flash
Reader Query: External Canon Flash
“I am just about to buy the 430ex flash. Now that can go straight onto my camera, right? I guess its going to take a heck of a lot of fiddling to get that thing working right. Do i need a remote for it while its on my camera, or will it work in sync?
As for off-camera flash, well I’ve started reading the strobist blog but I guess I will have to compile a list of what I need to buy… What do you recommend? Stand and umbrella? What kind of remote system do you have for using your flash off-camera?
I’m guessing that I need to purchase a hot shoe adaptor as I dont have the socket on my 400D …or do I? lol.. are these specific for Canon only or can i get one on eBay? I think that’s my main question for now 
” - Kerrie.
Another Five Tips to Add Interest to Your Portraits!
Five more liberating techniques from the people who brought you Five Quick Tips to Add Interest to Your Portraits, and the acclaimed follow-up Five More Tips to Add Interest to Your Portraits… This time we’re looking at mixing things up a bit. Ways to break from the norm in order to blow off the cobwebs and reconnect with your mojo… All of these are tried and tested by me, after my mojo recently went walkabout and I had to track it down. (I found it in a pub drinking a pint of Mild and eating peanuts…).
1) Focus Schmocus!
Try rebelling against that photographic instinct to ensure that focus is precise and perfect. Instead try setting your camera (or lens) to Manual Focus, open up the aperture and take a purposely out of focus photo! The results can be surprisingly good (especially with some back-lighting…)
Photo: P.Broome; Camera: 400D; f/5.0, 1/200sec, ISO100
Flash Light: Direction Equals Mood!
1: 5º angle from camera
55º angle from camera
100º angle from camera
140º angle from camera
I thought I’d have a very quick play around today, with my Speedlite 580EXII flash handheld (fired by the Canon ST-E2 IR transmitter – which, of course, you won’t need if you’ve got a Nikon with it’s fancypants built in flash control system…). I just wanted to show how much the direction of your off-camera flash – in relation to the subject – impacts on the mood of a shot.
The shots here were taken one after another, with exactly the same exposure settings (“cabin crew, set cameras to Manual – thank you”) – f/5.6 and 1/160sec – the only difference is that I moved the flash about 30-50º between shots (holding it in my right hand). But, I think you’ll agree, that one small difference makes a HUGE difference to the final outcome! So think carefully above your flash placement 
RadioPopper X-citement
There’s no doubting that using remote flashes in photography is a great way to improve your photographic results. And when it comes to triggering and controlling your remote strobes, without the use of wires, there are now some excellent products out there.
RadioPopper JrX Transmitter
RadioPopper released their much lauded P1 product last year – giving “world’s first true eTTL/iTTL by radio and the world’s first high speed sync by radio”. The P-range was supposed to be rounded out by the RadioPopper P8 professional version and the RadioPopper Jr cut-down amateur version, which supposedly were to follow hot on the heels of the P1. However, neither of them ever showed up. Instead RadioPopper had been busy behind the scenes creating a new and improved system: RadioPopper X.
They’re calling the system “the smartest and most scalable lighting control system in the world”, it allows the mixture of eTTL/iTTL flashes and manually controlled units at the same time, providing a usage range of 1700+ feet (over 16 unique radio frequencies) and flash sync speeds of up to 1/8000th of a second. And what’s really impressive (and generous) is that the cut-down ‘budget’ version (the RadioPopper JrX) supposedly offers the same functionality for what seems to be a tiny cost ($99 for a basic Transmitter and Receiver kit). › Continue reading
Orbis – Ring of Fire
Strobist Orbis (by conorwithonen)
So a few weeks back a fairly new company on the scene (enlight photo) released the Orbis Ring Flash- a very similar idea to the Marumi DRF14 that Paul has had a little while and reviewed the other week. The design is similar in that this is more of an adapter for an existing flash rather than a powered flash in its own right. This product from enlight photos in now on sale and there is a group over on flickr where people are starting to post their results and some discussions about its use. This one is slightly different in that it is designed to be used with your flash off-camera so you are hand holding your flash and adapter or you can obviously mount it on a separate stand/tripod using either a cord or wireless option for camera connectivity. This is so that the unit is not putting any stress on either your camera or flash’s hot shoe connection.
The company are releasing an arm type product to attach to the camera and unit together in some way and this is going to be released in early 2009…..so watch this space. I’ve got to admit I’m tempted by this little unit and it hits a good price band at $169. I have some reservations though so am going to wait around for some more reviews first. If James Madelin or anyone else at enlight photo wants to send us one for review then obviously get in touch 
. › Continue reading
Marumi DRF14 Macro Ring Flash
Marumi DRF14 Ring Flash
I love taking macro shots, and long dreamed of buying a ring flash so that I could light them properly, but I could never really justify spending several hundred pounds for what is a fairly dedicated use. And then this Marumi piece of kit (in Canon and Nikon compatible forms) was released about six months ago, for under £100, and I decided to give it a whirl.
It takes the form of a flashgun shaped attachment which sits in the hotshoe of your camera, and has a wire leading to the ring flash itself. This is secured to the end of your lens using one of the adaptor rings – 55, 58, 62 and 67mm rings are provided which should cover most macro lenses (my Tamron SP AF 90mm macro, for example, has a 55mm filter size).
As you can probably guess from the model number, the guide number for the flash unit is 14m/46ft (at ISO 100), which is the equivalent of the Canon MR-14EX (but almost a quarter the price). The flash takes four AA batteries, and recycle time is around 4 seconds when batteries are fully charged (in my experience).
As you’d expect for the price, there are a couple of negatives to begin with: the build quality isn’t the best, the unit is entirely plastic and wouldn’t survive any kind of abuse or impact (and if you’ve knocked your tripod over as many times as I have, then that is a concern). Also, the adaptor rings have a habit of getting stuck on the end of the lens and are difficult to grip. In fact, I’ve given up trying to remove the one on my Tamron, it’s stuck solid! (Learn from my mistake, don’t tighten them all the way!)
So, it’s cheap, and it’s (supposedly) equal in power to the more expensive options out there – but how does it actually perform?
photo by P. Broome
Surprisingly well is the answer (check out the sample photos)! While you don’t quite get the complete ring effect (due to the flash bulb not being a full circle), the lighting is suitably all encompassing and non-directional, and the colour temperature produced is nice and neutral. I manage to get an average of about 120 shots from one charge of my Energizer 2000mAh AA batteries. Exposure control isn’t a problem, as you get full automatic TTL control of flash power (but not e-TTL), so you don’t have to worry about manual flash settings (just use the Flash Exposure compensation on your camera to tweak the amount of flash, if necessary).
I would question the quoted Guide range though, as when I tried using the flash for some portraits I found the maximum working distance (over which decent lighting control could be maintained) was probably closer to 5m than 14. But having said that, when shooting ring flash portraits you generally wouldn’t want to be further away than that anyway. (Thanks to John for pointing out that this shows that the flash is actually performing as promised, as I’d forgotten to divide the guide range by the aperture I was using! Gah…) › Continue reading
