50mm or a flash?

[DCBarner]

So, I primarily shoot indoors with available light. My kit lens is starting to drive me crazy and at times frustrates me so badly I just put my camera away. I know that's childish, but ... well, you know. What I am wondering is, should I go and get a flash or should I get a 50mm 1.8 EF II. I hate using my stock (deer in headlights) flash. I'm not sure if I'll like the more sophisticated flash, but I need to get more light into my camera somehow. What are your thoughts?

Thanks and Happy New Year -

Dane

[flomaster]

I was in the same boat... I bought a 35mm over the 50mm I wanted a faster lens with greater DOF. I will get a flash down the road, but I have noticed a big difference with my indoor shots and my 35mm lens.

-=Jason=-

[inkista]

If you're comfortable shooting in Manual mode and swapping stops among aperture, iso, and shutter speed, and you want to learn lighting, then get a flash.

If you're not quite there, yet, get the EF 50mm f/1.8. Or maybe wait until February to see if Canon releases a $200 35/1.8 like Nikon has.

The 50/1.8 will help you out with available light (just remember its powers are finite--there will still be a level of darkness where you won't be able to handhold it) and much more cheaply than an EX speedlight would. And will show you what wider apertures are all about, both in terms of depth of field and focusing issues, as well as in terms of shooting in lower light.

The speedlight will be more expensive but will a) be useful with every lens you own, and b) will let you shoot in the dark, and c) can be a lot of fun to learn. I think before deciding on purchasing a flash, though, that you'll want to do some reading. I'd recommend Planet Neil and the Strobist as starting points.

[luminescent]

Originally Posted by DCBarner

So, I primarily shoot indoors with available light. My kit lens is starting to drive me crazy and at times frustrates me so badly I just put my camera away. I know that's childish, but ... well, you know. What I am wondering is, should I go and get a flash or should I get a 50mm 1.8 EF II. I hate using my stock (deer in headlights) flash. I'm not sure if I'll like the more sophisticated flash, but I need to get more light into my camera somehow. What are your thoughts?

Thanks and Happy New Year -

Dane

You have a few options available to you..


1. Use a tripod - doesn't get more light in but it helps with camera shake. Doesn't help if your subject is moving but better than hand-holding.

2. Faster glass - f/1.8 or faster is what I use indoors.

3. Higher ISO - you should be able to do ISO 1600 and use neatimage or noise ninja for noise removal.

2 & 3 will give you the ability to use a faster shutter speed..

Don't omit flash from the equation just because you don't like the look of your built-in/onboard flash. Get yourself an off camera shoe cord or do whatever it takes to get your flash offf camera and either onto a stand or holding it in your left hand, high and slightly off to the side.

If you really want to learn how to improve your flash pictures, GOOGLE for "strobist." A strobist is someone who likes to experiment with flash and create amazing flash-lit images using at least one or more off-camera flash. But strobists also, usually, tell you how they did it. If they don't, ask.

Here's a strobist image or our little yorkshire-terrier/bishion frise mix, shot in a REALLY moody, dark basement room. As you can see by examining the catch lights in her eyes, 2 flashes were used. One flash was a Canon 430EX and the other a Canon 550EX. One on the floor in slave mode and the other on the camera shoe.



Hope this helps..


Regards,

Ray

[Chip]

If you get good enough with a flash, you can get a narrow enough aperture to get a larger DOF.

While fast glass is great, shooting wide open does limit DOF, especially if your subject is close to your lens (as is often the case indoors).

My 2 cents.

[Cam Monroe]

Back when I asked myself this same question.....I answered "both"

[A Team]

I think you would eventually want both, but given that you like to shoot indoors, I would get a flash first. Even with a 50mm, you may find that you still want to control the light. But, if you like the natural light look, and you have great natural light, well, maybe you want to 50 mm. Sorry, I am not much help...tough decision!

[inkista]

I'd also say get both, but get the 50 first, then the flash, if you're new and just learning SLR photography. Because the 50 is hecka easier to master than a flash.

As I said, you want to be firmly grounded in exposure basics before starting with flash, because it's not as simple as just "adding light" to the photo--you are now combining two different exposures: ambient and flash together in a single image. If you haven't thoroughly mastered the ambient portion of the exposure, you have no hope in hell of controlling the flash part, too.

With ambient exposure, you only have to juggle three things: iso, aperture, and shutter speed. But if you add flash, you throw in two more things to juggle: power and distance, and your shutter speed will not behave the way you expect it to when you when it comes to the flash portion of the exposure. And if you're shooting Canon, and you're trying to do flash photography with a speedlight and the camera in Aperture-priority or Shutter-priority modes, you're really not going to get the behavior you expect, if you think this is going to be like the pop-up flash but with a few more fancy features.

To me, flash photography is a more "advanced" subject. That doesn't mean it's hard or that you can't learn it. But you need to nail down the basics of what aperture settings will do for you first. And that's what the 50/1.8 can really teach you--as well as getting you into better mental composition habits by restricting the focal length and teaching you to "zoom with your feet." To me, the thrifty fifty is a more basic tool.

[DCBarner]

Thank you for your responses. I think that I'll start with the 50 mm. In the conversation, I realize that I'm doing okay with the exposure triangle when it comes to just exposure, but not awesome with DOF. I don't think I'm quite ready to throw in two more things. Thank you all for your help.

Off to shop glass-

Dane