Xmas Pennies... What to buy?

gothgirl

gothgirl

Messages
1,589
Edit My Images
Yes
Got a few pennies for Xmas, what shall I get?

So far this is my short list of things to choose from...

  • Flash Diffuser for pop up flash
  • Light Umbrella
  • Slave trigger so I can use my old external flash
  • Backdrop
  • Lens cleaning pen
  • camera spirit level
  • polarising filter


Which do you think I should go for?

Any others anyone can think of? Budget does not stretch to new lens...
 
Are you more landscape or portrait inclined - If landscape then a Polariser is practically essemtial, if portraits are more your thing then I'd say adiffuser or flash trigger, pop up flashes are horrid aren't they?
 
Alan Clogwyn said:
Are you more landscape or portrait inclined - If landscape then a Polariser is practically essemtial, if portraits are more your thing then I'd say adiffuser or flash trigger, pop up flashes are horrid aren't they?
Click to expand...

My work is mostly animals, so varied from sport horses to snakes, both of which need soft lighting, snake scales reflect light and on the rare occassion when you do need to use flash with horses their hair reflects light, even worse when they've been sweating, and you get these horrible washed out patches.

So far my top 3 are

Polariser
Lens cleaning pen
diffuser
 
Last edited:
how much have you got to spend? and what do you think you are currently lacking in your inventory?

For example, what makes you go "oh if only I had____to get that effect" etc.

you need to prioritise as well. like me for example I could either get a 35mm f1.8 prime or for the same cash get a two light flashgun studio set up which means I can then go pro which I've been planning however I can only have one or the other so for me for example it's risk it and try and go pro or keep to personal work :)

hope this helps you in some way.
 
Hmm, slave trigger and use the new slave flash to bounce the flash?
 
My vote foes for the hotshoe slave trigger.

You can diffuse the hotshoe flash but that doesn't change the fact it is still mounted right above the lens and will not give the best light.

With off camera flash triggered remotely you can get much better, softer light by bouncing. Diffusers suddenly become really cheap as you can just bounce off a wall (or a white sheet, or a large piece of card etc).

If there is one thing I think that will do most for your photography it is getting the flash off the camera.
 
I'm buying Ringgit's with my Christmas money :-)

However, if I had your list of kit, I would be looking at the polarising filter.
 
RichardtheSane said:
My vote foes for the hotshoe slave trigger.

You can diffuse the hotshoe flash but that doesn't change the fact it is still mounted right above the lens and will not give the best light.

With off camera flash triggered remotely you can get much better, softer light by bouncing. Diffusers suddenly become really cheap as you can just bounce off a wall (or a white sheet, or a large piece of card etc).

If there is one thing I think that will do most for your photography it is getting the flash off the camera.
Click to expand...

+1
 
what polariser did you buy ?

I'm still not convinced regarding polarisers , i've got one but hardly use it
 
gothgirl said:
Will do. Hoping it will reduce reflection/washing out on snake scales
Click to expand...

Off camera flash bounced of a large area will do this just fine for you.

Bear in mind with the polariser on you will loose 1.5-2 stops of light which means the flash will have to output up to 4x the power to get the same exposure as before.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top