Flash/indoor setup advice

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kabalman

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I am looking to get some equipment to enable me to take some indoor photos of my baby, and would need some advise on what equipments do I need. I am thinking of only spending up to £200 only on the kit though.

The things I have in mind are a flash (on/off camera) that I would use for bouncing light, a white/black background or both (if the budget fits) and am not sure what else I need (umbrella etc). Can you please advice and give me some recommendations on where I can buy the items as well.

Nikon SB-800 alone costs about £250, so am not sure if I can manage any of the equipment within my budget. Second-hand would do fine too, as long as it is from a reputed seller and works fine.
 
Wait a few months and check out the classifieds! Another mans junk is another mans treasure!
 
Second hand SB600 shouldn't set you back too much. You'll want to get it off camera to get the full effect, depending on which camera you have it will activate the flash off camera or you can get a cheap set of triggers or a TTL cable.
 
Basically, I'm a learner photographer, and own just the entry level D3000. I have read that the SB-600 won't be able to work off camera as my camera can't commander it. Seems like the SB-800 would work as a commander, but does that mean that I can't use the same flash as remote (i.e. I would need another flash off-camera that would be a slave to the SB-800)? If that is the case, then having the SB-800 is not going to give me a great deal of benefit unless I have another flash.

Even with the SB-600, I would need to buy the SU-800 to enable it to be used remotely. The SU-800 seems to cost another £200 new, is there any cheaper alternatives? Just looking for options to use the fash off-camera too.
 
The D3000 can trigger a flash optically, but you'll be limited to manual only and no ttl. The only option will be a speedlight on camera as the commander or a ttl compatible trigger, not cheap.
 
Does that mean the camera can automatically trigger the off-camera flash when the shutter is released, but it can't control the power of the flash?
 
terryt said:
The D3000 can trigger a flash optically, but you'll be limited to manual only and no ttl. The only option will be a speedlight on camera as the commander or a ttl compatible trigger, not cheap.
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Does that mean the camera can automatically trigger the off-camera flash when the shutter is released, but it can't control the power of the flash? If so, is there a calculation table that exists that gives a correlation between distance of subject from flash, flash power and camera's exposure settings?
 
Yep, but there won't be any pre set values for flash output as there are lots of factors involved, eg ambient light.
 
terryt said:
Yep, but there won't be any pre set values for flash output as there are lots of factors involved, eg ambient light.
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So it's basically trial and error then until you develop a sixth sense. I suddenly have so much respect for people who did flash photography before the TTL days.
 
snapzz said:
I have this for sale under classified and may be of interest :thumbs:

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=381898

Well within your budget and great for beginner home studio.

(Sorry for the plug :shrug: )
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Yes I'm not allowed to see classified yet, can you please give me some details of your product, so it helps me identify what items I need and I can check other sites etc.
 
I've not read the entire thread but I would look at getting some old Nikon SB-26's or SB-28's and fire them via a cheap radio trigger - I reckon you could get a nice set up for £200. However I would photograph you baby in natural light - PM me and I will explain more.

Ian..
 
ise438 said:
I've not read the entire thread but I would look at getting some old Nikon SB-26's or SB-28's and fire them via a cheap radio trigger - I reckon you could get a nice set up for £200. However I would photograph you baby in natural light - PM me and I will explain more.

Ian..
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If you go for the SB26 (my fav) then it has a built-in optical slave, so for the kind of shots the op wants to do he wouldn't even need the triggers, just a one of those, a Konig stand, an umbrella adapter and a cheap shoot through brolly - £80 should do it :D
 
Flash In The Pan said:
If you go for the SB26 (my fav) then it has a built-in optical slave, so for the kind of shots the op wants to do he wouldn't even need the triggers, just a one of those, a Konig stand, an umbrella adapter and a cheap shoot through brolly - £80 should do it :D
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Does the SB26 work off-camera under the TTL mode? Or like any other flash that I would use without a commander unit (SU 800), I would have to learn to control the flash power manually?
 
kabalman said:
Does the SB26 work off-camera under the TTL mode? Or like any other flash that I would use without a commander unit (SU 800), I would have to learn to control the flash power manually?
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No, manual only, it's not as daunting as it sounds, honestly :D
 
I made all the same noises as you when I first started thinking about off camera flash with regards to TTL etc and even bought small TTL cords for my Nikon SB600 which was only a metre or so long at best so pretty restrictive.

I soon ditched that setup and have RF602 triggers which are great and my flashes on manual which has helped me understand lighting much better.

I own a Nikon SB24 and a SB25, they are built like tanks and do a great job. I prefer the SB25 as it can be stopped down to 1/64 unlike the SB24 which is only 1/32, plus it also has a built in wide angle diffuser.

They can be had for the same price as a new Yongnuo flash from China but in my eyes offer better build quality and reliability. Plus you'll be able to sell them on for a similar price in the future.
 
kabalman
Sorry but apparently its against the rules for me to list items for sale in this thread due to you not having access to the classified section. I did try to post yesterday but they have been removed and as a result I have received an infraction and now had my pm status removed. Posting this as I didnt want you to think I was ignoring your request.
 
snapzz said:
kabalman
Sorry but apparently its against the rules for me to list items for sale in this thread due to you not having access to the classified section. I did try to post yesterday but they have been removed and as a result I have received an infraction and now had my pm status removed. Posting this as I didnt want you to think I was ignoring your request.
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Sorry about that, I was only hoping to see the items you had got for sale, and was not intending to use PM or the classifieds to buy it from you, as I'm not allowed to use it yet. And sorry for the trouble I caused you.
 
kabalman said:
Sorry about that, I was only hoping to see the items you had got for sale, and was not intending to use PM or the classifieds to buy it from you, as I'm not allowed to use it yet. And sorry for the trouble I caused you.
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No problem all sorted now :thumbs:
 
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