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Reviews
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Views
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Date of last review
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1
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2004
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Thu October 19, 2006
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Recommended By
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Average Price
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Average Rating
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100% of reviewers
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£289.00
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9.0
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Description:
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Close-up flash unit for use with the MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1-5X, EF 50mm f/2.5, EF 100mm f/2.8 and EF 180 mm f/3.5L Macro lenses. It offers a wide range of features with selected settings shown on a large, easy-to-read LCD panel.
The MR-14EX features E-TTL flash technology. When used with Speedlite 550EX and 420EX units, wireless control of up to three slave groups is possible. Maximum guide number is 13 (m/ISO 100).
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Keywords:
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Canon Macrolite MR-14EX flashgun
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Author
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Rob Barron
Loves the place
Registered: September 2006
Location: Poole, Dorset
Posts: 5615
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Review Date: Thu October 19, 2006
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: £289.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Excellent performance, very controllable
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Cons:
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Price
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Ok, so here's the story:
I bought a Canon 100mm F2.8 macro USM as I love macro photography and wanted a dedicated lens for the purpose. I set off to Longleat to try out my new kit in the butterfly house. My friend was with me and was getting some great shots with his identical camera and lens. Mine was getting beautifully sharp images but the lighting was all over the place.
My friend then offered me the chance to try his Canon MR14-EX ringflash. WOW, what a difference! All those pesky shadows that were really bugging me disappeared instantly. If I wanted some shadow, I could control exactly how much I got and at what angle due to the independently controllable two separate flash tubes. I could set their power from 1/8th to full power in equal increments and could turn the flash head on the end of the lens to whatever angle I chose.
For the shot below, I chose to use equal flash to get lighting right across the subject and as little shadow as possible. With the extra advantage of the f2.8 aperture on my lens, I was able to get a perfectly lit Peacock Butterfly emerging from its chrysalis and the background beautifully blurred off. Although some detail is lost showing this at low res on a computer monitor, in print it has stunning detail right across the image.
This flash unit is not cheap but even at close on £300, it is invaluable if you are a dedicated macro photographer. It is easy to attach (needs no adaptor ring at all for the lens I am using) and as it is part of the Canon EX series, it can be used as a master unit to fire another flash unit like my 550 EX to give me even more versatility if I need it.
This is £100 more than the Sigma unit but the ability to use it as a master/slave unit meant I was happy to pay the extra. I also tried out the Sigma unit and it felt a bit less solid, not quite the quality that this feels.
I stuck a fresh set of duracell batteries in mine when I bought it and started shooting away like a mad-man all day. I flaked out long before the batteries did!
Great unit, well worth putting on your Christmas list :o)
Cheers,
Rob
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