First time playing with the Quantarays

[stsinner]

I took this shot with a Quantaray MS-1 sitting on the kitchen table.. I don't quite understand them yet, but I bought two just for fun.. I wondered how they can fire fast enough to be effective when they sense the firing of your flash in order to fire wirelessly.. Turns out, you have to be creative and use slow flash, etc.. AUTO doesn't work..

I took this picture of my wife icing cupcakes with my baby girl helping.. Although pros will rip it all to hell, I thought it was pretty neat.. I probably couldn't take it again if I tried.. The Quantaray remote is sitting just above my daughter's elbow on the table..

What do you think? I thought it was.......um.....kooky.

 

[Elle2]

I actually like this. Its different and unique.

 

[stsinner]

I actually like this. Its different and unique.

Thank you. I thought it was neat the way the cupcakes are the only thing that seem to be in focus, even though the bottles and things on the table were also static..

 

[BTilson]

I also have two Quantaray MS-1's. I think you'll get the best results if you set your cameras flash to full manual and crank it down as low as it can go (unless you WANT your on camera flash to affect the shot). On my D40, even with the flash at 1/64th power, it's still plenty bright enough to trigger my flashes. I love these things, especially for the price.

Check out this thread I posted recently. http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=145076

I shot these with my Quantaray's diffused with semi-clear milk jugs! I think that for the price, I got some pretty nice lighting out of them!

 

[stsinner]

I also have two Quantaray MS-1's.

You are the reason I have them... I read your stuff and for $20 each, how can you go wrong, so I bought two. Then I bought a pair of tripods with umbrellas, but they haven't arrived yet. My goal is to take portraits of my kids to avoid going to a professional. What I need now is to come up with a decision on a background.. I saw a setup on eBay for $79 that included two tripods that went up to 7' tall and had a bar that you put between them.. Maybe I'll go for that. I like your idea of simply using material as in the pictures at the other end of that link you provided. Those are good pictures.