Need help with off camera lighting and Canon Flash

[praline3001]

Hi!

I am reading through the Strobist off camera lighting and am REALLY REALLY lost. I have never been a techie wire it up kind of person. When it comes to wires and hooking stuff up I hand it over to my hubby (thinking PC/home entertainment). Since he is clueless when it comes to camera stuff, this will be my first wire it all up job.

I did find a place to buy the Lumopro kit (from Strobist) for $277. At the same time I own a Canon Speedlite 430EXll. I am clueless about the TTL thingy. I have a Canon t3i with hot shoe and the speedlite has a hot shoe.

What do I need to be able to start off camera lighting with these? Do I need the Speedlite transmitter S2 E3? Is there another way to set up (meaning cheaper way as I am just starting out here)

I am so confused at this point

[oldwolf]

Where are you getting the kit? MPEX?

With what you currently have you could technically get both flashes off camera with just 1 transmitter on camera and 1 receiver on your 430. You'd use the optical slave on the LP160. This limits your range and positioning a bit but it would work. I've done it before.

Now with that being said, you will not get any TTL out of the setup.

The only way to get TTL out of the setup is if you buy another Canon flash. I can't remember if the T3i has the commander mode or whatever Canon is calling it. With TTL you're working with LoS (Line of Sight). If the T3i can trigger flashes off camera then that would be the cheapest route.

There's a more expensive route by using Pocket Wizards or Radio Triggers and that wouldn't require LoS but you'd be spending lots more money on just the triggers/receivers.

I don't personally use TTL unless I'm shooting a wedding reception or something. All my off camera flash work is with manual flash with the LP160, 285HV or Alien Bees in studio. I trigger everything with Cybersyncs or the Cyber Commander in studio. Cactus makes a nice trigger set that I'd recommend to anyone starting out so they can see if they like manual off camera flash.

If you have any more questions just send a message.

[praline3001]

Thanks for the help. I am trying to figure it all out. I am the chick who makes her kids reset the remote for the TV I am NOT a techie

This is the kit that Strobist is recommending when starting with off camera light:

Strobist® Starving 1 Light Kit MPEX



Long story short ~ I want to replace the lumopro flash that comes with the kit with the Canon 430EXll I already have.

The way I am reading it, this little thing:
2x Hot shoe Universal Translator kit w/16ft. Mini-mini cable MPEX
Should do the trick, right?

I just got my first DSLR the other night so I *NEED* soooo many things (hubby is regretting the gift at this point LOL) I am trying to go budget without going cheap by using what I already have. I only have the standard lens that came with the camera so want to spend some money on a good lens as well.

[Doug Sundseth]

You need three things:

1) Light. Two sources are better than one, but one will work for many purposes. Your 430EXII will work fine as a first source. If you pop for a second source, the LP-160 has served me quite well (I have two) and Yongnuo has a flash that's also gotten pretty positive reviews.

2) A way to put the light where you want it. This is most commonly a light stand, because they're very versatile. But in many situations you can just set the flash on its little foot and aim it where you want. You can't easily use a light modifier if you do this, but if you're bouncing the light off a wall or ceiling, it will work in many cases.

3) A way to trigger the flash. This can be a radio trigger, a sync cable, or an optical slave.

For radio triggers, you'll need at least one on the camera and one on a flash (one on each flash works better for some circumstances).

If you use a sync cable, you'll need to be able to attach it to the camera and to the flash. Some cameras have a sync port (I don't know your camera, but check your manual), but if you don't have a port, you'll need to attach an adapter to the hot shoe. Some flashes (like the LP-160) have sync ports as well. If yours doesn't, you'll need an adapter at that end as well.

If you want to use an optical slave, Canon flashes don't have one built in, so you would have to buy one. (Though you might have a built-in commander mode in your camera; again, check your manual) The LP-160 has a built-in slave.

You can use a mix of triggers. For instance you could use a radio trigger to pop the Canon flash and use that flash to trigger the optical slave in your second flash.

The very simplest two-light setup would be something like an LP-160 set on a bookshelf and set to optical slave mode and the Canon flash on your camera pointed backward or sideways at the ceiling or wall. This wouldn't be very flexible, but it would be really easy to set up and the only thing you would have to buy would be the LP-160. (Then you could spread out your lighting purchases over, well, forever really, as you figure out what you want to do. )

I'll warn you that lighting can be kind of a consuming subject. If you get serious about off-camera lighting, a good place to start is the Lighting 101 series at the Strobist.

HTH.

[praline3001]

Thank you!!!!!

I think I am going to go ahead and buy the entire kit that Strobist suggests.
Strobist® Starving 1 Light Kit MPEX

The more I read the more I see you can never have too many flashes or light hehe

Buying that kit I still have the option of putting my canon flash on my camera to either bounce light or diffuse.
I just didn't want to buy cheapy gear only to have to replace it in 6 months. I was trying to be frugal.

On a side note, I was talking to hubby about lighting and I explained I wanted a slave unit.
His eyes got as big as silver dollars. I realized he thought I said, "Slave enuich"
He wanted to know exactly what kind of photography I was planning on doing and that it better not include him

[oldwolf]

Originally Posted by praline3001

This is the kit that Strobist is recommending when starting with off camera light:

Strobist® Starving 1 Light Kit MPEX

The way I am reading it, this little thing:
2x Hot shoe Universal Translator kit w/16ft. Mini-mini cable MPEX
Should do the trick, right?

I would seriously get the Cactus v5 Slave Set instead of the hot shoe universal translator.

Cactus V5 Radio Slave Set MPEX

If you get the Universal Translator set then you're limited with where you can put your off camera flash by the length of the cord which is 16ft if I'm reading that description correctly.

With the Cactus v5 you'll mount your flash directly on top of the transceiver so you won't need any adapters.

I'd also get the 8.5ft air cushioned stand. That way when your flash is on the stand and you lower it, the flash won't come crashing down on your fingers if you forget to pay attention to it.

Last but not least, for versatility I would get a white umbrella with a removable black cover. That way you can have a shoot through, partial shoot through or bounce. Get a 45" one.

The default setting for the swivels and shoes is fine.

Originally Posted by praline3001

On a side note, I was talking to hubby about lighting and I explained I wanted a slave unit.
His eyes got as big as silver dollars. I realized he thought I said, "Slave enuich"
He wanted to know exactly what kind of photography I was planning on doing and that it better not include him

poor hubby hehe

[praline3001]

Oh I like that idea! It is still within a budget price too. I would have a lot more freedom for candid shots. I love taking photos of my pets but sometimes they have other plans and I have to change quickly.

Also in my house I have hubby, 3 older kids, 2 dogs and 3 cats. I about had the worst mommy hissy fit EVER this afternoon while using my tripod. Not once, not twice but THREE times my tripod got knocked over with my new camera attached! Luckily I have the reflexes of a super hero. I did become concerned about the wire being laid out across the room like a trip wire.

In that link it says: Flash Stand (FS-5) x 2

Don't laugh at me and my question but that is a regular stand for the flash right? Sometimes things are not so clear in descriptions and I want to make sure I don't have to buy a separate stand to mount the flash on?

[oldwolf]

I'm not sure where you're seeing that Flash Stand (FS-5) x 2.

Super hero reflexes are always great when you're a photographer. You want to save the camera and not yourself.

[praline3001]

I went to the link you shared and then clicked on the "What's in the box". I was trying to figure out what it included in the price.

[oldwolf]

Ahh ok. I see it now.

It's the stand that you can slide the transceivers in so you can set it on a flat surface. Handy if you want to put it on a bookshelf or the floor without having to put it on a stand.

If you look at the picture of the unti you'll see this little square thing under the transceiver. That's the flash stand.

You will still need the 8.5 ft air cushioned stand to get the flash off the ground.