Hi Guys,
I'm looking for an affordable flash for my E-510 but I'm on a tight budget. Can anybody have a idea of what flash type I should get and how much? Many thanks guys.

I have also the same concern. We need your help, guys...

Me I'm planning to buy FL36R, I don't need the FL50. I think its about 12k:Grin:

is fl-36r better than fl-36?

fl36 is the most affordable its the same as fl36R less the wireless capability thats designed for E3.

Had an fl-36 before. It performed well enough but the long recharge time can be annoying. I sold my fl-36 and replaced it with a Metz 58 AF-1. There's a Metz 48 AF-1 that's about the same price as an fl-36. The Metz has better recharge times because of its 4 battery design. Feedback on it on the internet is positive. Don't know where to get it locally though.

is fl-36r better than fl-36?

it's worth getting the FL-36R as not only does it have wireless TTL capability with the E-3 via RC Mode, it also has a Slave Trigger function that enables it to have Wireless Capability with the E-510. i own both FL-50R and FL-36R and their slave trigger function works great with my wife's E-510. :D imagine the things you could do with a sub-flash. justifies the small diff in price doesn't it?

After reading feedbacks & reviews from the internet, tama si Rene...I'm now incline to buy a Metz 48. I can't afford the FL-50 nor the Metz 58.

the advantage of fl36 or fl36R is its fully compatible and talk to the camera properly,you also have the advantage of future firmware updates from olympus as they always update their product,you cannot be very certain on third party compatibility on future updates that the E-system will offer.

the advantage of fl36 or fl36R is its fully compatible and talk to the camera properly,you also have the advantage of future firmware updates from olympus as they always update their product,you cannot be very certain on third party compatibility on future updates that the E-system will offer.

Right now the Metz 58 is fully compatible with my E-500 and i expect the Metz 48 to be the same. Both models have usb sockets so they can be field upgradeable to maintain full compatibility. In fact, I've read that there is a firmware update in the pipeline to give full Oly wireless flash compatibility to the 58.

has anybody inquired with JT photoworld if they can ship in Metz(i saw Metz products in the multiply site of JT) line that is compatible with Olympus?
This is a great alternative for us Oly users...

renren, may we ask where did you buy your Metz 58?

i was able to buy a metz flash (though not dedicated to olympus) sa watson. maybe you can ask them for a special batch. that might end up costing more than an fl36.

although i cant imagine why youd rather get a metz than an fl36 when the fl36 is much better imho (formerly an olympus user and fl-36 owner).


get the metz if and only if you want more power (GN 48 vs 36) and faster recycle times. but generally speaking, i liked my fl36 over my current metz.

I am particularly interested on the Metz 58 AF-1 primarily because of the extra fill flash that it has, so even if you bounce the primary strobe upward, you can still throw out fill flash...

I also have the fl36 now.

since you're using the E-510 francis, and unless they send out a firmware update for it with Remote Commander feature (wireless TTL), the FL-50R doesn't hold an advantage over the Metz 58 -- except ofcourse the FL-50R includes a diffuser. hehehe!

renren, may we ask where did you buy your Metz 58?

Bought it from B&H. A colleague on travel to the US brought it back here.

it's worth getting the FL-36R as not only does it have wireless TTL capability with the E-3 via RC Mode, it also has a Slave Trigger function that enables it to have Wireless Capability with the E-510. i own both FL-50R and FL-36R and their slave trigger function works great with my wife's E-510. :D imagine the things you could do with a sub-flash. justifies the small diff in price doesn't it?

Sir since you own both, what's the advantages of the FL-50R over FL-36R? The price difference is almost half, 22k and 12k? Many thanks again...

hi mar! the differences between the 50R and the 36R would be weight, size, power, cycle-time, and the freebies (50R package comes with white card and dome diffuser). maybe i should've thought twice about it and got myself 3x FL-36Rs instead but it's good to have a better flash just incase i need it. ;)

dont buy Olympus fl36 it has this stupid design flaw on its locking ring ,mine was just broken again - my 2nd time!!! i hope they made it better on the new fl36r. im not a brand loyalist so might quit olympus altogether...:(

the locking ring ont he FL-36R has the same design as the FL-36. i don't know about the material though. i haven't broken my FL-36 before and hopefully won't break the FL-36R's hehehehe (x-fingers).

it's worth getting the FL-36R as not only does it have wireless TTL capability with the E-3 via RC Mode, it also has a Slave Trigger function that enables it to have Wireless Capability with the E-510. i own both FL-50R and FL-36R and their slave trigger function works great with my wife's E-510. :D imagine the things you could do with a sub-flash. justifies the small diff in price doesn't it?

that's cool. this really justifies the price difference. by the way, what if i only have one flash, will the built-in flash capable to trigger the FL36R?

yes, it is capable of triggering the FL-36R as long as you set the speedlight to Slave Mode. :D

Thanks for the info Dex,


although i cant imagine why youd rather get a metz than an fl36 when the fl36 is much better imho (formerly an olympus user and fl-36 owner).


get the metz if and only if you want more power (GN 48 vs 36) and faster recycle times. but generally speaking, i liked my fl36 over my current metz.

I read some of the reviews of Metz 48 AF-1 and it looks impressive, higher GN than FL36 and faster recycle time (less than 3.5 secs at full power). The only downside so far is the tilting lock, which is to weak. It tends to collapse at 0 degree position when a large diffuser such as Gary Fong whale tail is attached, unless the head stays upright position at 90 degree. Does FL36 experienced this problem too?

Sir since you own both, what's the advantages of the FL-50R over FL-36R? The price difference is almost half, 22k and 12k? Many thanks again...

Of course the GN number plays a big role as well! =)

though i prefer using the 36 since it only needs two batteries.. but if you're planning to do a lot of flash photography and indoor shooting, then it's best that you get the 50R