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better than 580 EX II to weddings and 5dII ?
- Thread starter pfonseka
- Start date
I have not been impressed with any TTL system. Sometimes it works great, other times it's a mess. I find at weddings, with black tuxed folks and a white dress, old fashioned auto thyristor works better, and when it's off, you can figure out why and make adjustments. With TTL you really don't know what it's going to sometimes. The SB-28 is well built and you can use it without the camera knowing there is a flash attached. The Q-flash is also excellent.
Paul Grupp
Veteran Member
. . . is for 580EXII for any kind of fast shooting -- , in the bride's dressing room getting ready, in the aisle at the ceremony, at the reception. It's also OK for details at the reception venue, provided there are suitable surface around to bounce off of.
For portraits and groups, I like an old-fashioned manual off-camera flash, synced to the camera with a pocketwizard.
Best,
Paul
http://upstatephotographers.com
For portraits and groups, I like an old-fashioned manual off-camera flash, synced to the camera with a pocketwizard.
Best,
Paul
http://upstatephotographers.com
carrigman
Member
--
What are the shortcomings in this combination that you have identified? I can't conceive of any. I have used a 580EX2 with a 5D for weddings and it is a marriage made in heaven as far as I'm concerned.
blabpictures
New member
For SBI Jon, you can make the 580EX II work in "thyristor" mode like the old flashes. Canon calls it external metering sensor. Basically that little hole on the front of the flash is where the sensor is. To activate it you can choose one of two methods.
1. Flash picks up the aperture and ISO speed from the Canon camera and then measures the light coming back from the subject and quenches the flash itself. Kind of like the old flashes did, but the camera aperture and ISO is sent to the flash for you.
2. Full thyristor on the flash, you need to set the aperture and the ISO speed you are using on the flash. It ignores the camera set values completely
These are all in the custom functions of the flash, Cfn 5, set to 2 External Metering: Auto gives you the operation in 1. above, set to 3 External metering: manual gives you the operation in 2. above.
I also used it successfully for light painting a big scene. Set the camera on a tripod, set the aperture for f/11, open the shutter on bulb mode. Walk round the subject in the dark firing the flash at it with Cfn 5 set to 3 and the f/11 and relevant ISO speed. Then you can press the flash test / firing button and each flash is measured by the flash in your hand and it's lighting for f/11.
1. Flash picks up the aperture and ISO speed from the Canon camera and then measures the light coming back from the subject and quenches the flash itself. Kind of like the old flashes did, but the camera aperture and ISO is sent to the flash for you.
2. Full thyristor on the flash, you need to set the aperture and the ISO speed you are using on the flash. It ignores the camera set values completely
These are all in the custom functions of the flash, Cfn 5, set to 2 External Metering: Auto gives you the operation in 1. above, set to 3 External metering: manual gives you the operation in 2. above.
I also used it successfully for light painting a big scene. Set the camera on a tripod, set the aperture for f/11, open the shutter on bulb mode. Walk round the subject in the dark firing the flash at it with Cfn 5 set to 3 and the f/11 and relevant ISO speed. Then you can press the flash test / firing button and each flash is measured by the flash in your hand and it's lighting for f/11.
Ravitej Khalsa
Senior Member
Not seeing that little hole on a 580–I. Was that an addition to the 580II?
Paul Grupp
Veteran Member
I think it was one of the improvements from 580EX to 580EXII.
Paul Grupp
Veteran Member
Great flash -- I would buy one without hesitation.
I have the 580EXII also, owned the old 430EZ and 550EX before, never owned but used the 580EX few times, the 580EX II is probably the best Canon flash so far, but I still have some inconsistant result from the E-TTL. now I am back to manual mode again so I can't blame on the flash, it's all about the operator now, but the rapid recycle time is what I like about the 580EX II, it's almost as fast as the SB-900 on my D300. much much faster than any previous generation EZ, EX flash.
UncleMikey
Senior Member
I have used many brands and types of flash with the 5D, and when all is said and done, and as much as I sometimes hate ETTL, the canon flashes, IMO, are the best all-around choice.
One of the nice things about Canon flash is that you can get the CP-E4 battery pack. It is much smaller than most other battery packs and substantially improves both the recharge rate and the number of flashes you will get.
I have used the 580EXII with the 5DMKII for a couple of weddings and found that it works best with AVERAGE flash metering set on the camera. The 580EX II also has an auto mode and with the 5DMKII, it can pick up the camera settings directly, so you do not need to set them manually on the flash, as you do with the 5D.
I've used the Auto mode a little bit but not enough to really have an opinion on how well it works.
If you want the easiest flash photography the best setup is probably Nikon - camera and flash.
One of the nice things about Canon flash is that you can get the CP-E4 battery pack. It is much smaller than most other battery packs and substantially improves both the recharge rate and the number of flashes you will get.
I have used the 580EXII with the 5DMKII for a couple of weddings and found that it works best with AVERAGE flash metering set on the camera. The 580EX II also has an auto mode and with the 5DMKII, it can pick up the camera settings directly, so you do not need to set them manually on the flash, as you do with the 5D.
I've used the Auto mode a little bit but not enough to really have an opinion on how well it works.
If you want the easiest flash photography the best setup is probably Nikon - camera and flash.
itsDing
Senior Member
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l have a 430ex and a 580exll neither of them are as good as my older thyristor guns, 3 hammerhead Sunpak 555's in US, G4500DX's in UK, average price £35 each on ebay or any of my 3 Vivitar 283's. The sunpaks have 7 auto and 7 manual settings. l use mainly for firing into brollies and soft boxes however when used on camera and auto they a very accurate, the heads can swivel any direction. l have even done a shopping center promotion using them (no leads for people to trip over). l really feel l have wasted my money buying the 2 canons.
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