Speedlite off camera: modifiers ?

[ecphoto]

I took some time off and am getting back into it. 3 years ago I used a SB-700 off camera with a set of Yongnuo TTL triggers. I really like using that to make my outdoor portraits better. I used it on a light stand with a silver umbrella, with mixed results and often hand to bump the FEC a lot!

Getting back into it, I picked up a Olympus m10 mkii and love it. I just got the godox X1T transmitter and their TT350 Speedlite. They work great and are such a killer value.

I'm just wondering what others do to modify the light or what techniques or setups others use.

Any advice would be good,
Thanks.

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[Designer]

White umbrella most often, and I've used ceilings, walls, and white foamcore.

 

[tirediron]

A 42" or 72" reflecting umbrella is my 'go-to' modifier for field work. Folds up neatly, compact, travels well, and cheap to replace when they take a nose-dive off of a cliff!

 

[ecphoto]

A 42" or 72" reflecting umbrella is my 'go-to' modifier for field work. Folds up neatly, compact, travels well, and cheap to replace when they take a nose-dive off of a cliff!

Do you find yourself having to bump the FEC?

Do you just use one or two?

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[tirediron]

A 42" or 72" reflecting umbrella is my 'go-to' modifier for field work. Folds up neatly, compact, travels well, and cheap to replace when they take a nose-dive off of a cliff!

Do you find yourself having to bump the FEC?

Do you just use one or two?

Sent from my Pixel 3a XL using Tapatalk

I have the luxury of adding as much light as needed, so no. The SB700 is a great speedlight, as are the Godox line, but no speedlight really has all the power you need for working out-of-doors in bright light. Consider one of the Godox battery powered monolights such as the AD600 Pro or similar. Great value for money, and they make life, much, much easier ("too much light" is NOT a thing!).

 

[Derrel]

I like 42 in or so umbrella boxes. Adorama has some on sale right now with the drawstring front for $8.95.

 

[ecphoto]

A 42" or 72" reflecting umbrella is my 'go-to' modifier for field work. Folds up neatly, compact, travels well, and cheap to replace when they take a nose-dive off of a cliff!

Do you find yourself having to bump the FEC?

Do you just use one or two?

Sent from my Pixel 3a XL using Tapatalk

I have the luxury of adding as much light as needed, so no. The SB700 is a great speedlight, as are the Godox line, but no speedlight really has all the power you need for working out-of-doors in bright light. Consider one of the Godox battery powered monolights such as the AD600 Pro or similar. Great value for money, and they make life, much, much easier ("too much light" is NOT a thing!).

I'll look into that. The godox gear I just got will work with those too.

I like 42 in or so umbrella boxes. Adorama has some on sale right now with the drawstring front for $8.95.

I think I've just used umbrellas that were too small in the past.

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[Derrel]

A good way to avoid FEC manipulation is to put the flash into manual at either half or full power and to adjust your ISO beginning somewhere around 320 to 400. That will usually give you an F/stop of f /5.6 to f /11, in most shooting scenarios. Of course there could be exceptions based upon the power of the speedlight or how close the light is to your subject, so be aware of that.

When you use TTL flash metering it is often quite necessary to modify the exposure using FEC, so using manual Flash control and manual exposure setting avoid the necessity to rely upon FEC.

 

[compur]

I do a lot of table-top work using an SB600 on an SC-17 cord. I bounce off the white ceiling/walls and combine with window light or sometimes a 2nd bounced cheapo slave.

I use mostly older Nikon DSLRs which are more than good enough for my purposes (pics for online sales) and cheap to replace when I wear them out. And various, mostly AF Nikkor lenses including the 60mm Micro, 24/2.8 and 35-80.

 

[JBPhotog]

I choose the modifier based on how I want the light to spread, I don't really have a favourite.

For example, I have four grids in two sets that I have DIY'd that fit speedlights, velcro stick tabs to add gels, speed rings so they can fit into softboxes and umbrella adapters so they can be used with umbrellas. I also carry bounce reflectors, the pop up variety and grip gear to hold them should I choose that route. So the OP's question is open ended based on the look one wants to get.