Portrait lens and flashes

[illmonkey]

Any good lenses in any sales?

Looking for a portrait lens for my 450D.

There is the standard Canon 50mm http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005K47...

Jessops also have some cheap flashes, worth picking one up? Or spend a bit more?

http://www.jessops.com/online.store/categories/Acc...

[Ed_P]

With regard to flash, I'd be tempted to go for a Canon 430 or 580EX (buy cheap, buy twice!), if you can afford it.

Canon Outlet have one going here on eBay. It is the older version, but I got one from them last year for around £130. It was brand new, still sealed in the box; but obviously outdated stock.

[Gemm]

Not sure what kind of portrait you are talking about but if we are talking about 'proper' indoor portrait (i.e. non-snapshots), you'd have to work very hard to get a great result from a single flash unit alone. You'd also have to think about other things, e.g. diffuser, reflectors, and another flash unit would be also useful, or even better, studio lights with softbox/brolly etc etc. But it should work well for outdoor shots.

Edited by Gemm on Tuesday 5th January 12:26

[Chicken Pox]

Ed_P said:

With regard to flash, I'd be tempted to go for a Canon 430 or 580EX (buy cheap, buy twice!), if you can afford it.

Canon Outlet have one going here on eBay. It is the older version, but I got one from them last year for around £130. It was brand new, still sealed in the box; but obviously outdated stock.

I got the newer version for £199 from Amazon (bidding on that old one is at £160!), I've got the Canon 50mm f1.8 (pretty sure it was £70, present from other half)and just got around to playing with both on my 350D this weekend, the shallow depth of field is something to get used to, good fun learning new skills

[illmonkey]

Gemm said:

Not sure what kind of portrait you are talking about but if we are talking about 'proper' indoor portrait (i.e. non-snapshots), you'd have to work very hard to get a great result from a single flash unit alone. You'd also have to think about other things, e.g. diffuser, reflectors, and another flash unit would be also useful, or even better, studio lights with softbox/brolly etc etc. But it should work well for outdoor shots.

Edited by Gemm on Tuesday 5th January 12:26

I think thats overkill for me. I have the SLR to get the better shots that a point and shot, but I'm certainly not at the studio lighting level!

I think I'll grab a Canon 50mm MkII for now, then invest in a flash later on in the year. I'm really struggling with the built in flash though, so it may get bought sooner!

[Vipers]

Ed_P said:

With regard to flash, I'd be tempted to go for a Canon 430 or 580EX (buy cheap, buy twice!), if you can afford it.

Canon Outlet have one going here on eBay. It is the older version, but I got one from them last year for around £130. It was brand new, still sealed in the box; but obviously outdated stock.

Got one, works extreamly with or without a difuser fitted, only a couple of quid.

[Busa_Rush]

illmonkey said:

Gemm said:

Not sure what kind of portrait you are talking about but if we are talking about 'proper' indoor portrait (i.e. non-snapshots), you'd have to work very hard to get a great result from a single flash unit alone. You'd also have to think about other things, e.g. diffuser, reflectors, and another flash unit would be also useful, or even better, studio lights with softbox/brolly etc etc. But it should work well for outdoor shots.

Edited by Gemm on Tuesday 5th January 12:26

I think thats overkill for me. I have the SLR to get the better shots that a point and shot, but I'm certainly not at the studio lighting level!

I think I'll grab a Canon 50mm MkII for now, then invest in a flash later on in the year. I'm really struggling with the built in flash though, so it may get bought sooner!

Having tried taking indoor portraits of people (and animals !) with flash years ago with a film SLR, admittedly an old one, it's very, very difficult to get anything looking good with flash. I never managed it but I switched to using some very simple lighting, cheap and cheerful and a couple of reflectors and it all came together reasonably well. You can even make simple reflectors yourself for peanuts.

I'm really not sure what I'd use flash for these days, other than party shots, maybe family dinner parties. Perhaps flash units have progressed a lot in 10-15 years but I'd be more inclined to buy some budget lighting units and accessories as suggested above.

[beano500]

Stand and umbrella... ...and multiply as necessary... "Seeemples!"

[Ed_P]

Busa_Rush said:

... it's very, very difficult to get anything looking good with flash.

I'm not sure I'd agree with you on that one. Without too much effort, it's possible to get very subtle effects from speedlight flashes. It's obviously preferable not to point the flash directly at the subject, but it's also useful to ensure that the subject cannot actually see the flash head. I invested on a set of Honl light modifiers and have got really good results. I often attach the "gobo" (just a rectangle, black one side, silver the other), to the speedlight with the "speed strap". This blocks out direct light hitting the subject. Bounce the light away from the subject and reflect it off a (preferably white) surface. You can use the speedlight in e-TTL mode and adjust with Flash Exposure Compensation.

If you got a book token for Christmas or have a bit of spare cash, I'd strongly recommend getting On-Camera Flash Techniques for Wedding and Portrait Photography by Neil van Neikerk. Fantasic book that shows simply, what you can do with a speedlight flash.

[Busa_Rush]

Ed_P said:

Busa_Rush said:

... it's very, very difficult to get anything looking good with flash.

I'm not sure I'd agree with you on that one. Without too much effort, it's possible to get very subtle effects from speedlight flashes. It's obviously preferable not to point the flash directly at the subject, but it's also useful to ensure that the subject cannot actually see the flash head. I invested on a set of Honl light modifiers and have got really good results. I often attach the "gobo" (just a rectangle, black one side, silver the other), to the speedlight with the "speed strap". This blocks out direct light hitting the subject. Bounce the light away from the subject and reflect it off a (preferably white) surface. You can use the speedlight in e-TTL mode and adjust with Flash Exposure Compensation.

If you got a book token for Christmas or have a bit of spare cash, I'd strongly recommend getting On-Camera Flash Techniques for Wedding and Portrait Photography by Neil van Neikerk. Fantasic book that shows simply, what you can do with a speedlight flash.

Maybe they've improved since I last used them or perhaps I was doing it wrong, but I was referring to a flash alone, if you're going to start adding umbrellas and remote flash units etc you may as well get some lighting in there surely ? Is there a benefit to flash over lighting apart from being easier to carry ?

[beano500]

See also anything by Oz Kharawala...


...he keeps it really simple, indoor or out.

[Nardies]

Busa_Rush said:

Ed_P said:

Busa_Rush said:

... it's very, very difficult to get anything looking good with flash.

I'm not sure I'd agree with you on that one. Without too much effort, it's possible to get very subtle effects from speedlight flashes. It's obviously preferable not to point the flash directly at the subject, but it's also useful to ensure that the subject cannot actually see the flash head. I invested on a set of Honl light modifiers and have got really good results. I often attach the "gobo" (just a rectangle, black one side, silver the other), to the speedlight with the "speed strap". This blocks out direct light hitting the subject. Bounce the light away from the subject and reflect it off a (preferably white) surface. You can use the speedlight in e-TTL mode and adjust with Flash Exposure Compensation.

If you got a book token for Christmas or have a bit of spare cash, I'd strongly recommend getting On-Camera Flash Techniques for Wedding and Portrait Photography by Neil van Neikerk. Fantasic book that shows simply, what you can do with a speedlight flash.

Maybe they've improved since I last used them or perhaps I was doing it wrong, but I was referring to a flash alone, if you're going to start adding umbrellas and remote flash units etc you may as well get some lighting in there surely ? Is there a benefit to flash over lighting apart from being easier to carry ?

Essentially, yes. Even with a folding light stand, brolly and diffuser I can fit everything in a relatively small backpack with loads of room to spare.