i need advise buying flash gun pls

[dennis_labao]

<p>hello, i am still a newbie in photography and need to know what is a good flash gun for a mid budget price, i am using a canon 70d and need to know if its worth to buy a canon speed light or if a third party brand would do ? if so what is a good fit for my 70d for a mid budget price, and also i dont really understand much about the technicality of a flash gun at the moment ( but im pretty sure i will learn it as soon as i get my hands on it ) but for now i really want to know what flash should i be buying.<br>

would really appreciate a good advise please.<br /> thank you very much</p>

 

[SCL]

<p>Hi dennis - from years of flash use, the best thing you could do, so as to not waste money, is to really analyze what you want to do with the flash. That means you need to familiarize yourself with capabilities and uses, and determine what your budget is. Most manufacturer's consumer units will work fine for most of their needs, but if you move into things like portraiture, product shots and macro shots, you need to ensure your flash will have the flexibility to effectively provide what you need. At the very least, I would recommend a flash unit which has a moveable(vertical and rotational) head, wide coverage with a diffuser, and manual as well as TTL or automatic modes. Many today take rechargeable batteries as well as off the shelf ones. I like ones which use readily obtainable batteries available in any town or city. That way I'm always assured of fresh batteries wherever I go. You don't have to spend a fortune to get these features, but you do need to do some independent research to ensure you get what you really need and want.</p>

[danield]

<p>Second what Lewis said. Rather than spending the money, find out first what the flash can be used for. The <a href="http://strobist.blogspot.ch/2006/03/lighting-101.html">Lighting 101</a> tutorial at Strobist makes a very good reading on the subject.<br>

Otherwise a Canon 430EXII could be a good flash to start with.</p>

[Spearhead]

<p>The 430EXII is fairly expensive for a beginner who may not be using flash all that often. The Yongnuo TTL flashes are much less expensive and offer a very similar feature set. Having used one on a job for a while, I can say that they work with all the Canon functionality but are not built to the same standard. On the other hand, despite that build quality, I used it constantly two or three days a week for months without ever having problems. <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=&sku=1086001&gclid=CjwKEAiA4YGjBRDOxa3XvfTnvSASJACC3bLBy38pQSCP3_R5m3Ikcj4lAa-yScu-NPQipicmOHgZlxoC3Inw_wcB&is=REG&Q=&A=details">Here's one</a> that is probably good for a start.</p>

[craig_shearman1]

<p>"Many today take rechargeable batteries as well as off the shelf ones. I like ones which use readily obtainable batteries available in any town or city."<br /><br />Unlike cameras, flash units generally do not use proprietary batteries. Every Nikon, Canon and third-party flash I've seen uses standard AA batteries, which are available both as regular alkaline or rechargeable. Higher end flash units usually have a connection for an optional high-voltage external battery pack but that's not something a beginner needs.<br /><br />I second the recommendation of reading <a href="http://www.strobist.com">www.strobist.com</a> especially the Lighting 101 section. </p>

[JosvanEekelen]

<p>Go for the Speedlite 430 EX-II. It's not expensive and you can use the 70D's built in flash as a master and the 430 EX-II as a slave.<br>

When considering a 3rd party flash keep in mind that some of these have a AF helplight that does not cover all the EOS bodies' AF points. </p>

[Jochen_S]

<p>Maybe krauts are crazier than the ROW, I am aware of a Leica flash using less common disposable lithium batteries. I have Metz that came with 6v Pb and even worse Braun with 8V Pb batteries.<br>

Anyhow, I second Stephen and Jeff and add contemporary Metz units on your potentiial shopping list. - I hope them to be ahead of the Yongnuo's built quality wise and at least over here they seem cheaper than the camera brands'.<br>

Side note: I wouldn't use anything besides Sanyo Eneloop rechargeable AAs in my occasionally used flashes. Unlike other rechargeables these don't self discharge quickly. - Nonrechargeable AAs might work for emergencies but I'd avoid them.</p>

[dennis_labao]

<p>thank you very much i really appreciate every advised that all of you gave and will definitely check out that strobist site, saying that i will consider that 430 EX-II and compare it to that of yongnuo yn560III , and thank you very much @<a href="/photodb/user?user_id=640949">Jochen Schrey</a> for noting which battery to used i will definitely get that sanyo eneloop recharchable batteries.<br>

My plan is to used a speed light to advanced my portraiture, nothing fancy i just want to explore my photography and try to be creative and see what i could achieve if i have a flash gun.<br>

again thank you very much for all the responses.</p>

[Spearhead]

<blockquote>

<p>Go for the Speedlite 430 EX-II. It's not expensive </p>

</blockquote>

<p> <br>

It's $250. For someone learning, the sub-$100 price on the Yonguos is a far better way to start.</p>

[anand_sihra]

<p>I know I'm coming in late to this topic, but maybe you would like to consider a second hand Metz SCA flash, specifically the 40-MZ series. I find my 40-MZ2 to be an extremely powerful and accurate flash. You won't have TTL, but the automatic metering is excellent and all the lens data transfers to the flash automatically (focal length, aperture setting). Also, if you decide to change systems, you can take the flash with you by changing the SCA module. They're usually on eBay for around $100, and they're great to learn on.</p>