Question about flashes and lighting? Ask it here.

[Village Idiot]

if you could only have one flash, would you get something like the canon 580ex2 or would you get some combo w/ the pocket wiz and some cheaper flash?

I used packet wizards on some Alien Bee's and they are super reliable, but they come with a price tag.
If you are going to be shooting from longer distances wirelessly or reliable is the #1 thing. Then go for the cheaper flash with the pocket wizards. If you are going to be shooting sorta close to the camera, then may want to just use the canon built in wireless system.
I dont shoot canon so im not really aware of what flashes they have or what are any good.

Canon does not have a built in wireless system like Nikon and some other manufactures that might. You need either an STE-2 (iir the model number correctly) or a 580ex, 580ex II, or the older 500 series flash on the camera to control the others.

 

[inTempus]

The DigiBee package will come with a PC Sync cable that will allow you to connect your camera to one of your Bee's. As noted, you only need to have a connection to one typically as the others when in slave mode will trip when the one fires.

 

[Misfitlimp]

if you could only have one flash, would you get something like the canon 580ex2 or would you get some combo w/ the pocket wiz and some cheaper flash?

I used packet wizards on some Alien Bee's and they are super reliable, but they come with a price tag.
If you are going to be shooting from longer distances wirelessly or reliable is the #1 thing. Then go for the cheaper flash with the pocket wizards. If you are going to be shooting sorta close to the camera, then may want to just use the canon built in wireless system.
I dont shoot canon so im not really aware of what flashes they have or what are any good.

I didnt know canon had a built in system. I own a 50D and a 580ex so your telling me i can trigger the 580 just with my camera?

 

[Village Idiot]

if you could only have one flash, would you get something like the canon 580ex2 or would you get some combo w/ the pocket wiz and some cheaper flash?

I used packet wizards on some Alien Bee's and they are super reliable, but they come with a price tag.
If you are going to be shooting from longer distances wirelessly or reliable is the #1 thing. Then go for the cheaper flash with the pocket wizards. If you are going to be shooting sorta close to the camera, then may want to just use the canon built in wireless system.
I dont shoot canon so im not really aware of what flashes they have or what are any good.

I didnt know canon had a built in system. I own a 50D and a 580ex so your telling me i can trigger the 580 just with my camera?

It doesn't, read below.

if you could only have one flash, would you get something like the canon 580ex2 or would you get some combo w/ the pocket wiz and some cheaper flash?

I used packet wizards on some Alien Bee's and they are super reliable, but they come with a price tag.
If you are going to be shooting from longer distances wirelessly or reliable is the #1 thing. Then go for the cheaper flash with the pocket wizards. If you are going to be shooting sorta close to the camera, then may want to just use the canon built in wireless system.
I dont shoot canon so im not really aware of what flashes they have or what are any good.

Canon does not have a built in wireless system like Nikon and some other manufactures that might. You need either an STE-2 (iir the model number correctly) or a 580ex, 580ex II, or the older 500 series flash on the camera to control the others.

A 580EX II on your 50D will control other Canon speed lights. If you had two 580EX II's or a 580EX II and a 430EX II, you could control the second light with a 580EX II.

The other option is to buy the Canon STE-2 wireless controller. It fits in the hotshoe and will fire other Canon flashes that are wireless TTL capable, remotely.

 

[musicaleCA]

And the ST-E2 can use ETTL. So it can also set ratios between groups A and B. A pretty handy little device, though I highly recommend having the OC-E3 cord (or something longer) to give you the option of pointing the darn thing in a different direction. It's directional, so it doesn't work terribly well outside.

 

[Clawed]

Q

I heard that Canon makes an inexpensive little kicklight that I can use in conjunction with my 430EX or 580EX. I want to know where I can find it (I did a search of B&H and could not find it), and if it is even worth having a flash unit like that that I can set up behind the subject to give them sort of a rim light (or ideas for other uses). Also, will it fire if it is directly behind my subject?

Thanks in advance!

 

[musicaleCA]

Why not just use a zoomed-in flash as a rim light? Works pretty well, I dare say. Flag the sides if you need to reduce horizontal spread.

Whether or not the darn thing fires is whole different ballgame. It all depends on how you're triggering it and the operating environment.

 

[Village Idiot]

Q

I heard that Canon makes an inexpensive little kicklight that I can use in conjunction with my 430EX or 580EX. I want to know where I can find it (I did a search of B&H and could not find it), and if it is even worth having a flash unit like that that I can set up behind the subject to give them sort of a rim light (or ideas for other uses). Also, will it fire if it is directly behind my subject?

Thanks in advance!

If you're talking about the new one, I believe it only works in TTL mode. Unless you're firing everything via Canon's wireless TTL, you be better going with a cheap manual flash.

 

[djdubey]

What lighting should I use for indoor fashion show shoot? I usually shoot outdoors with natural light. I have a Canon 50D and Sigma lenses 24-70 1.8f and 100-400mm f 2.8. I have no studio lights. Location where fashion show is has lots of overhead flourescent (I think) lighting and they provide a black drape for background still shot and rest is runway shots. Thanks for advice in advance!

 

[Village Idiot]

What lighting should I use for indoor fashion show shoot? I usually shoot outdoors with natural light. I have a Canon 50D and Sigma lenses 24-70 1.8f and 100-400mm f 2.8. I have no studio lights. Location where fashion show is has lots of overhead flourescent (I think) lighting and they provide a black drape for background still shot and rest is runway shots. Thanks for advice in advance!

What do you plan on spending? On camera or a ring light sounds like the best solution to me. Just because you're may not have the opportunity to actually setup off camera lighting.