Question about external flash
Melodina
Registered Users Posts: 46 Big grins
Hey guys .... I'm new ...... this is my first post. I know this is controversial but my niece is getting married and doesn't have a lot of money. They have asked me to photograph their wedding. I've read all the "shoulds" and "should nots" about using a camera such as my Canon S5 IS. But that is what I will be using. They said they would buy me an external flash for the wedding shots. I'm wondering what my best bet would be? I also have noticed while researching that an "all in one lens" would be an essential. I know this is amateurish but I'm still excited and can't wait for this opportunity. I plan to do the best I can with what I've got. I'm open for your suggestions. The wedding is the end of February, 2011.
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Until you can show them images taken in similar circumstances, settings and lighting, to an actual church setting, you cannot do it. Don't just assume that you somehow can do it.
Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
Strobist and Speedliting sites are useful for getting oriented.
Not impossible to get good results from where you're starting, but you will have to be on top of things, whatever the things.
Neil
http://www.behance.net/brosepix
There's so many dynamics to flash if shooting direct or bounce. Bounce with high ceilings will make your photos so dark you'll go to direct, direct will look flat and blah. while bounce with the white card or diffuser will give you nice light with high ceilings. More advanced is take the flash off the camera and shoot with it. just be careful. Oh lastly.... Do a contract.. don't care if they are friends, friends sue.
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I shot a wedding with a Fuji 602, for a similar situation. They loved the pics. I dont know your camera so a flash recommendation may be tough. But a dedicated flash for your camera would be the best bet.
It's not what you look at that matters: Its what you see!
Nikon
http://www.time2smile.smugmug.com
If I had to do it all over again I would have skipped the Canon flashes and bought a Sigma EF 530 DG super (not the ST). It comes very highly recommended by Ziggy here on the forum. It has a feature set much closer to the Canon 580ex2 flash while having price and power closer to the Canon 430EX flash.
So my suggestion for flash, for you, would be the Sigma EF 530 DG super. Then start looking around this forum for do it yourself flash modifiers. The one I made is the DIY foam scoop reflector and it performs very well for what I use it for and costs virtually nothing to make.
Then go read in the technique section of this forum and ask lots of questions there on how to use it. Most of all get it (or another flash) soon and practice. Using the flash on these cameras is very different then on a Canon S series camera. For what it is worth I had both the S1 and S3 before I went DSLR.
Best of luck at the wedding and congratulations.
I am glad to see you've graduated to the dslr realm....the price paid was probably decent if bought in your town...but I do not really know canon....60D suppose to be good.......if there is any way to afford 2 lenses i will suggest Sigma 24-70 / 70-200 f2.8 (on both)......I have been using these lenses for many years (have used sigma for over 30yrs....never had a bad lens from them)....as too flash...the best canon flash that you can afford (nothing less than the 430EX)....for you a beginner camera manufacturers flashes are normally the best to work with.....down the road you can start looking for Sigma or Metz or another brand to add to your lighting kit...or you may decide you want to stay with the canon flashes.......
for your upcoming wedding rent a fast lens and a canon flash,,,,this link lands on the canon flash rental page ....in the end it can save you money from buying something and not liking it....
also for your wedding you need to shoot in raw just incase the camera mis exposes something...raw can save you, even if you not sure what it is....a raw converter may have come bundled with your camera......
also you need 1 more 8gb card at least...they are pretty inexpensive at new egg and again I will recommend Transcend 600x 8gb cards....yep I use them also the 600x on top should be used for processional and recessional for sure.....that is where the fastest action is until it is time for dance and tossing of bouquet and garter again you need a fast reacting card......If money is a prob...then the 133X will work but there may be times of waiting for the camera to write to the card
As to shooting raw....if you can get a total of 3 cards then shoot in raw+largest jpg.......that way if all the pix are acceptable then you can just deliver the jpgs but if not then you have those fantastic raw files to fall back on.....for me raw is like the medium format film I used to shoot so much, so much more can ber done to it and with it than with jpgs (I almost think of jpgs as Polaroid instant film......)
That is all I can think of at this time....Good Luck
Has anyone ever heard about Ryther Camera online?
Our Price: $1,929.00
Buy This Kit & Receive a FREE 8GB Professional CompactFlash (CF) Card
Package 20 Canon 7D plus PRO Sigma 17-70mm & PRO Sigma 70-300mm APO Lenses, Memory, Backpack and More - 20 Item Package
This Kit Includes
Canon EOS 7D, 18 MegaPixel Digital SLR Camera Body
Sigma Zoom Super Wide Angle AF 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5 DC Macro Autofocus Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras
Sigma Zoom Telephoto 70-300mm f/4-5.6 APO DG Macro Autofocus Lens For Canon
8GB Professional CompactFlash (CF) Card
High-Speed CompactFlash Card Reader
Flexible Mini Table Top Tripod
Lens Pouch
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CapKeeper
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Universal Screen Protectors
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Memory Card Wallet
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Flash Fixers Image Recall Sofware - Recover Your Digital Images
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Remote Switch For Canon Digital SLR Pro Cameras F/40D/50D
318AF Digital Slave Flash For Use With Digital Or Film Cameras
http://www.resellerratings.com/store/Ryther_Camera
They have a 9.2 rating.
B and H video http://www.bhphotovideo.com/ (9.83 reseller rating)
and
Adorama http://www.adorama.com/ (9.47 reseller rating)
are two other online stores you might want to check out that many of people on dgrin are familiar with.
http://www.danalphotos.com
http://www.pluralsight.com
http://twitter.com/d114
If you want Canon, the 60D is fine but the 7D is better.
Constant aperture, f2.8 zoom lenses are much better because they activate a special feature of these cameras; at f2.8 the center AF sensor becomes more accurate. That means that even if you shoot at f4-f5.6 you will benefit because AF is sampled at the lens's maximum aperture. You also gain a brighter viewfinder with a larger aperture lens.
A fairly good Canon beginner wedding system might include:
Additionally you can make DIY flash modifiers easily and cheaply. The ones I recommend are:
http://www.fototime.com/inv/908195739C4C0D3
http://abetterbouncecard.com/
Joe Demb also makes an interesting device for sale (reasonable):
http://www.dembflashproducts.com/flipit/
I own a FlipIt product and it works well and is very well made.
Feel free to go to Adorama or B&H and just copy and paste the descriptions I provided in the search field of either vendor to find the appropriate items. Just make sure that you find the lenses with Canon mount and that the flash is made for Canon E-TTL II. If you need clarification, just ask here.
You "can" use the Nikon D50 as a backup camera but it does mean that you need to practice with both cameras since they share nothing in common. Renting the same camera that you purchase is a better idea as a backup but remember that you also need lenses and flashes backed up as well.
A wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime event (ideally) and after it's over all that's left is the wedding dress, the cake topper (sometimes) and the photos. It's the photos and potentially videos that will be shared and treasured especially if they are of high quality.
What I said before still stands; until you can prove, to yourself and to the bride and groom, that you can produce images that are of sufficient quality to satisfy your expectations, as well as those of the bride and groom, you are not ready to shoot the wedding. Factor in the stress of the day and the time constraints and you get an idea just how difficult this task can be. If you have an equipment failure just make sure that you have the backup camera/lens/flash ready and available and that you can switch to the new system without delay.
I know this probably sounds like tough advice but it's more like "tough love" because everybody has a "first" wedding to shoot, but it's much safer if you are the "second" photographer for your first event.
Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
Thank you, thank you, thank you ALL for your help!
I was reviewing the order that you said, Ryther has great prices because they are NON USA models. If they break, canon won't fix them just like nikon wont fix grey market items.
"""" Canon EOS 7D, 18 MegaPixel Digital SLR Camera Body (Imported)
Designed for pros and semi-pros alike, the Canon EOS 7D is a high-"""
Not that there is a big problem with grey market, but I do always order usa models, 1 for the warranty, 2 for the fact of these may/may not be able to be serviced by 'authorized' dealers.
Imported = Grey Market.
BH
1479.00 Camera
369.00 Lens
209.00 300 Lens
10.00 flash (amazon)
2070.00
Memory cards you can buy at walmart for 20-30
The flash you bought is basically a higher up popup flash. I know when asking for advice, it might be best to take a little bit of it Either you will become VERY proficient with the flash having to shoot in low light but working with a very low power flash or you will see pics just as you would with using the pop up flash. Don't try to use that flash to power a whole room or church, much less a large reception room. That flash will fall off so fast.
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I love animoto
One thing that I used to learn from these 'brooklyn' shops is that they will take AGES to get your items to you, secondly they try to upsell you more stuff, if you dont buy it, SORRY WERE OUTTA STOCK.
I like your recommendations for the wedding, My favorites to shoot with are the 50mm 1.4, and a 2.8 zoom lens fixed. We'll see how it goes. All the items from that ryther appear to be greymarket when you open up the more info tab.
MD Website
MD Store Site
Mark + Lindsay Facebook
I love animoto
It's not what you look at that matters: Its what you see!
Nikon
http://www.time2smile.smugmug.com
Good for you! I was watching this thread...and cringing! These damn things are way too expensive to buy from hit/miss and disreputable folks.
I know! I broke my shutter on a New D300 two years ago within twenty minutes of receiving it and opening the package! I had to send it back and get another one. The replacement was on it's way before the end of the first day and....only that kind of issue can make you very very happy you bought from where you did! It happens! Always worth the price when it comes to Service...and really, Service is all there is when it comes to many commodities!
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MD Store Site
Mark + Lindsay Facebook
I love animoto
Now back to the wedding shoot. As ziggy pointed out This is one realm you dont want to get into until you are ready, ever see the show bridezilla?
There really is no such critter as an all in one lens. Some zooms are OK but keep in mind that as a rule of thumb the degradation in image quality is directly related to the zoom range.
Family can go either way with wedding photos. They will either be pleased with whatever they can get or will blame you if they are less than professional results. Problem is you cant get rid of family.
In the meantime if you plan on going through with it I would highly suggest getting access to where the wedding is going to be and pack along a willing model with you to get in some practice shots. You will either get it right off the bat or at least eliminate what not to do thereby increasing your chance of success. One thing to keep in mind if you are using a camera mounted external flash is to bounce it. direct flash is horrible!
I agree that this is very likely not your best bet for a wedding kit. In fact, I have seen very few "kits" that thrill me to the bone.
I would seriously look at the 17-50mm f/2.8 Tamron zoom; VC or non-VC (the non VC model is "said" to have better IQ). A mid-range zoom with a constant f/2.8 aperture is, while not absolutely essential for wedding photography, is highly recommended. You will have better focusing and a brighter viewfinder. You can also work in lower light levels if you desire to do some available light shooting.
The 70-200mm f/2.8 lens is quite nice for weddings but, a photographer can do a very respectable job with a lens of around 17 to 50-55mm. However a second, back up, outfit is almost mandatory. People shoot weddings with a single camera/lens but, Murphy's Law of Wedding Photography states: "The possibility of equipment malfunction is in a direct relationship to the lack of back-up equipment and in an inverse relationship to that availability!"
A hotshoe flash of the Sigma 530 (series) type combined with a good diffuser reflector can provide excellent lighting. I have used virtually every type of diffuser reflector available; ranging from from the low tech (but fairly efficient) 3x5 index card, through the Stofen, through several types of home fabricated reflector diffusers and even a Chinese Knock-Off of the Gary Fong Whale's Tail. My favorite of all, and the one that I consistently use is the Joe Demb Flash Diffuser Pro. ( www.dembflashproducts.com ) The big plus with this unit is the variable Flip-It reflector which facilitates good lighting even when the ceiling is too dark or too high or when you are shooting outdoors at night.
It can be set up so that you can shoot either in the landscape or the portrait position and still get good lighting with on-camera flash.
IMO, a good flash lit shot is one that doesn't look like flash has been used but, rather looks like natural available lighting.
The Flash Diffuser pro has a diffuser that is in front of the flash reflector and additionally softens the light.
The Flash Diffuser pro will not require you to sell a kidney to finance it. It is quite reasonably priced for the job it does.
To bring your flash images up one more notch, a flash bracket might help. However, a shoe mounted, bounced flash modified with a good diffuser reflector will certainly put you in the ballpark quality-wise.
When I shot my first wedding about 40 years ago; I used a written script to ensure that I did not miss any requisite shots. Over the years, I added and subtracted to the list of shots, although I no longer carried a written list as soon as I was comfortable shooting weddings but, I still kept the list up to date.
Drop me an email and I will forward you the final list I was using. The list will not be all the shots possible at a wedding but, if you get these shots, you will have complete wedding coverage.
Another idea would be to peruse the various wedding related magazines and look at the websites of wedding photographers for coverage ideas. After all, imitation is the surest form of flattery.
Finally, if possible make a prior visit to the wedding and reception venues so you will not have any nasty surprises. Shoot a few images to get the "feel" of the areas.