Options
Help with Speedlights! So confused...
thonsu
Registered Users Posts: 64 Big grins
Hello! I have a Canon T2i, and I'm trying to find some ~$200 flashes that suit my needs. But I'm having some problems. Pardon the lengthy post. Also, I should note that I'm still somewhat of a novice at this stuff.
First of all, I'd like a flash with the following capabilities:
· ETTL
· Wireless optical master/controller function
· Multiple wireless "groups" which can have varied ratio of flash powers (or is it flash exposure values?)
· High speed sync
· Second curtain flash
· MOST IMPORTANT: the ability to control the flash entirely with my camera
So, basically, what I'd like is for me to turn on a couple flashes, one on top of the camera and one off camera, press buttons on them that allow high speed sync, make sure they're set to ETTL master and ETTL slave modes respectively, and go on shooting with no effort put into getting balanced exposures and without worrying about my sync speed. I'm not sure if this requires shooting in Manual mode or Aperture Priority mode or what.
I would then go through Canon's menu to change to second curtain flash, or the flash group ratios, or the flash exposure balance, etc.
I've been ordering different flashes, playing around with them, and returning them. I'm reaching the end of my rope.
I started with a Yongnuo 568EX II. It has everything I need except for the ability to optically control other slave ETTL flashes. As an on-camera flash bounced off the ceiling, it worked wonders. But I need the master/controller ability so that I can have more than one flash working automatically.
Next I tried a Sigma EF-610 DG SUPER. It supposedly had all the feature I wanted. However, its compatibility with my camera is dodgy at best. If I changed my ISO up or down, the resulting exposure got brighter or darker. That shouldn't happen with ETTL, correct? At least not in Aperture Priority. Sometimes it wouldn't fire the ETTL slave (Canon 270-EX II) and sometimes it would, without me changing a thing. It apparently doesn't have second curtain flash with my camera: the menu option in my camera was grayed out, and the flash itself wouldn't even make that option appear. No idea why this flash just wasn't working. My camera said that it was an incompatible flash when it came to setting custom functions.
Next, I tried the Canon 270-EX IIs mentioned above. They don't have the master ability, but I was thinking of just using them as cheap slaves. Turns out that they also don't have the ability to belong to different wireless "groups", which is important to me. I may have to go back to the Yongnuos for my slaves.
But what flash should I get as a master/controller? Additionally, does my camera have the ability, through its menu, to control the ratio of different flash groups? I've seen screen shots of the T3i's menu, and it appears there. However, it hasn't appeared with my T2i. But that may be because I've yet to have both an ETTL master and an ETTL slave, each with the ability to select a "group", and, therefore, my camera does not show a menu option for their ratios -- but maybe it would if I did have such flashes???
Again, sorry for the length. Also, sorry for the rambling. I'm so lost and I have no idea how to say this all concisely and coherently.
Thanks
-Tom
First of all, I'd like a flash with the following capabilities:
· ETTL
· Wireless optical master/controller function
· Multiple wireless "groups" which can have varied ratio of flash powers (or is it flash exposure values?)
· High speed sync
· Second curtain flash
· MOST IMPORTANT: the ability to control the flash entirely with my camera
So, basically, what I'd like is for me to turn on a couple flashes, one on top of the camera and one off camera, press buttons on them that allow high speed sync, make sure they're set to ETTL master and ETTL slave modes respectively, and go on shooting with no effort put into getting balanced exposures and without worrying about my sync speed. I'm not sure if this requires shooting in Manual mode or Aperture Priority mode or what.
I would then go through Canon's menu to change to second curtain flash, or the flash group ratios, or the flash exposure balance, etc.
I've been ordering different flashes, playing around with them, and returning them. I'm reaching the end of my rope.
I started with a Yongnuo 568EX II. It has everything I need except for the ability to optically control other slave ETTL flashes. As an on-camera flash bounced off the ceiling, it worked wonders. But I need the master/controller ability so that I can have more than one flash working automatically.
Next I tried a Sigma EF-610 DG SUPER. It supposedly had all the feature I wanted. However, its compatibility with my camera is dodgy at best. If I changed my ISO up or down, the resulting exposure got brighter or darker. That shouldn't happen with ETTL, correct? At least not in Aperture Priority. Sometimes it wouldn't fire the ETTL slave (Canon 270-EX II) and sometimes it would, without me changing a thing. It apparently doesn't have second curtain flash with my camera: the menu option in my camera was grayed out, and the flash itself wouldn't even make that option appear. No idea why this flash just wasn't working. My camera said that it was an incompatible flash when it came to setting custom functions.
Next, I tried the Canon 270-EX IIs mentioned above. They don't have the master ability, but I was thinking of just using them as cheap slaves. Turns out that they also don't have the ability to belong to different wireless "groups", which is important to me. I may have to go back to the Yongnuos for my slaves.
But what flash should I get as a master/controller? Additionally, does my camera have the ability, through its menu, to control the ratio of different flash groups? I've seen screen shots of the T3i's menu, and it appears there. However, it hasn't appeared with my T2i. But that may be because I've yet to have both an ETTL master and an ETTL slave, each with the ability to select a "group", and, therefore, my camera does not show a menu option for their ratios -- but maybe it would if I did have such flashes???
Again, sorry for the length. Also, sorry for the rambling. I'm so lost and I have no idea how to say this all concisely and coherently.
Thanks
-Tom
0
Comments
I have 4 - Sigma DG Super flashes and I've used them on 6 - different Canon dSLR bodies. They have been remarkably consistent and any fault has largely been mine. I also have 2 - Canon 580EX (the original) which are dependable workhorses. The 580EX flashes are a more durable construction and the user interface is much improved over the Sigma flashes. (Not that the Sigma flashes are that bad.)
None of these are particularly good at programming from the camera body, but all are good for what they are; reliable and consistent flashes. Programming is fastest and most straight-forward with the original 580EX, and I like the external controls of that model better than the button-pushing menu controls of the 580EX II.
If you want the easiest setup, go ahead and get a Canon 580EX II. It should program just fine from your body, and has the easiest flash ratio setup too (I believe).
If you use Canon FP/HSS mode understand that when the flash transits over to FP mode it will underexpose a bit. FP mode also reduces overall range, pretty dramatically, and I try not to use higher than 1/500th shutter speed.
http://neilvn.com/tangents/high-speed-flash-sync/
If you read that article you might conclude that you should not use FP/HSS mode at all. I still find it useful in bright sunlight and using the flash for fill:
In this case the couple is just barely in shade, so "very" open shade, on a bright, full sunshine day. The background was in more direct sunlight, so it needed taming. Exposure was f2.8 @ 1/500th, ISO 50. The flash had a "scoop" modifier on it, mostly to gain some height differential between the lens and the flash emittance.
Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
As for the Sigmas, for some reason the second curtain flash option is not available, even though it says it is compatible with the T2i on Sigma's website. I'll be returning these.
I have another question: Does anyone have any experience with mixing third party flashes and using ETTL or ITTL? If so, are all flashes fully functional when you have, say, a Nissin master and Yongnuo slaves working with wireless (optical) ETTL?
·Facebook·
I personally love ETTL - it's been very reliable for me. Once you understand how to dial flash exposure compensation in on the camera body while shooting, it's a no-brainer.
ETA: I tried mixing Canon + Yuonguo - not a success. However, maybe they have introduced updated models since then which perform better. YMMV, but I'd recommend purchasing from Amazon or somwhere else with an easy return policy............