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DPChallenge Forums >> Hardware and Software >> Second flash vs studio lighting.
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 11/04/2005 12:51:33 PM · #1
When I bought my 20D I got the 420EX flash with the intent of upgrading at some point and using it as a slave. To upgrade to 580Ex plus controller for slave is going to be 380 + 200. I am wondering whether I couldn't get more bang for the buck by getting a simple studio set up. Mostly this would be for pet portraits and still lifes and is not for professional use. Any suggestions? I can live with the 420 for my on camera shots I think.


11/04/2005 12:55:15 PM · #2
Originally posted by donniev:
When I bought my 20D I got the 420EX flash with the intent of upgrading at some point and using it as a slave. To upgrade to 580Ex plus controller for slave is going to be 380 + 200. I am wondering whether I couldn't get more bang for the buck by getting a simple studio set up. Mostly this would be for pet portraits and still lifes and is not for professional use. Any suggestions? I can live with the 420 for my on camera shots I think.

Look at the Alien Bee lights. I've never used htem, but everybody seems to rave about the price and performance.
 11/04/2005 01:17:24 PM · #3
I have had a mostly good experience using the 580EX and 420EX together, without the remote. The 580 works as a master so long as it's on the camera, and I find that it does a good job even on the camera so long as there's a white ceiling of wall somewhere close by to bounce off of. And you can't beat the convenience of just slipping two flashes into your camera bag. No power cords, just remember to charge the batteries at the end of the day. Be prepared though that if you get the 580 you'll spend a while learning to use it. It's waaay more complex than the 420.

I have a hot-light studio kit too (Smith-Vector), and although there are certain things you can't do without hot-lights (like motion blur in studio shots), I find the main use for that kit now is just the stands and umbrella reflector supporting the Canon flashes, the hot-lights them selves stay in the case. But I don't have any experience with studio flashes, like Alien Bees...
 11/04/2005 01:25:01 PM · #4
Originally posted by magnus:
I have had a mostly good experience using the 580EX and 420EX together, without the remote. The 580 works as a master so long as it's on the camera, and I find that it does a good job even on the camera so long as there's a white ceiling of wall somewhere close by to bounce off of.

Pardon my complete ignorance but how do you control the slave without the remote?
 11/04/2005 02:56:57 PM · #5
Originally posted by donniev:
Originally posted by magnus:
I have had a mostly good experience using the 580EX and 420EX together, without the remote. The 580 works as a master so long as it's on the camera, and I find that it does a good job even on the camera so long as there's a white ceiling of wall somewhere close by to bounce off of.

Pardon my complete ignorance but how do you control the slave without the remote?


The 550EX or 580 EX can be setup to act as Master and control the 420EX
 11/04/2005 03:58:56 PM · #6
not positive, but i don't think the on camera unit will fire.
i won't need to do that - just got the ST-E2 transmittor.

Originally posted by :
The 550EX or 580 EX can be setup to act as Master and control the 420EX


Message edited by author 2005-11-04 16:00:19.
 11/04/2005 04:13:34 PM · #7
I've had this debate myself many times. The two cannon flashes are flexible and you can use off camera as well as on. Alien bees will recycle much faster and have modeling lights to make composition easier.

Message edited by author 2005-11-04 16:13:56.
 11/04/2005 04:31:14 PM · #8
in order to use studio lights you also have to have a flash meter which will cost you at least 200. and if you plan on shooting outside where there are no power outlets within reach, you'll need to get a battery pack, which aren't that cheap (the alien bee's battery costs 350, and that's considered relatively inexpensive compared to other brands' battery packs).

So the studio light option will be more expensive than getting speedlites. however, with studio flashes you can add modifiers like softboxes, grids, snoots, barndoors, etc. that will open up a lot more possibilities than a speedlite. there aren't many light modifications you can put on a speedlite, most of them are just mini softboxes or things used to diffuse light. also, studio lights have much more power.

However, the speedlites give you convenience. they are much smaller and lighter, and thus, more portable. you don't need an extra power pack to take them outside. they don't require a flash meter since they use E-TTL metering, which i heard is pretty accurate.

So in conclusion, the speedlites will be cheaper and more convenient to carry around. but the studio flashes will allow you to experiment more with different lighting styles. one final note, you usually cannot mix studio flash and speedlite, that is, you usually can not use a speedlite as a master that optically triggers the studio flash. this is because the speedlites fire a pre-flash for E-TTL metering, which will cause the studio flash to fire pre-maturely. This will only be a problem for studio flashes which dont have a mode that compensates for E-TTL. The popular alien bee flash units do not have this mode and will fire early if used with a speedlite.

hope this helps.
 11/04/2005 05:05:28 PM · #9
I unfortunatly went the same route. I first got the 420EX, rapadly fount that it was not what I wanted and bought the 580EX which is a much more flexible unit. I have used the units in combination, fireing both the 580EX in Master and the 420EX in slave mode and I have used the combo where I only fired the 420EX using the 580EX only as a transmitter, which is kind of a wast but saved $200 that you could possibly use for a third 420EX. I did have problems controling the output on the 420EX overpowering the 580EX. You probably have to use some defuseer or bounce to soften the light.
I do not have any study lights or experiance, but will probably end up with both. :)
 11/04/2005 06:40:48 PM · #10
move the 420ex farther away?

Originally posted by tjmueller:
I did have problems controling the output on the 420EX overpowering the 580EX

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