Speedlite 90EX Flash

I purchased the Canon 90EX for one reason, to wirelessly trigger my off-camera Canon 430EX II flashes. At the time of ordering this little guy, there weren't any reviews specifically concerning the 90EX's master functions or compatibility with the new Canon 6D, so I though I would contribute to the group. Hopefully you find this review helpful. Feel free to ask any questions in the comments section.Let's get started!Is the Canon 90EX any good? The answer is, "YES!!!!" The 90EX is an awesome alternative to everything else out there that will wirelessly trigger your flashes. Here is quick glimpse at what's good and not-so-good...PROS:* Wireless Slave Groups - You can fire with A:B and A:B C groupings. You can have multiple flashes in each group creating an infinite number of lighting varieties.* Manual Adjust - flash settings can be manually adjusted from on-camera. From 1/1 all the way down to 1/128 on the 430EX II's.* E-TTL II - Works' perfectly. Also, E-TTL ratios are very handy for quick setups. From 8:1 to 1:1 to 1:8 in half stop increments.* HSS - High Speed Sync works up to 1/4000 (that's the highest shutter setting on the 6D). HSS can be set from in camera when shooting in master mode with flashes that are capable of shooting in HSS. When shooting with just the 90EX and no external flashes, HSS is not available. You'll only be able to shoot up to you max sync speed (1/180 on the 6D).* Curtains - both 1st and 2nd curtain work. 2nd curtain is not an option in wireless mode though.* Easy to Use - The unit has one button, a battery door, an LED light, and a hotshoe lock....that's it. All controls are run from in the camera menu.* Small - Very compact! This would make a good travel flash for those using DSLR's that lack that feature, like the 6D or any of the 5D's.* Wake Up! - If your flashes fall asleep into powersave mode, just half press the shutter and the 90EX will send a signal to wake them up.* Secure Signal - this can fire on one of four channels. This way you can shoot with other photographers around and not have to worry about them firing your speedlites.* During wireless shooting mode, the 90EX will not fire as a full flash. It only fires to send the signal.CONS:* Plastic Foot - wish it was metal.* Wireless Range - The specs say to set your off camera flashes at a maximum of 16 ft indoors and 23 ft outdoors. (Page 16 in the manual) It's not nearly as good as my PocketWizards were, but I knew this before buying. It's infrared technology, not radio frequency. However, I'm not Joe McNally, so it meets my needs.* Battery Life - expect 100 full power flashes or 400 quarter power flashes or 800 at one eighth power or etc... When using as a wireless master, it will last a heck of lot longer because it is not firing a full flash. You can also turn off the 90EX flash by setting it to Manual. It still flashes, but will not show up in the image.* Recycle Time - 0.1-5.5 seconds depending on your power setting. Don't worry about recycle time if you are just using it as a master.TIPS:* Save the planet - pick up a set of rechargeable AAA Eneloop batteries. IMHO, these batteries are the best.* Sensor - Make sure your external flash's IR sensor is facing the camera. Keep in mind that IR can bounce off walls too.* Line of Sight - Make sure there are no obstacles in between the camera and your flash. This will create signal interference. I use my flashes inside of brollies (umbrella softboxes). The signal has no problem communicating through the umbrella material.* Powersave - There is a battery saving "auto off" feature that is bound to turn your 90EX OFF unexpectedly. Pressing the shutter does not wake-up the 90EX when it is OFF. This feature can be disabled in the camera's flash menu under custom functions. I recommend you disable this feature and save yourself that moment of frustration in front of a client. :)WHY I BOUGHT THIS:I recently upgraded my Canon 7D and 50D to a set of Canon 6D's and to my surprise, my trusty PocketWizards (FlexTT5's, MiniTT1 and AC3 Zone Controller) became unusable. The firmware upgrade that would fix this has been parked on the horizon for months. I was looking for a solution, and thought I'd give this cute little 90EX a shot. No regrets! It meets my needs and does a lot more than expected.Thanks for taking the time to read this quick review. I hope it helps you make your decision. Should you have any questions, please feel free to ask them in the comments section below. Cheers!

I did not check to see what kind of batteries it used beforehand. I'm glad it uses standard AAA, which is great when on the road. I needed it for my 6d when we go to EU.It's even smaller than I thought. It came with a soft case too. That was a nice surprise.Just tested it with my 6d. Works great. I already have 3 full size Canon speedlites, but did not want to haul them around. I just needed something very simple that once mounted, I can hand the camera to a stranger to take a photo of my wife and I while in a dark cafe.I am totally thrilled with this unit. Perfect for our need.

This is a small flash... It works perfect for what I bought it for, which is to give me a tiny bit of fill light when I am shooting with my Canon 6D mkii. I have larger Canon 430ex that I use when I need a lot more controllable light. This little guy doesn't put out much more light than the built in flash of most cameras but since the 6D doesn't have a built in flash the 90EX is perfect as a small "fits in your pocket" flash. The Canon EOS cameras all control this flash, which is a good thing, because it has no manual settings except for the on-off switch! I recommend this genuine Canon flash highly, as long as you know what it is you are getting... a small, portable and uncomplicated flash!

This is nifty new Speedlite for Canon. It's made as the flash for the new EOS M, but you can easily use for other Canon DSLRs. What I like most about the 90EX is that it triggers all other Canon Speedlites. In effect, it can replace the ST-E2, which is almost the same price with no flash function.The illumination is good enough for most non-pro circumstances, but don't expect to light up a 10-person crowd with this. Still terribly overpriced and if you are spending over $100 for your trigger, you might be versed enough to check PocketWizards and other trigger-receiver sets as well. Still, I like the size, built and sleekness of it.

Using off camera speed lights, for studio work, with Canon M50. The little 90EX is a perfect trigger for Canons 580EX and other Canon light triggered flashes. It enables you to adjust up to 3 slave groups, ether in TTL mode whit ratios, or setting manual flash outputs, all from the cameras flash menu. This real small flash trigger, works perfectly and its light weight is much appreciated when using the smaller M-series cameras.

I've been wanting the smallest and lightest E TTL flash possible for macro photos with my SL1 and M5. I found a good deal on a never fired demo one and got it. It works perfectly for macro with my M5 with either the EF-S 60mm macro or the EF-M 18-150mm lens. It sets up high enough and forward enough so that even the 60mm macro at closest focus doesn't block the light. An add on diffuser cuts down on harshness. The range isn't great enough for more general use, but it is perfect for macro on any EOS camera.

Pros: easy to attach to camera, small, comes with a diffuser. auto off battery saver.use of remote flashCons: I got this for my Canon 6D which doesn't com with a flash. It doesn't control the amount of flash on auto focus very well and will wash out the subject.I bought this lite used from amazon and it came with a diffuser which works well but will not stay on, it easily falls off, so snaps. It amazes me how Canon couldn't come up with something better.

Excellent for small-medium camera; I use it with my Canon EOS M3 and Canon PowerShot G5X. Avoids top-heavy effect of using full-size flash with small camera. Less power/range, but that's in direct relationship to the number of batteries and size of the capacitor (which is why more powerful flashes have to be so much larger & heaver).