Advice on lens to photograph my new twins...

[Big Mike]

Well, the Sto-fen does have a place when it comes in handy.

When you aim the flash up to the ceiling for bounce, the angle of light hitting the subject is now from above...and like midday sunlight, it can cause raccoon eye shadows. So what the sto-fen does (what most flash accessories do) is to split the light. It lets most of it go up for the bounce, but it throws some forward to help fill in the shadows. It may also spread some light in all direction, so that it bounces off of walls etc. That's all well and good when you're in a small or medium sized room, but outdoors or in a large room, they are just a waste. But the problem that 'most people' seem to have, is that they just use it all the time, because they think it always helps.
And another 'problem', if you will, is that you can basically get the same fill light while bouncing by strapping a white business card to the back of the flash.

I'd suggest seeing what you can do just bouncing without it, then try it on. Just remember to think about when it's helping and when it's not.

 

[Derrel]

Twin-lens reflex

 

[unpopular]

HAHA Derrel. We think alike