Lighting Help

[wgp1987]

Hello. Right now im shooting with a 5d mkii and as some know there is no flash on this camera. I have been looking into a flash for months now and i have decided to get the metz 48 af1 flash for $199. I am asking my girlfriend for this for xmas. Do you think this will be the next step in doing more portrait and low light photography, other than buying a lens with f2.8?

 

[IgsEMT]

I think 580ex2 would be a way to go

 

[Derrel]

It would depend on what lens or lenses you already have for the 5D-II. A lot of portraits can be shot with manual focusing lenses. With a $17-$25 lens adapter, you could buy any number of low-priced but superb normal to short telephoto manual focus lenses from e-Bay for as little as $25-$50, and have some fine lenses for the 5D-II.

Pentax M42 thread mount lenses and Olympus OM-series lenses are the handiest lenses. The 5D-II is a fantastic camera body on which to use a 100,105,or 135mm telephoto lens. Some of the older Pentax Super-Takumar lenses are *really excellent* lenses for portraiture, like the Super-Takumar 135mm f/3.5 lens. This lens can be had for $40-$50,and it is a fine lens,even by modern standards.

If you want to shoot low-light, wide-open shots, a Pentax or Olympus 50mm f/1.4 or f/1.8 lens can be bought for $15-$50...with a full frame camera's large viewfinder, it's much easier to focus than it is with a crop-bodied camera with a smaller,squinty viewfinder. The 5D is a very popular camera for the alt. glass crowd that likes to shoot low-light stuff wide-open with superb manual focus lenses that don't cost $1799 or $699 or even $349, but more like $15 to $99.

 

[Village Idiot]

Skip the lens, learn about lighting. That's what makes portraiture.

http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html
http://www.lighting-essentials.com/
Etc..

 

[KmH]

Hello. Right now im shooting with a 5d mkii and as some know there is no flash on this camera. I have been looking into a flash for months now and i have decided to get the metz 48 af1 flash for $199. I am asking my girlfriend for this for xmas. Do you think this will be the next step in doing more portrait and low light photography, other than buying a lens with f2.8?

Are you planning on using the Metz on or off the camera's hot shoe?

If on the hot shoe, that's like putting a Briggs & Stratton go-kart engine in your '72 Camaro RS. It will get you down the road.......eventually.

Get two Vivitar 285HV ($90, ea) and an iShoot radio trigger set ($40, including shipping, with transmitter and 2 receivers) so you can do OCF.

 

[wgp1987]

Hello. Right now im shooting with a 5d mkii and as some know there is no flash on this camera. I have been looking into a flash for months now and i have decided to get the metz 48 af1 flash for $199. I am asking my girlfriend for this for xmas. Do you think this will be the next step in doing more portrait and low light photography, other than buying a lens with f2.8?

Are you planning on using the Metz on or off the camera's hot shoe?

If on the hot shoe, that's like putting a Briggs & Stratton go-kart engine in your '72 Camaro RS. It will get you down the road.......eventually.

Get two Vivitar 285HV ($90, ea) and an iShoot radio trigger set ($40, including shipping, with transmitter and 2 receivers) so you can do OCF.

those vivitars have poor build quality reviews.

you own that ishoot thingy?

 

[wgp1987]

It would depend on what lens or lenses you already have for the 5D-II. A lot of portraits can be shot with manual focusing lenses. With a $17-$25 lens adapter, you could buy any number of low-priced but superb normal to short telephoto manual focus lenses from e-Bay for as little as $25-$50, and have some fine lenses for the 5D-II.

Pentax M42 thread mount lenses and Olympus OM-series lenses are the handiest lenses. The 5D-II is a fantastic camera body on which to use a 100,105,or 135mm telephoto lens. Some of the older Pentax Super-Takumar lenses are *really excellent* lenses for portraiture, like the Super-Takumar 135mm f/3.5 lens. This lens can be had for $40-$50,and it is a fine lens,even by modern standards.

If you want to shoot low-light, wide-open shots, a Pentax or Olympus 50mm f/1.4 or f/1.8 lens can be bought for $15-$50...with a full frame camera's large viewfinder, it's much easier to focus than it is with a crop-bodied camera with a smaller,squinty viewfinder. The 5D is a very popular camera for the alt. glass crowd that likes to shoot low-light stuff wide-open with superb manual focus lenses that don't cost $1799 or $699 or even $349, but more like $15 to $99.

know a site with all those lenses listed?

 

[KmH]

Hello. Right now im shooting with a 5d mkii and as some know there is no flash on this camera. I have been looking into a flash for months now and i have decided to get the metz 48 af1 flash for $199. I am asking my girlfriend for this for xmas. Do you think this will be the next step in doing more portrait and low light photography, other than buying a lens with f2.8?

Are you planning on using the Metz on or off the camera's hot shoe?

If on the hot shoe, that's like putting a Briggs & Stratton go-kart engine in your '72 Camaro RS. It will get you down the road.......eventually.

Get two Vivitar 285HV ($90, ea) and an iShoot radio trigger set ($40, including shipping, with transmitter and 2 receivers) so you can do OCF.

those vivitars have poor build quality reviews.

you own that ishoot thingy?

I have 4 of the Vivitars (the re-introduced version, no problems with build quality), a couple amateurs I mentor have the iShoot triggers. They work well enough for the price. Last weekend they were working fine 200 feet from the camera.

 

[nickisonfire]

those vivitars have poor build quality reviews.

not to be rude but where the hell did you read that? Those things are built like tanks, just ordered another one actually.

 

[Village Idiot]

those vivitars have poor build quality reviews.

not to be rude but where the hell did you read that? Those things are built like tanks, just ordered another one actually.

There was a batch made where a lot of them were showing up DOA. This was an acknowledged problem. I have two and one went dead on me after owning it for not that long, I just never got it replaced.

 

[wgp1987]

those vivitars have poor build quality reviews.

not to be rude but where the hell did you read that? Those things are built like tanks, just ordered another one actually.

There was a batch made where a lot of them were showing up DOA. This was an acknowledged problem. I have two and one went dead on me after owning it for not that long, I just never got it replaced.

yep. thats what i read


ANYWAYS

how do you guys feel about continuos lights? i dont really need a flash right away if i could get some lamps to make due on a budget!

 

[nickisonfire]

Don't, just don't.

Pick up some YN-460s on ebay, slave them and call it a day.

 

[creisinger]

ANYWAYS

how do you guys feel about continuos lights? i dont really need a flash right away if i could get some lamps to make due on a budget!

If you own that camera and ask about continuous lighting it's like dragging a Ferrari by a horse.

Hot lights are only recommended if you need to do long exposure studio shots or if you can actually not afford a couple hundred bucks worth of speed lights.

Rather save up some money and get some speed lights with a remote trigger. You can get the trigger for around $25 from China on ebay.

And friend of mine and I got one and they work fine - it's not a Pocket Wizard but they will do the job.

 

[LarissaPhotography]

We have a 5D Mark II and there are certain situations where we use continuous light. We do a lot of natural light with 50mm 1.4 lens. We also do speedlights. Different setups for different situations. There's not a "perfect" way to use the camera. Natural light with a 50mm 1.8 lens will probably be your cheapest bet.

 

[wgp1987]

So it seems if I don't go all out then I shouldn't go at all! Lol .... I really want a metz 48 af1 ttyl flash but since I read a review about the tilt being weak I feel I should just sc@rape up some cash for the 58 af1 because more light is better and I won't be able to buy a light that could replace the versatility of a flash. Correct?

Also considering the vivitars mentiond