portable lighting kit on a budget, sigma vs canon speedlites, pocket wizards etc...

[George Slusher]

The usual suspect is the Vivitar 285HV

One VERY IMPORTANT caution, especially if you're looking for flashes on eBay. Note the "HV" in the model name. That can be critical. The 285HV is an update to the original 285. It has a lower trigger voltage (about 12 volts) that may be compatible with digital cameras and modern film cameras. (I wrote may because Canon says that many of its cameras don't like trigger voltages over 6 volts, so even the 285HV might be a bit too much on the camera hot shoe.


The original 285 (and its less-capable sister, the 283) has a very high trigger voltage, well over 100 volts. Putting a 285 or 283 on your camera could easily fry some circuits. Some radio triggers can't handle that voltage, either. The Pocket Wizards can handle up to 200 volts, so they can "insulate" the camera from a flash, even if the flash is connected to the same Pocket Wizard. (E.g., the PW is on the camera's hot shoe and connected to a flash via a cable.) I don't know about the receivers I got from jiakgong--their listing doesn't mention trigger voltage, though, given the "rough" translation they use, it might be hidden somewhere. The instruction sheet was in Chinese, but the little beasties are very easy to figure out. I have an old Sunpak flash that does have a high trigger voltage--I used it with my FM and, later, Minolta 35mm bodies, but I'm not willing to potentially fry an $18 receiver. You can contact MPEX to ask about the Cactus triggers they sell.


So, stick with the Vivitar 285HV or other flash that you can confirm has a low trigger voltage. Don't take a chance with your camera or triggers! You can check the trigger voltage for many flashes here. You can get "Safe-Sync" devices to protect the camera, as well. My approach, however, is to use the Vivitar flashes only off the camera. As I have a 580EX and Sigma 500 DG Super, I don't need to use the less-sophisticated Vivitars on my 30D.

[George Slusher]

Hi George,


This is what i was referring to. I had started to think that i have wasted a lot of money and was actually feeling kinda stupid But i guess i can work with two 580exII. The setup i have in mind was to fire two external flashes from either side of the subject. But the more I think about it, the ST-E2 seems to be a mistake. I will see if i can make it work or i will be selling it soon on Ebay In my very own hasty way, i overlooked that i could use one of the 580s to trigger the other one. Its the urge to get "that thing" which has to be controlled!





Thanks,


Dev
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If you don't use the ST-E2, you'll have to have one of the 580EX II's on the camera (or use an off-camera cord, but that's only about 3' long). One advantage of fixed off-camera strobes is that the light doesn't depend upon the camera position. You can move around for various angles and the lighting stays the same. With an on-camera flash, the light will change when you move. You're also limited in the direction of the light, unless you bounce the light indoors. If you're going to use on-camera flash, consider a flash bracket that will elevate the flash above the usual position. That will help reduce redeye and shadows.

[George Slusher]

Yet another tip. The Vivitar 285HV has a battery holder that you slip into the flash, rather than load individual batteries, like the Canon and Sigma flashes. You can get inexpensive battery holders on eBay. (I paid $10.64 for 3 holders.) I carry a loaded extra holder for each flash. You can use alkaline or NiMH rechargeable batteries--they both have advantages and disadvantages. I prefer NiMH, but carry a bunch (at least 8) of AA &amp; AAA alkaline batteries in my car, as I have several devices that use them--flash(es), triggers, Canon S3 IS, flashlights, etc., plus I have spare oddball batteries (e.g., for the Canon ST-E2 and the Chinese trigger transmitter, which uses the same battery as my garage door opener transmitter). Even a spare cable or two for the triggers would be good, as it's easy to lose a 1 ft-long thin black cord.


For the 580EX II (and other Canon flashes), Canon makes an external battery pack that holds 8 AA batteries. It's not cheap ($150), but a Quantum Turbo battery is a lot more. You can find cheaper imitations on eBay--some hold 6 batteries, instead of 8. (I got an earlier model, CP-E3, for $95.) An external battery pack can enable you to take more shots without replacing batteries and the flash will recycle faster. Be careful, though: you can overheat a flash if you take a lot of shots quickly. Check your flash's manual for specifics.

[peety3]

So here's my (previous) point: start with two Canon 580EX II flashes (if they're in your budget) and see if one 580 on-camera can trigger one 580 off-camera in your typical scenario. Also, see if you're OK with manual power levels, or whether your style of shooting is better handled by ETTL (mine typically needs ETTL). That should guide you towards the solution, whether ST-E2 (if Canon triggering is OK for you and you want ETTL), 580EX II (i.e. a third, using one on-camera as trigger because you want more functionality than ST-E2), basic triggers (several to choose from), or ETTL triggers (at least two to choose from).