Review on Canon 6825B002 Speedlite 90EX Flash by Michael Zambrano

I bought a Canon 90EX for a reason to wirelessly fire Canon 430EX II external flashes. When I ordered this little guy, there weren't any reviews specific to the 90EX's main features or compatibility with the new Canon 6D, so I decided to contribute to the group. I hope you find this review helpful. Feel free to ask any questions in the comments section. Let us begin! What's good about the Canon 90EX? The answer is YES! The 90EX flash is a great alternative to anything else that can trigger wireless flashes. Here's a quick rundown of what's good and what's not. ADVANTAGES: * Wireless slave groups - You can use groups A:B and A:BC. You can have multiple flashes in each group, creating endless lighting options.* Manual Adjustment - Flash settings can be adjusted manually from the camera. 1/1 to 1/128 on the 430EX II.* E-TTL II - Works great. In addition, the E-TTL ratios are very convenient for a quick setup. From 8:1 to 1:1 and up to 1:8 in half steps.* HSS - High-speed sync works up to 1/4000 (this is the maximum shutter speed in 6D). HSS can be set on the camera when shooting in master mode with flash units that support HSS shooting. When shooting with just the 90EX and no external flashes, the HSS feature is not available. You can only record up to the maximum sync speed (1/180 for 6D).* Curtains - Both 1st and 2nd curtains work. However, 2nd curtain is not available in wireless mode. * Ease of use - The device has a button, battery compartment, LED indicator and hot shoe lock. That's all. All controls are launched from the camera menu.* Small - very compact! This is a good travel flash for those using DSLRs that don't have this feature, like the 6D or any of the 5Ds. * Wake up! - When your flashes go into sleep mode, simply press the trigger halfway and the 90EX will send a signal to wake them up.* Protected Signal - Can be triggered on one of four channels. This allows you to shoot with other photographers without fear of them firing your flash.* In wireless shooting mode, the 90EX will not fire in full flash mode. It only works to send a signal. CONS: * Plastic leg - wish it was metal. *Wireless Range - Specifications state flashes can be mounted off-camera up to 16ft indoors and 23ft outdoors. (Page 16 in the manual) It's not nearly as good as my PocketWizards, but I knew that before I bought it. This is infrared technology, not radio frequency. However, I'm not Joe McNally so this suits my needs. * Battery Life - Expect 100 flashes at full power, 400 flashes at quarter power, or 800 flashes at eighth power, etc. When used as a wireless master, it lasts a hell of a long time. much longer since the full flash is not fired. You can also disable the 90EX by setting it to manual. It's still blinking but not showing in the picture.* Recharge time is 0.1 to 5.5 seconds depending on the power setting. Don't worry about the cooldown if you only use it as a master. TIPS: * Save the planet - get a rechargeable AAA Eneloop battery. IMHO these batteries are the best.* Sensor. Make sure the external flash's IR sensor is pointing towards the camera. Note that IR radiation can also reflect off walls.* Line of sight. Make sure there are no obstacles between the camera and the flash. This disturbs the signal. I use my flashes in umbrellas (umbrella softboxes). The signal is transmitted through the material of the screen without any problems.* Energy saving - There is an auto-off function to save battery power, which will definitely switch off your 90EX. Pressing the trigger will not wake the 90EX if it is off. This function can be deactivated in the camera's flash menu in the custom settings. I recommend disabling this feature and saving yourself some frustration with the client. :) WHY I BOUGHT IT: I recently upgraded my Canon 7D and 50D to the Canon 6D kit and to my surprise my trusty PocketWizards (FlexTT5, MiniTT1 and AC3 Zone Controller) became unusable. A firmware update that would fix this has been parked on the horizon for months. I was looking for a solution and decided to give this cute little 90EX a shot. No regret! It meets my needs and performs much better than expected. Thank you for taking the time to read this short review. I hope this helps you decide. If you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comment section below. For your health!