best flash for action sports photos

I have a Cannon 350D and want to get a good flash for taking action sports

photos. Which would you suggest? I take some indoors at basketball games and

also outdoors at baseball and softball games.

For your camera I would get a used 550Ex or a new 580EX.

I agree with Giampi above. You might want to add a Better Beamer if you're working at a distance.

I had used a ProMaster 7500DX until recently getting a Canon 580EX. The 580EX has been a nice upgrade. I shoot basketball games in manual mode on the camera and also manual mode for flash. I did not like the fact that the ProMaster reset itself to the default settings every time I turned it on. It was a nice surprise to see that the 580EX retains the last settings used when you turn it back on (unless you remove the batteries). I like the 580ex's control panel on the back too.

You may be better served by considering your lenses - what do you plan to use for the various sports? Are you expecting to shoot under floodlights outdoors?

For basketball you are probably better served by off camera flash. The 580EX is a great flash but is an expensive option for off camera flash. I have a 550EX (for on camera flash) and two Vivitar 285HVs for off camera flash. <P>

 

Look at the <A HREF="http://strobist.blogspot.com/2007/02/on-assignment-speedlighting-college-gym.html">link</A> for discussion on how to light basketball with multiple off camera strobes. There is an additional <A HREF="http://strobist.blogspot.com/2007/03/q-speedlighting-gym.html">Q&A</A> section.<P>

 

Outdoors the Better Beamer or equivalent is a good idea. I have one which I use for fill flash on wildlife but I haven't tried it for long throw flash at a sports event. <P>

 

Even with flash expect to shoot at ISO 400 or 800 at f2.8 and 1/200s (I think that is the maximum sync speed for the Canon).

You use a flash to shoot baseball and softball action? How?

As Alistair points out, you really need several remote flashes and probably a Pocketwizard system

 

http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101-pc-cords-and-pocket.html

 

to trigger them in a gym. That will be way more expensive than a 50mm f/1.8 lens which would give you the fast shutter speeds you need to freeze action used with high ISO.

 

If you have an f/5.6 lens that you are using for baseball, then you will be able to get just about enough reach shooting at 1600 ISO with a 580EX, but you will be subject to inverse square falloff which will give greatly overexposed foregrounds. Again, a fast lens is the first port of call.

If you use a flash to shoot a baseball game you'll be lucky to get off one shoot before you'd be booted out. Coaches and Umpires will not allow a flash to be used.

For amusement value check out the <A HREF="http://www.sportsshooter.com/news/1565">Sports Illustrated set-up</A> for the NCAA Final Four. Same idea (remote flashes) but, I assume, a bigger budget.