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 Is there a more compact (or cuter) TTL flash than Sunpak’s PZ40X II? If there is, we haven’t seen it. Its predecessor, the PZ40X I, is among the company’s best-sellers, because, at $125 (street), it’s one of the least expensive, (almost) full-featured TTL flashes. Available in silver or black, it mates cosmetically with almost any camera, and, at 2.3x3.4x3.5 inches, it looks at home on either compacts or SLRs.
The new PZ40X II offers all the above plus compatibility with new flash technologies from Canon (E-TTL II), Nikon (i-TTL), and Konica Minolta (ADI). We tested it with Canon’s PowerShot G6, and can report accurate exposure, rapid and silent flash autozooming from 24 to 80mm, and more throw than the G6’s on-board flash offers (46 vs. 16 feet at ISO 100).
Powered by two AA cells (and hence the supercompact proportions and 7-ounce weight), the PZ40X II also gives you: manual firing from full to 1⁄16 power (in five steps); click-stopped tilts from 45 to 90 degrees; and a large, brightly illuminated LCD control panel that provides, among other info, flash exposure confirmation and a subject distance range (bar-graph style) that’s determined by the aperture and ISO set on the camera and/or lens. There’s a focus-assist beam that’s claimed to cover more than 15 feet, but the flash defaulted to the G6’s built-in beam so we were unable to confirm this.
With two AA alkaline cells, Sunpak promises 100 full-power shots; with two NiMH cells, 140 shots. We clocked recycle times at 10 seconds with fresh alkalines, after full-power manual pops. The flash’s power-saving auto-off feature shuts the unit down after five minutes, but can be overridden for time-lapse or motion-triggered photography.
Looking for more power than your camera’s built-in flash and the versatility that a tilt flash offers? Try this bright little popper.
For info: www.sunpak.com; call TOCAD America, Inc. at 973-627-9600.
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