Originally posted by Alan Clogwyn How about a Yongnuo YN560? Powerful, fully manual with lots of adjustment and is fully digital safe.
I agree with Alan.
speedlights.net has good reviews and discussions on many flashes, but see the ones on the YN-560 and YN-460 II. They only work in manual, altho there are versions for Nikon and Canon as well. the 560 has the zoom feature and the 460 doesn't. 560 adjusts down to 1/125 power which is a tiny pulse. the 460II only goes to 1/64 power which is still pretty low compared to the older Pentax flashes you will find around. Low power like that makes them more flexible for strobist work, IMO. Best feature is the prices, only about $45 or the 460II and about $70 for the 560. I'm through with expensive flashes that are expensive to replace if they get damaged.
I do continue to use my Metz 48 flash in Manual, but i can tell you the YN manual flashes are faster and easier to adjust than the Metz, especially in the dark. Despite the numbers, the Metz48, and YN flashes all have equal power at 35mm zoom. For the zoom flashes, the Metz 48 and YN 560, of course, the flash guide number goes up as the zoom goes up.