It is worth it?

[MavRax]

Hi guys,

Ever since I bought my EP2 in January of this year... still learning to tricks of the trade from other fellow photographers, I was wondering whether or not it's worth investing Flash for my beautiful PEN.

I realized that in most cases, whether it's indoor or outdoor night photography, I never actually thought of using flash, but of course I'm curious to know if having one would be beneficial. I already bought myself a 20mm f1.7 this past weekend and I LOVE it! I figured that if there exist a time and place that I do NEED to use flash, I might use my regular point and shoot camera, but that just means I need to carry another camera on the side. Let me know what you think. Thanks in advance!

-Chi

 

[Kapekodder]

You've laid out the hypothetical "what if" here. You do have to consider why, in the first place, you got the wonderful Pen. Your subject matter is what will determine your answer. In my instance, I've got the FL-20 and 2 FL-50Rs for my experiment/practice in flash photography(purchased previously for my DSLRs). I determined that the built-in flashes were not giving me results, indoors and outdoors that were reliable. To be certain, I acknowledge, these flashes are barely used, but my kit is ready and I do practice set-ups to learn techniques.

My initial drive was fueled by some real poor outdoor shots w/ my E-410 and built-in last summer when I shot some dog pics in shadow and bright sun. Flash photography is a different beast for me. I see creative opportunity but I also note a meaningful learning curve. That curve begins with knowing what you want to capture with your camera, be it the E-P2 or my E-3.

Size is one of the main attractions of the m4/3 format. When you consider the flash topic with the E-P1 or 2, you compromise that base. The next compromise is "size matters". The power limits of an FL-14 or FL-20, creates another compromise. So, what is it that you are trying to accomplish with your photography? Is it portability? Is it IQ?

Our EPL-1 was purchased partially for it's ability to work with the FL-50R RC flashes, anticipating my further interest in strobist techniques. I can possibly see the combination of my 20 on an e-P2 working with the 50's (as slave flashes). Good luck absorbing my 2 cents.

 

[Streetshooter]

Sometimes I like flash but not in the normal way.
I like to drag the shutter in good to bright light. The flash adds the sharpness to the subject.

Example.... Exposure calls for 1/125 @ f5.6.
I'll use the flash and shoot at 1/15 @ f5.6
The background blurs and is over exposed. The subject is sharp and exposed close to right on.
I'll adjust the exposure slider in LR to get the background where I want it......

I don't do it much but sometimes. I just bought BB's little flash.
Normally, the Pen does well without flash but it's nice to have for creative uses.

 

[MavRax]

@Kapekodder, my main reasons that I chose this PEN are portability, sophistication (feature-wise), flexibility, and quality. And the outcomes met my expectation and a bit more. I see your point about the functionalities and compromises in terms of size. I now decided not to get a flash for this PEN simply because it adds extra weight and compactness. Since flash seems to be a whole new level and I'm still a beginner, I need to learn how to walk before I can run.

@Streetshooter, creativity is still in the works for me. I have lots to learn, hence, this forum is my primary spot. I understand your examples and I'll hold off on the flash for now.