What type of external flash do you guys recommend for this camera? All of the Olympus brand ones are pretty steep.
1377377
don't use flash if I can help it, I like available light when I can. Olympus lights are a little high.
1377378
I purchased the Olympus FL-600R. Retails for about $300. It is quite powerful and can effectively light a scene from a distance. In addition, because it tilts and swivels, you can bounce the flash off a ceiling or a wall and mitigate the tendency for straight on flashes to over-light a scene. I didn't try other options, but would endorse this one.
1377379
There is a small external flash come with the camera. If you need a powerful one, check out the Olympus website for recommended flash :)
468417
Thanks for the info on the e-520 I was thinking about getting a back up camera and was going to get the 520. I will stay with the 510 since it has given me absolutely beautiful pictures. I have the 14-54 on my camera 80 percent of the time and it is a great combo, along with the fl-36 flash. I will be getting the 11-22 zuiko lens next.
270360
The standard SD card works fine, if you are going to do a lot of video, a card with a higher transfer rate would be better and also make up loading to the computer better.The camera comes wit the standard accessories, battery and charger, strap manual and program cds for the computer software, if you read the product descriptionon the Olympus site or the Amazon site.
101126
It just doesnt seem like any of my pictures are focused well and that includes ones taken on a tripod with IS turned off of course. I keep reading and trying everything to no avail. I may contact Olympus and see if something is wrong with the camera. I entered a question about my problems in a forum and the responses were so cruel that I wont ever go back to that forum. There is a review that says the E520 pics can be soft... does that mean out of focus too?
1718795
I do not use an external flash on my camera -- only the built in flash. One reason for this is that the camera does so well catching the light (one of the main reasons that I bought the camera). I have on occasion increased the ISO settings to help the situation in low light. Another reason that I bought this camera was because I did not want to tote extra lenses and accessories. Carrying around an external flash would run counter to this. I rarely miss have an external flash.
1979129
This review is worth reading. After using the 90EX, the review seems accurate to me. It also recommends some alternative. http://www.kenrockwell.com/canon/flash/90ex.htm
880579
I bought my Olympus to take on vacation.....it works great indoors and out! It's easy to use and takes great pics (with or without flash).
444366
I am using this flash with my Olympus Evolt E-420. It works fine, sometimes too much flash. (That me not knowing what I'm doing.)
210901
No problem. Just pay mind its a harsh flash. If you're planning on using the camera casually its great, but you might eventually want to go the extra mile for a nicer model for the flash itself. Two cents.
1168521
I find it frustrating that the. Sx40 does not take pictures fast enough. I don,t want to use burst mode. After reading that it has 1 sec. Between shots which is a built in feature I m. Thinking of returning it for one that can shoot faster. Any suggestions oncameras that shoot faster and are just as good?
96489
Hey Karen, I'm not really sure what you're asking. The camera has a built in flash, microphone, and lens, and it should ship with a battery, so aside from getting a higher capacity SD memory card and a low-profile case or hand strap, I'm not sure what else there is to do. If you're asking for a new camera that is compact and has all the same built-ins but with a higher performance, I can only tell you which camera I purchased after I grew out of the Canon. I got the Olympus Stylus SH-50 and I absolutely love it and can't imagine going back to the Canon PowerShot (despite having loved that camera for years). I like the Olympus Stylus SH-50 better than the Canon Powershot for the following reasons: It has a larger display. It turns out this is really important since I often shoot multiple versions of the same picture and with the smaller LCD I was never confident enough about which was the best. I just got back from a month vacation and I probably shot 10,000 pictures, but since I could delete pictures on the fly as I sat in a bus or a taxi I ended up with "only" 1,600 really nice pictures from the trip. That's much more manageable since the fact is that I never go back and delete pictures after the fact once they are on my computer. The other thing I like about the Olympus is that it has 24x optical zoom vs. 3x for the Canon. Another thing that I really like are the special effects that the Olympus has. The effects that I use the most are Macro, Landscape, POP (enhances color), Drama. The Canon has a few of these (Macro, Sunset, etc) but not nearly as many. The downside of the Olympus is that it's a little larger. In fact I can no longer slide it into my front pocket like I could with the Canon. But I've purchased a camera-case with a long strap which I throw over my head and one shoulder so that the camera sits on my waist. It hasn't been too cumbersome.
776201
I looked up your camera. I don't think it has a hot shoe mount for an external flash. If it does (is there a "flap" that hides it?), then you can put this on it. Even if it doesn't, this flash has a slave function that lets you fire it off when you fire off your built-in flash. So you could still get really flash results just using this flash in slave mode.
1508370
I am partial to Canon and am excited to see they are introducing a model in the rugged, waterproof class. I previously used the first generation waterproof Olympus Stylus and after it broke moved to the Pentax Optio W series. It has been a good camera as far as durability, but it just doesn't produce photos like our Canon Powershot SD1000. As far as the post question, I can't wait to see some product reviews/comparisons. Based on my previous experience with the Stylus line, I am ruling out the Olympus. Although right now I am leaning towards the Canon based on previous experience with their products and superior photos. However, the Panasonic offering higher video quality in HD format is enticing.
1001019
Thanks NutMac. I just got the Canon XSi so I'm guessing that would control this flash (being very new itself). The one thing I didn't consider before was that the price of this new 430EX II will be at list price for a while, making it a lot more expensive that the current model! That will put it out of my price range, so I guess I'm sticking with the older technology for now! Thanks again,Stew
1699310
I have a Canon T2i and in a boat similar to some of the others in that cost is an issue and so is the fact that I am technically challenged, not understated, and would like something that pretty much takes care of itself when the camera is in auto mode, which is most of the time. Can anyone recommend a flash to consider? Thanks.
1611807
THIS QUESTION IS ANSWERED. THANKS TO ALL. (I ended up buying the Olympus E-M1.)
857516
So far I have not had a problem with the flash. However, most of the photos I have taken have been landscapes with good lighting so the flash hasn't been used all that much. Sorry I haven't anymore info and good luck.