Beginner Flash Question

[christopher_bibbs]

I'm a student photographer and I'm considering buying my first flash

for my Rebel G. I want to use it for indoor candid portraits where

I can't setup other lighting. Any suggestions would be appreciated,

including warnings if I'm going down the wrong path.

[chuck_dowling]

Canon 420EX, or if you can spen a bit more, go for the 550EX.

[bellavance]

I use the 420EX with my EOS 10D. Used it previously with my Elan 7E, now sold. I could spend more for the 550EX, but the 420EX does the job for me, and it's lighter.

 

Pierre

[scott_ferris]

Hi Christopher,

 

If you don't want your subjects to look like startled rabits then you

must bounce your flash or at the very least fit a diffuser, though I

much preffer bounced flash. So my advise would be to make

sure whatever flash you do get make sure it bounces and if

possible swivels as well because most portraits are done in

portrait mode (Doh ! ).

 

I preffer swivel and bounce heads to brackets, but many don't, if

you do get a bracket I'd suggest a cheap one to start with to see

if you get on with it and spend as much as you can on the actual

flash. As already suggested a Canon 420 or better still, but very

expensive, 550 Ex ( I have a 550 and it is fantastic). Two more

thoughts, Sigma make a popular 550 clone I think called the 500

and it always seems popular, it does not have all the features of

the 550 but is around half the price, the second thought is that if

you do use a braket you will also need the $50 Canon flash cord

to maintain full ETTL functionality! ( If the Rebel G supports

ETTL, I get confused between type A and B cameras)

 

Take care, Scott.

[jespdj]

Christopher, here's an <a href="http://photonotes.org/articles/eos-flash/">excellent article about flash photography with the Canon EOS system</a>, probably interesting for you.

[scott s]

I've got the 420EX and it's very nice, but it's all automatic. So you have very little control over it, which means that the article above is a must-read. But the article is large, complex for a newbie like me, and I'm still getting used to it. Even with the 420 angled and/or bounced and/or with an OmniBounce (for $15 another must) and I'm *still* getting overexposed faces and such. I really should sit down and blow a couple rolls testing...

 

I can only shudder when imagine what life with a 220 would be like for me. If the 550 were [a lot] cheaper... I skipped over the 420-like Sigma because of lack of knowledge and it was $30 more. If the Sigma has some manual control (I think it does) then I'd go for that.