Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Right out of the box I noticed a slight wiggle in the flash unit after mounting it to the camera. The next day the flash unit wiggle turned into a serious lean and flopping instead of wiggling. I could here the spring in the shoe mount when I tried to stand it up right. The outer shoe adapter housing that mounts to the flash unit body uses steel screws into steel threads. However, inside the adapter housing is a metal plate that holds the adapter together, it uses steel screws into plastic threads. One screw hole was stripped and the screw was half way out. The other screw was not far behind and was stripped beyond a snug fit. These two screws and a metal plate compress the spring and are what's really keeping the unit together and upright. The metal power contact plates are fastened with steel into plastic but they don't bare any of the weight. Anyway, it's not easy to describe without knowing the name of the actual parts. The bottom line is that there are two screws going into plastic threads that keep it from coming apart and they may come stripped like mine.
My choices were to send it back and get another one with the same cheap construction or just return the flash. I needed the flash the next day so I decided to make my own modifications with some epoxy. A little bit of epoxy in each screw hole and on the metal plate did the trick. I don't recommend doing this if you're not mechanically or electrically inclined. It also voids the warranty. I chose to do my own repairs because I had to and until I'm ready to spend the big bucks on good flash unit. I don't recommend buying the Bower SFD 290. The flash itself works well but it's just one plastic thread hole away from crashing to the floor.
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Bower SFD290 Digital Automatic Zoom Bounce Flash for Canon EOS Rebel XT, XTi,...The Bower SFD290 Digital Automatic Zoom Flash is an innovative designed flash unit for both digital and traditional SLR cameras with a wide array of high-end features at an affordable price. This model -- compatible with Canon SLR cameras -- features fully automatic operation and helps photographers fill shadows, add depth, avoid red-eye and improve image resolution. Features: * Guide Number of 30m / 99ft * Full automatic operation with variable f/stop setting and full burst manual mode * Zoom, Bounce and Swivel Head * Economically powered by four AA-size batteries * Compatible with all Canon SLR cameras
Click here for more information about Bower SFD290 Digital Automatic Zoom Bounce Flash for Canon EOS Rebel XT, XTi,...
