Metz Mecablitz 15 MS-1 digital

£279 / $392 www.metzflash.co.uk Canon’s ring flash set-up [1] is certainly small, but by ditching a commander unit, the one-piece MS-1 is even smaller. Without a hotshoe-mounted commander, the MS-1 relies on your camera’s pop-up flash to transmit TTL metering signals, which many entry-level SLRs aren’t capable of. Fortunately, the unit can also be triggered by a basic pop-up flash, but only as a slave with manual power adjustment.

Adjustable light reflectors and variable power distribution between each bulb allows you to precisely tailor the flash output to your subject, and everything’s controlled by a simple LCD.

Go-anywhere compactness with potent performance.

Only works in Manual mode with some cameras.

An impressive ring flash for photographers on the go.