Flash or No-flash?

I'm curious, who here uses a flash when they do outdoor macro work? When i say flash, it can be either an external flash like the 430 or 580EX, or one of those special macro ones. I personally would rather rely on the sun for the light, though in some situations i wish I had one, like in the evening. I can't afford those special flashes, so I have the 430EX, but I haven't tried it with macro stuff at all, because I don't know how it would fare since it's raised up so high.

I've probably done most of my macro shooting without a flash but the results I've gotten with DIY flash adaptors for my 580EXII have worked great and I'll probably rely on them a lot more now. The two obvious huge advantages of a flash are the amount of extra light control you get and obviously the ability to shoot at high shutter speeds, at small apertures, without having to crank up the ISO. The only time I've gotten "adequate" light for low ISO, high aperture shots, was in the sun and the harsh light it provides is not attractive so I've mostly shot in the shade and had to compromise with ISO and aperture. Even on a tripod, at 1:1, without a very fast shutter speed I still get some blur just from tiny gusts of wind.

I use both.

I use natural light when I can get it and use flash at other times. I also use a white poster board to bounce the sun, sort of a sun reflector when it is needed and the sun is out.

I have written about using inexpensive flashes off camera. Here is an example from a longer article and this example talks about augmenting the sun light with some fill flash.

http://sites.google.co​m …criptions/Move-Your-Plant

I use both

there's always that both option missing in polls, I use both, outdoor as well as with things I set up indoors, depends on the subject and the effect I want.
Some things can't be done w/o flash, some won't work with, and a whole range in between can be done either way.

I use both.

pretty much use flash almost all the time, although I usually attempt some shots without flash for very metallic bugs if natural light is available.

I just use a flash gun mounted on a bracket.

Martin

I always use a flash (MT-24EX specifically) when I shoot macro with either my 100mm or MP-E 65. Just makes it that much easier to get f/8+

At the moment I am a more dominant handholder with most of my macro work - working outside and handheld really means that to get the shots I want (with a nice depth of field) I have to use flash to give me enough light to work with whilst keeping my ISO low so that detail and resolution are retained and not lost to noise.

In time I do expect that I will make far more use of natural lighting than I do at present - I've just got to carry the tripod a little more or try some new creative ideas

I mostly use natural light, but will add flash as needed. I found over the last few days that my bicycle battery light works well for supplemental light; it's got an adjustable power level, and is small enough to sit on a tripod and be aimed where I need it. A bit clumsy and another piece to haul around, but when I'm working on my deck, it's not a big deal.

both, prefer natural light but what with it being permanently windy here plus my interest in shooting Springtails (0.25mm - 3mm) then flash is often the only way.

It depends. Mostly just the one flash. Sometimes none, sometimes LED light, sometimes 3 flashes. Sometimes 2.
But when going handheld in the field, always a flash.

stover, that is a really cool picture.

flash for life

Like many others have already said, I use both, but for the MP-E65 I'm almost exclusively using flash. I normally use a diffused 580EXII on a Kirk bracket. The MT-24EX is in my sights in the longer term though.