self: comparing flashes

welp, i finally got my 580ex today . the one on the left was using the built in flash. the one on the right was using the 580ex pointed up towards the ceiling. look better? i'm still trying to understand everything. its all kind of confusing.

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Definately, the bounced 580ex shot looks much better to me.

Amazing! The 580ex makes you look so much happier!

it looks 100% better, nice job

as opposed to the regular flash where "the flash" makes her look all boring and sad !!! lol

The bounce will look better as long as there is enough power and the color of the ceiling is close to white. Oh the model is cute too. Oh, that's you. [Sheepish grin]

How about aiming the 580 "directly" at you and comparing it to the onboard flash? Because I'm sure if the onboard flash could rotate it would also produce a (happier) better shot as well.

then i guess theyd look pretty much the same. i suppose im making a dramatic before and after.....just like those before and after makeovers on tv hehe.

The 580 looks much better. I just spent this evening playing with mine too.... still trying to figure it all out. Maybe we'll learn together.

See if you can beg, borrow, make a device similar to Gary Fong's LightSphere II. It makes photographing with the 580 amazing.

Check out: http://secure.mycart.n​et/catalogs/catalog.as​p?prodid=4684316&showp​revnext=1

I use the older version. IMHO it is the best one I have come across.


This is a photo of my version.

The shot with the 580 looks so much more natural. This is the kind of comparison that would be of great interest to anyone asking whether or not they need an external flash. I'm adding the 430 to my "to buy" list right now.

You can get great results with something like this to play around with bounce. I'm not opposed to buying bounce devices from Fong, or Lumiquest, or others, but I find I get results just as good with homemade stuff, and it avoids my having a collection of a dozen of these things, which would definitely happen, if I started.

You'll notice the shadow under your chin is thinner, but much sharper with the on-camera flash. When you bounce, your face does look much better, and the shadow is not as well-defined, but it is much larger.

If you use a bounce card, you can throw a little light forward when bouncing to reduce that shadow under your chin, while retaining the softer lighting quality of the bounce. Why I like my homemade device so much is I can leave it pretty far back (straight up) and get just a touch of forward light with most of it bounced. . .or I can tilt it forward more and more to increase the amount of light thrown forward and decrease the bounce.

If I'm shooting a large group or in a room with a two-story ceiling, and I'm worried about bounce providing enough light, I'll push this thing all the way forward and point the flash absolutely straight up. Now I'm reflecting all the light forward and not getting any ceiling bounce. I get a lot of light that way, but it looks softer than aiming the flash at the subjects. The effect isn't as dramatic as you see in your camera flash, bounce comparison, but the light is a little better. Direct flash is just harsher.

I made this according to a post I read somewhere and a photo of a device on Sigma's website, here:

http://www.sigmaphoto.​com …ashes_details.a​sp?id=3262

I made mine out of two sheets of 8X10 photo paper with a sheet of aluminum foil sandwiched between. The foil prevents light loss because the paper is translucent, and the three layers give it durability. Fold the paper around the flash and mark the front sides, then cut to width. I cut a slit in the back corners, then tape both sides of the slit so it will lay flat, but bend around the flash nicely. Then I make the two folds from the top of the slits to the edge, and finally, trim to desired height. It sits flat on top of my camera gear in the bag, and slips on easily.

The control I get with this by tilting it forward/back is tremendous. I don't feel the need to start a collection of "professional" bounce gear, but hey, try it if you want. Folks seem to rave about lots of different products! I just know I couldn't stop myself once I started and this works just great.

Have fun!

John

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You see the 580 was a bargain, not only did it give you a better photograph it also gave you cheek bones.

You will love it and curse it in equal measure for a while then eventually just love it.

N

So much better results. You'll defintely see it in your work with couples, even just for fill flash reasons.

Bouncing is fun, just need something within reasonable distance.

Omni bounce is nice too. Very simple, can of course can be homemade.

Oh and another good thing about a speedlight, is you won't have light fall off from longer lens.

Congratulations on the new flash. It's a wonderful tool that should serve you well for many years.

Certainly the picture with the 580EX looks much better. I also have and highly recommend the LSII, but I like John's homemade bound diffuser. I'm sure it will give very good results as well.

Keep practicing and experimenting and above all else, have fun.