Posted: 6/12/2016 8:14:15 AM EDT
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Ok, ARF, educate me on flash units. Figure a $ 200 budget.
Keep in mind I don't know what I don't know. |
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At that level you will be looking for deals on used sb-600 series, a crazy insane good deal on a -800 or -900 or something from yongnuo. I hear good things about their flash.
Truth is you could get 2 of their 568ex flashes for about 200 bucks. 2 flashes are better than 1. This assumes you are using nikon. I think you use nikon. |
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Like cameras, strobes come in all shapes and sizes and the type you get is all dependent on what you wanna do with it.
Want an on-camera flash that's easy to use, can sync with your shutter at speeds over 1/150? You'll have to get an expensive speedlight made for your camera. Want to just illuminate things that are at longer exposures off-camera? Literally any strobe will do, but you'll want to buy radio triggers. I prefer this kind. I've got a canon speedlite, but I learned flash photography in the era before ETTL, so rarely ever take advantage of its uses. Plus, with my particular radio triggers, I don't need it anyways. Radio Triggers Pocket Wizard 2 pack - $169 This of course will lead to above your budget, but they work great. Much better than the crap alienbees triggers I used to use. This is the cheapest option. Been using them for a year without problems. Yongnuo 2 pack - Have heard great things about these guys in the past, and it looks like you don't need any extra cables like you would with the pocket wizards. Looks like they fit directly to the bottom of the strobe, and are half the price. *shrugs* it's worth a look. Not sure how it connects to your camera, though. I just did a quick lookup. Lots of folks like this company, though. Speedlites Again, yongnuo gets a nod here. Look at the ratings. Also, does It act as its own transceiver? That could save you some money. Hell it's $70 bucks, it's worth a try. When you pay for speedlites, you're paying for guide numbers and recycle time. For under $200, you're going to sacrifice both, but you can still get an awesome strobe, you might (or might not) have to change your shooting style. If you need any help getting set up properly with a wireless strobe setup, let me know and I can get you going. |
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Quoted:
Hmmmm... Methinks I need to do some more thinking. Thanks, folks... Check this place out first if you haven't been there already. http://strobist.blogspot.com/2013/12/without-reservation-recommended-gear.html |
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Yongnuo 2pcs YN560 IV Flash kit +YN560TX LCD Wireless Flash Controller For Nikon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0146DAYYI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_CGHxxbTRPE4PH
For >$200 this is a good way to start. You can control the flashes with the included trigger in groups or individually. They are not ttl, but you can do a lot with them. And it's way better than just using standard radio triggers for about the same price. I don't really think ttl is all that nessesary, but it's really nice in a run and gun event sort of situation. I think it has more of a learning curve than shooting fully manual. |
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I've got the YN-568EX flash. I use manual most of the time. If I get tired of fiddling to get a good shot then I use TTL.
I have both types of Yongnuo triggers for off camera flash. The RC-603 II manual triggers and the YN622 controller and trigger. The manual triggers are easier to use and seem a tad quicker to fire. The manual triggers are cheap. I think I paid $33 for a pair. I use the YN622 setup when the gods think I need to have a tough time getting the shot. Invest in Panasonic Eneloop batteries and a proper charger. You can't go wrong with Yongnuo stuff, especially if you're on a budget. |
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Quoted:
I've had good luck with Neewer Lithium Ion and Yongnuo flashes. You get the majority of the same quality for a fraction of the price. Amazon has plenty of them and read the reviews to see what others have said. Cheers! I haven't used either, but I have heard lots of good stuff about Yongnuo. Can't say the same about Neewer. Not that I've heard anything bad...I haven't. Just nobody has said anything good either. 
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