st-e2??

Okay...not intending to drag the flash debate out again, but I'm wondering if anyone uses/has used an st-e2 or remote flash of some kind for shooting gigs. I'm talking small-time basement shows where no one cares about the flash, the photographs, or the bands. Frankly I like shooting without flash, I feel more comfortable shooting without flash...but it is a PITA to shoot at ISO3200, f/1.4, 1/30 and still be underexposing. It's not photography dark, it's trip over your dog dark. I'm all about ambient light...but sometimes there just isn't any.
Anyway, basements are particularly difficult, because there often aren't ideal bounce surfaces, or you get weird shadows from rafters and things. I'm not really a fan of the results I've gotten with on camera flash. What I tend to do is use the OCSC, zoom the flash a bit and aim a spot at whatever I'm shooting (or any bounce surface I can find)...I do okay, but I'm not really good at it. The other issue is that it's often so dark that it is very difficult to focus (and there is obviously no AF assist with the flash off the camera). If I can get around the AF issue the t-shirt bounce trick usually works well (unfortunately I usually forget and wear black).

So...I'm thinking about blowing a bunch of money on an st-e2. The AF assist would surely help, and I was thinking maybe I could set the flash up to create my own 'ambient' light or possibly have a helper carry the flash around and aim it for me.

Have I lost my mind? Should I be shooting flowers and bugs instead?

i've got the same thought, but am leaning towards getting a 580EX and using my 420EX as a slave. it could be fun to screw around w/ .

narlus wrote in post #3777610
i've got the same thought, but am leaning towards getting a 580EX and using my 420EX as a slave. it could be fun to screw around w/ .

Good point...I have a 580...so I could just get a 430 and use it as a slave...that would probably make a bit more sense for general use. The 580 is obviously a heavier master, but no stupid proprietary battery. I'm gonna need a bigger bag.

my biggest question to you people is where the HELL do you find shows that are in pitch black basements.


so strange....so strange.


oh, and.... "pocketwizard"

it doesn't have to be in basements...i've used 3200 w/ fast primes more than a few times in clubs.

i've used my 420ex and 580ex. the IR didn't work out too well, barely flashed.

st-e2 doesn't work as well as you'd think. pocketwizards are the way to go, without a doubt , and they can be used for more than just that.

Thanks for the suggestions. I was afraid the IR system wasn't too reliable. Still, it's difficult to justify the price of PW's...if they worked with TTL I'd feel a little better about them. Hmm...decisions...

johnms88 wrote in post #3777899
my biggest question to you people is where the HELL do you find shows that are in pitch black basements.


so strange....so strange.


oh, and.... "pocketwizard"

A lot of indie bands skip traditional venues for the most part and play house shows around the country. You can actually tour the entire country going house to house if you have enough connections. Part of the reason for this is that there are very few all ages venues in urban areas. For instance, the urban Chicago area has effectively 0 (or at least very few) all ages venues. This mainly comes down to economics...all ages venues just aren't profitable in an urban environment. House shows don't necessarily need to be profitable and there is basically 0 financial risk involved, more importantly, all of the proceeds raised can go directly to the performers. These shows are typically run by musicians who trade shows and contacts with each other. If a house show 'venue' gets shut down, the people running it can move and start up another location or one will pop up in it's place. One other advantage to house shows over bars is that people are there to see the performer, which certainly is not always the case when smaller bands play smaller bars.

i've been playing with this lately. i thought the st-e2 was the cheapest answer, but i have not been happy. there are a lot of times when i will get everything set up and the IR does not work. in fact i wish i would have gone with the 420/430 to fire the 580, as it would have been cheaper. pocket wizard really is the only way to go though.
with that said i have been having fun with the 580 fired into an umbrella.

I've used the extention cord, but sold it to a friend, cause it was way to awkward working while holding the flash in one hand and the camera the other.
I presume an ST-E2 is a bit easier, since the camera isn't attached to the camera, so it's easier to put it down for a second...