Speedlites

[dugarner]

I have just a little money left for camera accessories. I have always wanted a speedlite and/or diffuser.

I see that there is a huge range in prices for Canon speedlites. Hundreds of dollars down to a $70 third-party flash that got good reviews (I'm looking on Amazon). I'm not looking for equipment I can use for weddings or nighttime outside events; I just want a flash that I can bounce so if I have to use it inside it doesn't look so horrendous.

Does it really matter how much I spend on something like this? Any advice? Advice for diffusers? I don't do studio photography and never will, so I'm not moving in that direction.

[Jen D]

I would look at the 430ex. It is good enough piece of equipment that you won't want to upgrade, it is sturdy and it is fairly powerful. It is my secondary flash.

My dad always said shoot for the middle. You never want the cheapest one and often you don't need the top of the line either

ETA

Oh and don't waste money on diffusers. The best diffuser I have is a piece of white foam paper... the stuff for kids crafts. I attach it with a rubber band on the end of my flash. Works great... I use it at weddings. It cost me about $.75.

[dugarner]

Originally Posted by Jen D

I would look at the 430ex. It is good enough piece of equipment that you won't want to upgrade, it is sturdy and it is fairly powerful. It is my secondary flash.

My dad always said shoot for the middle. You never want the cheapest one and often you don't need the top of the line either

ETA

Oh and don't waste money on diffusers. The best diffuser I have is a piece of white foam paper... the stuff for kids crafts. I attach it with a rubber band on the end of my flash. Works great... I use it at weddings. It cost me about $.75.

Jen, thanks! For diffusers, I had a piece of milk carton cut into a rectangle that I tried to fix onto my Fuji. Trouble was, the architecture was a little different than traditional dSLRs and I could never get it to stay. Do you have a picture of that kind of setup? I can't see it in my head.

I'll check out the model you recommended. Thanks!

[cincirachel]

I have the 430EX too and I've actually used it for my brother's wedding and several annual meetings and it's fabulous!

[Jen D]

Hmmm... I don't think I have a picture. But, I will take one during one of my sessions this weekend and post it for you. It basically is a piece about the size of a 5X7 wrapped around the back of the flash and I have the flash pointing straight up. The defused light bounces forward.

[esther_a]

I have the 430EX, too. One of the things you might consider is the ability for off-camera flash. There are cables and transmitters. If later on you buy a 580EX you can use it as a master and control the 430EX off-camera with it. One of the reasons I went for a Canon7D was it allowed me to trigger the 430EX off-camera without a transmitter or cable (I'm not sure what other cameras have that feature). I can turn on the inbuilt flash as well and even set the relative strength of the off camera flash.
Having read through the instructions and tried it all out I've totally forgotten how to do it all!!!

[maureenreynolds]

lol.. I thought you were posting about speed cameras!

[Standifg]

I didn't want to spend the big bucks for a Canon flash 'cause I knew I would not use it enough to justify the cost. I opted for a Bower flash, SFD926C model, made for Canon, LC display, fully automatic E-TTL operation, zoom/bounce/swivel head. I've never had any problems with it. Two years ago, I bought it at overstock for $99.

[Britgirl]

I've just got a 430ex If you get one too Sarah, You and I can work out how to work them best, together

[thessh]

I love my 430EX!!!

[dugarner]

I've been looking around at the 430EX. Pricey new, but there are used ones available on Amazon and eBay. I'll need to wait a month or so for my income to straighten out, and now I'm wondering if I'd rather have a macro lens instead. But I think this is the one I'll go for if/when I do have everything figured out.

[Deirdre]

Thanks for asking! Great info- flashes scare me I look forward to seeing your photo of your set up, Jen. Thanks!

[valeriev]

I'm a Nikon gal so I can't comment about the speedlights but I would highly recommend the LumiQuest system for diffusion and bounce. I have the LumiQuest ProMax system (around $50) and rarely take an indoor photo without it (and outdoor for snapshots when I'm not hauling out my professional equip).

The 2 things you want when considering your flash is 1) bounce and 2) diffusion. Without bounce you get the "deer in the headlight" look from the flash shooting straight on (thus hitting the closest subject the brightest). With the light being diffused you wrap the light around the subject(s) more evenly (i.e. less bright spots and dark spots). The size of the diffuser itself will determine how far (wide) this light is spread (i.e. small diffuser, smaller area that is lit).

The ProMax system comes with extra color screens that you may not use if you are just taking snapshopts. Perhaps you can just get the UltraSoft in this case. Their systems fold flat and I don't know what you store your camera in but if you are going to need a bag big enough to hold your speedlight then you can easily tuck this holder inside your bag. It is around 6"x7" and very thin when folded. You will also need to purchase the velcro strap to attach the unit to your flash. I always keep the velcro strap attached so when I want to use it I can put it on in less than a minute. (If you go to their website they show you videos about using their products Lumiquest.com)

The biggest drawback to this system is that you will get noticed with it on your camera because it is not exactly inconspicuous but you will love the results is gives. I researched these for quite a while before getting this one and I'm very happy with it. Happy shopping!

[Leslie Nicole]

Originally Posted by Jen D

I would look at the 430ex. It is good enough piece of equipment that you won't want to upgrade, it is sturdy and it is fairly powerful. It is my secondary flash.

I have this flash as well. The problem with it is that it is best as a secondary flash. I didn't realize until I bought it that it is much more difficult to use this flash OFF camera. The cable that is available separately is really short and to get it off camera will take radio system, other system or the 580 to trigger it.

I use the 430ex on camera with an older Vivitar off camera with a flash slave peanut. (Note: never put an old flash ON a digital camera - you risk frying your camera.)

(@esther_a Good to know about the 7D! That's the camera on my wish list.)

Being able to get your flash off camera is a huge, huge advantage in a flash.

For a diffusor, I use a piece of white foam core cut with a "handle" that I rubberband to the flash. I point the flash straight up. I score and bend the top of the foamcore to angle down slightly towards the flash. This looks weird, but works quite well!

[Janet1949]

Jen, I would be interested to see how you attach the foam board with a rubberband to your camera.. so would be great if you could post a pic for us all to see...
(I wouldnt have a clue how to put a shot in the forum myself)....