£30 Flashes

I would be very wary of throwing some random flash onto your camera in case it fries the camera.

Try getting some cheap radio triggers from ebay to eliminate this problem, if your using a non branded, non e-TTL flash you are losing nothing (and gaining a lot of freedom and flexibility) by taking the flash off camera.
 
I have one of these, got it about three weeks ago.

Its great for bouncing light, but because there is no control over the level of flash, its not very practical for direct flash.

There is a bounce card on the flash head though, and if you angle the flash head to 35 degrees and use the bounce card, it gives good results.

It also comes with some clip on colour gels(?), although I've yet to find a practical use for these!

HTH
 
Avoid cheap no-name brands of flash.

You can get good named brands on Ebay. Do a search for Nikon (look for SB28 or sb-28) and Metz. Both brands are well known and reliable. I use an sb28 on a 5d as a lightweight throw in the bag flash.

You could also try the Jessops branded flashes. You at least have the comfort factor of being able to swap it if it is faulty.

http://www.jessops.com/online.store...gital Flashgun for (Canon AF)-35585/Show.html

John
 
Guide Number of 28! You might as well strap a maglite to your camera;)
 
jpwone said:
Avoid cheap no-name brands of flash.

You can get good named brands on Ebay. Do a search for Nikon (look for SB28 or sb-28) and Metz. Both brands are well known and reliable. I use an sb28 on a 5d as a lightweight throw in the bag flash.

You could also try the Jessops branded flashes. You at least have the comfort factor of being able to swap it if it is faulty.

http://www.jessops.com/online.store...gital Flashgun for (Canon AF)-35585/Show.html

John
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Before I bought my flash from eBay, I looked into the Jessops flash, and read that the Jessops flash that it has sync issues -- there is some threads over on Practical Photographer ... People have been complaining that it only syncs 5 out of 10 times!
 
I have just bought one of the Jessops flash units. I got the 300d, as I'm on a fuji. However the Canon (and also the Nikon) equivalent, as seen in the link earlier in the thread is at half price. So whilst it may have sync issues, it's only half the price it was, and if you enter the 10plus10 discount code, there is a further 10% off.

FOr about £30, I would trust it more than a fleabay model, and at least you can make some adjustments to it. And you can go get it today.

On the thread I posted, someone also metioned Jessops 30day moneyback guarantee, so you can have a good play with it and make your own mind up.
HTH
LAwrie
 
Got the Jessops one for about £30 - my god it was hard to resist the 70..200mm F4L while I was there with £20 off!!

Anyway thanks for the input, very much appreciated (y)
 
I'm struggling to see why someone would spend all that money on a camera, but care so little about the quality of their images that the most they'll spend on a flashgun (photography being all about light) is £30.....

Each to their own I suppose :shrug:
 
Flash In The Pan said:
I'm struggling to see why someone would spend all that money on a camera, but care so little about the quality of their images that the most they'll spend on a flashgun (photography being all about light) is £30.....

Each to their own I suppose :shrug:
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I feel the gloomy economy may have something to do with it, and also these little people that go mad on 25th this month every year - What's that all about!?
 
well I can see how I get on and upgrade in the future if I need to. Some initial results are encouraging (y)

IMG_7923_edited-1.jpg


FWIW my most used lens is a £200 85mm - much prefer it to the 24..105mm F4L - so cost in itself isn't always important.

Cheers though.
 
Flash In The Pan said:
I'm struggling to see why someone would spend all that money on a camera, but care so little about the quality of their images that the most they'll spend on a flashgun (photography being all about light) is £30.....

Each to their own I suppose :shrug:
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Yeah but it should have been £70, so it's not that bad.

And at least it is a massive improvement to the onboard.....

But I get your point, but then only spent £180 on a camera, though I would like to spend more.
 
There's something very amiss there -it looks for all the world like an available light shot under tungsten with that orange cast, so not enough flash power or a wrong wb setting? It could of course be introduced in processing too.

3087973190_cb397a0bcc_o.jpg
 
here's the original CT:

IMG_7923.jpg


TBH I'm not sure on the WB as it's a 350D I've borrowed while my 5D is being calibrated and this was shot number 5 with it.
 
sorry and the lighting was two flurescents (one of which is very blue) and the room is entirely white tiles.

I'm liking the colours on yours though..., what did you do?
 
yup because it's got some super dooper viewfinder there isn't space for it, apparently.
 
they have one on offer at asda for 59.95 with a flash and everything, you'd have been better off getting that!!!!!!!!!!!;)
 
pearce_jj said:
sorry and the lighting was two flurescents (one of which is very blue) and the room is entirely white tiles.

I'm liking the colours on yours though..., what did you do?
Click to expand...

I just set the wb to 6500K, (sunlight or flash) tweaked the contrast, and gave it a sharpen.
 
At the end of the day James you now have a flash that cost you £30 that will let you get images you would have struggled to get without it. On day one you have an image that is probably worth £30 to you.

Everything else from here on is a freebie with the flash :)

On a technical note the image you have taken has a colour cast due to the mixed lighting (flash and room light). You could have gelled the flash to get a better mix and set the WB for the room lighting. Sometimes though you just have to live with it and settle for an image that means something to you and b****er the technical bits :)

John
 
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