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Speedlite for beginners
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PostPosted: Tue May 15, 2012 11:59 am    Post subject: Speedlite for beginners Reply with quote
I'm going to a wedding in a hot sunny country and will be taking a few shots while I'm there.
There is an official wedding photographer, but I'll be doing my own thing and thought about taking a flash.
The only problem is that I've never used a flash before!

So, should I invest in something cheap that's going to give me a bit of fill or just stick to what I know and keep it candid.

Any tips for a cheap speedlite that's easy to use and will resell as it may not get used again!


PostPosted: Tue May 15, 2012 12:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Which camera do you plan on using it with?

There may be a trade-off between universality (i.e. a decent auto thyristor mode for use with older cameras with hot shoes) and automation (i.e. dedicated operation with your newer camera), especially when price is a consideration.


PostPosted: Tue May 15, 2012 12:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
When do you need it? This takes the normal 2 weeks from Hong Kong but can be found locally too but way more expensive.

Click here to see on Ebay

Totally manual, easy to use, good for fill, enough power and includes small bounce. Have been using it for 2-3 years.
Only problem is that it beeps, I think I'll find the source of it and put a screwdriver there to mute it.

Just make this surgery
http://forum.mflenses.com/making-yn-460-more-user-friendly-t47561.html
and put a black electric tape to hide "YoungNuo" so people don't point fingers at your chinese flash.


PostPosted: Tue May 15, 2012 12:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
For ease of I'll be with a Canon 60D with an as yet undecided AF lens.


PostPosted: Tue May 15, 2012 12:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
kansalliskala wrote:

Totally manual, easy to use, good for fill, enough power and includes small bounce.


Shocked I spent more than that falling over and giving myself a headache at the weekend!


PostPosted: Tue May 15, 2012 1:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
As second photographer, you can concentrate on artistic side - which i like far more than the job of main photographer Cool

It will take you at least a few days to get use with flash photography.

The easiest is stay manual on everything, but AF can be useful.
You need at least one flash with manual power vary.
If the ceiling is white, you can bounce the flash straight up or a bit backward.
The easiest is set your canon to manual iso800, f5.6, 1/125s. Your flash at 1/4 power bounce, and increase the power to match the light of the scene. For ambient light, use longer shutter speed, but keep everything as-is.

I use cheap radio trigger/receivers, with 5-6 flashes (or more depend on the area) at 1/4 power, placed in critical areas to cover the whole event. One frequency for the whole setup. If i need more light, use 2 or more flashes at the same spot instead of increase power rate - just to keep the recycling rate and keep the batteries for the whole day. (A battery set gives 4-500 pops at full power, or ~2000 pops at 1/4 power)

I use colored gel on flash to blend in as needed. I also use a piece of tape to mark the floor where the couple should stand - where flash/light sources had been tested.

Used manual flashes are cheap. 6-8 last ones I paid ~15-20 euros each.
Wish you luck.


PostPosted: Wed May 16, 2012 8:05 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
If you buy older flash, remember this too.

http://www.botzilla.com/photo/strobeVolts.html


PostPosted: Thu May 17, 2012 2:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
kansalliskala wrote:
When do you need it? This takes the normal 2 weeks from Hong Kong but can be found locally too but way more expensive.

Click here to see on Ebay

Totally manual, easy to use, good for fill, enough power and includes small bounce. Have been using it for 2-3 years.
Only problem is that it beeps, I think I'll find the source of it and put a screwdriver there to mute it.

Just make this surgery
http://forum.mflenses.com/making-yn-460-more-user-friendly-t47561.html
and put a black electric tape to hide "YoungNuo" so people don't point fingers at your chinese flash.


I don't need it for a couple of months so if I decide to go with it I should be okay.

Wouldn't TTL be better for a beginner? Or is it something I can get the hang of pretty quickly.

Most, if not all of the shots will be outdoors in daylight so it would only be for fill.


PostPosted: Thu May 17, 2012 3:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Alternate Internet ID wrote:

Wouldn't TTL be better for a beginner?


Yes, because if your camera has a spot metering mode, it spares you the need for a flash metering lighmeter.
Otherwise, you'll go by rough guess. Since situations often repeat, it won't take much until you'll figure out what flash power
to apply even without TTL or a flash lightmeter.


PostPosted: Thu May 17, 2012 6:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Alternate Internet ID wrote:
Wouldn't TTL be better for a beginner?


I'm not sure which one is better. Outdoors flash is tricky because you control available light proportion in the picture by time and iso. Depending on the focal lenght you only have times from 1/50 to 1/250 available. With iso 100 lowest and you want to use large aperture to remove the background there isn't much leeway. Thinking that when you need the fill, the subject is then for some reason darker than the background - the camera and the flash have really difficult task to do thinking right exposure while you yourself can see instantly from the first pic what flash power to use.

Either way you must practice some before the big date.


PostPosted: Thu May 17, 2012 7:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Canon 580exii It'll probably break your bank, but they're worth it.

Otherwise, a Vivitar 285HV. Same power as above, but a little bigger. No (E)TTL but a useful auto mode and manual settings.


PostPosted: Thu May 17, 2012 7:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
kansalliskala wrote:
If you buy older flash, remember this too.

http://www.botzilla.com/photo/strobeVolts.html
That list is pretty rubbish as it is designed for early EOS cameras. The later ones may handle up to 250 volts.


PostPosted: Fri May 18, 2012 8:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
martinsmith99 wrote:
The later ones may handle up to 250 volts.


Really? But then there are some on the list that produce 300-600 volts.


PostPosted: Fri May 18, 2012 2:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I second the Yongnuo.
It is cheap (but look for the II version) and it's got decent power.
It's not that hard to use a flash in manual mode and once you get the exposure correctly you can keep on shooting easily without touching the power.
There's no real need to buy an old flash because it could fry your camera.
Old flashes are ok if used on triggers and if you can have them really cheap (unless they are SB-XX from Nikon, which are always good but sell for high prices even today) .


PostPosted: Fri May 18, 2012 5:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
kansalliskala wrote:
martinsmith99 wrote:
The later ones may handle up to 250 volts.


Really? But then there are some on the list that produce 300-600 volts.

Yes, don't buy the 300-600 ones, I was thinking more about the ones that are listed as unsafe yet only 10-50 volts.


PostPosted: Fri May 18, 2012 6:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Last warning: strobism is really addictive



PostPosted: Sat May 19, 2012 1:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Cheers for all the advice.

I'm still undecided on the whole flash thing, but at least I have a better idea now.
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