Bogen 719b & 420ex

Well, I got my Bogen 719b in yesterday and I must say that I really like it - mainly due to the size and weight. Quality also seems excellent with the only questionable part (in my mind) being the plastic quick release locks on the legs.

Being a ball head, panning is a bit more difficult, but just a little bit of playing and I've already got the adjustments required down. Does it pan like an expensive setup? No. Can it do it well enough to be effective? Sure - at least by my standards.

I would definitely recommend this tripod to anyone looking for a nice tripod without totally killing the budget or someone that requires a lightweight, versatile tripod that is easy to carry (hiking, vacations, etc). Also, it may be important to note that a bookbag style carrying bag is included.

Luckilly, I was given this tripod as a thank you for some photography and other work I did for a friend - as a result I was able to purchase my new toy......

Yup, finally killed the wallet and ordered a 420ex ($170) and the Lumiquest ProMax System ($36) from bhphoto. I can't wait until these get here next week!

I have the same tripod and it's great and the price is right. IMO there's no point paying a bundle for the more expensive heavy duty tripods for supporting a light weight camera like the G3. Don't worry about the plastic leg locks on the 719B. The clamps itself are plastic but the locking mechanism inside is made of metal.

The 420ex and Promax system will highly improve your flash pictures. The only drawback with the Promax is that it's large and would definitely draw attention.

I have the Lumiquest and stoped using it as I found I was getting harsher shadows than I liked. I also didn't like that I had to attatch it using velcro, now my flash has this velcro stuff on it that I don't use.

I'm going to give the Stofen Omni Bounce a try next. Off camera Flash (bounce) really makes a big difference in the naturalness of flash photos.

That's weird - I've heard lot of people state how great they think the lumiquest is.

Who knows...

Are you keeping the flash head at 90 degrees at all times? If so the bounced light may not reach your subject and most of the illumination will be from the front. Try 75 deg. or 60 depending on the subjects distance.

Well I got the 420ex and lumiquest system in. The 80-20 is great... done several comparison shots and it does a really nice job of killing shadows.

Do I need to worry about camera type a, b, or c at all? Also, I don't fully understnad what they mean by the high speed sync option - should I worry about this?

Right now when I power it on E-TTL lights up and 50 blinks.

The G3 is considered a type "A" camera. The high speed sync switch will allow you to use your flash at shutter speeds higher than the default 1/60. This can be very useful for outdoor fill flash or if you want to freeze fast moving objects. It's best to leave the switch at the High Speed Sync setting since it is more versatile - meaning it will adjust itself between normal and high speed sync depending on the situation.

This is normal if you are in 'bounce' mode - flash head at 60-90 degree angle.