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Olympus FL-50 Electronic Flash for Olympus Digital SLR Cameras | 
| Brand: Olympus
List Price: $549.99
Buy New: $389.00
You Save: $160.99 (29%)
New (3) Used (1) from $325.00
Rating:  22 reviews
Media: Electronics
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.5
Dimensions (in): 9 x 9 x 9
MPN: FL50
Model: FL50
UPC: 050332143340
EAN: 0050332143340
ASIN: B0000E68U2
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | Electronic Flash for Olympus E1 Digital SLR Camera | | • | Full range of TTL Automatic, Automatic and Manual flash modes | | • | Flash sync at speeds up to 1/4000th second | | • | More even illumination with less corner fall-off |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Olympus FL- 50 is a new high-powered flash developed specifically for digital SLR cameras. It features GN28 at 12 mm focal length (equivalent to 24 mm on a 35mm film camera), and GN50 at 42 mm focal length (equivalent to 85 mm on a 35mm film camera). Automatically adjust the flash coverage to the lens when zooming, or set it manually. A wide range of features is also available, including redeye reduction, slow synchro, and second-curtain synchro. GN is equivalent to ISO-100.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 17 more reviews...
Expensive... but worth it! May 5, 2006
R. A Gibson (San Antonio, TX USA)
79 out of 81 found this review helpful
I know, I know... you're looking at this Olympus flash and thinking "Oh ____ (substitute your particular phrase here)... I can't afford that, why would Olympus do me like that... I just shelled out good money on my E-500 or E-330 and I don't want to pay that much for a freakin' flash unit". We've all been there. So you start looking at the FL-36 (I own one too and like it) and you start rationalizing that well, maybe you don't need the biggest/"bestest" flash on the planet... Maybe you've even taken a glance at the FL-20 (got that one as well, not bad for portability)... well, just stop already. Start saving your change from the store and save and BUY THIS ONE... why? Because it is everything a flash unit should be. Big. Bright (guide # is 164 feet people!). Full control. and best of all, it recycles fast, fast, fast. I just couldn't believe how quickly I could hit that shutter button a 2nd, 3rd, 4th, & 5th time (careful not to go too far... all flash units can be damaged if you overtax them). It was awesome... practically no waiting as I do with my FL-36 (my only real complaint about that unit, otherwise it is excellent). Lastly, I suggest you purchase an Omni Bounce cap to fit over (Sto-Fen makes a large line of them). Once you have, you will have rendered the darkness impotent against you and your mighty Olympus FL-50... after all, you and I are after the same thing, right? GREAT PICTURES. The FL-50 helps get you there. No doubt it is one expensive flash unit... but worth it in the end.
FL-50 is part of a system, not just another spedlite November 11, 2006
HMMWV (santa clara, CA USA)
52 out of 54 found this review helpful
If you have read this far on the FL-50 you should also read my review on the FP-1 (search for olympus fp-1) - it is a side grip designed to go with the fl-50 and speed up it's cycle time.
By now you know the FL-50 is the flagship flash from Olympus - but there's more you should know about this particular flash.
First - there are 4 exra pins in a row under a rubber cover. 2 of them bring in 6V regulated (as in 6.000 volts) and the other two, well upwards of 300 volts for charging the main cap come in on those pins using a special signalling system spoken by the HV-1 (I believe) High Voltage adapter (more later)
Second - The FL-50 is also the basis for the twin flash and ring flash controller. A few things get changed - the red lens is blacked out because the other flashes (at least the ring flash) have modeling lights so you can focus and see where the flash "star" or "blast" will end up in your photo (or even get it out of your photo!)
That is NOT to say that you can unhook your flashtube from your FL-50 and make a ring flash controller - its simply that the plastic and controls and LCD will be very familiar to you if you get a macro flash later in life (None of the "up top" flashes work well when your subject is inches from the lens filter)
More on the HV-1. Hidden deep inside the FL-50's "brain" is a remarkable ability to parallel process with the OLY HV-1 supply. What makes the HV-1 soo good? Well, first off, it's got a 2700 mAh battery pack. -- you say, well - I can put 2700 mAh nimh cells in the FL-50 -- I fully encourage you do do that as well. The FL-50 holds 4 2700 mah cells. The HV-1 starts off with 6, giving it a 50% voltage boost, plus the current boost on top of that. In other words, the HV-1's battery supply is really heavy duty compared to what you can do with 4 AA nimh cels.
Now here's the best part!
FL-50 w/ 4 2700 NIMH AA cells - full recharge - about 6 or 7 seconds
FL-50 w/ HV-1 and EMPTY battery compartment on the FL-50, same conditions - 1 sec.
FL-50 w/ HV-1 and those 2700 mah NIMH batts inside it - < 1 sec recharge
In other words, the FL-50 will use BOTH its internal inverter and the HV-1 as a pair to recharge as fast as possible. (oh yea - and we know with such a huge capacitor as the FL-50 that we're not going to empty it every time, so its more likely the recharge times are fractions of a second.)
And now we put all the above together. Our best 2700 mah AA cells - the HV-1 adapter (which also works on the ring flash and twin flash and modeling lights) - we set the "MODE" switch on our Evolt cameras to sports mode, turn the flash on - guess what happens!
If you are just using the flash for fill - it can keep up with the sports shooting rate! I used a sandisk 4GB E-III 133x card, a compressed picture, and pow-pow-pow-pow-pow it kept firing as long as I held down the shutter. At ISO 100. Inside. Natural light.
So to sum it up - if you are content to wait for the flash to cycle, or shoot those shaky 1 second exposure pictures, forget the FL-50 and HV-1 system. Just get a FL-36 and you'll save alot of $. But - IF - and only if - you think you are headed for a flash __SYSTEM__ then start it with the FL-50. You can by the HV-1 later (I did) - and then when you get some good lenses and you want a ring flash for up close and even modeling work, all your flash parts will work together! You will own not just a speedlight but a portable studio strobe - with TTL metering - and you'll never go anywhere without the HV-1 / FL-50 combination. With 10 cells charging your battery instead of 4 you flash takes on a new personality.
Amazing quality for amazing images... June 16, 2006
Jason E. Johnson (Kansas City, MO)
18 out of 18 found this review helpful
I own the Oly C8080 WZ and was deciding on what flash to use for an upcoming wedding. I was going to purchase the FL-36 and now that I sprung for the FL-50, I'm glad I paid the little bit extra for it! It is a great piece of equipment. Photography is mostly about learning to control the light in order to get what you want. And with the bounce, swivel and power contained in this flash, you will be capable of some really great shots.
One of the first things I noticed besides how great my indoor shots were coming out, was the FAST recycle time. Even when I have a string of action shots to put together the flash keeps up. And some good 2300 - 2500 mAh rechargable AA batteries will keep you flashing for nearly 300 images without a misfire.
The only thing I don't like is that the flash's focus light is not enabled with the C8080 (only on the E-class systems). But that does not shorten its usefulness. Big rooms, outdoor fill flash, low or high ceilings... it doesn't matter it still performs like a champ.
Get this for your Panasonic Lumix FZ50 camera! January 21, 2007
Jerry Saperstein (Evanston, IL USA)
17 out of 18 found this review helpful
Panasonic sells this same unit under their brand for substantially more money. If you dig real deep on the Panasonic site under "compatibility," you'll learn that Panasonic and Olympus teamed up on Panasonic's new high end camera.
The collaboration, it appears, has been going on for some time: this unit is the same as the Panasonic DML-FL500 and works perfectly with the Lumix FZ-50. So if the price of the Panasonic unit has held you back, get this one.
It is worth it.
Today I shot pictures of the grandkids at a children's museum. I had excellent flash lighting in TTL AUTO mode from about 25 feet away. Shots of people within five feet or so of the lens are over-exposed, so just dial in -0.7 stop correction on the FL-50 and everything is fine. You can go plus or minus 3 full stops on the flash itself.
You can set the flash mode (i.e., auto flash with redeye pre-flash) from the FZ-50.
Overall, this is a superb smart flash that is fully compatible with the Lumix FZS-50 at a substantially lower price. You will not regret this purchase if you're serious about your photography. The head rotates practially 360 degrees, swivels almost 240, is powerful and has a built-in diffuser for super-wide angle lenses. It uses AA batteries.
Full manual control when you want it.
A very sweet package.
Jerry
Olympus FL-50 Electronic Flash July 7, 2006
John M. Fahrnkopf (Encinitas, CA)
12 out of 13 found this review helpful
I've been using the FL-50 on my Olympus Evolt E-300 for about one month, and I'm very satisfied. The battery life and recycle time have been very good. I took a number of photos in the Auto mode; TTL Auto, Auto, and FP Auto. The FP mode worked quite well for outdoor fill-in flash and using higher ISO for action flash. TTL Auto showed excellent exposure on all indoor and night photos.
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