Suggestions for beginner?

Been spending most the of afternoon scanning/searching the forum and I think I'm more confused than when I started.

Have a t3i/600D. REALLY dislike the on-camera flash. Looking for a unit that can be used off-camera (either at arm's length or on a stand). And the vast majority of my anticipated shots will be at family events with grandkids, pets, etc. Lots of motion in other words.

Am I correct in saying that I want to look for an E-TTL unit and appropriate triggers? My research so far leans towards full-manual because I will know what power I'm getting, BUT several posts say to forget all that if your subject is moving and/or the ambient light is varying. Is it really that hard to guestimate exposure with a manual flash?

The overall specs and features of the Neewer TT680 look pretty good for the occasional user. Then again, a lot of folks recommend the Yongnuo 468 II or the YN-565 EX.

Then there is the whole issue of what trigger to use the Neewer or the YN-622? Do I even need a TTL trigger since the flash is TTL? And are the YN-622 compatible with the Neewer flash or are the Neewer triggers (can't remember the model number) compatible with the Yongnuo flash?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Any pointers to websites/blogs for beginners that compare models and units would also be appreciated.

Remember, I am NOT a pro and really don't want to spend $500 for a speedlite that I may use once or twice every three months.

TIA
Bill W

I have a few Yongnuo YN-568EXII flashes with their YN-622C transceivers. I am under the impression that if you want TTL wirelessly, you need to have TTL transceivers. My flashes are on manual 90% of the time, so if I was looking to save money, I would ditch the E-TTL. I think the price of the flash and transceivers are basically half if you don't need E-TTL.

since you don't seem to have experience with an external flash of any kind, I'd recommend getting an ETTL flash. At least with that you can have the option of checking out both ways of using the flash. Put the flash on the camera and start experimenting. Simply being able to bounce the flash will open up a whole new world, make sure you get a flash that rotates and tilts fully.

lots of movement does not lend itself to putting the flash on a stand or even hand holding the flash. Hand holding can be done with a fixed lens, or at least forgetting about zooming, but its easier to just set an on camera flash for direct fill or a powerful bounce.

buy triggers later, you might want ETTL, you might not, so invest in a good quality flash up front.

When taking portraits of a model, I don't use TTL. I like to have my flashes set manually so that they fire off a certain amount of light each time. With TTL, it may change with each shot and I won't consistently get the same look.

However, for event photography, I need TTL. It's not 100% accurate but it makes things go so much faster. For example, I'm walkaround a party, I see a group of 4 people who want a group shot. I set the flash to TTL and take the picture. The flash came out too weak. From that point, with my experience, I have a general understanding how much stronger I have to make the flash. I increased the flash exposure compensation (FEC) to +1 (basically I'm telling the flash "stay in TTL and adjust the flash to what you think... whatever strength you think you want, make it brighter by 1 stop").

You could do this with full manual flash, but it may take a little more steps and getting used to. I have more experience so I could probably do it. Same scenario, you want to shoot a group of 4... what do you set your flash power to? You have no idea, unless you gain experience and can make a good estimate. You shoot, it's waaayyy too dark. You increase the flash power and shoot again, still a tad too dark. You increase again, perfect. Basically, until you get a good feel for lighting situations, you'll have to keep adjusting your flash and re-shooting multiple times.

I would suggest you buy a flash first and triggers later, if you need them. I highly recomend you get a Canon 430 EX II. It is a bit more expensive but its Ettl is a bit more accurate than third party units.

Honestly unless you're shooting gigs and require the TTL like fashionrider said it's probably beneficial to learn about lighting with using $60 YN560II's. Even at home shooting the kids I set it to 1/200 (now 1/160 with the 6D) and adjust the aperture with the flash set at 1/4 power. 560's and Canon 580EXII have about the same brightness.

Off shoe I wouldn't worry until you really need to get creative with your shots or doing the shoot outside. Most of the time I just bounce the light in either direction as our ceiling is sloped high and can generally bounce it back towards the subject's face.

Off shoe manual you can get the YN560II and cheap trigger (NPT-04 is what I use) for under $85 on Amazon.

fashionrider wrote in post #16849647
When taking portraits of a model, I don't use TTL. I like to have my flashes set manually so that they fire off a certain amount of light each time. With TTL, it may change with each shot and I won't consistently get the same look.

However, for event photography, I need TTL. It's not 100% accurate but it makes things go so much faster. For example, I'm walkaround a party, I see a group of 4 people who want a group shot. I set the flash to TTL and take the picture. The flash came out too weak. From that point, with my experience, I have a general understanding how much stronger I have to make the flash. I increased the flash exposure compensation (FEC) to +1 (basically I'm telling the flash "stay in TTL and adjust the flash to what you think... whatever strength you think you want, make it brighter by 1 stop").

Agree entirely.
When you're in control of the situation, you don't need ETTL (in fact, it's extra hassle since it may be inconsistent).
When you're NOT in full control, you're doing run-n-gun event photography or just simple walkabout stuff, ETTL if great, since it lets the camera do SOME of the hard stuff for you.

Suggestion on what to buy and keep your budget reasonable:
Step 1: One 430EXII. Learn to bounce it.
Step 2: The stuff to get it off-camera: non-ETTL triggers, a stand and/or clamp, an umbrella adapter and umbrella or brolly box (I like a brolly box over a shoot-thru umbrella). Learn to use a single light off-camera.
Step 3: A couple extra slave flashes, YN560II or YN560III, and stands/modifiers to work them

You'd do well to take a look at the Strobist blog, starting with Strobist 101. Some of the specific equipment can be dated (it was originally written almost a decade ago) but the core concepts are the same. Light hasn't changed.

hello everyone i am also new this fourm .me also want your tips .......

www.duilegalhelp.org/

My suggestion would be to pick up a YN568EX II. This way you have the best of both worlds. You can start off with TTL, and get those shots around the house that you might miss out on if you don't know how to shoot manual flash.[Yes, TTL flash can be a bit of a learning curve too] All the while you can be practicing and studying how to use manual flash. Then, down the line, pick up a set of wireless triggers. I personally have TTL triggers but, slowly but surely I am getting to the point where I could go with manual triggers.

For triggers, I highly suggest getting the Cactus v5 wireless triggers, $50 for two which is dirt cheap compared to others like pocketwizards which can run over $300 each.

Actually the Yongnuo YN568EX is the top of the line. It has HHS and also a 360 degree swivel. The 565 is like the 430 EXII with only 270 degree swivel so you can't bounce over your right shoulder which is a big limitation.

OK, a few thoughts.

As far as a website to learn about lighting: http://strobist.blogsp​ot.com/2006/03/lightin​g-101.html

As you read through that bear in mind that he's all about manually controlling flash power, but all the concepts apply to using ETTL and letting the camera do some of the thinking for you (which, as has been pointed out is a big help when you have a constantly changing situation).

You can make a huge improvement by bouncing a speedlight off a suitable white or neutral color surface (ceiling/wall) and putting an index card on the back of the flash with a rubber band to throw a portion of the light forward as fill.

I have a Yongnuo YN-568 and use it with YN-622 triggers for off camera flash. This setup is easy to use and works great. Sometimes I manually control flash power (which is easy with the in-camera menu), and sometimes I use ETTL for the aforementioned reasons. I'm sure some of the other suggested gear is great as well, but this is what I have experience with.

well i have the yn-468 I and II versions only because my I broke then bought the II. took the I apart and re-soldered the wire and now have 2 flashes. I dont want to know what to do as I am a family/hobbyist so I just want to fire the flash and go...
I made the DIY Bounce Flash Card for $3 and love it. Just ripped it so need to make another.

So after a LOT of reading, watching YouTube videos, and even more reading, I decided on the YN-565EX II. I thought I'd try to explain my rationale for future generations who may stumble upon this thread.

• The Neewer TT680/NW680 just didn't seem to have a "track record" or enough of one to make me want to take a chance.
  
• The YN-565EX II can operate as either manual or E-TTL
  
• The 565 can be triggered wirelessly with the T3i's onboard flash. I got conflicting information about this capability for the Neewer. THIS point was probably the one that carried the most weight in my decision.
  
• The 565 can be triggered by either the YN-603 or the YN-622 radio triggers
  
• While both units, the TT680 or the YN-565 can work with external battery packs, seemed like there were more choices with the Yongnuo
  
• Neewer gives a 6-month warranty whereas Yongnuo has a 1-year warrenty (if purchased via an Amazon seller in the U.S.)
  
• Price and shipping were not really factors since I could get either in plenty of time before the event I wanted to use it for. Either unit could be shipped from within the U.S. so I would not have to wait for it.
  {*}The YN-468 was considered but I read far too many reviews that said it's power and recycle times may have been a bit exaggerated (to put it politely).
  

I'm happy with the Neewer TT680. Kinda wished I would have gotten 2 of the Neewer TT560's instead for just a little more bc I'm realizing Ettl is almost useless for my shooting.