Review on Metz MZ 58311C 58 AF-1C: High-performance Flash for Canon Cameras by Carlos Alston

I bought this flash a couple of weeks ago so I haven't had the chance to test it in every single situation. I bought this flash to replace my Canon 550Ex which sometimes underexposed many of my photos by about 1 stop or more. My first impression of this flash was that it was much smaller, lighter and thinner than my 550EX. I'm a big fan of "lightweight" hardware, but for $359 I was expecting a much more reliable flash. One of the main reasons I bought this flash was the 'Auto' mode which the Canon 580EX lacks. not as easy to fool as ETTL. I also like the secondary reflector which comes in handy in bounce situations but you have to know how to use it. The camera has an additional foldable reflector, which is very thin to say the least. I found the button system a bit awkward, but compared to my 550EX it's significantly faster and more comfortable. Any time you need to switch modes, the first press of one of the large buttons will light up the LCD (very important in low light). , pressing the button a second time allows you to navigate through the system. On my 550EX, I had to press that small, hard-to-reach button with a pen or paperclip to light up the LCD. Incidentally, the auto mode only works if the camera is set to "manual” or "AV” mode. In "P" or "TV" mode, the camera and flash use an F22 aperture and a shutter speed of 1/250 by default. InBasic Picture Style uses the standard camera and flash with a shutter speed of 2.8 and 1/60 second. I had to call Metz because I thought the flash was defective. In ETTL/ETTL II mode the flash works fine, like the 580EX, no problems. The same applies in full manual mode. In terms of exposure, I'd say the 58 AF-1 is more accurate than the 550EX/580EX because I didn't have to keep increasing the flash exposure compensation by 1 or 2 stops. The company boasts of having a USB port that allows you to update the flash over the internet, but for me this is one of the least important features. Another feature is wireless slave/master association with other Canon or Metz flash units. Again not very important for my use case. Some people complain that you can't use this flash with Pocket Wizard, but why would I use very expensive Pocket Wizards with this flash when I can go wireless? Okay, this is what I like about the flash along with the other features mentioned: Auto f/Stops f/1, 1.4, 2, , 2.8, 4, 5.6, 8.11, 16, 22, 32 and 45. Variable power 25 steps of 1/1 up to 1/256! The Cobra design flash head reduces the red-eye effect. The stroboscopic flash function of this flash is also very flexible, if not extraordinary. I also appreciate the (GN) 191 and the smooth running of the device. I plan to use this flash as a camera flash 90% of the time, so I think its features are just what I need for my purposes. Overall I'm very happy with this flash, but I would be a lot happier if the flash was a little more durable. Another thing I should mention is that this flash doesn't show distance in feet or meters at the selected aperture/shutter speed like the Canons do, but the maximum distance the flash will fly. You have to decide for yourself where to place the subject considering the maximum flash distance? I think Metz could do better. Another issue I had was that when the flash was tilted, head towards the ceiling or at an angle, the resistance to gravity seemed a little weak. Unlike my 550EX, I don't think this flash head could stay upright with a Gary Fong baffle. No way! However, if you want to take advantage of the features this professional and "sophisticated" flash has to offer, and plan on using it primarily as a hot shoe rather than a studio flash, I highly recommend it. This is definitely an alternative to the 580EX.