so I went with the Pro.
I'm not sure what the Z2 II brings to the table different from the Z2 or Z2 Pro... Z1 has the 'old school' LCD display that is the same as the Godox V1. The Z2s have a newer interface look but it's not touch screen, which I actually think is a good thing.
These operate on Neewer's 2.4GHz network and won't be compatible with Canon's RT network, therefore you can't mix the EL-1 and Neewer units on one network. But the Neewer flashes do have a setting to operate as receivers on the Godox network, which is another reason I got them.
These also aren't that small. Somewhat smaller than the EL-1, but not by a significant amount. For smaller, I'd look at something like the Godox V480. I bought one of these around the same time as the Neewer units and it's a pretty decent flash. It's noticeably smaller but still good recycling performance because of the lithium battery pack.
I'm torn on its touchscreen interface. In some respects it simplifies things, but when trying to very quickly change settings in hectic situations, it can't keep up and requires slowing down to be sure the correct changes have been made. And I've accidentally changed settings by unintentional contact with the screen (there is a screen lock option, but has a delay to activate/deactivate, which is understandable, but again slows things down).
If you just want a second flash to work with the EL-1 and the Canon RT network, then get an EL-5 (but it won't work on your R5 because it has the new multifunction interface shoe design). It will cost more than the Chinese options, but will work with your existing EL-1. Just be sure to update the firmware on both to the most recent versions to restore the stability of the radio network that had been unreliable the past few years, until this fw update rolled out recently.
p.1 #3 · Off brand flash for Canon R5 - Neewer option
Thanks for the detailed reply!
I think I’ll hold off a bit to make a decision on the second flash. I didn’t realize that off camera flashes can’t be used as slave/masters with canon flashes. I think if I do decide to pull the trigger, I will probably go the Z2 pro route and as much as I love the flash, I may end up selling my EL-1 and go with a couple of the neewer flashes - will depend on how much I can get for thr EL-1, because apparently Canon has a v2 of that flash now.
I went with the Z2 Pro because according to the specs, it has better thermal control/cutoff than the Z1 or Z2. My intention is to use these as remotes in a mixed strobe environment that sometimes will require rapid, sustained recycling rates. These are all basically the same as the Godox equivalents and the specs are essentially the same. Between the Z1, Z2 and Z2 Pro, there wasn't much of a price difference either, so I went with the Pro.
I'm not sure what the Z2 II brings to the table different from the Z2 or Z2 Pro... Z1 has the 'old school' LCD display that is the same as the Godox V1. The Z2s have a newer interface look but it's not touch screen, which I actually think is a good thing.
These operate on Neewer's 2.4GHz network and won't be compatible with Canon's RT network, therefore you can't mix the EL-1 and Neewer units on one network. But the Neewer flashes do have a setting to operate as receivers on the Godox network, which is another reason I got them.
These also aren't that small. Somewhat smaller than the EL-1, but not by a significant amount. For smaller, I'd look at something like the Godox V480. I bought one of these around the same time as the Neewer units and it's a pretty decent flash. It's noticeably smaller but still good recycling performance because of the lithium battery pack.
I'm torn on its touchscreen interface. In some respects it simplifies things, but when trying to very quickly change settings in hectic situations, it can't keep up and requires slowing down to be sure the correct changes have been made. And I've accidentally changed settings by unintentional contact with the screen (there is a screen lock option, but has a delay to activate/deactivate, which is understandable, but again slows things down).
If you just want a second flash to work with the EL-1 and the Canon RT network, then get an EL-5 (but it won't work on your R5 because it has the new multifunction interface shoe design). It will cost more than the Chinese options, but will work with your existing EL-1. Just be sure to update the firmware on both to the most recent versions to restore the stability of the radio network that had been unreliable the past few years, until this fw update rolled out recently....Show more →
