Why are flash guns so expensive?
- Thread starter Ub3rTiger
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Ahh okay, I didn't realise they varied/read light levels. I just thought they..well...flashed, lol.
Thanks for your completely unhelpful post, it's a genuine question, douchebag. I have no idea what's inside of one and I've never used one!
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Marc
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An unhelpful post indeed, and by no means your first. Take some time off to consider how and if you wish to contribute in the future.
mmmm...coffee...
Not really what was asked for though, was it...lol
To the OP:
if you even glance at the latest specs of units from Nikon and Canon, you'll realise that far from 'just flashing' - as cheaper 3rd party units still do - the newer stuff is capable of lighting quite complicated subjects with a degree of control that was undreamt of even ten years ago.
Using up to 20 seperate units all with varying amounts of output and all controlled seamlessly by the camera, takes a bit of wizardry and that capability costs.
I'm a mean, stingy [PLEASE DON'T TRY TO BYPASS THE SWEAR FILTER], but still thought nothing of dropping £300 per unit on half a dozen flash-units that I seldom use if truth be told...
For the rare times they do come out of the bag, I need to know that the only limiting factor is my own abilities or lack thereof...
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I think the Canon and Nikon offerings are quite good for the money, like the sb600 and 430 exII. With all the ETTL and wireless flash options on them I think for the price it's not too bad.
I looked at the Pentax ones not long ago, the ones that allow you to twist the head 180 are expensive!
Pentax equivelent to the sb600-430 exII doesn't seem to allow the head being twisted, only up and down I think, for more money.
Sony's mid-range flash seems reasonable, like £209.00 on Warehouse Express so priced between the Nikon and Canon equivelents.
I looked at the Pentax ones not long ago, the ones that allow you to twist the head 180 are expensive!
Pentax equivelent to the sb600-430 exII doesn't seem to allow the head being twisted, only up and down I think, for more money.Sony's mid-range flash seems reasonable, like £209.00 on Warehouse Express so priced between the Nikon and Canon equivelents.
I always try to read your posts Arkady, and this one has really brought to my attention the intricacies of a costly flashgun. Whilst I didn't think of them as just flashing, I truly didn't realise just how 'clever' they are. As I am currently in the market for one, I will look at them 'in a different light' from here on in. Thank you.
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FWIW I think the camera branded guns are very expensive. Sure they are full of amazing cleverness, but a Canon 580EXII for £300 does pretty much the same as the pop-up that's built in to the 7D and 60D more or less for free, master control functions an' all. Yes, loads more power and swivelling everywhere, but you can get that for £50.
I think there's quite a lot of charging what they can get away with. And I've got four of them!
I think there's quite a lot of charging what they can get away with. And I've got four of them!
Wow Richard, that's some statement you've made here. Perhaps on reflection I oughta sit down wiv me manual and see precisely what my 'built-in' will do before I go spending my pension. I think you may have jolted me into a bit more research. Thank you.
FWIW I think the camera branded guns are very expensive. Sure they are full of amazing cleverness, but a Canon 580EXII for £300 does pretty much the same as the pop-up that's built in to the 7D and 60D more or less for free, master control functions an' all. Yes, loads more power and swivelling everywhere, but you can get that for £50.
I think there's quite a lot of charging what they can get away with. And I've got four of them!
W
whiteflyer
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FWIW I think the camera branded guns are very expensive. Sure they are full of amazing cleverness, but a Canon 580EXII for £300 does pretty much the same as the pop-up that's built in to the 7D and 60D more or less for free, master control functions an' all. Yes, loads more power and swivelling everywhere, but you can get that for £50.
I think there's quite a lot of charging what they can get away with. And I've got four of them!
Power and Swivelling are a huge plus for flash users.
The 580 II is the only flash were the AF Assist Beam covers all focus points in EOS cameras up to the 45 AF points on a 1D
I don't think a 7D pop-up can do strobotic flash, with the user being able to adjust the number and speed of the strobe flashing.
Nor can you add a power pack to a 7D to increase the number of flashes and reduce the recycling time.
I doubt for the £50 flash you'll get full e-TTL nor the power adjustablity of a 580
These are very sophisticated bit of equipment, but if you need or would use all the features provided is a personal choice.
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Yeah totally agree, yeah flash guns these days are clever bits of kit but the prices seem to have gone through the roof.
I managed to get myself a flash (Nissin) that would be considered budget or even cheap but it was still over £100
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Well yes, that's all true. Which is why I've spent over a grand on four top end Canon guns.
If you want power, control, all the E-TTL sophistication, master functions, and the comfort of the non-reverse-engineered Canon brand (reliability, future-proofing) then that's what you have to pay.
But looking at what you actually get - the features of the 7D's pop up combined with the power and physical adjustablity of a Yongnuo - well, that looks more like half the Canon/Nikon asking price to me.
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I didn't say that results from the pop-up flash were the same as a separate gun. Not at all. It's just that the technology is the same, so that can't be the reason for the much higher cost.
Please re-read my post above.
woof woof
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Maybe another reason is that the economy of scale is missing. I'm sure that a lot of flash guns are sold but I'm also pretty sure that the numbers are peanuts compared to some other probably even more high tec and complex things, like PC's, mobile phones etc. I'm pretty sure that if the numbers sold and the competition was that of other more mainstream electronic goods the price would fall.
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As much as they cost, a good flashgun should last a good while I think. I have a 550 EX that's older than my old 1Ds and it's still going good.
Anything that is a precision instrument seems to cost an arm and a leg.
Anything that is a precision instrument seems to cost an arm and a leg.
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Surely it wont cost the big boys that much?
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Probably not, but by the time they have added their profit to the price you effectively are going to pay this much.
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If you think flashguns are expensive, look at some other hobbies and they'll look quite cheap. 
My other hobby is fly fishing, often fly rods from the big brands can cost upwards of £500 for a 9ft stick of carbon, some metal rings, a wood or metal insert reel seat and a cork handle. In reality, they cost about £50-75 to produce and ship from the far east. Compare that to between £200-300 for a flashgun that is seemingly more 'high-tech'.
Doesn't look so expensive now does it?
My other hobby is fly fishing, often fly rods from the big brands can cost upwards of £500 for a 9ft stick of carbon, some metal rings, a wood or metal insert reel seat and a cork handle. In reality, they cost about £50-75 to produce and ship from the far east. Compare that to between £200-300 for a flashgun that is seemingly more 'high-tech'.
Doesn't look so expensive now does it?
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An alternative question might be; how do the third party manufacturers make such cheap flash guns :shrug:!? The answer would seem to be, by copying the technology developed by the 'big boys' 
and using cheaper parts and labour.
You can get a fairly sophisticated unit for about 50-60GBP. OK, it won't be remote iTTL/eTTL compatible, but you still have the majority of useful features of the original manufacturers units built in.
Buying these cheaper ones starts to make even more sense once you get to the stage of using two or more - for the price of one single Nikon SB-900 (for example) you can get four full size flashes and a set of radio transmitters/receivers to control them all (reliably) with.
So, flashes don't have to be expensive, unless (like me) you end up buying the original equipment and helping to fund the R&D costs of the camera manufacturer, in the process
.
and using cheaper parts and labour.You can get a fairly sophisticated unit for about 50-60GBP. OK, it won't be remote iTTL/eTTL compatible, but you still have the majority of useful features of the original manufacturers units built in.
Buying these cheaper ones starts to make even more sense once you get to the stage of using two or more - for the price of one single Nikon SB-900 (for example) you can get four full size flashes and a set of radio transmitters/receivers to control them all (reliably) with.
So, flashes don't have to be expensive, unless (like me) you end up buying the original equipment and helping to fund the R&D costs of the camera manufacturer, in the process
.
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If you think flashguns are expensive, look at some other hobbies and they'll look quite cheap.
My other hobby is fly fishing, often fly rods from the big brands can cost upwards of £500 for a 9ft stick of carbon, some metal rings, a wood or metal insert reel seat and a cork handle. In reality, they cost about £50-75 to produce and ship from the far east. Compare that to between £200-300 for a flashgun that is seemingly more 'high-tech'.
Doesn't look so expensive now does it?
Right I am out to my shed tonight and knocking up a few rods for ebay :bonk:
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