Fast lens or Flash?

[gainsucker]

tokina... i have 2 tokina lenses and im super super super happy with them...

12 24 f4 wide and 50 135mm f2.8 

[ihopethisnamecounts]

IMHO, i'd rather have a good lens with a cheap flash than a cheap lens with a good flash..

any flash unit with manual power control can be used for off-camera lighting.. as long as you can trigger the flash and can control the amount of light it produces, you're good to go.. i don't think you'll notice the difference in the quality of light in a model/scene when lit by SB900 or SB24.. it's just a matter of how you are using the flashes..

but if we're talking about fast, run-and-gun, camera-mounted flash photography, then the latest and more intelligent units would beat the older, cheaper ones no doubt..

but still, i'd rather have a good lens..

[dudeofdude]

buy the best flash that you can afford. if the 580ex fits your budget go for it.  that way you won't be looking at other flashes in the near future. no more upgrades.. for now



- it's the sb900 for me since i'm a nikon user. and i think i will just settle for a cheaper lens.

my choices are the nikon 35mm f1.8 or the tokina 16-50 f2.8.

think boy..think 

im buying a nissin di622 sometime this month. lol im cheap. anyway, i own a 35mm f1.8, i love it to death but i think the tokina is the better walk around lens

[demoboi]

Get the flash.  With proper use of the flash, you can get natural light looking shots.

Yes you can do that. But to be come a good street photographer you need to be "invinsible". For daylight on axis fill, I find my built-in sufficient na. For low light naman, I tend to pump the ISO to get a decent shutter. But I'm not saying using a flash sa street photography is a mortal sin. Sometimes it's fun to drag the shutter. You can have a sharp subject while the background has some motion blur.

If you favor shooting more on group shots than street photos, get a flash. You need an external flash to properly expose the subjects since you will be raising the aperture to get everyone in focus.

IMHO.

[Phil]

what do you guys think about Metz flash? I heard its an alternative to the 580ex ii  and it can do ettl and ttl.

[dullFingers]

all points taken. thanks for your replies.

[higad]

so, what's your decision?

Im planning to buy an external flash too, maybe an SB-600 then for the lens, 50mm 1.8D.

Anyway, i believe many of us here (including me) wants to know what are the brands and models of flash ranging from $5k-$15k which can be used in flash photography?

Can anybody show us where the light is?

[dullFingers]

haven't made my decision yet. I'm leaning towards the sb900.

For the meantime, i got myself some filters. I bought the Hoya hmc nd8, hoya hd cpl and b+w nd110. summer is right around the corner which means more time for landscape/seascape shots. I have to learn how to use them before our first trip to the beach.

so, what's your decision?

Im planning to buy an external flash too, maybe an SB-600 then for the lens, 50mm 1.8D.

Anyway, i believe many of us here (including me) wants to know what are the brands and models of flash ranging from $5k-$15k which can be used in flash photography?

Can anybody show us where the light is?

the 50mm 1.8d is one great lens. and it's also priced fairly. I own one. I love the bokeh. I won't be letting go of this one anytime soon.

[rennell]

haven't made my decision yet. I'm leaning towards the sb900.

For the meantime, i got myself some filters. I bought the Hoya hmc nd8, hoya hd cpl and b+w nd110. summer is right around the corner which means more time for landscape/seascape shots. I have to learn how to use them before our first trip to the beach.

the 50mm 1.8d is one great lens. and it's also priced fairly. I own one. I love the bokeh. I won't be letting go of this one anytime soon.

kulang pa! GND pa! 

[peeves24]

kesa mag sb900 ka, nissin di622 is worth every peso. i had my apprehensions and i really wanted to get nikon's sb-600 but i really needed a flash gun 3 weeks ago and i couldnt find any stock for the sb600. i ended up with the nissin and im very happy with it. its very simple to use and just works.

dun sa sukli, bili ka ng nikkor 35mm f1.8

may sukli pa rin kaya may pambili ka pa ng diffuser at pang date ka pa


pero kung beach at landscape naman pala, then get a new lens  

[dullFingers]

kulang pa! GND pa! 

kulang na din ng pera hehe GND at IR ang next in line. any tips on proper use of those filters? 



@ peeves - madami din nag suggest sakin ng nissin flash. will think about it. thanks!

[higad]

peeves24
thanks man. i'll check out that one.

dullfingers
30mm f1/4 vs 50mm 1.8? which one is more handy? (i know and think, although not tried yet, that 30mm produces better quality shots than nifty fifty)

[rennell]

kulang na din ng pera hehe GND at IR ang next in line. any tips on proper use of those filters? 



@ peeves - madami din nag suggest sakin ng nissin flash. will think about it. thanks!

wala pa ako masyado alam sa filters. ngayon lang ako nagkaroon ng UWA, bibili pa lang ako ng filters haha. sa ngayon CPL muna, then nd400, tapos GND na. Last na IR. Pag GND, marami nagsasabi sa akin na mas maganda raw kung square filter. hehe 

[dullFingers]

@higad - i haven't tried the 30mm 1.4. I think the image quality of the nikkor 35mm 1.8 and the 50mm 1.8 is the same. though i personally prefer the 35mm because of it's wider focal length.

@ rennel -  yup, may mga nakapag sabi na din na kapag ND filters daw mas maganda screw in, pag GND square type. can't wait to try those filters. sana matutunan ko agad hehe tapos ipon ulit para sa GND at IR.

mukhang kelangan ng bagong bag 

[Phil]

so funny since I opted to buying 2 lenses than a flash.

I bought this super cheap puffer built in flash diffuser.... from China.

It does work to a certain degree. Good for casual settings..like if you want to take pictures at a party at home.

[higad]

i used to have those flash diffusers too! they're useful even when if you're shooting outdoors. I picked it over the other flash acc (flash-bounce DIY) because you cant bounce flash outdoors (no ceiling). They're good but they do have limits as well.

[higad]

just bought Sigma EX 30mm f/1.4 yesterday. damn! this is the first time i've experienced lens other than 18-55mm vr. hahaha! I've used 18-200mm on my uncle's 20D but its just like my 18-55 vr, it just gives you more range. but this one, wow. you won't need a flash. even iso settings wont be more than 400.

anyway, i know i wont need a flash anymore since it produces good quality lighting and bokeh. BUT. i'd like to learn and start flash fotografia. hehe. i think im going to get nissin di622 first (because, im still trying to learn) then will just upgrade later. i just have some questions. will the di622 be used off-cam via trigger for d70s? and, what's the use of firmware upgrade? i always see questions like "is this already updated?"

[rennell]

just bought Sigma EX 30mm f/1.4 yesterday. damn! this is the first time i've experienced lens other than 18-55mm vr. hahaha! I've used 18-200mm on my uncle's 20D but its just like my 18-55 vr, it just gives you more range. but this one, wow. you won't need a flash. even iso settings wont be more than 400.

anyway, i know i wont need a flash anymore since it produces good quality lighting and bokeh. BUT. i'd like to learn and start flash fotografia. hehe. i think im going to get nissin di622 first (because, im still trying to learn) then will just upgrade later. i just have some questions. will the di622 be used off-cam via trigger for d70s? and, what's the use of firmware upgrade? i always see questions like "is this already updated?"

gagana siya pag nakaupdate sa latest firmware yung di622 

[higad]

Oh, okay. Kailangan pala talaga updated. Thanks for the info. Moving on. Here is a sample of my newly acquired Sigma 30mm.

Si Batista sana ang model kaso di ko mahagilap eh  Just took a shot while on break at Telus Araneta  

Exposure time 0.067 (1/15)
Aperture F/2.8
Manual
White Balance Cool White Flourescent
-It's a brighter on my cam and PC, i wonder why it came up dark here. So I added some highlights and fill lights using picasa (sorry for myself, I just realized i deleted my whole Adobe Collection with cs3, bridge and lotsa useful program without making a backup copy in my PC)

Can you guys tell me what are the things needed in basic strobist setup? Assuming i only have one external flash.

[dullFingers]

^^ nice! how much did the 30mm cost? thanks

[higad]

12.5k but got it at 10.5k. The seller just really needs money. brand new costs almost 23k:
http://dponline.com.ph/store/search.php5?b=Sigma&c=Camera%20Lens&menuheader%20expandable=7

Anyway, got my nissin di622 na din! im having a hard time playing with it because i don't have triggers yet. But its awesome for its price. Lalo na pag mounted on cam. what im looking for right now is a tripod (one for the cam and one for the flash) and a wireless trigger. but i only have 3k left  do you think cd-r king's tripods are safe?

[dullFingers]

^^ wow! that's a steal at 10.5k!

re: cdr king tripods, it depends on the weight of your cam+lens+flash. It's not that sturdy and stable compared to it's branded counterparts but can still be usable to a certain degree. I used one(standing on a flat and even surface) with my d90 and an 18-55 lens and it works fine. If you're going to use it for your flash it would serve it's purpose well.

[rennell]

12.5k but got it at 10.5k. The seller just really needs money. brand new costs almost 23k:
http://dponline.com.ph/store/search.php5?b=Sigma&c=Camera%20Lens&menuheader%20expandable=7

Anyway, got my nissin di622 na din! im having a hard time playing with it because i don't have triggers yet. But its awesome for its price. Lalo na pag mounted on cam. what im looking for right now is a tripod (one for the cam and one for the flash) and a wireless trigger. but i only have 3k left  do you think cd-r king's tripods are safe?

crdking tripod...umuuga pag d90+flash+tamron 28-75 

[peeves24]

12.5k but got it at 10.5k. The seller just really needs money. brand new costs almost 23k:
http://dponline.com.ph/store/search.php5?b=Sigma&c=Camera%20Lens&menuheader%20expandable=7

Anyway, got my nissin di622 na din! im having a hard time playing with it because i don't have triggers yet. But its awesome for its price. Lalo na pag mounted on cam. what im looking for right now is a tripod (one for the cam and one for the flash) and a wireless trigger. but i only have 3k left  do you think cd-r king's tripods are safe?

nakow wag mo tipirin ang tripod kung camera ang ikakabit mo. spending for a good and stable tripod will give you better security and peace of mind that your camera wont topple when shooting outdoors. kung flash lang ikakabit mo, ok na yung cdr king.

personal experience na rin sa beach, yung d40 + sigma 10-20 ko lang muntik na matumba sa tubig dahil sa hangin. gamit ko yung 5ft na cdrking tripod. never ko na gagamitin pang outdoors yung tripod na yun.

[higad]

hindi na ako bumili ng tripod. bumili na lang ako ng light stand thanks sa advice peeps.