Help buying my first stand alone flash?!?! :)

[samlannin]

Hi there everyone! I am looking to get a remote flash, I want a flash that i can use to light my subjects for portraits from the sides or from behind.
I want to buy a flash that i can mount on a stand and the trigger and receiver for that flash too but i do not want to break the bank either?
Do you have any advice where to start and what kind of brands to start off with and where to buy them etc???
I am using a canon T2i at the moment if your wondering about the camera?
Thanks in advance!
Sam

[justin_ing]

Canon 430exII is a great place to start.

I hear the yongnuo 460's and such are decent as well, but the build quality of the Canon is much better

For trigger/receivers, get the rf-602 or the new rf-603. Very decent product for much cheaper than PW prices

[inkista]

Actually, would recommend the Cactus V5 over the RF-603s. No trouble reaching the on/off switch when a flash is mounted, locking foot, and the channel selector dial just make it a nicer trigger. If you need to go cheaper, though, the RF-602s are terrific and definitely beat out the Cactus V4s simply by being 2.4GHz, and having remote shutter capability.

If you don't ever plan to put the flash on the camera hotshoe or use eTTL triggering methods, I'd say go for a LumoPro LP160 ($160) or a Yongnuo YN-560 ($70 on Amazon). The LumoPro has a better reliability reputation. The YN-560s died early when they first came out. But rumor has it the newer metal-foot version doesn't suffer from the same bad-capacitor issues.

I just got a YN-560, and I love it. I found three separate qc inspection stickers on it (one in the battery door, another between the head and body, and a third on the main circuit board when I took the foot off to see if there was room to add a 3.5mm sync port {there is}). But I also have no fears in ripping a flash apart and trying to fix it, and $70 isn't a huge amount of money to me. YMMV.

I'd personally stay away from the YN-460 II or YN-462 simply because they don't have the zooming head or PC jack, and the 462 doesn't have the optical slave.

The reasons you want to go for the LP160 or YN-560 for manual off-camera work instead of a 430EX are that you'll a) have a PC port and b) a built-in optical slave. The optical slave may be all you need for a while as you learn off-camera flash, if you envision shooting indoors most of the time. And the slaves in both of these flashes can ignore the pre-flash burst from your T2i's pop-up flash. In addition, the LP-160 has a 3.5mm sync port which can be used for radio triggers, like the V5s or RF-602s.

[oldwolf]

If you know that you'll be using strictly manual flash then this is a great flash for you:

LumoPro LP160 Manual Flash

If you think you'll need ETTL and you'll be shooting on camera or connected to the camera via a cord then get the 430 EXII.

["Matthew"]

I use two YN-460 IIs for off camera. They are not the sturdiest of units but if its for studio work then you will be fine. I trigger them with cowboystudio radio triggers. $40 a pair, not yet one misfire and I still have yet to go out of their range. (including a fair distance in the desert)

Tip#1 Cowboystudio also makes good but inexpensive light-stands/umbrellas/soft-boxes

Tip#2 Use rechargeable battery's! I can go through 16 a week. This get expensive! Get the highest capacity(mAh) you can get and get at least 2 sets per flash.


Also, something to think about. if you only do studio stuff then you might want to think about AC studio lights.

[inkista]

Originally Posted by oldwolf

...If you think you'll need ETTL and you'll be shooting on camera or connected to the camera via a cord then get the 430 EXII.

But if you can afford it, get a 580EX II. The 360° swivel, extra stop of power, and the PC sync port make it more versatile than the 430EX II both on and off camera. To use a cord with the 430EX II, you'll need to get hotshoe adapters for both your camera and your flash.

[dalmorloson]

I also have a T2i and was in the same position you are just a short while ago. With the help of inkista and others on here I decided on the 580EXII and a LumoPro 160. I also got the Cactus v5 transcievers and love all of them. The 580EXII is a hard pill to swallow ($500) but is well worth it. If you can afford it, it is the way to go. You will have the top of the line Canon flash and won't have the regret of getting something smaller now and wanting more when you grow into (out of) it. These regulars on here really know what they're talking about! Thanks inkista!

[samlannin]

First of all let me thank you all for the help!! Its really nice to be able to ask questions on this! I love this site and will be using it a lot more!
I was reading up on the 580EX II and it gets really good reviews! I would really like to get this one!