Needing a flash

[blubird35]

Hey everyone.
A close friend of mine asked me to take pictures at her wedding this weekend. It is a very small wedding. Only 15 people are going to be there. Anyway, the lighting in the chapel is not that great so I am going to be purchasing a flash in the next few days. Any tips on what kind of flash to get? Also any tips on shooting a small wedding would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much!!!

:cool:

[juise]

I think that most people (after telling you to make sure that your friend's expectations have been adequately tempered) will suggest Canon's mid-level flash, the 430EX or 430EXII. Given that you've got a time constraint, I'm guessing that you'll have to get a new 430EXII... since the 430EX has been discontinued and is primarily available in the second-hand market.

The 430EX/430EXII is nice because:
(1) It's reasonably powerful.
(2) It can tilt/rotate for bouncing your flash.
(3) It will allow you to take advantage of your cameras E-TTL capabilities.
(4) It will definitely not harm your camera with excessive voltage (though there are several flashes that fit in this category).

I'm sure that more experienced and knowledgeable people could add to my list... or even give a better suggestion. If you're greatly opposed to spending the ~$250, there are some other (slightly less attractive) options.

[blubird35]

Thanks for the suggestion!

Her wedding is very small and casual. She isn't even wearing a wedding dress. I just want to give her some nice pictures as a gift (plus this will be a great excuse to get a flash. LOL)

[DDCSD]

Yikes!

I agree with the 430 suggestion. Unfortunately, you don't have a lot of time to figure out how to use it.

Here is a bit of a crash-course on flash photography:
http://www.planetneil.com/tangents/flash-photography-techniques/

[Green Li]

Thanks for the suggestion!

Her wedding is very small and casual. She isn't even wearing a wedding dress. I just want to give her some nice pictures as a gift (plus this will be a great excuse to get a flash. LOL)
If you are going to you this excuse I would you use it all the way and buy Canon 580EX II (http://photo-tips-online.com/review/canon-speedlite-580ex-ii-flash/) :).
If money is an issue then 430EX II (http://photo-tips-online.com/review/canon-speedlite-430ex-ii-flash/) is a good option. I do not like the buttons on it though.
An alternative to 430 is Metz 48 (http://photo-tips-online.com/review/metz-mecablitz-48-af-1-flash/). The controls there are no the best ones either, but it is as loaded as Canon 430 is and might be a bit cheaper.

[blubird35]

OK man I would love to get all of those right now. But even though its an excuse to get a flash I am still on a budget.
For a starter flash what do you think of the 220EX Speedlite?

[Hermes]

To put it in perspective, if you're not an experienced wedding photographer and don't have all the expertise in planning exactly what you'll need to do, knowing where you'll need to be positioned. anticipating what will happen next, e.t.c. the flash is probably your single most important piece of equipment, and will make sure you can get sharp, well exposed shots in all circumstances.

With a good, powerful flash and a bounce card, you can use the cheapest entry level body there is, set the kit lens to f/8 and the shutter speed to 1/200 in manual mode, shoot the entire wedding without touching the settings and still get very, very good shots. The second your flash runs out of power to light the scene or starts recycling so slowly that you're missing crucial moments, you'll have to start fiddling with settings, taking risks with the shutter speed and depth of field to get more light and your percentage of in-focus shots will likely plummet. In this respect, every extra bit of power and every fraction of a second in recycle time helps. Get the best you can afford, and if you can't afford to buy at least a 430ex, rent a 580ex for the day. It will be worth it.

[tim]

I would suggest you rent a 17-55 F2.8 IS lens, that should mean you won't need flash. I rarely use flash during church or indoor wedding ceremonies, maybe three times out of the sixty i've photographed indoors. ISO3200, F2.8, and at least 1/50th works well for many ceremonies. Google for lens rental companies, and get a rental flash too.

But if you need a flash the 430 II will work.

[juise]

Tim is incredibly knowledgeable and gives great advice here. The only caution I have is that your XTi won't go up to ISO3200 and it's performance at ISO1600 may be a little noisier than you would like.

[blubird35]

Ok great! Thanks so much. I think I might take your advice and rent. I think that might be the best way to figure out if I like the flash. Thanks everyone very much! :D

[bsaber]

If you can afford the 580 go for it. Especially since it has rebates on it right now. Otherwise the 430 is great.

[steve547]

OK man I would love to get all of those right now. But even though its an excuse to get a flash I am still on a budget.
For a starter flash what do you think of the 220EX Speedlite?

I dont think the 220ex is much better than the built in flash on the camera. If the canon flashes are too pricey, you can try the sigma flashes designed for the Canon cameras.

[blubird35]

Ok - So after debating on it for awhile and not being able to find what I wanted with renting I splurged and bought the 430EX II and boy I am so glad I did!! This thing is so easy to use. I love it!
Thanks again for all your advice and I am very happy with my choice. Now I just have to learn all the cool tricks.

[TomMessenger:Photo]

Nice one! In a small chapel you could probably just keep the flash in bounce position most of the time and still get perfectly good lighting. I've only had mine less than a week so I'm still trying things out.

Tom

[bsaber]

Congrats to the both of you. Check out the stickies for some really good info about using flashes.

[jxg]

go to the chapel ahead of time and take lots of test shots (figuring where to stand and where the people will most likely be). You don't want to be playing with settings during the ceremony, and there won't be any retakes :-)