Help with flash advice please

havanese

What a wonderful thread for info. If you could give some thought to my setup that would be great.

I am pure amateur. I want this setup for portraits of my two year old and possibly up to five or six people as a group shot.

Equipment:

Rebel XTi
Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM Len
Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L USM Telephoto Zoom Len
Canon 430EX II Flash
Background stand and paper rolls for backdrop

I am going to buy a 580EX II unless you think another 430EX would be just as good for my setup (I do shoot outside on trails at state parks).
I was also looking at the Sekonic L-358 Flash Master for a meter.

I want to keep the TTL if possible for my setup.

This is what I was thinking

Using the 580 as my main light (unless another 430 would work), my 430 that I own now as a fill light. and then what could I use as a light to shine on the backdrop?

Would I put brolly boxes on both the main and fill flashes? ...what is the difference in brolly boxes versus softboxes?

What is a good stand to buy to hold the flash/box setup?

If I use the wireless transmitter/rvr that Art Scott mentioned can I use it with TTL and do they work well with my Canon 430/580 flashes?

Alot of questions..I know...but your help would be wonderful

ziggy53

I moved this to a new thread so we don't hijack the other thread.

photogreen

havanese wrote:

Using the 580 as my main light (unless another 430 would work), my 430 that I own now as a fill light. and then what could I use as a light to shine on the backdrop?

Do you want to you a new flash as a master? 430ex won't do that. 580EX is the only option (you said you want to use ETTL, right?).
Alternatively, you can buy an infrared transmitter to control all you flashes (it'll be the master), in which case you can buy any E-TTL compatible flash (and not necessarily Canon).
Hope this helps.

pathfinder

Only the 580ex, the 580ex II or the discontinued 550ex can function as a master. The 420ex and the 430ex are limited to being a hot shoe flash, or a slave. The do not offer the ability to be a master.

An ST-E2 IR controller can act as a master, and I use one for this purpose quite frequently. An ST-E2 can only control two groups of flashes - A and B, unlike the 580ex and its variants, which can control groups A,B,and C.

You can use manual flashes in conjunction with main and key light that are shooting in ETTL. If all you want to do it light a background with a consistent amount of light, frame to frame, a manual flash that allows manual control of output, and optical triggering is quite useful. I use a Vivitar 285HV for this from time to time. Sunpak makes manual flashes for this also.

MPEX offers a manual-only flash for the Strobist groups here - that will trigger optically. MPEX will sell them to anyone desiring them. You do not have to be a Strobist member to buy a Strobist kit or manual flash
http://www.mpex.com/browse.cfm/4,12311.html

I like the Sekonic L-358 with the optional Pocket Wizard transmitter built in module - it allows you to set up your flashes ( if they are triggered via Pocket Wizards - which may or may not be ETTL, but are not unless you have the newest, latest versions ) pop them with the flashmeter and be ready to go to work.


ETTL is great for kids and candids at close range, who are wandering around independent of your desires. If you can tell your subject - sit THERE, or STAND There and Stay There - shooting manual flash is very nice. If the flash to subject does not change, the exposure does not change either, so you simply set your exposure values, - shutter speed and aperture and ISO into your camera in manual mode, and fire away.

I have a number of links about the EOS flash system in all its varieties here They are worth a perusal if you are shooting EOS or non-EOS flash.