Which flash for off camera shooting in daylight?

[lolage]

Hi

I currently have a Canon 430EX II which does great for when I'm shooting in nightclubs, can't say I've tried shooting flash many times in daylight though! I'm looking to get another flash to shoot some Mountain Biking with an off camera setup with 2 flashes (1 main light and a backlight)

I plan on getting some pocket wizards or maybe a cheaper alternative (another thread me thinks) but am just wondering if another Canon 430EX II or maybe even a Canon 430EX would suffice or would there be a reason why my Canon 430EX II wouldn't be good enough meaning a better upgrade (Canon 600EX?)?

Opinions would be greatly appreciated, not that experienced with shooting flash unless I'm in a nightclub.

Thanks!

 

[Garry Edwards]

Shooting in daylight, your problem will be lack of power. Your camera will limit the max shutter speed to either 1/200th or 1/250th (depending on model) even assuming the use of a radio trigger that doesn't slow it down. The question is, "How much will the daylight contribute to that exposure at a shutter speed of around 1/250th?"

The answer is, "Too much". In typical bright sunlight, you could end up shooting at something like f/11 - f/16, so to even match that power from a flash you'll need a more powerful flash than Canon makes. Typically though, you'll want to overpower the ambient to some extent, which requires at least double the power.

 

[HoppyUK]

As Gary says, the problem in daylight is power. Full sun is very bright, and for that brief moment of exposure, the flash has to be at least close to that level so there's your basic marker. A lot depends on the particular situation though: if it's overcast and you're in shade, the ambient level is much lower; also, the power needed for fill-flash is a lot less than if you want to over-power the sun by a stop or so and create the popular and very effective darker background look.

The other problem is the x-sync speed ceiling imposed by the camera's focal plane shutter, ie 1/200sec-ish. The best way around that is multiple flash guns (for power) in high speed sync mode (to shoot above x-sync shutter speed) as in this video of Dave Black that's been posted a few times

But there are other much cheaper and easier ways of getting great pictures. First thing is to avoid bright sun, and right now it's dull and overcast here and the ambient level is about four stops lower than full sun, 1/16th of the brightness. Massive difference, and you can now push the ISO up and do things with one flash instead of needing 16! Second thing is to get as much flash power as you can reasonably afford.

Just thinking about this now, short answer is perhaps the Lencarta Li-on flash, used in tail-hypersync mode and boning up on how best to use that technique. Pocket Wizard's Mini/Flex triggers are the most versatile for this kind of thing, with a few unique features well suited to shooting outdoor action like optimised tail-hypersync, optimised peak hypersync and optimised second-curtain sync.

Or Elinchrom Quadra with fast A-heads. Or Lencarta Atom.

 

[David Bell]

Your 430ex will struggle. They are around 2/3 to 1 stop weaker than the 580EX flashguns. With the right technique you can get by, just about, with one flashgun in bright sunshine but of course what can be achieved is nothing like using a much bigger light like those offered by Elinchrom, Jinbei, Lencarta, Prophoto etc. Look at the second last picture in the link below - one flashgun in bright sunshine.

http://www.bellissimaphoto.co.uk/pre-wedding-shoot/harrow-on-the-hill-engagement-shoot.html

 

[lolage]

Thanks for your replies guys, have realised now that I need to invest in the Pocket Wizard Mini/Flex combo to take advantage of the higher shutter speeds but don't have the budget to spend lots on a flash if I do that..

Bearing in mind I'll be shooting in the woods, does this make my 430ex II viable? Especially if I choose an offcast day? Also seeing as I'm shooting at a faster shutter speed won't this help my flash out?

Thanks

 

[HoppyUK]

Thanks for your replies guys, have realised now that I need to invest in the Pocket Wizard Mini/Flex combo to take advantage of the higher shutter speeds but don't have the budget to spend lots on a flash if I do that..

Bearing in mind I'll be shooting in the woods, does this make my 430ex II viable? Especially if I choose an offcast day? Also seeing as I'm shooting at a faster shutter speed won't this help my flash out?

Thanks

Too many variables to say. The lower the ambient light level, the less bright the flash has to be to get the exposure balance right, but you still have to push the ISO to make that work. The only way is to try it.

Also depends on what flash technique you use (eg Peak Hypersync, Tail Hypersync etc) and to do the job well, you couldn't have chosen a trickier subject, ie fast action with high shutter speeds and flash. It's technically complex, with different techniques and equipment options at various price levels.

Another option might be to go the other way and shoot with much longer shutter speeds, like 1/15sec or 1/8sec, let the ambient background blur and freeze the subject with second-curtain sync flash. Often looks fantastic and is usually much easier.

Maybe have a search around, find a photographer who's work you like, see what kit they use, perhaps they have a blog.

On your last question, referring to PW's Peak Hypersync feature, if you can shoot at 1/400sec instead of 1/250sec, in exposure terms you've effectively increased the gun's output by about 70%.