-
Interested in strobism?
[i]Disclaimer: The comments contained within this post are not directly affiliated with David Hobby or the [url="http://www.strobist.blogspot.com/]Strobist[/url] blog--they are merely the thoughts of someone who has followed his instructions to great effect.
[/i]
Ok, I'm finally starting the thread that I've been asked to do. I'll try to update the original post whenever I have information to add to it.
[b]Sections:[/b]
1. [i]Interested in Strobism?[/i]
2. [url="/forums/p/2106/16227.aspx#16227]If my flash isn't on my camera, what is it attached to?[/url]
3. [url="/forums/p/2562/20083.aspx#20083]Bare flash still looks a little harsh...How can I make it look better? [Light Modifiers][/url]
[b]So what is a strobist™?[/b] You won't find the definition in the Webster's Dictionary, but you just [i]might [/i]someday. The term describes someone who uses off-camera lighting (with either shoe-mount flashes or higher-power strobes) to, as David Hobby describes, "...take your photos to the next level. Or the next ten levels." Speaking of David Hobby, he's the grad poohbah of off-camera lighting education (he even coined the phrase, "strobist™"). I assure you he's done more to improve the quality of photography around the world than all the photography schools put together. If the concept of off-camera flash is new to you, do yourself a favor and head on over to David Hobby's blog, [url="http://www.strobist.blogspot.com/]The Strobist[/url], and read [url="http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html]Lighting 101[/url]. Do it now. I'll wait.
So why would you want to get your flash off-camera? Well, think of it this way--how often do you view the world with a bright light emanating from your forehead? My guess is...not often (outside of you spelunkers out there). When you view the world day in and day out, light is usually coming from different sources, and therefore, it comes from all sorts of directions (but as we established, rarely from your forehead). Pictures made with off-camera flash look more natural, and therefore are more pleasing to the viewer. And once you get your flash off-camera, you can put it in all sorts of creative places!
[url="http://www.flickr.com/photos/budrowilson/3863087943/]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2428/...d8577dd4_m.jpg[/url] [url="http://www.flickr.com/photos/budrowilson/3667281158/]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3354/...11776bca_m.jpg[/url] [url="http://www.flickr.com/photos/budrowilson/3826141129/]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2544/...19635260_m.jpg[/url]
[url="http://www.flickr.com/photos/budrowilson/3054678274/]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3026/...6030cc60_m.jpg[/url] [url="http://www.flickr.com/photos/budrowilson/3087958879/]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3116/...8be52c89_m.jpg[/url]
Now that we've got that out of the way, you're going to need a few things. Let's go over them...
<h3>[b]Flashes[/b]</h3>
"Ok, so I own a Canon camera...does that mean I have to buy all Canon flashes when I use them off-camera?" No However, there are some advantages to having flashes that are the same brand as your camera. Canon (and Nikon) flashes can communicate with each other wirelessly and can automatically calculate the amount of flash necessary to provide a correct exposure. This is a great feature, but these wireless systems have their limitations. These are line-of-sight systems (each flash must be able to see the master flash (or commander unit), and their range is fairly limited outside (especially in bright sun). With an all Canon flash system, you'll also be able to enjoy high-speed and rear-curtain sync (if we were shooting Nikons, we'd be able to use rear-curtain sync with any off-camera flash--not that I'm bitter or anything).
Personally, I like the Vivitar 285HV flash. It's rugged, it's been around for years (in one form or another), and it's simple. It has manual power adjustments--you can set it to full power, 1/2, 1/4, and 1/16 power (no 1/8, unfortunately). While the 285HVs have been around for a while, some of the more recent batches suffered from poor quality control issues. If you buy a Vivitar 285HV new, make sure the retailer has a good return policy (just in case). I bought most of my Vivitar 285HVs from ebay. In my opinion, if someone' selling a functioning unit on ebay, it's probably been proven fairly reliable and it'll work fine for me--and every Vivitar flash I've purchased from ebay has worked flawlessly. The only Vivitar 285HV I've ever had malfunction was the 1 unit I bought new from B&H Photo--and it died about 8 months after I got it. I returned it to Vivitar, and they replaced it. Speaking of Vivitar--they no longer make the 285HV. A company called Cactus now makes the 285HV, and it's branded the Cactus KF36. It's the very same flash, but with a different name on it. From what I hear, there still might be some quality control issues at the manufacturing plant. Overall, it's still my favorite flash.
Other reasonably-priced options for off-camera flashes include the new LumoPro LP160 from MPEX (just as powerful as Canon's 580EX, but substantially cheaper because it lacks ETTL) and as well as used Nikon flashes (like the SB-24, SB-28, & SB-28DX). A couple of very cheap flashes are the [url="http://stores.shop.ebay.com/hkyongnuophotoequipment]Yongnuo[/url] YN-460 and YN-462. They're not nearly as powerful, but for less than $50 new, they're hard not to like. Some flashes have built-in optical slaves, which can come in handy under certain circumstances.
So why is the section on flashes so small? Well, light is light is light. As long as your flash fires, and it's throwing enough light in the direction you want it to, then it really doesn't matter what flash you use. The flash itself isn't as important as what you do with it...
<h3>[b]A Triggering System
[/b]</h3>
"Ok, so now that I've got a flash or two, how do I get them to fire off-camera?" Hmmm....good question. There are several ways to accomplish this goal--built-in wireless ETTL, radio-triggered ETTL, dummy radio, wired, and optical triggering encompass most of the available solutions.
[b]Built-in wireless ETTL[/b] - If you purchased all Canon flashes, and one of them is a master flash (like 580EX or 580EX II...or else you have that funky ST-E2 transmitter), then start reading those flash manuals. They'll tell you everything you need to know about photographing penguins using off-camera flash. The best thing you can do is familiarize yourself with adjusting exposure levels using the master flash. As I personally don't own more than one Canon flash, I'm about as inexperienced as a person can be in regards to this type of triggering. So, good luck!
[b]Radio-triggered ETTL[/b] - If, after a while, you find that the built-in wireless flash features of the Canon flashes a bit limiting, you're not alone. Sometimes you'll want to place your flash where line-of-sight isn't possible; else you'll want your flash fairly fair from your camera, and the built-in wireless system simply won't work. At that point, if you still want ETTL control, you'll need to purchase RadioPopper PX triggers/receivers or PocketWizard Mini and/or Flex units.
[url="http://radiopopper.com/]Radiopoppers[/url] were the first to come out with radio-based ETTL transmission. Currently, they're on their second generation of ETTL-capable radio triggers. [i]Advantages:[/i] They are reliable and have a good range. They allow you to work with your Canon flashes just as though you had line-of-sight between them. [i]Disadvantages:[/i] When using the Radiopopper PX system, you're still required to have a master flash on camera (as the triggering and receiving units simply fit onto each flash). Also, Radiopopper PX triggers and receivers are quite expensive.
Once Radiopoppers pioneered a radio-triggered ETTL solution, the gold standard in dummy radio triggering, [url="http://www.pocketwizard.com/]Pocketwizards[/url], felt the need to develop a competing product. Their new units, the Mini and Flex, allow the same type of functionality that the RadioPopper PX units do. [i]Advantages:[/i] The new Pocketwizard units also you to use the system without a flash on camera. This feature can save you quite a bit of money. The Mini & Flex also allow Hypersyncing--by timing the firing of the flash just right, a photographer can actually go a stop beyond his camera's sync speed. The new units are also upgradeable and programmable using a USB connection. [i]Disadvantages:[/i] Like the RadioPopper PX units, the new Pocketwizards are quite expensive. Also, the range of the new Pocketwizard units are greatly diminished by the electronic noise emitted by the Canon 580EX flash. There are different solutions you can try to minimize the problem, but they involve even more cost. In my personal opinion, the pressure that RadioPoppers put on Pocketwizards caused them to rush their new units to market before thoroughly testing them.
[b]Dummy radio[/b] - By "dummy radio" triggering, I mean a device that does not communicate ETTL information to the flash but instead simply tells it to FIRE! On the one hand, they are usually less expensive than the radio-triggered ETTL systems. On the other hand, you're forced to walk over to your flashes and manually adjust them (this may change in the near future). These types of triggering devices vary in price greatly from one system to the next. I'll try to highlight some of the more common varieties.
Cactus V4 - These are Chinese-made, and the quality control isn't fantastic. They're sold by [url="http://www.gadgetinfinity.com/product.php?productid=17204&cat=0&page=1]gadgetinfinity[/url]. It's possible to get a good pair, and it's possible to get junk. [i]Advantages[/i]: They're cheap. The receiver has a hotshoe that allows you to plug your flash directly into it, therefore eliminating the need for extra cables and connectors. [i]Disadvantages[/i]: They aren't rugged, and the quality control isn't great. You're dealing directly with a Chinese supplier, so don't expect fast customer service if something goes wrong. You might not be able to achieve your max flash sync speed with these devices. Not 100% reliable.
CTR-301P - These are also Chines-made, but seem to be built a little better than the Cactus V4s. They're sold on [url="http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_trksid=p3907.m38.l1313&_nkw=CT R-301p&_sacat=See-All-Categories]ebay[/url]. [i]Advantages[/i]: They're cheap. Slightly better build quality than the Cactus V4s. Like the V4s, they have a built-in hotshoe on the receiver eliminating the need for cords and adapters. [i]Disadvantages[/i]: With the previous non-P version, the units struggled once the battery power dipped below about 50%. A [relatively] simple mod fixed the problem, but doing the mod still required the use of a soldering iron. I'm terrible with a soldering iron--I screwed my units up (as they were non-too reliable after I got done with them). Again, you may more may not be able to achieve your camera's max sync speed using these units. Not 100% reliable.
Other Ebay Triggers - There are several other ebay triggers out there. If you're strolling ebay and find one that interests you, try researching them on the [url="http://www.flickr.com/groups/strobist/discuss/]flickr strobist group[/url]. Find out what other people think of that particular model before making the decision to buy. One particular model I've been hearing good reviews on is the RF-602 units. Apparently, they're a pretty solid, inexpensive choice.
Microsync, Flashwaves, Elinchrom Skyports, & Cybersyncs - These are all basically the same with little differentiating them except for battery systems, range, and price. They're all basically 100% reliable within their specified range. Of this group, Cybersyncs are the most widely used, and probably the cheapest as well. I've seen many satisfied reviews pertaining to each system. When it came time for me to buy a reliable wireless triggering system, I chose Cybersyncs because of the overwhelmingly positive reviews coupled with the [relatively] reasonable price. It's also possible to trigger your camera's shutter with the Cybersyncs using the appropriate cord. Each of these have their advantages and disadvantages, so I'll simply let you do your own research if you think you may be interested in the products in this group.
RadioPopper JrX - These guys are basically a dummy radio trigger with a twist. The RadioPopper JrX transmitter has small knobs that you can use to adjust the power of any AlienBee strobes that are connected to a RadioPopper JrX Studio reciever. Also, in the not-so-distant future, RadioPopper claims they will be releasing a "cube" that will allow a user to adjust the output of TTL-enabled shoe-mount flashes in the same way that the AlienBee strobes are adjusted now. As this technology hasn't been released to the public yet, I cannot attest to how well it works. However, if you have several ETTL strobes and/or AlienBees, it sounds like a great product to have. [i]Advantages[/i]: Cost less than Cybersyncs if you purchase the "Basic" version (non-Studio). Allow remote adjustment of AlienBees now with the Studio receiver; remote adjustment of TTL strobes possible with the release of the RadioPopper Cube. Range supposedly equals that of the Cybersyncs. It's my understanding that the JrX receiver can be used to trigger the camera's shutter, too, using a motor cord. [i]Disadvantages[/i]: They haven't been around long enough to know exactly how well built they are and how well they work. The trigger and receiver use a CR123A battery, which can be inconvenient to find in a pinch. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; font-family: Arial;"]
Pocketwizard (Plus II, Multimax) - These are the gold standard in off-camera dummy radio triggering. Pocketwizards have been around for years. The Plus IIs and Mulimax units are transceivers meaning they can transmit or receive the firing signal. They're widely used by professionals. Advantages: They're 100% reliable. They have a range of about 1600 feet. With the proper cord, you can trigger the camera's shutter with them. Disadvantages: They're EXPENSIVE. Most casual/hobbyist photographers can't justify spending the money for the extra 1300 feet of range they'll never use.
Wired - Yet another way to get your flash off the camera's hotshoe is to use a wired solution. You can buy ETTL cords in various lengths that will allow you to trigger an off-camera flash within the cord's length of the camera. A good place to find ETTL cords is flashzebra. Advantages: You're limited in the number of flashes you can trigger with a dedicated cord (usually 1!). Wired solutions are extremely reliable, and allow for ETTL functionality. Disadvantages: Cords can get in the way and can make lightstands cumbersome to move. Cords are also easy to trip over. Wired solutions can be a decent viable option if used in conjunction with optical slaves.
Optical Triggering - An optical slave is something that every serious strobist needs to have in their gear bag. Optical slaves trigger a flash the instant they sense another flash firing. They work extremely well in indoor situations as long as there aren't any other photographers using flash. Their range is limited outdoors, but can still be useful. There are many different kinds and brands of optical slaves, but they all work basically the same way. The differentiating factors include how you connect the slaves to the flash and how sensitive they are (in other words, their range). If using an ETTL flash on-camera to trigger other ETTL flashes off-camera, you'll have to buy a special optical slave that will not fire during the on-camera flash's pre-flash (Wein makes optical slaves with that specific feature). Advantages: They can work very well under controlled circumstances. They're relatively inexpensive, rugged, and a great backup solution. Disadvantages: Most optical slaves don't work extremely well outside and [most] can't be utilized when using a pre-flash. Optical slaves will fire when they sense any flash--therefore your flashes will fire if any photographers around you are using flash (can't really use them at weddings). This behavior means your flashes may not be ready when you want them to fire.
Remember when I said [way up there^] that you needed all Canon flashes to use rear-curtain and high-speed sync? Well, that statement wasn't entirely accurate. Using optical slaves, you can use an on-camera Canon master flash to trigger off-camera non-Canon flashes while using either rear-curtain or high-speed sync. Check this thread for the rear-curtain workaround, and this thread for the high-speed sync information.
An extremely handy resource for all things strobist-related is the flickr strobist group. If you have questions that I haven't answered, search through the thread posts there as your questions have probably already been answered 3 or 4 times over.
Next: If my flash isn't on my camera, what is it attached to?
-
Re: Interested in strobism?
Awesome Sean!Thanks for putting so much work into this. I can't wait for more to come [:D]
-
Re: Interested in strobism?
Superb post, very informative!
-
Re: Interested in strobism?
Sean, even though that I pretty much knew all of this already, I'd like to thank you - as I knew this much already from reading *your* posts! [:)][Y]
-
Re: Interested in strobism?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Oren
Sean, even though that I pretty much knew all of this already, I'd like to thank you - as I knew this much already from reading *your* posts! [img]/emoticons/emotion-1.gif[/img][img]/emoticons/emotion-21.gif[/img]
Well, this is an attempt to have all that info in one place rather than scattered about in 12 different threads. ;-)
-
Re: Interested in strobism?
Awesome work Sean, as usual. I think I have read most of your posts and yet there is stuff there I didn't know. You have helped me out in the past and you are still doing the same for me and a lot of others I'm sure.
Thank you
Scott
-
Re: Interested in strobism?
Great job! It took me alot of searching and reading over a few months to learn most of what you've boiled down to a single, to the point post. I am always impressed with your photography and love that you not only include strobist info but also pics of the setup.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sean Setters
...start reading those flash manuals. They'll tell you everything you need to know about photographing penguins using off-camera flash.
I literally cracked up on that one.
-
Re: Interested in strobism?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jarhead5811
I literally cracked up on that one.
Yeah, I snickered a little bit when I wrote that. I almost wrote, "Yes, I'm serious." after it, but I figured it was unnecessary. Personally, I think they should change the graphic to look more like Natalie Portman or Keira Knightley....
-
Re: Interested in strobism?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sean Setters
Personally, I think they should change the graphic to look more like Natalie Portman or Keira Knightley....
<div style="clear: both;"]</div>
Now you're talking... I still want to know where the penguin came from. Do they even HAVE penguins in Japan? (Pardon my ignorance but I'm serious, I have no clue :P)
-
Re: Interested in strobism?
Quote:
Originally Posted by lculpin
... I still want to know where the penguin came from. Do they even HAVE penguins in Japan?
Actually, yes, they do have penguins in quite a few places...including the Asahiyama, Kyoto Municipal, Shimane Vogel Park, and Ueno zoos. :-)
-
Re: Interested in strobism?
Quote:
Originally Posted by lculpin
... I still want to know where the penguin came from. Do they even HAVE penguins in Japan?
Actually, yes, they do have penguins in quite a few places...including the Asahiyama, Kyoto Municipal, Shimane Vogel Park, and Ueno zoos. :-)
-
Re: Interested in strobism?
Zoos are cheating ;) I was thinking indigenous to the area kinda thing
They should've used a picture of an old civil-war era cannon instead :P
-
Re: Interested in strobism?
Thanks Sean.
I've been off-line while heavily involved with a second project on top of my very demanding day time project. From what I see, this looks great and should really help all those looking at strobist style photography. I have a couple of things to add but will write those off-line then post here.
-
Re: Interested in strobism?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sean Setters
They'll tell you everything you need to know about photographing penguins using off-camera flash.
<p style="CLEAR: both"]
<p style="CLEAR: both"]Definitely one of the funniest things I've ever read on this forum!
-
Re: Interested in strobism?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark Elberson
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sean Setters
They'll tell you everything you need to know about photographing penguins using off-camera flash.
<p style="CLEAR:both;"]
<p style="CLEAR:both;"]Definitely one of the funniest things I've ever read on this forum!
Didn't know humor was acceptable here.
-
Re: Interested in strobism?
Amazing thread, love the effort put into this. I have always been awed by strobits, and i've been wanting to get into it for a very long time now. This may help me find my way. [H]
-
Re: Interested in strobism?
Great job Sean. Your help is much appreciated. Now people can come to one single thread. I look forward to your follow up.
Might I suggest links on this thread to places for getting gear? (if that is allowed?)
-
Re: Interested in strobism?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cozen
Now people can come to one single thread. I look forward to your follow up.
Might I suggest links on this thread to places for getting gear? (if that is allowed?)
My original intent was to put all the info in a single thread. However, since there is so much information, I may actually span its entirety over a few threads (maybe 4?) and provide links to each thread in all of them. Have it set up like chapters in a book where you can go straight to the chapter you want.
I could put some more links in if you want. I provided some links throughout the post, but if you want them all bundled in a single place in the thread I suppose I could do that. Is that what you want? Or did you want to suggest your own places?
-
Re: Interested in strobism?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sean Setters
<div style="clear: both;"]</div>
Sean
I remember you stating that the Vivtar 285 could only be turned down to 1/8th I think. I can not find where I saw your comment. I have several 285s and one 283 myself. I remember there was an accessory that you could replace the auto sensor on the 283 with a Vivtar VP-1 to manually adjust the power out as follows: 1/64, 1/32, 1/16, 1/8, 1/4, 1/2, and full power. Here is a link to the discontinued item but maybe you can find on e-bay.
Vivitar VP-1
Mark
-
Re: Interested in strobism?
Quote:
Originally Posted by clemmb
I remember you stating that the Vivtar 285 could only be turned down to 1/8th I think.
<p style="CLEAR: both"]
<p style="CLEAR: both"]The Vivitar 285HV skips 1/8. It can be set to 1/1, 1/2, 1/4, 1/16.
-
Re: Interested in strobism?
Quote:
Originally Posted by clemmb
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sean Setters
<div style="clear: both;"]</div>
Sean
I remember you stating that the Vivtar 285 could only be turned down to 1/8th I think. I can not find where I saw your comment. I have several 285s and one 283 myself. I remember there was an accessory that you could replace the auto sensor on the 283 with a Vivtar VP-1 to manually adjust the power out as follows: 1/64, 1/32, 1/16, 1/8, 1/4, 1/2, and full power. Here is a link to the discontinued item but maybe you can find on e-bay.
[url="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/61614-REG/Vivitar_238278_VP_1_Vari_Power_Adapter.html]Vivitar VP-1[/url]
Mark
<div style="clear: both;"]</div>
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sean Setters
Personally, I like the Vivitar 285HV flash.
It's rugged, it's been around for years (in one form or another), and
it's simple. It has manual power adjustments--you can set it to full
power, 1/2, 1/4, and 1/16 power (no 1/8, unfortunately).
Yep, I thought I included that in the original post. I didn't include the information on the VP-1, though, because it's getting very hard to find and it's expensive when you can find it. If you want the light output to be dimmer, move the light source away from the subject or else use an ND filter over top of the flash. Both solutions are easier and cheaper. :-)
-
Re: Interested in strobism?
Alrighty then. Second part is done. I updated this thread with the link.
-
Re: Interested in strobism?
Very informative, well written Sean
-
Re: Interested in strobism?
Quote:
Originally Posted by shutr
Very informative, well written Sean
<div style="clear: both;"]</div>
Thank you shutr. I haven't started the 3rd part yet, but I've done a little research to make sure I included everything that will be relevant. I'm hoping to get started on it after this weekend.
-
Re: Interested in strobism?
I vote we get Sean's trifecta of introductory strobist posts to be sticky posts. Or a new category called "informative". It could be almost like a guest post on DigitalPhotograhySchool.com.
-
Re: Interested in strobism?
hehe...I link to it occasionally, but I typically don't bump it up.
-
Re: Interested in strobism?
I'm on board! Saving for radio poppers and already using four 580 II's - I've had some success with the optical triggering of OCF's, but I've also seen high speed sync go bye bye requiring less than 1/200th to get the shot. I tried to recreate the problem tonight but had no problem shooting fully fast and wide (f/1.8 1/8000th iso 50).
Flash groups and camera control are working nicely. Also of note I have improvised a soft box by strobing into a continuous light source that is shaped like a soft box and acts as the modeling lamp. This provides some versatility (and $avings) for me and clears the floor of two light stands.
Hate pictures of my self but for educational purposes both my first strobist test and said DIY soft box results are below. Looking forward to learning and sharing more.
-Shea
F/4.5 1/6400th iso 50 - Full sunlight on foliage behind me:http://www.shea-design.com/photo-for...71-smaller.jpg
f/4.5 1/6400 iso 50 - gold zip disc opposite for bounce fill - crazy huge catchlights:http://www.shea-design.com/photo-for...70-smaller.jpg
