I have a Canon 20D, usually shoot with a 400 5.6L, sometimes with 1.4x extender, and sometimes a 70-200 4.0L for things other than birds. I do not have a flash, but am getting one in the next week or two. I want to learn to use it before a 10-day Arizona trip in early September.
I have never been out shooting with someone else, so am completely self taught. I have no clue whatsoever about using flash, but have been around on the avian board long enough to know how effective it is. There are shots posted that I simply have no chance of ever getting without flash.
Question #1...what are the advantages of the 580EX over the 430EX? Budget is always a problem for me when it comes to equipment, so if the 430EX would be sufficient, I'd save the $130 and go for that. If the 580EX offers significantly better functionality, that's what I'd go for.
Question #2...it's obviously too much to post here, but is there an online website/primer for using flash for avian photography? Once the 580EX or 430EX and Better Beamer arrived, I'd have absolutely no clue on how to use. Any general tips, methods, settings that could be stated in a quick blurb (or a website pointed to that would help)?
Main advantages of the 580 over the 430: Higher guide number. This means that the flash is more powerful, so you can light things further away. Faster recycling, so you don't have to wait as long between flashes. Ability to use external battery supplies, which generally means more flashes before the batteries give out, and often a faster recharge. I believe the 580 also can be used to remotely trigger other Canon flashes. Is it worth the extra money for the flash? Given that you are just starting out, you are using digital and not 50 speed film, and budget is an issue, probably not.
Realistically, for avain photography, once you get past the output level of the 430, especially with the beamer, the bird is going to be so small in the frame that it is probably not going to be an issue.
Flash for avain photography is really pretty simple. Put the Better Beamer on the flash. Set the flash to -1.5 to -1 2/3's, and fire away.
By the way, the Better Beamer requires an effective 300 mm or longer. Otherwise, it will act like a spotlight.
To get away with the less power on the flash and the slower recycle times, use ISO 200 or 400. This will reduce the amount of power each use of the flash puts out, and compensates a bit for the differences in the flashes.
While I pretty much agree with what Dan says, I'll add a few things. IMO, you can never have too much flash power. If you get the small flash, you'll wish you had the bigger one on certain occasions. Do it once, do it right the first time, get the 580EX. Reading the specs on the 430EX, it appears you can only do flash exposure compensation (FEC) in whole stops. If that's true, it's worthless for bird photography.
As for how to use, start by studying the posts on NPN when FEC data is given. Dan's suggestion of starting with about -1.7 FEC for most situations is a good one. Since going digital though, I've modified that to -2 stops FEC (and often comp even more negative). That's a good place to start for a bird in sun where you're trying to fill in shadows. When the bird is in shade and the background in sun, you'll need to use less FEC, start with -.7 to -1 stop FEC. There's no cookbook answer to every situation, it's a long term experience driven process that you'll have to work on yourself.
I'm in a very simialar situation and am very interested in the advice being given.. Is a flash unit worthless unless you have a bracket? I, like Terry am on a budget and this adds to the cost. BTW Terry, glad you asked this question.
Doing some more checking, it appears the one stop increment applies to manual flash adjustment. As long as the body you put the 430EX on has FEC capability, then the flash will adjust with the amount applied in the camera. For the 20D, I think that's 1/2 stop increments. Someone out there reading this must have this flash and can verify this stuff...???
Dan, a flash bracket is not mandatory. It is very helpful to prevent 'steel-eye' in small birds and 'red-eye' in larger birds. You can start with the flash in the camera body hot shoe and add a flash bracket later when funds allow. You can always deal with the catchlight aberrations in Photoshop, although doing it often may cause you to free up some additional cash for a bracket.
Again, from the total "flash neophyte" here...I have no clue what a flash bracket is. What is it, and (again), how much is it?
One concern I have is that especially for a lot of my wetland/shorebird shooting, I use my car as a blind, and set the camera up on a window-mount. I doubt that it would all fit in the window of my car if I had the flash in the hot shoe. That's one more reason why I would like to have the capability to have the flash off camera.
Take a look at the Wimberley telephoto bracket on this page: http://www.naturephotographers.net/gs/gsflashbracket.html
The bracket attaches to the bottom of your camera body and holds the flash unit several inches above your camera. This moves the flash off the lens axis and prevents retinal reflections on fairly close photographs. It really does nothing for you when the subject is a significant distance from the camera. The Wimberley bracket is high-end equipment. Workable brackets can be had for much less. Shooting through the car window might be a problem using a bracket, but less so using the hot shoe on your body. You might consider just using a bean bag instead of a window mount with a tripod head.
Responding to Bob's comment about 1/2 stop increments with the 20D - with the 420 flash, you can set increments to 1/3 of a stop with one of the custom settings and since the current 430 is supposed to be the successor model, that also should be the case with that one as well.
Also, since no one has mentioned it: once you do place the Beamer on the flash, remember that it is a lens that lets light pass in *both* directions. For a large point source, such as the sun on a bright day, the fresnel will focus light on the flash. You can tell the serious bird photographers - they are the ones with at least one burn mark on their flash head from having accidently pointed the flash and beamer towards the sun for a little while
Thanks for all the input. From your help and from looking around last night, I'm ordering the 430EX. The capabilities seem to be similar (except for less power, slower recharge, a few custom things), but FEC capabilities are the same...
And it's $125 cheaper. I figured by getting the 430EX, I can also get the flash bracket (and better beamer) with the money I save over the 580EX.
Hi Terry -- Personally, I have a flash bracket but I've pretty much stopped using it, except when I set up in one place, with the big lens on tripod, for a prolonged shoot. Normally now, I just mount my 550EX on the camera. In my experience, the flash bracket adds a bit of weight, and quite a bit of unwieldy superstructure to catch on branches, and give opportunities for other disasters. And also as you suggest, it really makes it hard to get camera, lens, flash, and Better Beamer out the window shooting from a car.
I just Photoshop out the steel-eye in the rare instances when it shows up. Much easier to do imho than to deal with the unwieldy flash bracket all the time.
Good luck with your flash and have fun. Basically I follow the advice from Dan in post 1 above -- dial in -1.7 on my 20D and leave it there, unless I think I may need more for something approaching a main light situation.
Of course Bob Steele's advice is the gold standard on something like this, and everything he says sounds right. I just wanted to describe my own "good enough for govt work" approach with simple defaults. I predict if you start my way, you'll see immediate payoff, and then with your eye you'll evolve in the direction Bob S describes.
Discussion
12 repliesI have never been out shooting with someone else, so am completely self taught. I have no clue whatsoever about using flash, but have been around on the avian board long enough to know how effective it is. There are shots posted that I simply have no chance of ever getting without flash.
Question #1...what are the advantages of the 580EX over the 430EX? Budget is always a problem for me when it comes to equipment, so if the 430EX would be sufficient, I'd save the $130 and go for that. If the 580EX offers significantly better functionality, that's what I'd go for.
Question #2...it's obviously too much to post here, but is there an online website/primer for using flash for avian photography? Once the 580EX or 430EX and Better Beamer arrived, I'd have absolutely no clue on how to use. Any general tips, methods, settings that could be stated in a quick blurb (or a website pointed to that would help)?
Realistically, for avain photography, once you get past the output level of the 430, especially with the beamer, the bird is going to be so small in the frame that it is probably not going to be an issue.
Flash for avain photography is really pretty simple. Put the Better Beamer on the flash. Set the flash to -1.5 to -1 2/3's, and fire away.
By the way, the Better Beamer requires an effective 300 mm or longer. Otherwise, it will act like a spotlight.
To get away with the less power on the flash and the slower recycle times, use ISO 200 or 400. This will reduce the amount of power each use of the flash puts out, and compensates a bit for the differences in the flashes.
As for how to use, start by studying the posts on NPN when FEC data is given. Dan's suggestion of starting with about -1.7 FEC for most situations is a good one. Since going digital though, I've modified that to -2 stops FEC (and often comp even more negative). That's a good place to start for a bird in sun where you're trying to fill in shadows. When the bird is in shade and the background in sun, you'll need to use less FEC, start with -.7 to -1 stop FEC. There's no cookbook answer to every situation, it's a long term experience driven process that you'll have to work on yourself.
Actually, Garth suggestion may be the best route, as a used 550 from a reputable dealer is going to run you about the same price as the 430.
Dan, a flash bracket is not mandatory. It is very helpful to prevent 'steel-eye' in small birds and 'red-eye' in larger birds. You can start with the flash in the camera body hot shoe and add a flash bracket later when funds allow. You can always deal with the catchlight aberrations in Photoshop, although doing it often may cause you to free up some additional cash for a bracket.
One concern I have is that especially for a lot of my wetland/shorebird shooting, I use my car as a blind, and set the camera up on a window-mount. I doubt that it would all fit in the window of my car if I had the flash in the hot shoe. That's one more reason why I would like to have the capability to have the flash off camera.
The bracket attaches to the bottom of your camera body and holds the flash unit several inches above your camera. This moves the flash off the lens axis and prevents retinal reflections on fairly close photographs. It really does nothing for you when the subject is a significant distance from the camera. The Wimberley bracket is high-end equipment. Workable brackets can be had for much less. Shooting through the car window might be a problem using a bracket, but less so using the hot shoe on your body. You might consider just using a bean bag instead of a window mount with a tripod head.
Also, since no one has mentioned it: once you do place the Beamer on the flash, remember that it is a lens that lets light pass in *both* directions. For a large point source, such as the sun on a bright day, the fresnel will focus light on the flash. You can tell the serious bird photographers - they are the ones with at least one burn mark on their flash head from having accidently pointed the flash and beamer towards the sun for a little while
And it's $125 cheaper. I figured by getting the 430EX, I can also get the flash bracket (and better beamer) with the money I save over the 580EX.
I just Photoshop out the steel-eye in the rare instances when it shows up. Much easier to do imho than to deal with the unwieldy flash bracket all the time.
Good luck with your flash and have fun. Basically I follow the advice from Dan in post 1 above -- dial in -1.7 on my 20D and leave it there, unless I think I may need more for something approaching a main light situation.
Of course Bob Steele's advice is the gold standard on something like this, and everything he says sounds right. I just wanted to describe my own "good enough for govt work" approach with simple defaults. I predict if you start my way, you'll see immediate payoff, and then with your eye you'll evolve in the direction Bob S describes.