Which flash?

[Parks71a]

Looking flor flash for outdoor portraits, I don't want to break the bank and will use it off camera. What flash system would you recommend. Just a hobbyist. Camera is a D750 if that matters. I also have a cannon speed light ex400 can I make that work with it? I know very little about flash. Thanks!

 

[SUFTUM]

I have Sb700 and Sb 910 myself - with Godox triggers for off camera use.

If you buy Godox units you won't need to buy triggers as they have wireless built in. You could probably buy 2/3 for the price of one speed light.

The AD200 is a much more powerful unit which again for outdoor work may be worth looking at.

 

[SushiEater]

I have Sb700 and Sb 910 myself - with Godox triggers for off camera use.

If you buy Godox units you won't need to buy triggers as they have wireless built in. You could probably buy 2/3 for the price of one speed light.

The AD200 is a much more powerful unit which again for outdoor work may be worth looking at.

Don't you still need X1T? Camera doesn't contro9l the flash.

 

[SushiEater]

I strongly recommend Flashpoint R2 Li-on. It is exactly the same as Godox 860II (because it is made by Godox for Adorama) but it comes with 1 year warranty. I bought 3 of them over a year ago and so far no problems at all. I use flash ALL the time for several hundred thousands shots. The beauty of it is that one charge gets you 650 full pops with 1.5 second recharge. Other flashes need external battery for that. It has full radio build in too. And it has everything modern flash should have. I had two SB-910s and sold them both. I was tired dealing with AA and external battery.

 

[inasir1971]

Looking flor flash for outdoor portraits, I don't want to break the bank and will use it off camera. What flash system would you recommend. Just a hobbyist. Camera is a D750 if that matters. I also have a cannon speed light ex400 can I make that work with it? I know very little about flash. Thanks!

 

[SUFTUM]

I have Sb700 and Sb 910 myself - with Godox triggers for off camera use.

If you buy Godox units you won't need to buy triggers as they have wireless built in. You could probably buy 2/3 for the price of one speed light.

The AD200 is a much more powerful unit which again for outdoor work may be worth looking at.

Don't you still need X1T? Camera doesn't contro9l the flash.

 

[samjstern]

The Adorama brand(Flashpoint) is the same as Godox but the Adorama customer service for returns and warranties is much better than buying from Amazon



you want the: Flashpoint Li-ON R2 TTL on camera flash $179

Flashpoint R2 TTL Transmitter $46

so for $225 you are getting a great combination.. I use it outdoors for off camera flash with a D750, Works flawlessly, All you need is a good lightstand.







--
Sam

http://www.samjsternphotography.com

http://www.abingtonheadshots.com

 

[ClaudiusTheGod]

Looking flor flash for outdoor portraits, I don't want to break the bank and will use it off camera. What flash system would you recommend. Just a hobbyist. Camera is a D750 if that matters. I also have a cannon speed light ex400 can I make that work with it? I know very little about flash. Thanks!

 

[BirgerH]

Looking flor flash for outdoor portraits, I don't want to break the bank and will use it off camera. What flash system would you recommend. Just a hobbyist. Camera is a D750 if that matters. I also have a cannon speed light ex400 can I make that work with it? I know very little about flash. Thanks!

 

[SushiEater]

If you will only use off camera have a look at the AD200. Comes with two heads - speedlight and bare bulb which is better for modifiers, and Godox Witstro modifiers are very inexpensive.

There is a third head now available for like $25. It converts AD200 to a video light. I think it has 60 LEDs.

And then there is an adapter that connects two AD200 together for double the output of 400ws.

--
If I don't respond to your post after you responded to my with NEGATIVE remarks that means you are on my Ignore list.
Photography Director for Whedonopolis.com

 

[Bmark]

It would be great if someone offered a transmitter that was compatible with both wireless and the Nikon commander function. That way all flashes could work together.

 

[ClaudiusTheGod]

Looking flor flash for outdoor portraits, I don't want to break the bank and will use it off camera. What flash system would you recommend. Just a hobbyist. Camera is a D750 if that matters. I also have a cannon speed light ex400 can I make that work with it? I know very little about flash. Thanks!

 

[BirgerH]

Looking flor flash for outdoor portraits, I don't want to break the bank and will use it off camera. What flash system would you recommend. Just a hobbyist. Camera is a D750 if that matters. I also have a cannon speed light ex400 can I make that work with it? I know very little about flash. Thanks!

 

[ClaudiusTheGod]

and I'll add, to take a picture of a group of people- like a sports team, its TTL all the way- shot through an umbrella or some such thing

 

[calson]

You will be happiest with a used D910 for your camera. Even outdoors the Commander flash can wirelessly trigger the speedlight. Add a IR blocker (the Nikon SG-3IR that sells for $11.95) to put on the hotshoe when using the Commander flash. It blocks the visible light while allowing infrared to pass through to the speedlight.

 

[Parks71a]

Whew, thanks for all the replies, this flash stuff is confusing to say the least. What I have gathered is TTL helps set up the flash? Will it work with HSS?

The Ad200 from my little research after reading these posts is much brighter than the rest so what's the down fall? Does it have TTL? If I'm using HSS is TTL even still in play? I'd imagine I'd be using HHS a lot since I'd need my shutter speed way up to shoot wide open or close to it right?

if I didn't go with AD200, are these other flashes stong enough in HHS with just one flash?

isnt there a way to make my cannon flash fire once it sees another flash? Could be way wrong on that. Thanks for all the help guys!

 

[inasir1971]

Whew, thanks for all the replies, this flash stuff is confusing to say the least. What I have gathered is TTL helps set up the flash? Will it work with HSS?

The Ad200 from my little research after reading these posts is much brighter than the rest so what's the down fall? Does it have TTL? If I'm using HSS is TTL even still in play? I'd imagine I'd be using HHS a lot since I'd need my shutter speed way up to shoot wide open or close to it right?

AD200 comes with a bare bulb head and a speedlight head that's fixed at 35mm 'zoom'. It is strictly off camera. It has HSS and the only thing I would note about HSS is that in my experience trying to use less than 1/16 output has some issues - not really a problem I imagine.

if I didn't go with AD200, are these other flashes stong enough in HHS with just one flash?

isnt there a way to make my cannon flash fire once it sees another flash? Could be way wrong on that. Thanks for all the help guys!

not optical triggering as Canon use their own protocol. I would again suggest a Godox X1R-C Canon receiver for the Canon flash and see if it will integrate fully with the Nikon and Godox transmitter

--
https://www.flickr.com/photos/89914543@N08/

 

[SushiEater]

Whew, thanks for all the replies, this flash stuff is confusing to say the least. What I have gathered is TTL helps set up the flash? Will it work with HSS?

TTL has nothing to do with HSS. HSS is a high Speed Sync. That means your flash instead of emitting one single burst under the sync speed emits multiple busts while the shutter slit is traveling across the sensor plane. But it does it at much lower power per burst. Over all one HSS volley equal to one Full Burst in supplied power so it will need 1.5 sec to reset. I have tried manually 1/128 power in HSS and could only take one shot in a burst of shots.

TTL is a metering related function. So now if TTL tells your flash to use more than 1/128 it might not make it depending if your shutter speed is too high.

The Ad200 from my little research after reading these posts is much brighter than the rest so what's the down fall? Does it have TTL? If I'm using HSS is TTL even still in play? I'd imagine I'd be using HHS a lot since I'd need my shutter speed way up to shoot wide open or close to it right?

Well, not necessary. You can use modifiers to reduce the flash power and still have your shutter speed in the sync with the flash. For example point the flash in to umbrella or through the umbrella. And since you are using the flash off camera you can also increase the distance between the flash and your subject. There are many things you can do to create exposure you want.

if I didn't go with AD200, are these other flashes stong enough in HHS with just one flash?

Read above.

isnt there a way to make my cannon flash fire once it sees another flash? Could be way wrong on that. Thanks for all the help guys!

Yes, if you buy receiver for Canon running at the same frequency and on the same channel as transmitter. It will not be TTL, obviously, but you can trigger it in the manual mode. You might even be able to change parameters on your Canon flash remotely.

I also want to say that HSS is not a very reliable way to set exposure since flash decides how much power per burst it needs to supply to cover your shutter speed. There are variations in each burst. So don't assume you can just crank the shutter speed up to lett less light from the flash in to the camera if your aperture is too bright. I would personally rely on light modifiers for consistency than HSS.

Also, personally I don't like TTL. It can be easily fooled if you have a mixture of bright white and dark black in the frame. What I do is shoot on manual and very my shutter speed from 1/125 to 1/250 which gives me a full stop difference. So for example if a white person in front of me with the bright white skin I shoot at 1/250. I the person has darker skin all I do is use slower shutter speed but nothing else changes. Changing shutter speed is very quick.

 

[BirgerH]

Whew, thanks for all the replies, this flash stuff is confusing to say the least. What I have gathered is TTL helps set up the flash? Will it work with HSS?

TTL has nothing to do with HSS. HSS is a high Speed Sync. That means your flash instead of emitting one single burst under the sync speed emits multiple busts while the shutter slit is traveling across the sensor plane. But it does it at much lower power per burst. Over all one HSS volley equal to one Full Burst in supplied power so it will need 1.5 sec to reset. I have tried manually 1/128 power in HSS and could only take one shot in a burst of shots.

TTL is a metering related function. So now if TTL tells your flash to use more than 1/128 it might not make it depending if your shutter speed is too high.

The Ad200 from my little research after reading these posts is much brighter than the rest so what's the down fall? Does it have TTL? If I'm using HSS is TTL even still in play? I'd imagine I'd be using HHS a lot since I'd need my shutter speed way up to shoot wide open or close to it right?

Well, not necessary. You can use modifiers to reduce the flash power and still have your shutter speed in the sync with the flash. For example point the flash in to umbrella or through the umbrella. And since you are using the flash off camera you can also increase the distance between the flash and your subject. There are many things you can do to create exposure you want.

if I didn't go with AD200, are these other flashes stong enough in HHS with just one flash?

Read above.

isnt there a way to make my cannon flash fire once it sees another flash? Could be way wrong on that. Thanks for all the help guys!

Yes, if you buy receiver for Canon running at the same frequency and on the same channel as transmitter. It will not be TTL, obviously, but you can trigger it in the manual mode. You might even be able to change parameters on your Canon flash remotely.

I also want to say that HSS is not a very reliable way to set exposure since flash decides how much power per burst it needs to supply to cover your shutter speed. There are variations in each burst. So don't assume you can just crank the shutter speed up to lett less light from the flash in to the camera if your aperture is too bright. I would personally rely on light modifiers for consistency than HSS.

Nahhr - this must be down to personal likes (and experiences and skills with manual flash settings) - because changing shutter speed does not change the TTL flash metering - and with that, it doesn't change flash output in TTL - just like in manual

It might (no - it does) invoke if using TTL-BL - might be the reason for your "not very reliable" - then again - if using TTL-BL, you don't need to change the shutter speed - the automated blending of camera and flash metering of the subject "should" give you a perfect exposure of the subject - almost always - even if you change shutter speed .

Also, personally I don't like TTL. It can be easily fooled if you have a mixture of bright white and dark black in the frame.

Not sure, why it should - more than manual (external) flash metering. The mixture, you mention, will be a challenge to every kind of shooting - my experience (because I'm not experienced manually flash settings - and think it will be quite a learning session ) is, that Nikon's iTTL solutions are actually doing a brave job - including their fill flash implementation.

What I do is shoot on manual and very my shutter speed from 1/125 to 1/250 which gives me a full stop difference. So for example if a white person in front of me with the bright white skin I shoot at 1/250. I the person has darker skin all I do is use slower shutter speed but nothing else changes. Changing shutter speed is very quick.

I'm not questioning the use of manually metering and setting when using flash - personal skills always beats automated functions somewhere somehow, I'm just not excluding the Nikons CLS as a very (in my case, anyway) useable solution

 

[SushiEater]

Whew, thanks for all the replies, this flash stuff is confusing to say the least. What I have gathered is TTL helps set up the flash? Will it work with HSS?

TTL has nothing to do with HSS. HSS is a high Speed Sync. That means your flash instead of emitting one single burst under the sync speed emits multiple busts while the shutter slit is traveling across the sensor plane. But it does it at much lower power per burst. Over all one HSS volley equal to one Full Burst in supplied power so it will need 1.5 sec to reset. I have tried manually 1/128 power in HSS and could only take one shot in a burst of shots.

TTL is a metering related function. So now if TTL tells your flash to use more than 1/128 it might not make it depending if your shutter speed is too high.

The Ad200 from my little research after reading these posts is much brighter than the rest so what's the down fall? Does it have TTL? If I'm using HSS is TTL even still in play? I'd imagine I'd be using HHS a lot since I'd need my shutter speed way up to shoot wide open or close to it right?

Well, not necessary. You can use modifiers to reduce the flash power and still have your shutter speed in the sync with the flash. For example point the flash in to umbrella or through the umbrella. And since you are using the flash off camera you can also increase the distance between the flash and your subject. There are many things you can do to create exposure you want.

if I didn't go with AD200, are these other flashes stong enough in HHS with just one flash?

Read above.

isnt there a way to make my cannon flash fire once it sees another flash? Could be way wrong on that. Thanks for all the help guys!

Yes, if you buy receiver for Canon running at the same frequency and on the same channel as transmitter. It will not be TTL, obviously, but you can trigger it in the manual mode. You might even be able to change parameters on your Canon flash remotely.

I also want to say that HSS is not a very reliable way to set exposure since flash decides how much power per burst it needs to supply to cover your shutter speed. There are variations in each burst. So don't assume you can just crank the shutter speed up to lett less light from the flash in to the camera if your aperture is too bright. I would personally rely on light modifiers for consistency than HSS.

Nahhr - this must be down to personal likes (and experiences and skills with manual flash settings) - because changing shutter speed does not change the TTL flash metering - and with that, it doesn't change flash output in TTL - just like in manual

I am setting my camera and flash in manual, not TTL. And by experience I already know how much output I want from my flash and what shutter speed to use. It also works well if part of the subject is lit with a strong sun especially if the subject is blonde. TTL-BL will not be able to handle that. But exposing for the sun and filling with the flash works fine.

It might (no - it does) invoke if using TTL-BL - might be the reason for your "not very reliable" - then again - if using TTL-BL, you don't need to change the shutter speed - the automated blending of camera and flash metering of the subject "should" give you a perfect exposure of the subject - almost always - even if you change shutter speed .

Also, personally I don't like TTL. It can be easily fooled if you have a mixture of bright white and dark black in the frame.

Not sure, why it should - more than manual (external) flash metering. The mixture, you mention, will be a challenge to every kind of shooting - my experience (because I'm not experienced manually flash settings - and think it will be quite a learning session ) is, that Nikon's iTTL solutions are actually doing a brave job - including their fill flash implementation.

Put a white woman and a black man wearing white shirt next to each other. Let's see what happens. Either she is going to get whiter or he is going to get blacker. And if she gets whiter so will his shirt gets overblown.

What I do is shoot on manual and very my shutter speed from 1/125 to 1/250 which gives me a full stop difference. So for example if a white person in front of me with the bright white skin I shoot at 1/250. I the person has darker skin all I do is use slower shutter speed but nothing else changes. Changing shutter speed is very quick.

I'm not questioning the use of manually metering and setting when using flash - personal skills always beats automated functions somewhere somehow, I'm just not excluding the Nikons CLS as a very (in my case, anyway) useable solution

Sure, if you have an even light Nikon CLS works fine but I don't shoot in even light often.

Few places I shot red carpet they use hot spot lights from the ceiling and you never know where your subject is going to stand. Expose for the subject and you are going to end up with the white blotch somewhere on the face as what TTL will do. Expose for the hot spot and the subject will be underexposed. By varying the shutter speed I can quickly fix that later on by reducing Highlight in post processing to make photo usable because the highlight spot is not overblown.