Advice on flashguns

[JSER]

For all I know the 430EX II may be powerful enough to bounce off of ceilings at weddings/anniversaries/events, and powerful enough to light a small group of people in a nightclub. QUOTE]

Why on earth do you want to bounce a flash off a filthy ceiling anyway, use a probounce, £10. You dont lose distance either, why a ceiling who uses a ceiling especially a filthy one in a hall.

For good portraits simply get the velcro in gold/silver boards £10 a set

If you live near call round see guns working.

 

[JSER]

Might go into a high street retailer this weekend and try out the Canon.

In daylight.......

So the GN of 45 will be reduced to 12 by the gun.

The only way to TRY would be in darkness on a country lane!

 

[HoppyUK]

Why on earth do you want to bounce a flash off a filthy ceiling anyway, use a probounce, £10. You dont lose distance either, why a ceiling who uses a ceiling especially a filthy one in a hall.

<snip>

I'm beginning to believe you don't know what you're talking about Jeremy, and have lost sight of what the OP wants to do.

 

[JSER]

I will ignore the above as you know nothing about my photographic history.

Look here (not the above person)

http://photo.tutsplus.com/articles/...tip-dramatic-portraits-with-off-camera-flash/

I suggest you look at a basic setup, 2x brollies, 2x stands with flash brackets, wireless trigger small studio one sender two receivers £45, 2x flash one 45GN main, one fill in 28GN, complete outfit (pre owned stands ebay £9) brollies one white/gold another white silver, flash £350.

Cheaper, camera built in flash, Metz/Canon as slave and softbox, £250.

This is a good setup, I have used many studios and never used a ceiling in my life, sorry to the above.

Also in case you missed it, I was simply showing what off camera etc flash can do, it was an example I was not suggesting he wanted to do birding.

 

[HoppyUK]

I will ignore the above as you know nothing about my photographic history.

Look here (not the above person)

http://photo.tutsplus.com/articles/...tip-dramatic-portraits-with-off-camera-flash/

I suggest you look at a basic setup, 2x brollies, 2x stands with flash brackets, wireless trigger small studio one sender two receivers £45, 2x flash one 45GN main, one fill in 28GN, complete outfit (pre owned stands ebay £9) brollies one white/gold another white silver, flash £350.

Cheaper, camera built in flash, Metz/Canon as slave and softbox, £250.

This is a good setup, I have used many studios and never used a ceiling in my life, sorry to the above.

Also in case you missed it, I was simply showing what off camera etc flash can do, it was an example I was not suggesting he wanted to do birding.

I was referring to your advice, quoted previously in bold, not to use ceiling bounce. If you have never tried it before, it's time you did.

If there is a ceiling available to bounce off, filthy or otherwise, it is absolutely the first option. Then adapt and enhance from there.

Banging on about Metz and your own particular wildlife set-up has nothing to do with the OP's stated applications.

Hence my comments.

 

[JSER]

I have tried most things and when I do a wedding I only take one camere and one gun, my flash is softbox that is all

And the quality is better than shown here. It is more about faith in the equipment and your ability than the equipment you have, you can have the most basic setup and do well, spend thousands and mess it up.

My studio was filled with Bowens, Lastolite and Interfit, gave it up for wildlife, now my weddings are basic gear, as I said one camera and one flash, of course I have the same as backup but that is it, and I have had no complaints, as for portrait, again I have never wanted to nor chosen to use a ceiling, sorry.

Yes it does, my wildlife setup, in case it has been missed it is still a "portrait" animal or human, indoors or out, a portrait/portraits does not have to be a human. I shoot indoor and outdoor portraits, with the same setups.

 

[Jerm]

who uses a ceiling especially a filthy one in a hall.

I'll stick my neck out here and say that most photographers will have bounced the flash off a ceiling at some point if they're covering weddings or other social functions.

when I do a wedding I only take one camere and one gun,

I'll be polite here and simply say that I dont think that most photographers would work the same way...

 

[JSER]

I'll stick my neck out here and say that most photographers will have bounced the flash off a ceiling at some point if they're covering weddings or other social functions.



I'll be polite here and simply say that I dont think that most photographers would work the same way...

I agree, have I disagreed with you, you are right, I have said I would not use a ceiling, others would not cover a wedding with a single camera and flash, I ride a £1800 highbrid off road bike on road, most prefer a road bike, we are all different, what a beginner needs to do is listen to all the advice and pick a bit here and a bit there and do their own thing.

As for my wedding coverage, all "I" can say is I have never had any complaints, and I work differently again, I charge for the wedding ONLY after the family are happy with the end result and not a penny up front. I have never not been paid.

 

[Buttkicker]

Looking for a flash myself and by what you have said the 430ex2 looks to be the most reliable one.

The Nissin is a great Flashgun.. but the 430ex2 works better with the pocket wizards
what I dont like about the Nissin is the support if you encounter problems
I had a period where I just could not get the Nissin to fire with the wizards and emailing Asia and a half baked answer did not help
another thing with the Nissin support is the update software for firmware updating

it does not support 64bit versions of windows, although they emailed me saying the software update was imminent so that might have changed since I last looked

but I think the 430ex2 just works so well 100% of the time
regards
Chris

 

[cam1986]

Metz 45 AF-1 looks like the none to go for