New Lens or Flash???

I'm ready to add to my gear and increase my skills but can't decide if I should get the 17-55/f2.8 or a flash, either 430 or 580. I'm just a hobbyist and would like to take better candids of friends and family. What do you think? Can I get good candids indoors with that lens without a flash? Or should I get a flash first and add the lens later?

Mickey

MickeyCT wrote in post #8999481
I'm ready to add to my gear and increase my skills but can't decide if I should get the 17-55/f2.8 or a flash, either 430 or 580. I'm just a hobbyist and would like to take better candids of friends and family. What do you think? Can I get good candids indoors with that lens without a flash? Or should I get a flash first and add the lens later?

Tough choice, especially not knowing what lens you have now. The 17-55 is an excellent lens and I would expect sharpness and focus speed to improve over whatever lens you are looking to replace. It stays sharp even at f/2.8 and the IS makes it easy to hand hold at lower shutter speeds.

Whether or not f/2.8 will provide enough shutter speed for your candids depends on how much light you have and how much your people are moving. Somewhat still in a room full of windows would be much better than fast moving in candle light.

This is ISO 800, f/2.8, 1/20

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Agreed that it's a tough choice without knowing what you currently have, but having a hot shoe strobe with which to bounce flash will give you lots of flexibility in conditions that are too dim for even a f/2.8. I've got the 430 EX. Excellent flash. The 580 EX is even better. You can't go wrong there.

Nothing will improve your indoor candids like a bounce flash. It's a dramatic improvement because of the light and the focus assist which not only gets you in focus but allows the camera to do it fast.

I have the 430EX and am very happy with it. The head doesn't spin through 360 degrees but it does go around a full 360 degrees, it's just that you have to turn it the other way when you hit the stop. This quickly becomes second nature so you can make the head point any way you want it to without thinking about it. The 580EX is quite a bit bulkier.

I do wish the 430EX had the white reflector pop-up that the 580 does but an index card and rubber band works fine for that.

agreed, get a flash. If you need help with it, here's a quick reference with some more detailed links at the bottom:
http://pricelessimages​.net/tips/flash.html

hdco1209 wrote in post #9000192
I have the 430EX and am very happy with it. The head doesn't spin through 360 degrees but it does go around a full 360 degrees, it's just that you have to turn it the other way when you hit the stop.

Do you have the 430EX I or II? The version I model does not spin all the way around. It turns 180° to the right but it only turns 90° to the left. The 580EX turns 180° in both directions.

+1 on the flash.

Think of it this way. When you shoot at f/2.8, you will end up with a very shallow DOF. That might be for 1 person 4-6ft away, but not so good for 2-4 people from the same distance. So if it's ok to shoot with a flash like a family situation, I would always suggest bounce flash over fast lens so you can choose the aperture based on DOF needs. Plus IS will not help you to slow down movement. You often need 1/120 or faster shutter speed to freeze motion with kids running around. Typicaly indoor lighting, F/2.8 at ISO800 will not be fast enough for that.

lens! you can do so much more with it! even though you want candid shots, i think you rather have a lens that allow you to be flexible. walk around with a strobe light

As long as you do in fact have one lens, then you need a flash. I would be happy living with my 18-55IS as long as I had a flash to go with it!

With flash you can shoot indoors (in most situations) with just about any lens. 17-55IS is very nice indeed, but if you are buying it before a flash I think it's in the wrong priority.

Get a flash for all the reasons posted previously. no matter what lens(es) you already have.

flash

and i would get the 430 II over the 580. the 580 is huge and usually unnecessary. very rarely, if ever, will you need a 580 over a 430. and when you do get to that stage you can buy a 580.

Mark-B wrote in post #9000379
Do you have the 430EX I or II? The version I model does not spin all the way around. It turns 180° to the right but it only turns 90° to the left. The 580EX turns 180° in both directions.

Which doesn't sound like it would be limitiing, but it certainly can be. There are numerous times where I have to flip my camera 180, so I can get the flash angle where I want it. It throws you off as you have to repick your AF points, too. Not the end of the world as I can't afford a 580 anyway.

CosmoKid wrote in post #9001721
and i would get the 430 II over the 580. the 580 is huge and usually unnecessary. very rarely, if ever, will you need a 580 over a 430. and when you do get to that stage you can buy a 580.

Flashes are no different than lenses. Buy the best you can afford now because it is less expensive overall than buying cheap now and upgrading later.

The one benefit to buying a 430EX now and a 580EX later is that you end up with master and slave flashes. That's how I ended up with both. Having already done this and looking back now, I would still rather have 2 580's.

The Digital Picture has good reviews of the 430EX vs 580EX. The reviews include side by side pictures as well as size, weight, and feature information.

honestly, i would get a third party flash look at the promaster 7500 i use it, its great, works amazing, then you arent spending as much on the flash and you have more towards a 17-55 2.8

https://photography-on-the.net …401&highlight=g​lass+flash

I went through the same problem. I'm getting a 580EX II tomorrow.