External flashes?

[bikinpunk]

Anyone know anything about external flashes for DSLR cameras? I have a Canon Digital Rebel XT and am in the market for a good external flash (and shoe cord) so that I can take BMX photos at night; my current flash casts a large shadow due to the widescreen lens.

[CaliGuy]

Moved to Photography forum

[ethlar]

i dont know much about them but i know canon makes the Speedlite 430ex and 580ex for their SLR and dSLR cameras

[bokeh]

There's a new 580ex II... A tad stronger than the 580 and its weather sealed... Not much of an improvement, prolly jus better getting the 580ex..

If u don't have the cash.. The 430 is definitely still pretty good...

Essentially, you want a flash that has ettl (evaluative through the lens) which means everytime the flash goes off, it actually flashes twice... Once riight before the actual flash to measure the distance of objects by light reflected back...

Ettl will just give more accurate lighting and u never see two flashes...too quick I guess..

You also mentioned shadows... u probably want to couple any flash with a diffuser... I'd reccomend gary fongs stuff... Pretty good but a tad expensive...

He's got one called the lightsphere and one called the whaletail... Lightsphere will do juss fine...

If u wanna try out a flash before committing, there's a website called lensrentals.com

U can rent flashes there and see how u like them...

If u got anymore questions feel free to pm...

[bikinpunk]

^ What I was talking about the "shadows" was only referring to the widescreen lens I bought being so large that when the flash goes off it casts a circular shadow.

I was looking at the 580 models, but I also found a couple used 550ex's in a photography forum on sale for $250 shipped. From the reviews I read it appears to be very close to the 580ex in function.

[ethlar]

ive played with a 580ex and a gary fong light sphere, its a perfect combination for just about any situation

[bikinpunk]

What is the light sphere?

[ethlar]

Thats a light sphere

its a general difuser for your flash, sends light everywhere

[Izzy]

Softer lighting/shadows instead of the stark shadows a direct flash would cause.

[bikinpunk]

Hmmm. Let me tell you guys exactly why I want an external flash:

When I go out at night to shoot BMX photos I never have enough light. On top of that, the W/S lens I have combined with my stock flash causes a "half moon" effect because the flash isn't high enough over the lens.

Besides all of that, the flash still isn't strong enough to begin with. What I'm after is having a chance to shoot in dark and have the entire area lit up as bright as possible. I've shot with an external before, and I think it was a 100 series EX flash by Canon. It worked pretty well, but maybe not quite bright enough. It lit up only a small area (though very brightly). So, I take it this diffuser would be a great supplement to the external flash? Would this help light up the entire area, but still brightly as a concentrated beam of light (the external flash's light)?

[arisenfury]

What's this wide screen lens you're talking about? Don't think I've ever heard of one, not sure why it would mess up your flash, unless it's a wide angle lens, which would make more sense. It would be easier to recomend a flash if we knew how wide your lens goes. Most hot shoe mounted flashes will cover a bigger spread than the pop-up one on your XT. Also getting a diffuser like other's suggested with an external flash would help spread the light out as well.

[e60.deluxe]

get the 580EX>

[JeShUa]

W/ my 10-22 at any level and the stock flash, it will cast the shadow.. or on my 24-70 @ wider angles. I just purchased a 430EX and it's removed that.. mainly because the flash is larger, higher, and I diffuse it. I think you SHOULD be able to use the 430EX but if you can get the 550 for 250, I'd go for that. As for the diffuser, play around :].

[bikinpunk]

arisen, I meant wide angle. I've been hunting widescreen TV's the past week so it's natural for me to type widescreen, lol.

Jeshua, I have the 10-22mm as well, so you know the shadow issue I'm dealing with. I hope to hear something back on the 550 tonight. If they'll take $225 for it I'm on it.

[e60.deluxe]

at night your gonna always gonna get hard shadows unless you diffuse, and you dont have a ceiling, i think that you will find the 580EX's extra power come in use over the 430

[bikinpunk]

Originally Posted by e60.deluxe

at night your gonna always gonna get hard shadows unless you diffuse, and you dont have a ceiling, i think that you will find the 580EX's extra power come in use over the 430

I'm not even looking at the 430. I'm trying to find a good deal on a used 550ex.

The diffuser looks very intersting though.

[JeShUa]

Yeah.. get the 550.. 580 is a lot more.. about 350 :x

[bokeh]

the "half moon" effect your talking about... a flash bracket + cord will fix that...

or

with a 580ex + flash bracket / wireless transmitter

[bokeh]

or bounce it off a big white board...

[bikinpunk]

Just picked up a used 550ex for $250. Looking at an omni-bounce for a diffuser, and canon off-camera shoe cord.