How do you think we should spend the money?

[briansquibb]

I didn't know that about the 430, i only have 580s interesting thanks for the info. I recommended 430s mainly to fit into their budget.

I am accumultating used 580EXs - they are about the same price as the 430EXII - they are excellent in their own right and being masters means you have backup.

I currently have

1 580EXII (Bought for the weatherproofing)
5 580EX
1 430EXII ( for my wife's G12, but can be pressed into service if needed)

 

[wickidwombat]

wow thats alot, how many eneloops do you have!

I only have 3 580 exii
i also have 3 yongnuo battery packs for them
then i have 24 AA eneloops for each flash so i can do a full change if needed

 

[briansquibb]

wow thats alot, how many eneloops do you have!

I only have 3 580 exii
i also have 3 yongnuo battery packs for them
then i have 24 AA eneloops for each flash so i can do a full change if needed

I usually only use 3 at a time, although sometomes I have the key light with a triple head and a 5foot shoot through which is why I need 5

Using all this number of speedlights means that each shot takes a small amout of power, so the batteries last longer and the recycle time is short - so on the 1D4 I can take 3 or 4 on high speed.

I have a charging box which has 6 chargers all with spares (dont forget the extras for the PW) - I plug this in to a plug on site so I always have fresh spares on hand - box also includes a double charger for the camera batteries.

 

[revup67]

I know everyone of the 5D users likes to bash the 7D with the ISO and it is true but are you really going to be using a high ISO if you have a 580 EXii flash? that was my point. It's hard to discern with the naked eye on an ISO 100 in RAW from a 5D to a 7D unless it's blown up to a poster size. on an 8x10 I would be curious to know if you would truly see a difference. Also, the original poster stated he had a limited budget in mind and trying to stay within that find limitation. I might be hard pressed to go backward in time with a 1Dmk3s and the small LCD. I think the 7D would out pixel this camera regardless and hold up better distortion wise.

Also, all the concern about a higher ISO with the 7D might be moot. It would seem pointless to take those shots anyway as they wouldn't be much good no matter what camera is used. You're gonna get noise from about 800 onward. I'd keep the flash on for anything 800 and over

Here's a 1600 ISO shot in RAW on a 400mm 5.6 @ 1250 at dusk then shrunk to a 5148 pixel JPG then shrunk again to a 1920 pixel JPG.


Snowy Egret .......(not at the Zoo, in the Wild) by Revup67, on Flickr

 

[FOB2009]

The Zeiss 100/2.0 is incredible for portraits!

 

[wickidwombat]

I know everyone of the 5D users likes to bash the 7D with the ISO and it is true but are you really going to be using a high ISO if you have a 580 EXii flash? that was my point. It's hard to discern with the naked eye on an ISO 100 in RAW from a 5D to a 7D unless it's blown up to a poster size. on an 8x10 I would be curious to know if you would truly see a difference. Also, the original poster stated he had a limited budget in mind and trying to stay within that find limitation. I might be hard pressed to go backward in time with a 1Dmk3s and the small LCD. I think the 7D would out pixel this camera regardless and hold up better distortion wise.

Also, all the concern about a higher ISO with the 7D might be moot. It would seem pointless to take those shots anyway as they wouldn't be much good no matter what camera is used. You're gonna get noise from about 800 onward. I'd keep the flash on for anything 800 and over

Here's a 1600 ISO shot in RAW on a 400mm 5.6 @ 1250 at dusk then shrunk to a 5148 pixel JPG then shrunk again to a 1920 pixel JPG.


Snowy Egret .......(not at the Zoo, in the Wild) by Revup67, on Flickr

quite often in churches you arent allowed to use flash for the ceremony

also with reception and using flash you need to expose for the background the room ambient and balance the subject to get a nice colour balanced shot this usually means shooting with fast glass wide open high iso and flash otherwise if the flash is dominant then the background gets killed to black or very dark so still shooting 1600 or 3200 depending which lens you are using.

 

[briansquibb]

I know everyone of the 5D users likes to bash the 7D with the ISO and it is true but are you really going to be using a high ISO if you have a 580 EXii flash?

Using the flash for infill - ie on camera - perhaps during the reception else you end up with just the subject in the picture with the background blacked out. This is particularly important when getting closeup pictures as the closer you are the less flash spill happens (law of squares)

In a reception you might well want the background in focus so need f/8 or so - reducing the light, and needing more iso to keep the shutter speed reasonable

I use flash a lot - including bright sunshine - as it lets you control the light to bring out the subject from the background, I find turning down exposure compensation (-1/3) and flash exposure up (+1/3) just lifts the subject out of the background without using blur

 

[vuilang]

I know everyone of the 5D users likes to bash the 7D with the ISO and it is true but are you really going to be using a high ISO if you have a 580 EXii flash?

In a reception you might well want the background in focus so need f/8 or so - reducing the light, and needing more iso to keep the shutter speed reasonable

Reception n F8? it must be a very bright reception.. I never got that type and never done that.
Just to have the background in focus, you could use a slight Wide angle lense at around F4 is more than sharp-enough background

 

[briansquibb]

I know everyone of the 5D users likes to bash the 7D with the ISO and it is true but are you really going to be using a high ISO if you have a 580 EXii flash?

In a reception you might well want the background in focus so need f/8 or so - reducing the light, and needing more iso to keep the shutter speed reasonable

Reception n F8? it must be a very bright reception.. I never got that type and never done that.
Just to have the background in focus, you could use a slight Wide angle lense at around F4 is more than sharp-enough background

The light in reception is usually fairly low - however at iso 3200 you can manage. Wide angle either gets you people/objects you dont want or you crop and lose IQ. The first dance is one picture where you need to get quite close and guarantee everything in focus. You need to be close to reduce the depth of the flash lighting.

Easier and better to do it the right way. The little tickle of flash turns it into a stunning picture.

 

[revup67]

I use flash a lot - including bright sunshine - as it lets you control the light to bring out the subject from the background, I find turning down exposure compensation (-1/3) and flash exposure up (+1/3) just lifts the subject out of the background without using blur

Yes, this is a great idea. If no flash is permitted as you point out at a reception that raises a whole other issue with the WB.

Whatever the situation flash / no flash, higher ISO lower ISO , I would think a White Balance card needs to be included. If a wedding photographer used the AWB or any presets that would be a cause for concern from my point of view.

 

[rocketdesigner]

Also at risk of getting clubbed like a baby seal...
[/quote]

lol...+1

 

[briansquibb]

I use flash a lot - including bright sunshine - as it lets you control the light to bring out the subject from the background, I find turning down exposure compensation (-1/3) and flash exposure up (+1/3) just lifts the subject out of the background without using blur

Yes, this is a great idea. If no flash is permitted as you point out at a reception that raises a whole other issue with the WB.

Whatever the situation flash / no flash, higher ISO lower ISO , I would think a White Balance card needs to be included. If a wedding photographer used the AWB or any presets that would be a cause for concern from my point of view.

Shoot in RAW and sort out later. White balance changes to much and taking candids at the receptions gives no opportunity to get the white balance for each shot.

 

[wickidwombat]

I use flash a lot - including bright sunshine - as it lets you control the light to bring out the subject from the background, I find turning down exposure compensation (-1/3) and flash exposure up (+1/3) just lifts the subject out of the background without using blur

Yes, this is a great idea. If no flash is permitted as you point out at a reception that raises a whole other issue with the WB.

Whatever the situation flash / no flash, higher ISO lower ISO , I would think a White Balance card needs to be included. If a wedding photographer used the AWB or any presets that would be a cause for concern from my point of view.

I tend not to use AWB and carry one of these around incase i need a custom WB
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/77mm-77-mm-White-Balance-Lens-Cap-Custom-WB-Filter-NEW-/120792820669?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c1fd02bbd
the cards are good but take too long this you just pop on the lens snap a shot off in the general direction and set your custom balance,
here is a review of them
http://cameradojo.com/2007/05/31/white-balancing-lens-cap-review/

 

[revup67]

the cards are good but take too long this you just pop on the lens snap a shot off in the general direction and set your custom balance,
here is a review of them

I've not used one of those though I know there are a variety of brands ranging up to $125 USD as I recall. For me the cards (specifically the WhiBal same guy makes LensAlign) are pretty quick (they have a target for instant focus) but most importantly I found them most accurate..spot on. No right or wrong it seems as long as one is cognizant not to use AWB or post processing without a proper WB snapshot(s) prior.

 

[wickidwombat]

the cards are good but take too long this you just pop on the lens snap a shot off in the general direction and set your custom balance,
here is a review of them

I've not used one of those though I know there are a variety of brands ranging up to $125 USD as I recall. For me the cards (specifically the WhiBal same guy makes LensAlign) are pretty quick (they have a target for instant focus) but most importantly I found them most accurate..spot on. No right or wrong it seems as long as one is cognizant not to use AWB or post processing without a proper WB snapshot(s) prior.

$125 damn these ones are like $2 or so hehehe you should get one and give it a go its pretty good even in crazy mixed light