I need a portable flash suggestion

[GerryDavid]

Its time for me to buy a proper flash for outside portraits. Ive been using vivitar 285 hv's for years now, but for some reason I seem to be going through them like they were disposable. I think ive bought 7 of them and I have 2 left that are working. I think one failed becuase I was using it outside when it was raining, im pretty sure I kept it dry but maybe it got damp or its just a coincidence. I did drop a couple of them from maybe 4', but I havent dropped a flash yet this year *knocks on wood* hehe.

Last year I used a bounce card on my flash and this year I have stepped it up to using a 40" white umbrella to get a softer light outside. Im not 100% sure I can see a difference, I need to do a test shoot again. But using the umbrella does cause me to loose some power/distance.

I dont care about auto this and that, im use to using a flash on manual and adjusting power as I go. I would prefer the flash to be weather resistant, just in case. I also want something that is at least as powerful as my vivitar 285's that have a general gn of 110, but preferably more powerful. But I definetly want to have faster cycling time.

I try to do most of my outdoor portraits in the shade so the flash is just a fill flash to brighten the eyes and face, but I would like to get more into broad daylight photography, putting the sun behind them and using the flash to balance the exposure, which means I have to use my vivitars at full power and the cycle time just kills the flow.

I generally work by myself, no assistant other than asking a seniors parents to hold the flash for me. Its easier to get them to hold the umbrella right than a reflector so that is why I haven't been using the reflectors.

My first instinct is to go with a canon flash but then it occured to me that it might be a waste of money since my triggers wont be using the eos metering and its not a feature I will probably use.

Sorry for rambling. Can anyone suggest a good off camera flash that is fast cycling, powerful and weather proof? And preferably wont break the bank. Ill probably have to spend about $500 on this. Which would buy me about 12 vivitar's on ebay, hmmm.

 

[cgipson1]

OEM flashes are usually far superior the the third party flashes.. in build quality, reliability, weather proofing, etc! Even if you don't use the TTL capability, you will still be getting a much better flash! There is a reason they cost more!

You an also get external battery packs to cut down on the recycle time... they work well.

I don't shoot Canon... so can't help with specifics...

 

[Village Idiot]

LumoPro LP160?

It's sold by MPEX.com and they back up their products.

 

[GerryDavid]

I dont mean no name brands. just like in lenses, there are some off brands that deliver great quality like tokina. I figured the same had to work for flashes. like if elinchrom were to make a portable flash.

and external battery packs is an intersting idea.

on a side note I bought a ac/dc connector for my 283 flash figuring ti would make it cycle faster and it actually took longer than using batteries.

 

[analog.universe]

I use the LP160s, and I love them... I'm not sure about their durability under the conditions described however. The recycle is fast and they also take external packs to go even faster, but I'd be really afraid to have them out in the rain. They're well priced for their power and build though, and they've never been unreliable for me.

I think in your circumstance though I'd go for a 580ex II or the new 600. The Canon brand stuff is just built to a higher spec, and you pay for it.

 

[GerryDavid]

who makes the lp160? *goes to search*

 

[analog.universe]

LumoPro, Village Idiot mentioned it first so I got a little shorthandy...

It was designed based on feedback from the community at strobist.com, and MPEX.com is the main distributor.

 

[Village Idiot]

I dont mean no name brands. just like in lenses, there are some off brands that deliver great quality like tokina. I figured the same had to work for flashes. like if elinchrom were to make a portable flash.

and external battery packs is an intersting idea.

on a side note I bought a ac/dc connector for my 283 flash figuring ti would make it cycle faster and it actually took longer than using batteries.

They do. Pick your poison.
Ranger | Elinchrom

 

[Mach0]

Since you are using manual flashes, pick up some old Nikon speedlights( sb28 etc.) Pretty strong and take battery packs. Just don't fire too many in a row. You will cook the flash.

 

[GerryDavid]

how many is to many in a row?

I usually take 3 or 4 shots of each pose, maybe double that or triple that if I use different angles but I dont do that to often. Then were off to the next location and/or pose. I range from 150 to 250 pictures in an hour session. it may seem like a lot but they are in sets of 3 or 4 of almost the same thing, just slight differences in facial expressions, usually there is 1 they love and the rest are forgettable which is why I do it the way it is, want to make sure I get that one they love.

 

[analog.universe]

how many is to many in a row?

That will depend on how hot you're running the flash. At 1/1 power, you'll overheat much more easily than 1/8...

I saw a YouTube photographer once advocate putting 2 speedlights in each umbrella. You run them each at half what you normally would to get faster recycles + lower temperature + better battery life. It doesn't sound to me like the type of shooting you do will be a problem however.

When I first got my LumoPro's I was playing around with some water drop shots, and definitely fired them at 1/32 at least 1500 times in an hour.

 

[Mach0]

Some sites say ten full power flashes in 10 minutes. I've never tried it. I would just keep that in mind. I haven't run into that problem but I'm havent put it to the test or shot with flash in burst mode.

 

[2WheelPhoto]

I dont mean no name brands. just like in lenses, there are some off brands that deliver great quality like tokina. I figured the same had to work for flashes. like if elinchrom were to make a portable flash.

and external battery packs is an intersting idea.

on a side note I bought a ac/dc connector for my 283 flash figuring ti would make it cycle faster and it actually took longer than using batteries.

They do. Pick your poison.
Ranger | Elinchrom

^^^^those

 

[GerryDavid]

I couldnt find the sb28 on bh so I found a review, and it said the gn is only 36? seems rather weak compared to the gn 110 of the vivitar 285 an gn 190 of the canon one.

 

[Mach0]

I couldnt find the sb28 on bh so I found a review, and it said the gn is only 36? seems rather weak compared to the gn 110 of the vivitar 285 an gn 190 of the canon one.

It's either 118 or 128.Cant remember off the top of my head.