Flash for my 20D

[scottrussell]

Hi, i have a canon 20d and i'm stuck deciding between two flashes for my camera. Now i can buy the 550EX for about 300 dollars, or go to www.keh.com and get a used 540EZ for about 60 dollars. They both have the same guide number, and have manual flash power settings, so i'm wondering what the big difference is between the two flashes (besides that the 550 is the new model and the 540 is the old model) is the 540EZ too old to work with a DLSR...it says the flash will work "with any eos camera". I mainly shoot skateboarding and band photography and i don't use a lot of calculating with it..i just fiddle with my exposure and shutter speed until i get the desired effect. so really i just want a flash that'll have variable power that's compatible with my 20D. I also will eventually be using slave flashes. My current flash now is the 420EX and i know with the 550EX i can mount the 550EX onto my shoe mount and the 420EX will work wirelessly with it. I don't know if this goes for the 540EZ...because i can't find any info about the flash online. if anyone can help me out i'd really appreciate it.

[Peter_AUS]

The EZ range of flashes won't work with the 20D, I think you are better off getting the 580EX instead of the 550EX as the 580 is designed to work more efficiently with the 20D, uses less power flash wise, quicker recycle time on the 580 between shots over the 550, batteries in the 580 last longer, etc etc etc. Really, you have the fairly newest Canon camera (EOS 5D is newest) so use the flash that is more compatible with the camera, otherwise you are comprimising.

[scottrussell]

So the 540 in no way will work with the 20D?

[Peter_AUS]

From what I have read, no the 540EZ will not work on the 20D. You can use a Metz flash and a Sunpak 5000AF flash as well on the 20D. But I have read that it isn't recommended to use an EZ flash on new Canon cameras produced in the past 2 - 3 years.

[Lionheart]

From what I have read, no the 540EZ will not work on the 20D. You can use a Metz flash and a Sunpak 5000AF flash as well on the 20D. But I have read that it isn't recommended to use an EZ flash on new Canon cameras produced in the past 2 - 3 years.

As far as I know, none of the EZ flashes will work on Canon's DSLR's, going all the way back to the D30.