which flash for minolta dynax5?

i want to buy a good flash unit for my dynax5 body,
which do you suggest?

please consider that:
- i found a used 5400hs for 228euro
- a new 3600hs costs 230euro
- a new metz 54 mz3 costs 319+59 for the sca (seems too much for my wallet)
- a new 5600hs costs 430euro (really too much for me)
- i'll consider sigma, soligor, nissin or whatelse if you have good
experience with it and it costs less than a 3600hs

I don't have any flash experience but i suppose:
- i'd need swivel
- i'd need wireless
- i'll need high speed synch


please help
thanks in advance

 

Well, likely the best flash for you camera regardless of price would be the
5600HS. The only thing it brings to the party above the 5400HS though is a
very slightly higher guide number and the ability to do off camera HSS.
Neither of which I've ever found necessary. The 5400HS does on-camera HSS
and works wirelessly just fine. I own a 7, and use 5400HS flashes. Never
felt a need to go for a 5600HS.

Mike

 

i started with a sigma ef500super and recently picked up a 5600hs. i
like them both. overall the 5600hs seems to be a much better made
unit, but i have continued to use the ef500super quite a bit due to
greater zoom-head range (105mm vs 85mm, though it probably doesnt
matter all that much). the ef500super's interface is fairly
inscrutable if you want to tweak flash settings, but it definitely
works w/ the minolta maxxum/dynax series and has the key features you
require:

 

Of the list above, the 5400 is the best deal, assuming it works fine.

Here's a reference point on my well used 5400:

flash zoom: 50mm
Manual, power: 1/1
distance 2.8 meters
ISO 100
flashmeter reading: f/8.0 +0.7

If you can do the same test, away from reflecting surfaces (including
smooth/polished floors, white walls, normal room ambient lighting).
You should get no worse than f/8.0 +0.0

The 3600 is a good flash, but the 5400 is a great flash. Screwing
around with the Metz adaptors and ending up with just a simple TTL flash
is a waste of money.

the 5400 outputs the same amount of flash power as the 5600 (they are
just rated at different 'zoom' points) and the 5400 zooms to 105mm,
where the 5600 stops at 85mm. OTOH the 5600 zooms as wide as 17mm (with
a little flip down difuser).

Both will give you High Speed Sync (HSS)
With the 5600 you get _off camera_ HSS. yawn.

I may have missed something, but if I were you, I'd go for the used
5400. Also the 5400 does not have swivel locks, you just grap and
point. The 5600 requires squeezing the swivel locks...bad move by
Minolta. Both will give you up/down, left right swivel.

Weasel words: you didn't state what you intend to do with the flash.

You'll get over HSS quickly enough... once you realize that it is only
useful in a few limited situations.

Cheers,
Alan

 

In addition to my comments below, the user-interface of the 5400 is much
better than the 5600, IMO.

 

What about that 2500(D) flash that they put on the market recently? Is
that a decent one? I seem to remember that it was below $200US...

 

Depends on your shooting needs, of course. a GN of 25 meters is fine if
you shoot fairly open and use faster film. I'm not sure if the 2500 has
a tilt head, but at this power range you could only use it it with low
ceilings (10' or less) fast film and wider apertures.

ISO 100 / f/5.6 / GN 25 = 4.5 meters (decent)
f/11 = 2.3 meters (not terribly useful)

ISO 400 / f/5.6 / GN 25 = 9 meters (decent)
f/11 = 4.5 meters (decent)

Again ... these are direct flash shots ... no bounce...

Cheers,
Alan.