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D60 and a compatible flash

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John Stapleton

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I have been using the d60 for 4 months now. Available light is excellent. Studio lighting is great, BUT I am having fits with finding a flash unit that cositantly works for me. The majority of my work is weddings. I shoot over 70 weddings every year. As any wedding photographer knows, it is very fast paced shooting, the kind that does not afford you the luxury to continually reset custom balances.

When I first purched the camera I wanted what I was told was the best for it, so I purchased the 550EX. This is the most expensive piece of junk I ever purchased! I have no idea what it looks at when I take shots. But it consistantly will over expose and under expose severly, and I never know exactly when it will. Of course every once in a while, if I'm not shooting a white bride and a black groom (their cloths) but rather a bridesmaid in a pastel blue or green, well then it works fine. So for the past three and 1/2 months I've been using my old Vivitar 285 shooting on manual with the camera and one of the automatic settings for the flash. For the most part it is much better, 1000 times more consistant than the 550. But I've heard this set up could be bad for the camera. Is this true? and if so Why? Please, You guys and ladies that have been using this set-up for a while, what do you use for flash? Keep in mind, fast moving, lots of ambient lighting changes, sometimes in near dark. I could sure use some good advice.
Thanks
John Stapleton
 
If you are happy with the Vivitar, get a Wein Safe Synch to be on the safe side with the voltage. It's about an inch high and plugs into the shoe on the camera or a bracket. I have one, but I am trying to use the 550EX.
 
I too am very interested in this subject. From what I have read on this forum, it appears that the Metz 45(?) seems to be a popular choice. And, not a single positive post on the 550 EX for our purposes.

I went out on a limb and ordered the 480 EG. It should be here tomorrow (wed 26 Nov). Will keep you posted.

dive
John Stapleton said:
I have been using the d60 for 4 months now. Available light is
excellent. Studio lighting is great, BUT I am having fits with
finding a flash unit that cositantly works for me. The majority of
my work is weddings. I shoot over 70 weddings every year. As any
wedding photographer knows, it is very fast paced shooting, the
kind that does not afford you the luxury to continually reset
custom balances.
When I first purched the camera I wanted what I was told was the
best for it, so I purchased the 550EX. This is the most expensive
piece of junk I ever purchased! I have no idea what it looks at
when I take shots. But it consistantly will over expose and under
expose severly, and I never know exactly when it will. Of course
every once in a while, if I'm not shooting a white bride and a
black groom (their cloths) but rather a bridesmaid in a pastel blue
or green, well then it works fine. So for the past three and 1/2
months I've been using my old Vivitar 285 shooting on manual with
the camera and one of the automatic settings for the flash. For the
most part it is much better, 1000 times more consistant than the
550. But I've heard this set up could be bad for the camera. Is
this true? and if so Why? Please, You guys and ladies that have
been using this set-up for a while, what do you use for flash? Keep
in mind, fast moving, lots of ambient lighting changes, sometimes
in near dark. I could sure use some good advice.
Thanks
John Stapleton
Click to expand...
 
The Metz I see people mentioning most is the 54MZ-3. It combines thyristor mode like the Vivitar and E-TTL like the 550EX as I understand it.
 
John Stapleton said:
I have been using the d60 for 4 months now. Available light is
excellent. Studio lighting is great, BUT I am having fits with
finding a flash unit that cositantly works for me. The majority of
my work is weddings. I shoot over 70 weddings every year. As any
wedding photographer knows, it is very fast paced shooting, the
kind that does not afford you the luxury to continually reset
custom balances.
When I first purched the camera I wanted what I was told was the
best for it, so I purchased the 550EX. This is the most expensive
piece of junk I ever purchased! I have no idea what it looks at
when I take shots. But it consistantly will over expose and under
expose severly, and I never know exactly when it will. Of course
every once in a while, if I'm not shooting a white bride and a
black groom (their cloths) but rather a bridesmaid in a pastel blue
or green, well then it works fine. So for the past three and 1/2
months I've been using my old Vivitar 285 shooting on manual with
the camera and one of the automatic settings for the flash. For the
most part it is much better, 1000 times more consistant than the
550. But I've heard this set up could be bad for the camera. Is
this true? and if so Why? Please, You guys and ladies that have
been using this set-up for a while, what do you use for flash? Keep
in mind, fast moving, lots of ambient lighting changes, sometimes
in near dark. I could sure use some good advice.
Thanks
John Stapleton
Click to expand...
I was asking the same question two days ago and the what I was told is that Metz is the best way to go.
So that's what I'm going to test. I hope TTLwill work better than E-TTL.
Mike
 
Go out and buy yourself a Sunpak 5000AF for the Canon.

It has the power you need, is an Auto Flash like the Vivitar, will give you focus-assist you need, will communicated with the camera as you change your ISO on the fly.

After you set the F-stop to your choice, all you need to do is up and down your ISO, and drag your shutter sometimes for that ambient look. Simple as pie, and works like a charm.

Your Vivitar might put too much voltage into your camreas electronics and fry them especially if it is 3 years or older, be careful.

Peter Gregg
 
ok, i have my canon 480EG in hand....and no TTL for the D60, only manual flash.....i must have read a spec wrong someplace...very dissapointed.

so now what? in reading more on this D60 it appears that TTL doesn't work...period...with any flash except the 420ex or 550ex....so i am not sure about using the sunpak that was mentioned in a previous post...please keep us posted as I for one am very interested...

dive
John Stapleton said:
I have been using the d60 for 4 months now. Available light is
excellent. Studio lighting is great, BUT I am having fits with
finding a flash unit that cositantly works for me. The majority of
my work is weddings. I shoot over 70 weddings every year. As any
wedding photographer knows, it is very fast paced shooting, the
kind that does not afford you the luxury to continually reset
custom balances.
When I first purched the camera I wanted what I was told was the
best for it, so I purchased the 550EX. This is the most expensive
piece of junk I ever purchased! I have no idea what it looks at
when I take shots. But it consistantly will over expose and under
expose severly, and I never know exactly when it will. Of course
every once in a while, if I'm not shooting a white bride and a
black groom (their cloths) but rather a bridesmaid in a pastel blue
or green, well then it works fine. So for the past three and 1/2
months I've been using my old Vivitar 285 shooting on manual with
the camera and one of the automatic settings for the flash. For the
most part it is much better, 1000 times more consistant than the
550. But I've heard this set up could be bad for the camera. Is
this true? and if so Why? Please, You guys and ladies that have
been using this set-up for a while, what do you use for flash? Keep
in mind, fast moving, lots of ambient lighting changes, sometimes
in near dark. I could sure use some good advice.
Thanks
John Stapleton
Click to expand...
 
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