master and slave flash systems

[kevinbriggs]

As someone who is a newcomer to advanced lighting techniques and equipment

(having spent the past 10 years in landscape photography alone), I'm now moving

into the realm of wedding photography (having done a couple of weddings this

summer) and I know that I need to move beyond a single attached flash with

diffuser. :-)

 

My question concerns using master and slave flashes. I've been doing these

weddings with a Nikon D100 and a SB-800 flash (with bounce diffuser). That's

it. That has been my total equipment set up. (And surprisingly, some of the

results that I have had have been very pleasing.)

 

Because I have had a lot of interest in my wedding photography services as of

late, I'm thinking about taking the plunge and switching over to either the

Canon 5D and Metz (master and slave flashes) or perhaps upgrading to the Nikon

D2Xs and the CLS lighting system. (I'm wondering if anyone has any experience

with the new Nikon CLS systems?) If anyone would like to provide

recommendations, I'd be more than happy to hear about them.

 

Additional questions regarding master and slave flash systems: are any of the

Metz or Nikon CLS multiple flash systems designed to work with reflector

umbrellas? (Having never used reflector umbrellas, I'm wondering how essential

they are to a wedding photographer's standard equipment set up?) Or do they

provide high enough quality lighting without the use of such umbrellas, screens,

soft boxes, lightboxes, etc. (for instance, do they produce enough quality soft

light, perhaps through the use of their own diffusers?)

 

And of course there is the simple consideration of money here: starting out, I

need to know what is primarily essential with multiple flash systems. I do not

have enough money to purchase a plethora of lighting equipment that most

high-end professional photographers would be using. But I definitely need to

step up for my current single flash system.

 

Thanks very much for all input. Again, as someone who is a newcomer to lighting

technology, I'm anxious to hear about all recommendations and any info that

anyone can provide for someone in my situation.

 

K.

[sublimeimages]

I'm fairly new to advanced lighting but the CLS system is pretty nice from the little bit that I experienced. I have a D2h and found myself rarely using the TTL wireless mode, maybe because it is still to foreign for me. I in love with the fact that I can change the output of the groups without going to each light and the channel system that the flashes sync on. I sold 3- SB-26's and 1- SB-80DX and sunk a lot of money to buy 3- SB-800's and won't look back. Since my D2h is in for repair and the D1x is not compatible with CLS it's back to SU-4 and chimpping of a light meter if I'm feeling frisky. Most things (umbrellas, etc.) you put in front of the flash will cut the amount of light that reaches your subject(s). However, you can bounce a flash or two off a nearby wall to bring up the light level in an area. Check out, http://www.dg28.com, http://www.planetneil.com, http://www.strobist.blogspot.com they are great sites for info and illustration. Just starting out I would buy 3-5 used SB-26's some light stands, umbrellas and reflectors. About $500 if you buy used and find good deals. Hope that was helpful.

[kevinbriggs]

Thaddeus,

 

Thanks very much for your input! The links that you provided are especially helpful.

 

Much appreciated,

 

Kevin

[Gary Naka]

I would think that it would be pretty hard to use more than 1 flash, unless you have an assistant to position the 2nd flash, or when you are doing the formals.

 

I've seen umbrellas used for formals. But I've also seen the photog just use the bracket flash for the formals. All depends on what you want to do and if you want to haul around a light stand and umbrella. I don't know what the effective range will be for an SB800 into an umbrella. Probably OK for a few people, but probably not enough power for a large group uless you raise the ISO level or use two SB800s into the umbrella.

 

For a group, an SB800 with a difuser on a light stand as the key light, and the on camera flash as the fill might be sufficient. The key is how BIG or small is the group? For use with shoe flashes, I think a silver umbrella would be a better choise than the while combo umbrella that I use. The silver would loose less light.

 

I'm playing around at home with both a shoe and handle mount flashes into an umbrella. If you use an umbrella, shoot in manual mode and check the exposure on the histogram and adjust your aperture or power as necessary. Do the experimenting at home, then at the site, you only need to fine tune the exposure. The only thing to make sure that the side of the SB800 body with the remote sensor faces you.

 

Watch the gear, you will need a backup body, so don't go whole hog on one pro body, or you won't have a backup. I would keep the D100 as backup and get a D200 as primary camera. Although there is a lot to be said for matching cameras, in which case a pair of D70s would fit the bill, unless you can do a pair of D200s.

 

One thing, use the SAME flash units. Things will be confusing enough not to deal with different flashes where the controls are different. I have several different flashes gathered over time, and it is sometimes confusing when I switch between them. So since you have the SB800, just get a second SB800.

 

You don't need it often, but when you need it you need it. This is a High Voltage battery pack, like the Quantum Turbo. What this is for is FAST recycling. It comes into play for thing like the bouquet and garter toss. You have about a second from the toss to the catch. If you want both shots, you need to recyle FAST. Otherwise you choose the ONE shot to take. There are very few of these situations, so it is more the exception than the rule. Although when you have it, you use it more. The cost is you have to carry the battery pack on you.

 

gud luk

Gary