quick ??s

[Simon Turkin]

I currently have a 430 ex ii and want to take my flash off camera I have read up a lot and want the new pws. With that said Im also going to buy annother flash Id like buy an ab 800 then when I save up enough buy annother. In the mean time use the 430 exii off camera as well as the ab 800. Will the lighting we off balanced if the flashes are in two seperate corners pointed to the center on light stands??

[tim]

Your question makes little sense. Try rewriting it if you want sensible answers.

[Simon Turkin]

Your question makes little sense. Try rewriting it if you want sensible answers.
Fixed sorry i didnt read it up front...

[tenoverthenose]

The lighting can be as balanced / unbalanced as you would like. It's up to you, you control the power of the flashes.

[PacAce]

I currently have a 430 ex ii and want to take my flash off camera I have read up a lot and want the new pws. With that said Im also going to buy annother flash Id like buy an ab 800 then when I save up enough buy annother. In the mean time use the 430 exii off camera as well as the ab 800. Will the lighting we off balanced if the flashes are in two seperate corners pointed to the center on light stands??
SInce the flash intensity at max power of the AB 800 is much brighter than that of the 430EX II, the simple answer would be yes, assuming that both are being fired at full power. However, since the output of both flashes can be set manually, it would be possible to have them both fire at the same light level, if necessary.

[tim]

That makes a little more sense, but you haven't said what you photograph, where, how, etc. The 430 has a lot less power than the AB, charges slower, and will burn out if you overuse it.

[Simon Turkin]

That makes a little more sense, but you haven't said what you photograph, where, how, etc. The 430 has a lot less power than the AB, charges slower, and will burn out if you overuse it.
Using your outline


basket ball
inside gyms (baseline)
50 mm 1.8 on my 50d
Currently I shoot direct with my 430 ex ii
Eventually I want to shoot a direct 430 ex ii with 2 ab 800s with the new pw mini and flex

[tim]

I don't think they'll be very happy if you put two strobes in the corner of the gym and point them at the players, it'll blind them. I think professionals light with a bunch of lights from above. With two lights it's possible or even likely that there will be other players between your lights and the subject, so you'll have terrible shadows. Lit from above not so much.

For this I think you want powerful strobes, not speedlites and you might even like more than AB800s. That's just a feeling, I don't shoot sports.

[canonnoob]

bounce off a wall in the gym rather than straight on...

[Simon Turkin]

or should i scrap the pw idea and just buy the two abs upfront if so what triggers to buy??

[tim]

Powerful lighting positioned incorrectly is no more effective than weak lighting positioned incorrectly. I would seriously do some more research, and ask if you're allowed to put up strobes so close to the ground. There's a few good sports illustrated articles around about how they do it, and it's all ceiling mounted strobes and Pocket Wizards.

If you want cheaper radio slaves Skyports (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/505381-REG/Elinchrom_EL_19360_EL_Skyport_Universal_Radio_Slav e.html/BI/2312/KBID/3114) work well for me.

[canonnoob]

Shooting NCAA basketball we have ceiling mounted strobes in a large arena but that is just us. we use skyports to fire them. If you go the AB route I would look into cybersyncs.

[tim]

Cybersyncs, PW, Skyports, they all work fine.

[Simon Turkin]

yes i can put up strobes i was talking about it in the sports section but then would the pws really be that much better then the cyber syncs

[tim]

My Skyports start to become unreliable at about 60-70 meters. Do you plan to be further than that from your lights? If so then go for PWs.

[canonnoob]

My Skyports start to become unreliable at about 60-70 meters. Do you plan to be further than that from your lights? If so then go for PWs.

how far is that in FT?

[tim]

how far is that in FT?

It depends how big your feet are :p

Treat this as an opportunity to learn one of the units that the rest of the world uses.

[canonnoob]

It depends how big your feet are :p

Treat this as an opportunity to learn one of the units that the rest of the world uses.
HAHA touche...

[canonnoob]

Hey imagine that it is:

196.85- 229.66 ft... :)

[tim]

About that - multiply meters by three and you get feet, approximately. And it only took you three minutes to figure out :p

[canonnoob]

rofl.. i took some time before looking it up thank you very much... I should be a metric mathmagician....

[tim]

You're doing great, for an American ;) :D

Of course you can just type "70 meters in feet" into google and it'll convert for you automagically. Or "214 furlong in cubit", if that's what you want to know. Thought I have no idea what a furlong or a cubit are. They must be American units ;)