Slave Flashes for lighting - DPChallenge Forums

Olympus 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro

01/30/2012 01:33:52 PM · #1

I wanted to get some flashes to get better off camera light. I like to shoot on location in natural light. I'm finding that my 550ex on camera doesn't cut it sometimes. I wanted to get a couple of flashes to set up near my subject, one on either side.

I was going to buy this softbox that would go on the flashes.

I was also going to buy this transimitter

I wanted to get a couple of extra 550ex flashes but I cant find them anywhere. I was wondering if I should keep trying to find them used or if I should get the 530. the 580ex would be ideal, but it is pricy for what I can afford right now. I need some advice before I pull the trigger. Would the 580ex be so much better that I would be better off getting it and spending almost double?

kirbic

Canon EOS R5

Canon RF 24-70 f2.8 L IS

01/30/2012 02:12:28 PM · #2

Pay a visit to the strobist. If I were going down this path, I would buy manual slave flashes and a simple trigger system. The Canon flashes are great stuff, but it does cost significant bucks to get equipped with both the flashes and a triggering system. IMO, the ONLY reason to go with the Canon flashes is if you were going to go the TTL route. I'd prefer to set my ratios manually, so I'd go with the less expensive flashes.

slickchik

Olympus OM-D E-M1

01/30/2012 02:21:11 PM · #3

If you are going to pay for a transmitter, I'd recommend the alien bees/paul c buff transmitters/receivers over what you linked to. I have had a great experience with ABs.

ETA: Flash zebra has tons of cords, etc if you need to buy something flash-related to complete your system. I've bought several things from them.

Message edited by author 2012-01-30 14:23:41.

FromDaRock

Canon EOS-5D Mark III

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS II USM Lens

01/30/2012 07:53:10 PM · #4

If you want to stick with Canon, then the 430EX is much cheaper and will do almost as good a job. Plus you can use them with the wireless trigger on your 7D and get TTL to boot (as well as manual).

By the way, isn't that an Optical trigger? What is the advantage of the ST-E2 over the built in trigger on the 7D?

If I was going to buy some I would go for the Yongnuo radio triggers.

Message edited by author 2012-01-30 19:57:13.

slickchik

Olympus OM-D E-M1

Olympus 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro

01/30/2012 08:02:27 PM · #5

I have trouble always triggering my 430ex's with my 7D. Line of sight is very important and can be finicky. That's why the AB system is so handy.

01/30/2012 11:15:27 PM · #6

This is the flash that I was sent to from the strobist site. It is a good price...anyone have one?

Nusbaum

Fujifilm X-T1

Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM

01/31/2012 12:27:54 AM · #7

I don't know that there is any one right answer here. You can get great images with even a manual flash triggered by a long sync core (basic strobist setup). I started with this basic setup and then migrated to 430EX II flashes with pocketwizard triggers over time. The hypersync capability allows me to sync at 1/750 sec so I can work against brighter sun (maybe faster, but the fastest I found in my library was 1/750th). The new ACS3 controller lets me make manual adjustments to 3 zones from the top of my camera. And, when things are moving too quick I can even fall back to TTL mode.

As for 550EX flashes being hard to find, I actually found that when they do come available they are almost as much as a 580EX. I have no idea why they are still so popular.

Panasonic LUMIX DMC-LX100

01/31/2012 12:42:14 AM · #8

I saw one on adorama for $165, I went back yesterday to buy a couple of them and they are not on the site anymore. Should have just done it when I saw it!!

spiritualspatula

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

01/31/2012 12:56:10 AM · #9

Originally posted by Nusbaum:

Hypersync should be able to go up to 1/8000. Keep in mind that your power at this speed is REALLY REALLY low. I've personally synced to 1/3000. Also, this is using the Nikon CLS system. You MAY run into latency issues when using some radio triggers at some point, but the Flex does say it goes up to 1/8000.
But really,

Nusbaum is right about there being no one or best way. It really depends upon budget and how you want to get things done.
I will say that regardless of what you end up doing, looking for and aiming towards flashes that have an onboard quality slave will make you much more versatile and will likely be easier on your budget, since you won't NECESSARILY need a trigger for each flash.

ETA: I do not currently own any of the LP160's, but have only heard good things about them. If I were to get some more flashes, they would be at the top of my list. You can also look for some of the older Nikon units, though they have largely been inflated in cost due to people reading Strobist and trying to buy them. Not all of the older Nikons have a slave, but many do. A lot of folks like the Vivitar 285's but there was an issue with the "new" ones being made like garbage, and I couldn't tell you what happened with that whole mess.
ETA2: I would not go for that transmitter. Three reasons- 1. It is a backwards engineered Canon product. While there are other products that many enjoy that do this, there are also significantly quirky things about their function and reliability as a result. The IR triggering method can already be sorta iffy at times anyway (I use the Nikon CLS system frequently, but it has its quirks).
2. For that price, you can basically get radio triggers that will perform more reliably over greater distances. The only limitation is not controlling your power/ratios at that distance, but, if you see #1 here, that might be a moot point anyway...
3. As was pointed out... the ST-e2 does essentially what your camera already can do... with a slightly improved range/reliability, assuming you're using the Canon version, so you're paying for something you already have, but keep in mind, the triggering from that ST-E2 or your 7D will not work on most other flashes on the market, like the LP160. It will only work with flashes that support the Canon IR triggering, so newer Canon flashes (430 & 580) plus some of the 3rd part ones, like the Sigma 500 Super DG. Again, third party options can be... quirky in their compatibility.

Message edited by author 2012-01-31 01:07:13.