Expert: John Oliverio - 4/19/2007

Question
I have a cannon rebel digital and just purchased a Quantaray QDC 900wa flash and the cycle time is slow. How can i help this or should I have purchased the canon speedlite flash. And when I set the flash on multi if cycles faster but the picture comes out dark. Thanks

Answer
Larry,
Hi. Thanks for the question.
Really the only thing you can do is try better batteries.  Energizer Lithium AA's are the best.  I don't know what you consider slow, but keep in mind that there are some situations that will cause any flash to appear to cycle slowly.  A flash works by storing the power it needs in a capacitor.  It does not fire directly off of the batteries.  Flash output varies from shot to shot.  The more of the reserve it has to use, the longer it will take for it to charge for the next flash.  So for example if you have to shoot something 40 feet away, a lot of power is dumped and cycle time is longer.  And of course if you only shoot something 5 feet away, you use less of the reserve and it will come back on-line more quickly.

Brand name flash units are usually faster.  But I would try better batteries first.  

That "multi" setting is for very close-in action or special effect work.  In 25 years of shooting, I've never found a use for that function.

John