i am considering buying a flash

hi,
i want to know what i can expect to find with a added flash (such as 420 or 580,etc) vs. the popup flash for simple, photos around the house.

I prefer no flash and like to use my 50/1.8, but often there is not enough light for decent shutter speed, and the pop up flash is harsh and too bridgt in peoples faces, and too bright for my baby's litle eyes.

I thought that an add-on flash could be angled up for a bounce and would be much gentler. Is this correct? I don't want to spend 400 and find out it doesn't help much.

would the 50 1.4 be MUCH faster than the 1.8 or is a flash needed?

Thanks for the advice....

You are correct on bounce the flash to provide a softer light. Adding a diffuser such as the stofen will help as well. Either flash will work, but the 580 will have more bells and whistles. It has manual function, can be used as a master in a multiflash configuration, better guide number,eg. The 50f/1.4 is a better lens (this is just to quiet the 50f/1.4 lovers) but f/1.4 is just one stop faster then f/1.8. It is equivalent to slowing the shutter one stop. The Bokeh on the f/1.4 is better of cause ( for the f/1.4 lover)

Hi,
I know you'll get more experienced advice from other forum members, but since no one has answered you yet I'll give you my humble opinion.
I think basically you're right about the big flashes. They can bounce and are gentler for babies. But babies have been taking direct hits from electronic flashes since they were invented over 40 yrs ago and haven't gone blind yet. Of course this generation of kid are alot crazier than we are but not blind.
Sometimes a direct shot can give nicer results.
When you bounce, the color of the walls and ceiling can effect your picture.
Those 2 great flashes you're looking at may be bigger and heavier than the 20d.
That's great for home pictures, but I rarely go traveling with a big flash.
So, my opinion is either of those flashes are great. Get one. And don't be afraid of the built-in flash. It's not that powerful and the baby wont remember what you did to him when he grows up. Good luck.

yes, the 50/1.4 is faster than the 1.8 for your indoor shots, but you have to be careful with that razor-thin depth of field. the 50/1.4 was the first lens I ever used and my original picturs (which were indoor) turned out horrible because I didnt' pay attention to the DOF. when used properly, a flash unit in bounce position is great indoor option as you are using the larger surface area of the ceiling, thus creating a much larger (and softer) light source to illuminate your subject.

thank you the the replies....


I am not so much afraid of blinding the baby, but rather, the pop-up flash is so bright and harsh, the skin tones are lost, which is why i am considering a flash that can bounce.

Do you think I would be satisfied with a small, non-canon, inexpensive flash for these type of pics. I heavy flash unit is NOT what I want, unless the other cheap kinds would suck....

I guess the 1.4 is only a little faster and wouldn't make much of a difference.

thanks again everyone...

Actually, the difference is less than one stop. From f/1.4 to f/2 is one stop.

With the f/1.8 lens wide open and high ISO, you can get some serious flash ranges by using the 420EX or 580EX.

---Bob Gross---

Which ever flash you choose to take those precious moment is not very important. The important part is that you use a flash that is ETTL inable. To my knowledge for the exception of the 420/550/580 EX Sigma is the only EF 500 DG ST/Super is the only other flash capable of ETTL. There are other flash out there that are capable of TTL but not ETTL.

To get softer light from a flash you need to diffuse the light falling on the subject. The approach varies depending on the situation. if the ceiling or wall is white and flat enough then it can be use to diffuse thlight to get a softer lighting. But may a time the ceiling or lack of ceiling hampers on this method. So an alternate method must be use. These method may be as crude as using white cardboards to bounce the flash off or purchasing custom diffusers such as Omnibounce or mini Box diffusers,eg. If natural lighting is what you want then you can use reflectors to direct light to your subject, but this is not pratical in most situation especially if the subject starts to walk or crawl. The flash will be a nicer addition to your arsenal of photo equipment and will help you capture images that you would otherwise will not be able to capture.

Sometimes with the popup flash you will get a shadow from your lens. Generally not on the 50, but form other lenses. Get a 420 or 550 or 580 and use that as your primary flash.

I have the 580 and love the results, I am still learning on what position and such to use it, but it is a great flash.

I have always gone under the thing that "buy quality and dont look back"! The 580, my fiance didnt like me buying, even though I got it for $200, but I wont settle for less! I know my hobby will grow with the flash and it is worth it. 50 pictures into buying the 580 she thinks it was a great decision!

Good luck!

Me Bad. I stand CORRECTED. That lousy f/1.8 always confuse me.

On receiving my 580 the first thing I noticed was that it is big, and pretty heavy. My description is that it is a flash with attitude While the 580 comes highly recommended it does sound like you would be happier with something smaller.

Yes, it is not a full f-stop number.

We should pass a law forbidding lenses with maximum apertures anything other than full stops. Numbers like 1.4 and 5.6 are so pure!

---Bob Gross---

If the built-in flash is too harsh, you can try to be inventive like covering it with a tissue etc. Maybe standing back further and using the zoom might reduce the impact of the flash. The canon flashes do have a red cast on skin tones. If that's the problem try editing the color(like adding cyan). If the skin tones are just too soft, you might try the sharpen filter in photoshop. Good luck.

I sense that you're on a budget, which should effect your decisions.

If you're not planning on any multi-flash wireless setup, or special flash effects, then there's only minimal reason to buy one of the complex 550/580...EX flashes over the 420EX. The bigger, more expensive flashes are maybe 1/2 stop brighter at double the cost. And if you get the 420EX and decide you need multi-flash wireless later you can still use the 420 as slave to your second flash. Start there (or maybe with the similarly priced sigma 500 super)

Bounce flash photos are usually nicer than straight-on flash. White balance can be a problem, as mentioned -- shoot a custom WB shot with the flash, then shoot your main shot.

For diffusion, translucent plastic containers like tupperware work well. Line the back with aluminum foil, cut a hole to fit the flash head (cut 3 sides of the hole and leave a flap end to fold out so you can attach to the flash with a rubber band). Another good flash technique is an off-camera cord, which lets you hold the flash at arms length away and gives better shadow control.

davidEb

thanks for the advice. I am not on a budget, but really want the best and most compact flash.
I like what you say about the 420ex. The 420ex is a little lighter than the 580, and probably does all I need it to do. And if I ever get into flash, I like the fact that it can be a slave.

Does the omnibounce from stofen work well?

Maybe that will be what I get, unless there is another e-ttl dlash that is smaller and lighter.
Also, BH has a light and umbrella for about $60 - I am considering it so that I won't even need to flash all the time - do you think it will work well?

If you are trying to use the Canon wireless flash system, then one slave doesn't do much good. A wireless slave will not slave off the built-in flash of the camera.

The 580EX or 550EX can be used as wireless masters, wireless slaves, or wireless Off. The 420EX can be used as wireless slave or wireless Off.

---Bob Gross---