Quite a challenge you've set yourself, Crosby! Shooting indoor sports is a real PITA. I don't go to basketball games, but I do shoot indoor horse shows, which can have even worse lighting, if that's possible. Our 4-H Youth Fair Horse Show is in an arena that has not only dim lighting, but very difficult-to-handle color balance, as the overhead lights seem to vary in color output (possibly based on their age?). I've had to go to f/2.8 zooms (Canon 17-55mm f/2.8 IS & 70-200mm f/2.8L IS) plus a bunch of primes--Canon 35mm f/2, 50mm f/1.4, 85mm f/1.8 (the one I use the most), and 100mm f/2, plus a Sigma 30mm f/1.4 that I got after the last horse show and haven't tried out in that venue. Later, I'll post a shot that demosntrates the difficulty. I end up using ISO 1600 or even 3200 on my 30D much of the time in that arena, with the usual noisy results, but that's better than blurred images due to subject movement.


If I were in your situation, I'd strongly consider putting money into one or more faster (and better quality) lenses, rather than more flash gear. The 17-55mm f/2.8 or 24-70mm f/2.8 might work well. (The EXIF data on your photos show FLs of 28mm and 44mm.) For what you'd spend on E-TTL triggers, especially the RadioPoppers ($750 + another flash or the ST-E2, total of $970-$1170), you could buy either lens used or the 17-55mm new. Which would be better would be up to you. They would both be almost 1 stop faster and have better image quality.


You also might consider a prime lens or two (or three!). Look through your
photos and see what the common focal lengths you use and figure out if
a prime would work. I would guess, if you're close-in, that the Sigma 30mm f/1.4, Canon 28mm f/1.8 or Sigma 28mm f/1.8 would be good. They would all be at least two stops faster than your f/3.5 lens--the f/1.4 lenses are even two stops faster than the f/2.8 zooms. Even the vernerable Canon 35m f/2 might be OK. The shallow depth of field can be useful, too, to put the background out of focus. Other advantages of the primes are that they are smaller, lighter, use smaller (i.e., less expensive) filters, and easier to use. Get a fairly wide prime and crop when you need to.


To put it into perspective, the shutter speed for your ambient light shot was 1/100th at f/3.5. At f/2.8, that would be about 1/150. At f/2, it would be 1/300, at f/1.8 it would be 1/378, at f/1.4, it would be 1/625! Maybe you don't need flash, especially with the difficulty in matching the color of the ambient light.


New prices:


Canon 28mm f/1.8 - $500


Sigma 28mm f/1.8 - $379 - includes hood


Sigma 30mm f/1.4 - $439 (I paid $330 used) - includes hood


Canon 35mm f/2 - $300 (I paid $212 for used with a hood and Hoya SHMC UV filter)


Canon 35mm f/1.4L - $1,299 (Probably not worth it)


Canon 50mm f/1.4 - $399 (I paid $335 used, but it included the hood--$20-27 at B&H, for a total new of $419-426)


(The Canon 50mm f/1.8 at $110 might be usable, but it's not as fast-focusing nor as good as the f/1.4)


Canon 17-55mm f/2.8 IS - $1,030


Canon 24-70 f/2.9L - $1,349


Thus, you could get the 30mm f/1.4 and 50mm f/1.4 for less than the RadioPoppers + ST-E2.