Flash Question

So I just sold all my old nikon equipment to make the jump to canon. I have a 7D and i got the 24-70mm 2.8L my work is a lot of portaits and other general purposes do you think i should be getting an external flash right away or just rely on ambient light for the time being.

What did you use with your Nikon setup? Ambient light often sucks, so I wouldn't go anywhere without at least one Speedlight.

So yes, I would get an external flash RIGHT AWAY!

Get a flash definitely! When used correctly, it will significantly improve your pictures.

Coming from Nikon, if you were familiar with their their flashes, the Nikon SB600 = Canon 430exII, and the Nikon SB900 = Canon 580exII.

If you weren't familiar with Nikon flashes, then the Canon 580exII is the best choice, but the 430exII isn't too bad either.

Yeah i was very familiar with the Nikon Speedlight SB600

Meve2441 wrote in post #9441570
Yeah i was very familiar with the Nikon Speedlight SB600

Think about all your Nikon shooting...Would YOU be happy if you didn't have your SB600?

Flashes are great tools to have in your bag...I just need to pick up a good flash meter now

egordon99 wrote in post #9441588
Think about all your Nikon shooting...Would YOU be happy if you didn't have your SB600?

Flashes are great tools to have in your bag...I just need to pick up a good flash meter now

Or you need to send that Sigma 30mm my way.

egordon99 wrote in post #9441588
Think about all your Nikon shooting...Would YOU be happy if you didn't have your SB600?

Flashes are great tools to have in your bag...I just need to pick up a good flash meter now

I need the flash with my nikon because my lenses sucked and didnt go below f/3 for most other than my 50mm 1.8. I was just wondering how vital the flash is when i am using the 24-70mm f2.8.

Meve2441 wrote in post #9441486
So I just sold all my old nikon equipment to make the jump to canon. I have a 7D and i got the 24-70mm 2.8L my work is a lot of portaits and other general purposes do you think i should be getting an external flash right away or just rely on ambient light for the time being.

If you plan on shooting formal portraits in a studio or studio-like venue, I highly recommend that you DO NOT base your lighting system on hotshoe type flash units a-la the Strobist doctrine.

If you plan to light your portraits and have a/c power available, the "jury-rigged hotshoe flashes" are no where near as efficient as "real" studio strobes because:

1. Studio strobes have modeling lights. IMO, modeling lights are a very important asset in portrait lighting. To steal a computer phrase; with modeling lights, "what you see is what you get!"

2. Studio strobes are powered by a/c, not puny AA batteries and will keep the recharge times short while AA batteries tend to lengthen recharge times as the batteries drain.

3. Studio strobes can be mounted on stands and can be used with light modifiers without requiring accessories. The studio strobes are also usually more efficient when firing into umbrellas and firing through softboxes. They also usually have accessories such as snoots, barndoors and grids available specifically for the units.

4. Even small studio strobes are generally more powerful than hotshoe flashes.

5. Studio strobes power can usually be selected at a larger number of variations - some studio strobes have infinite power selections.

5. You can purchase a set of very decent studio strobes less expensively than a system based on the Canon speedlights.

Do you want to be dependent on the light, or control the light when its not what you want? Buy the flash.