First Off Camera Flash

[ArmySoldier777]

There really isn't much point to this thread, I'm not asking questions or anything lol. I'm just excited cause I finished selling off some old stuff I haven't used in years and I just ordered a Canon 430ex II. Never even attempted to use an off camera flash before, but I'm excited to learn!

I've read through Strobist's Lighting 101 course 3 times now lol, and I've been browsing the rest of their site. Atleast now I don't feel like I'm walking into this blind, and I atleast have a theoretical grasp on what I need to do. I say theoretical because for now it's all in my head until the flash gets here lol.

[CheaperKings]

It's, fairly, straight forward. If you're going to shoot with one speedlight, not a big deal. You'll want to look into a trigger system (I use Pocket Wizards) and you'll want to find a good light modifier for your speedlight (I use a 28" Apollo softbox when shooting speedlights). First and foremost, have some fun learning!

[ArmySoldier777]

Yeah, I've been looking into wireless triggers. I thought about going wired, but I shoot my niece too often, and she doesn't sit still. The last thing I need is her tripping over the chord and bringing all my stuff down lol. As far as pocket wizards go... I just can't justify spending $300+ to myself on a triggering system when I just do this as a hobby lol. However, the CowboyStudio triggers have a few hundred reviews that say they're almost as reliable as the PW's, so I think I'm going to go that route for now. And they're only $20 lol. And I've heard some good things about the Apollo softboxes. Strobist.com swears by shooting through umbrellas too, so I'll probably pick up one of those.

I think my hobby just started getting a lot more expensive than it already was lol.

[CheaperKings]

lol yeah, you can spend as much as your bank account allows, for sure! I do have a set of the cheap triggers and they work very good - can't complain. I bought the PW's because I wanted to be able to set the strobe outside a window or far from the camera (just ideas I come up with) and wanted that ability. Do you need PW's? Absolutely not! I just wanted them. Definitely look into the Westscott Apollo softbox's! They open up like an umbrella and very quick and easy to setup.

If I may, I'd like to suggest looking up zack arias, he's the pro when it comes to using one light (youtube search). You'll learn more from that guy than anyone else).

Hope some of my nonsense helps you a little.

[ArmySoldier777]

I definitely appreciate it! I'll do a search on Zack Arias now and see what I can learn from him.

So triggers, softbox, umbrella, stand, umbrella swivel bracket for the softbox and umbrella, gels, reflectors... A bigger bag lol... and more money, gotta figure out where I can get some of that lol.

[MindyRaeL]

I tried the cowboy studio triggers and was not impressed at all. They only worked about half the time, and ultimately broke withing a few uses.
If you're looking to go wireless on the cheap, I'd recommend the Yongnuo RF-603 Transcievers. About $10 more than the Cowboy Studio, but IMO, they're built way better and I've had no problems with them. They fire when I want them to and have held up really well. The only negatives I've found is that they chew through batteries so you'll want rechargables, and the on/off switch is in a really weird spot.
Have fun with your new flash!

[ArmySoldier777]

Thanks for the feedback on those triggers Mindy. After reading your post, I decided to go back to amazon and look at the 1-star reviews of them, and a lot of people complain about their life span. My guess is that all the 5 star reviews are after a week or two of product use.

Thanks for the recommendation on the Yongnuo triggers as well, I'll have to look into those. Somebody also pointed me towards the Cactus V5's. They're a little bit more "but not too much", and they seem to be pretty decent.

Thanks! I'm sure going to try lol. After this last Christmas, I realized just how badly I needed one.

Cheap ebay triggers, a light stand, and a shoot-through umbrella well get you by for quite awhile, and all of that can be had for about $50.

A lot of people put a lot of emphasis on off-camera lighting...I'd like to take this opportunity to emphasis on-camera bounce flash. Not a lot of people know how to do this properly, and it makes a big difference in photos.

This book explains it well, and also talks about a lot of flash modifiers (and why you don't use them):

Amazon.com: Captured by the Light: The Essential Guide to Creating Extraordinary Wedding Photography (9780321646873): David Ziser: Books

There's also quite a bit in there about off-camera lighting, and a good book in general.

[troutwhisperer]

I have the Cactus 5 and have not had any problems. Admittedly I do not to a great deal of flash photography, but I use it out side in all weather conditions and have not had any failures.

It is not capable of TTL and I have to shoot manual (I think that however is a condition of my old inexpensiver flash), it is RF and I have used it to a distance of perhaps 150 feet.

Inexpensive, reliable, works well in inclimante weather, some limitations, suitable for my non-professional backyard applications.

[ArmySoldier777]

Originally Posted by troutwhisperer

I have the Cactus 5 and have not had any problems. Admittedly I do not to a great deal of flash photography, but I use it out side in all weather conditions and have not had any failures.

It is not capable of TTL and I have to shoot manual (I think that however is a condition of my old inexpensiver flash), it is RF and I have used it to a distance of perhaps 150 feet.

Inexpensive, reliable, works well in inclimante weather, some limitations, suitable for my non-professional backyard applications.

Thanks for the feedback on your cactus triggers troutwhisperer!

Yeah, I've pretty much figured out that you can't get wireless TTL with anything cheaper than a Pocket Wizard lol. Which is fine with me, I'm a manual kinda person anyway. My camera doesn't even see any setting besides manual. So I'm not too worried about that. And I think 150 should be plenty of room for what I'm going to be using them for. I appreciate you taking the time to let me know what you think about them.