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| Yes, finally got a flash for my 5D2! Not that I am a huge flash user anyways, I prefer available light since it is less intrusive, but there are situations where flash photography can produce better results. So, I purchased the Canon 270EX Speedlite, their cheapest AND smallest flash head.
I'm really amazed at how small this speedlite is! Smaller than the mighty mouse.
Here are some test shots. From left to right: 1) No Flash 2) Direct Flash 3) 60 degree bounce 4) 90 degree bounce
  
On the positive side, I am really happy about the size and simplicity of this flash. It has manual zoom function as well as tilt for bouncing the flash off ceilings and walls. It is light-weight, and compliments the bulky 5D2 very well.
On the negative side, be warned, the quality of plastics on this flash is very cheap. Under direct light, you can just make out some structural stresses (on the curved sections) in the manufacturing process. As the case with most Canon gear, you get low quality materials at the entry levels. Also, it does not come with a AF-assist lamp like you would on the other speedlites. That is a disappointment. The stupid thing strobes to aid AF, which is annoying as hell so I turned it off. Then again, the 5D2 doesn't have much trouble focusing in low light other than in pitch darkness.
At $199, it is Canon's cheapest flash head, I got 10% off too, so I managed to pick it up at $179. I fully recommend it for its small size and unobtrusiveness. It is great for 5D2 owners too i think who don't have a on-board flash. But I think if you have any other Canon DSLR with an onboard flash (40/50D, 500D, etc), I would save up for their higher end flashes. | | |
| I think I will settle for this speaker system, the Bose Companion 3 series II.
While it is not as good as the Ferguson Hill's, it is surprisingly decent for such small satellite speakers. And the speakers are tiny! I was really skeptical at first but testing then out at home really sold me. It's got A LOT of power, especially the bass range and the subwoofer. No wonder, I guess, since Bose does a lot of stadium/large space sound systems. The Bass is actually a bit too strong for my liking, so I've dialled it back quite a bit.
The FH horned speakers were really great at separating the high, mid, and low notes with its horned tweeters, bass spheres, and 8" subwoofer. A lot of intricate deal was brought out that was never heard before. This bose set is fairly clear especially in the higher ranges, but in the mid ranges, sometimes the system lets the subwoofer do too much work. So it can sound a little muddy and "thick". But the package of size, aesthetics, and audio quality, makes me pretty happy. Those guys really know what they are doing and what consumers are after.
Verdict: Buy if they are on sale. 
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| Around two months ago, I made a huge splurge purchase that I regretted right away at the time. I purchased a set of ultra high-end Ferguson Hill speaker system. It costed me about $800, and that was already on sale from $1100!
As you can see, there things are absolutely gorgeous. Absolutely unique. And the sound was actually quite unbelievable, even thought I had nothing to compare it to at the time. I ultimately returned these speakers for a full refund, because I really thought it was an impulse buy, a crazy expensive splurge purchase, plus it didn't get along with my house's AC electricity since I could hear an annoying buzz/hum from the amp. But having heard these speakers in person has opened me to a whole new facet of aural experience that I wouldn't have imagined. I shall explain.
The "soundscape" of these speakers are unreal. Meaning that you can tell. distinctly, that the violins are on your left, followed by the violas, followed by the cellos on your right. You can hear the double basses behind the cellos and the timpani from the far left. You can hear notes that you haven't heard in a song you've listened to hundreds of times before. You can hear the singer taking breaths that were once muffled. You can hear the thump of the piano pedals as a pianist clumsily let's go of his foot. I am not exaggerating!
Thus, since the demise of the Ferguson Hill 007 + 008 speaker system, I have tried to replace them with something noticeably cheaper but with similar sound qualities. It has been difficult. I purchased a set of these Bose QuietComfort 15 headphones. While the active noise cancelling qualities were amazing (every ambient noise is reduced to nothingness), the sound qualities were quite ordinary it seemed. I compared it to Sony and Panasonic headphones, sure the Bose sounded better, but it didn't come close to the Ferguson Hill system. Tomorrow, I will go out the try out the Bose Companion 3 series II on sale for $229 and possible M-Audio's Studiophile AV40 for $199. I've heard the Bose companion at BestBuy, and honestly I was not impressed, but I did like their diminutive design. The M-Audio AV40's are actually studio speakers, so I am looking forward to trying them out. This is my setup right now, I picked up a M-Audio 42 key midi controller on black friday at the Apple store.
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| On December 15th. It will be EPIC!!!
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