I have read but do I understand?

[john69az]

I just got 2 novatron m300 and one has a small umbrella 32" and the other a Medium softbox with gold or silver lining or none at all. So I also have my 580 ex ll and my 420 ex. I am very new to studio type shooting so be easy on me.

I want to do some nice portraits for famly and friends (hey its free practice) so I was thinking of this set up. m300 with gold reflector in the softbox for warm light. (3rd base) umbrella with m300 across from softbox (1st base) my 420 Ex on a short tripod with a stofen bounced towards the ceiling for hair and backlight. (2nd Base) My 580 Ex ll and me across from the 420ex (home plate)

My subject should be somewhere between the pitchers mound and 2nd base allowing space between my background so as not to get shadows but far enough back to benefit from the softbox and the umbrella. I think i should put the 2 m300s as high as i can get them angled down towards my subject but not too high to avoid no neck shadows.

Also I am not sure if I should turn off the 580 and just have it trigger the 420 or should i stofen it off the ceiling too? How much bigger of an umbrella could I go up to? because if I want to try some full body or 3/4 body shots I think 32" is too small.

Please give me some of all your Semi Kinda Expert Advice :)

[FlashZebra]

Do not try to mix ETTL and manual flash mode. With the Novatron units being manual, just go with manual for everything.

I would just take the 420EX out of the mix. No way to manually control the power.

If you want to use the 580EX, put it in manual manual mode and either place it on camera, or run a cord to it. A cord about 5 Meters (15 feet or so) will work nicely. For reliability, I suggest one with a Screwlock PC connector on both the camera and flash end.

The M300 have optical slaves in them and will fire from the burst from the 580EX.

Enjoy! Lon

[john69az]

If it were a 430 ex would this setup work all manual? Does my setup sound good? Ok so minus the 420 ex any suggestions for placement of the lights probably using the 580 on camera with a stofen. and thanks for responding to my other post about the novatrons. They seem to work well they are just old but look excellent. I priced out the new items i got for the $400.00 and think it was well worth it. Thanks , John

[FlashZebra]

You could run a cord to the 430EX and put an optical slave on the 580EX II (the 430EX will not work well with an optical slave).

As I mentioned before, just forget trying to mix ETTL and manual flash.

But, most likely you could pick up another good used M300 for about the cost of a new 430EX.

Personally for an ad hoc studio setup I would rather have another M300 than add a 430EX.

Actually for studio use I would rather have another M300 than a 580EX II, but you already have that.

Enjoy! Lon

[john69az]

Ok I will use my 580 on manual to trigger the m300's and then adjust the exposure from there. But can someone please comment in regards to my placement setup as I am trying to see if am getting the concept of what I have read. Thanks to anyone who gives a word. John

[nadtz]

there are lots of tutorials out there found via google, but to be honest reading about it and doing it are 2 different things. Find some tutorials and start taking pictures, then when you have further questions a forum like this can be of much better use.

[Jim M]

I don't think I would use the gold liner in the soft box for my first attempts. Figure out what it will do with the silver liner and the color temperatures all the same, then after you have a decent grasp of that, try the gold liner. No sense in adding mixed color temperatures to the initial confusion.