Finding the right flash for my 550D/T2i

[nhodgkinson]

Hi, I have a T2i or 550D depending where you are and am going away in a few weeks. I would like to take some pictures while away and will need to use a flash. I have never used the one on board my camera and I know nothing about what's out there to buy these days.
I need one that will fire remotely within my local range, let's say 5 meters. One that dose not need to be attached to the camera with any wires or such, someone seemed to think that the camera could control some flashes remotely and someone else disagreed and yet another chap suggested that the camera could control some flashes but it's on-board flash would also fire, this would make it completely useless to me.
Dose anyone know of a simple and cheap flash that I could pick up that would do this job for me? Or if not what I would need to buy to accomplish this with my camera?

 

[CameraClicker]

I have a T2i. I use a 430 EX II with it because it is versatile and smaller than the 580 EX and 600 EX RT. The T2i does not control other flashes. If you want wireless control of off-camera flash you will need a radio or IR controller. Since IR is line of sight, radio is a better bet. Pocketwizard makes a series that gives TTL control, and works with the T2i. Canon now offers the 600 EX RT flash and a radio to support multiple flash units.

I think it was the T3i that introduced a flash commander feature. That permits you to control a 430, 580 or 600 via the pop-up flash, which if configured properly only fires before the shutter opens, so light from the pop-up does not affect the image, even though you see it flash.

Some flash units have a slave mode. If they see a flash, any flash, they fire. They are strictly manual mode, when used like that, since they don't "talk" back to the source. And, the source is firing while the shutter is open.

 

[Scatterbrained]

Yongnuo makes a solid line of flashes and triggers that mimic the functionality of Canon gear for a fraction of the cost. If you're on a budget I'd recommend starting there.

Amazon.com: yongnuo canon

 

[nhodgkinson]

Thank's guys. Shame about the T3i. I'll have a look at the Youngnuo to start with, thanks for the tip.

 

[alden11]

The aperture you chose is not helping. Use a smaller aperture.
The distance to your subject is probably something that you can't do much about, but if you own the flowers, you can always "arrange" them. If you don't want OOF flowers in the background, bend them out of the frame. Select the ones you want and group them together using some twisty-ties. Personally, I don't mind seeing some OOF flowers in the frame, particularly if they are the same flowers as the main subject.