Choices choices... Which one???

9ballprodigy · Jan 28, 2012

I need suggestions. I currently edit photos on a netbook and I only have the pop up flash of my d7000.

In the near future, my wife will let me buy either a brand new ips monitor off my friend who picked it up on black Friday for 190$ (21-23in?) or a used sb-700 whenever an affordable used version shows up on craigslist.

Which would you pick? I probably will get both sometime this year, but I'm getting one soon.

bazooka · Jan 28, 2012

It depends on what you need more. Do you need flash for what you shoot? Do you need an ips monitor?

I would go with the monitor because I have a billion flashes aleady, but I would invest in something else altogether. The monitor I use now is just fine for what I do (so far anyway, but don't think I haven't been considering it).

SCraig · Jan 28, 2012

Go with the monitor. And then get some calibration software. That will really help the quality of your editing because every time you move your netbook the light on the screen changes. Same for laptops. They really need a fixed monitor to be able to edit photographs properly.

sparks017 · Jan 28, 2012

Agreed with getting the monitor first. Unless you use flash a whole lot at the moment, the monitor will help with the post process of your photos. The finish of your work and what you share with clients, friends, family, etc.

Kerbouchard · Jan 28, 2012

I would go with the flash first. It will open up a lot of shots that simply are not possible with what you have now, allow you to better control your lighting, and will result in better images. If you aren't pleased with your edits now, you can always go back and edit them later when you get a better monitor, but at least you will have something worth editing.

analog.universe · Jan 28, 2012

I vote for the monitor as well. If you can't see what you're editing then you can't edit. Flash is great, but you don't need it on every shot, you do need a decent monitor for every shot.

When it does come time to get the flash, you might consider an all manual unit, considerably cheaper than the Nikon variants.

tirediron · Jan 28, 2012

Kerbouchard said:
I would go with the flash first. It will open up a lot of shots that simply are not possible with what you have now, allow you to better control your lighting, and will result in better images. If you aren't pleased with your edits now, you can always go back and edit them later when you get a better monitor, but at least you will have something worth editing.

^^ THIS!!!! What is the point of having a wonderful monitor on which to edit images that all have lighting issues? If you do it right, you shouldn't need to edit (Aside from minor cropping, straightening, etc - all of which can be done on any monitor). You're a photographer, photography is about light... need I say more?

kundalini · Jan 28, 2012

The flash!

cgipson1 · Jan 28, 2012

The flash will improve your shooting! The monitor will improve your editing. You need both..... which one is the more immediate need? Only you can answer that! (personally... I would go flash! Monitors are cheap, and readily available.)

Dao · Jan 28, 2012

The question, are you currently having problem with your editing? Did all the photos that you edit were off? If you post some example of the photo here, and most of the people do not see any issue with the edit (i.e. all photos were under/over exposed, color were all off), then my suggestion will be flash.

At this point, we know flash will for sure can improve your photos, but we are not sure if an IPS will though.

TheBiles · Jan 28, 2012

I vote for the flash. A good flash really opens you up to new shots that weren't possible before.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

Jeremy Z · Jan 29, 2012

Get the flash, then you won't need the monitor.

There's really no substitute for a good flash, especially a bounce flash. Even if you use a tripod to stop camera shake, you can't stop any moving subjects that way.

You can't fix flat, ugly lighting with a monitor, either.