xti flash recharge

[canyou]

Hi Everyone,

I just recently upgraded my Kodak DSLR for a Canon XTI. Must say I love it. I do have one issue & not enough knowledge so I hope you can help me out.

I take lots of indoor “Flash” pictures of my kids. I’m noticing that after some quick bursts (say 8 pictures) the flash refresh drops to about 7 seconds while I'm starring at the “BUSY” sign in the viewfinder (well below spec). After that I can snap one (or 2) pictures & have to wait another 7 – 8 seconds, and so on. How can I improve this refresh time? Would an external flash or battery grip help? Give details if possible.

My set-up:
I’m using the Full Auto & Portrait modes
Stock EF-S 18-55 Lens
Lexar Platinum II 60x Compact flash card
Fully charged battery

All comments welcome & thanks for any help.

John
:)

[Dawoofo]

The XTI's manual states something to the effect that the flash won't fire when it gets too hot to prevent damage to itself, and I believe that's what the problem is rather than recharge time. An external flash such as the Canon Speedlight 430EX would definitely solve this, and also wouldn't pull off the camera's battery.

I don't have one personally yet, but saw one in action last weekend and the photographer took numerous pictures rapid succession without getting the "busy" signal. From what I understand, third party external flashes don't always synch right with Canon bodies, but maybe someone else can provide additional information if you're interested.