Any recommendation for such a flash (any brand)? I need it for my FE2 when I go on long-distant field work (my SB-28 is too big for this purpose). The size of the SB-23 seems ideal, but its maximum coverage is only for a 35mm lens. Thanks in advance.

-- Hoyin Lee (leehoyin@hutchcity.com), May 23, 1999

Answers

you might want to try an sb20. They are out of production but readily available on the market. They have a high guide number, recycle very fast, have bounce capability, can be used as a slave, can be used ttl for the fe2, n series etc, and are very relliable. I have 2 of them and have never has a problem. Jerry

-- jerry Mendelsberg (jjfla@aol.com), May 24, 1999.

Thanks, Jerry, I'll check out the SB-20 in shops in the next couple of days. I'll also check out a friend's recommendation, the SB-16B, which is slightly more compact than the SB-20 (I'm really looking for a flash unit that I can tuck away in a pocket), and comes with a wide-angle adaptor that gives 24mm flash coverage. Thanks again!

-- Hoyin Lee (leehoyin@hutchcity.com), May 24, 1999.

Have a look at the new flash from Metz: 34 AF3 - TTL, very compact, excellent built quality, goes down to 24mm wide. Metz is a serious challenger when it comes to flashlights. Ivan.

-- Ivan Verschoote (ivan.verschoote@rug.ac.be), May 25, 1999.

BTW, you can find a small decription here: http://www.metz.de/mecablitz/eng/produkte/Welcome.html This flash costs in Germany 279 DM (= aprox. 150 US$).

-- Ivan Verschoote (ivan.verschoote@rug.ac.be), May 25, 1999.

I have used the Metz 34-AF.

It's very nice and compact. Pretty powerful too. Though I had some questions regrading the Wide adaptor- I've had mixed info- if it's a 24 or a 28mm coverage. The 2 rolls of film I had taken with the Metz I used without the Wide or the Tele adaptors and with a 28-85 lens. The flash pictures showed good exposure though a very slight vignetting at the tele end of the lens without the tele adaptor.

I'd recommend this flash if you are looking for a small compact unit. Very capable!

-- (picshooter@juno.com), May 25, 1999.

According to Nikon's specs, the SB-20 can cover a 28 mm lens at it's widest setting. You could probably diffuse it to go wider, but there is no "official" Nikon accessory to do so.

It could, most likely, cover 24 mm if you bounced it indoors off a normal (8 ft.) ceiling.

-- Geoffrey S. Kane (grendel@pgh.nauticom.net), May 25, 1999.

Geoffrey is right--the sb20 only is supposed to cover 28 mm. But--when I use mine as fill flash or with any kind of decent available light, they seem to cover 24 mm ok. I have seen but not used the Metz, which does seem to be a nice pocketable unit. Let us know how you make out. Jerry

-- jerry mendelsberg (jjfla@aol.com), May 25, 1999.

Hoyin: I have both the SB-20 and SB-16, and the SB-20 is much more compact than the SB-16. I don't know how you concluded otherwise. Check out the SB-20. I use it regularly for fill flash with a 20mm Nikkor, and as long as you properly balance the flash with ambient light, the 28mm coverage is not a problem.

-- Bruce (brideout@sandiegozoo.org), May 25, 1999.

oops...

what i had meant to say was vignetting at the wide end of the lens without the wide adaptor attached.

-- picshooter (picshooter@juno.com), May 25, 1999.

Hi guys, just got back from the camera shops. I bought the Metz 34 AF3 (for about US$120--I'm in Hong Kong) recommended by Ivan and Picshooter. It's exactly what I had in mind: a compact TTL flash with 24mm coverage, and it's only slightly bigger than a packet of cigarettes! It sits very nicely on top of my FE2, unlike my bulky SB-28 which tends to flip a light camera as the FE2 upside-down when slung over the neck. The SB-20 is a nice flash, but its coverage is only 28mm and its size isn't quite what I had in mind. Besides, the model has been discontinued and the condition of the used examples shown to me didn't look too good. Anyway, many many thanks to each and everyone for your suggestions; they were a big help to me!!

-- Hoyin Lee (leehoyin@hutchcity.com), May 27, 1999.