> From: =?ISO-8859-1?Q?Hugo_G=E4vert?= <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Subject: EOS Studio with only Canon EX flashes?!?
>
> Does anybody have experience about using the 550EX or rather 420EX flashes
> with umbrellas or softboxes (like the ones from Elinchrom for example)?
> What are your findings?
Too expensive. I do use studio flash where viable, but
for small budgets I'd rather go with cheap mains powered
slaves. Gives you more lights at less cost.
One drawback though, you will need a flash meter.
> What I'm thinking about is a small (very small) home studio kind of setup
> with one 550EX and 420EX flash (or two if I ever have the money :-). But
> lighting from 2 or 3 flashes is still quite harsh... So I think I'd
> need/want at least one umbrella for the 420EX. So a few quiestions:
You can use all diffuser materials available.
> 1) Is 420EX really powerfull enough for umbrellas and/or softboxes?
Yes, it is up to some extent, but it is entirely
the wrong tool for the job.
> 2) How do you direct your EX flashes as there is no continuous modeling
> light? Do you just aim everything (flashes, umbrellas, reflectors) and
> hope for the best, or to you make everybody blind by constantly using the
> modeling light from Camera? What do you guys do? (I can now see how those
> studio flashes are easy to work with...)
Fix two screw-in mounts for light bulbs onto a piece of wood.
One light bulb plus one mains powered slave like the WOC devices
will do a better job. No TTL or E-TTL metering, though.
(Who needs that?)
> 3) How about the off shoe extension cord 2 - or what ever it is called,
> can't remember now - you know, the 60cm long extension that takes the
> flash off camera and still retains all E-TTL and wireless functions. How
> is it for "general studio work"? (As opposed to macro work with flash
> brackets...) I.e. is it too short and too stiff to be used so that the
> flash would be on a tripod pointed to an umbrella and the camera would
> otherwice be handheld (still in that home studio enviroment)? See, I'd
> rather buy that than another 550EX (that I would use with flash off) or
> ST-E2, which only allows A and B groups (Canon, if you are
> listening... why would we buy that as it only controls the two groups?
> We'd need the background too!), as it's quite a bit cheaper solution and I
> still can control all A, B & C groups.
Oh my. TTL, A-TTL or E-TTL and studio don't mix well.
In fact they don't mix at all.
> I think somebody else was just asking about similar stuff, but I don't
> think he got any answers. So if you guys have any experience with this,
> please help let us know about your findings. Is it impossible to get even
> near studio kind of lighting with just EX flashes?
You don't need anything as expensive.
There are a lot of possibilities aside of buying TTL flash.
I am currently translating the DIY guide to cheap studio
lighting into English. Wait for that, and you will find
a lot more posibilities.
--
Michael Quack <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
http://www.photoquack.de
Verkaufe: Canon Speedlite 540 EZ, 440 DM
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