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Looking for a flash


tyler_tripp

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<p>Hello all, My wife is looking for a flash for her canon 6D. Her requests are as follows:<br>

Under $300<br>

Ability to use wirelessly when not attached to camera<br>

She doesn't want to have to wait for the flash to recharge when she is shooting in quick rapidly (think that one's a given)<br>

Neither of us know much about flash setups, we both prefer to shoot everything in natural light or with diffused lighting stands if the situation allows. Any input would be greatly appreciated. I'm sure this question has been asked over and over again, which makes searching for relevant information a huge pita. Please point us in the right direction. Any recommendations would also be great.<br>

Thanks in advance </p>

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<p>A few remarks: 6D has no built in flash so you need an external controller for wireless flash. This will add to the costs of course. <br>

With regard to (re)charging times: there always comes a point where you will have to wait for the flash to recharge. It depends on the batteries used and on the flash in question. <br>

Have a look whether you want an E-TTL flash that is compatible with Canon's EOS system or are you willing to study the ins and outs of flash photograpy and go with manual or auto flashes. The latter are less expensive options but you'll have to study a bit more. <br>

Your budget should be enough for a Canon 430 series flash or a third party one (Metz, Yongnuo, other brands). The latter will give you a bit more "bang for the buck". If I were you I'd start with the flash only and go wireless later. Perhaps start with wired flash.<br>

Have a look at articles about flash photography: http://photonotes.org/articles/eos-flash/ and others. Bob Atkins wrote about Canon flash as well, I'm not sure the article is on his own site or on pnet. </p>

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<p>For wireless control, buy a Yongnuo wireless trigger set. If you don't want TTL, you can be the one that's under $35. If you want TTL control, it's around $75.</p>

<p>For a flash on your budget, you should look at a third party flash. I have used Yongnuo flashes in the past, they are priced reasonably and fully support Canon metering. </p>

<p>The only way to decrease recharge time is to buy a battery pack. This will put you outside your budget since you will need both a more expensive flash and a battery pack.</p>

<p>If you shoot with the flash on-camera, look into bouncing and light modifiers.</p>

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<p>As Jeff said, look into Yongnuo flashes. For TTL, you have two major options - either go with clones of Canon flashes (YN600-EXRT) and controllers (YN-E3-RT), or with flashes (YN-565EX, YN-568EX II, YN-685) that are compatible with Yongnuo's "original" controller YN-622c. The newest Yongnuo 685 flash, in the canon version, has everything you need, including a radio receiver built in so you only need the YN622 controller. If you get the matching Yongnuo battery pack with it, it will recharge very quickly. You'd be looking at a total of less than $200 for a new set.</p>

<p>The Canon clone products are a bit more expensive but should be compatible with other Canon flashes (600EX-RT) should you decide to get one in the future. The 622 controller and flashes that are compatible with it are not compatible with the radio control of the 600EX-RT.</p>

<p>I have used Yongnuo products (YN-622 controller, 565EX flash and the battery pack) in their Nikon versions and they are not flawless but they mostly work fine. Make sure buy from a retailer with a reasonable return policy and test everything as soon as the gear arrives.</p>

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<p>That would be my advice as well - regarding the Yongnuo flashes. My experience has been that they don't tend to last quite as long and are a smidge more fragile than their Canon counterparts, but at 1/4-1/3 the price, they are far more cost effective (IME).</p>

<p>Performance in regards to recharge speed is mostly dependent on the batteries/battery packs. For lowest performance, use 4 Alkaline AAs, for better performance, 4 Ni-MH AAs; best (internally) is using 4 Lithium AAs. You would be surprised at how much of a difference it makes when you aren't using an external battery pack. Of course with a battery pack, it depends on the batteries inside as well, and if they are replaceable, the same holds true (with regards to battery chemistry and performance). </p>

<p> </p>

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