Is Flash a Must-Have For Macro Photography?

Question

I want to start into macro photography this year so I've chose the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM lens to start with (I still haven't bought it since I'll do it next week, which I'll be in the US), but a friend that is really into urban photography suggested said to me that a flash is a must-have for macro photography.

The problem is that I don't like to use flash (examples), so I wanted to know if it's really a must or only a matter of choice.

Asked by Nathan Campos

Answer

I am not an expert macro photographer, but from my little experience I've understood that flash is NOT a must. However, in macro photography often we have to deal will DOF too shallow and even a mili-meter movement can change your focus drastically. For this, often you'll end up using f/11 or even higher to ensure that all parts of the subject you're shooting are in focus. Keeping f/11 and still getting a moderately fast shutter speed to avoid hand shake/movement blur isn't much of a problem in bright and sunny days but can cause you trouble if theres not much light or event its a little cloudy. So, its safer to carry a flash around, preferably a ring flash for macro shooting. Thus you don't take the chance and increase your keepers whether its broad daylight or cloudy.

Answered by ShutterBug

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Are there any compatibility issues with Canon 60D body and the Canon Speedlite 430EX?

Question

I have an opportunity to purchase a rarely used Canon Speedlite 430EX flash. I admit I know next to nothing about flashes but want to learn the basics with this one. I understand that this is an older unit and that a Canon flash should be compatible with lenses and body. I have a "newer" 60D body and Canon lenses. Will there be any compatibility issues?

Asked by Jakub

Answer

No. On the 430EX product page it says:

Compatible Cameras: All Canon EOS cameras...

Compatibility between Speedlites and bodies is very good within the Canon world. You don't always get 100% of all features, but the reason for this is generally obvious. For example, older bodies cannot program the radio trigger in the new 600EX-RT from within the camera's menus. But, you can program the optical trigger from the 5D Mk II menus. Further, it works as a normal on-camera flash on any EOS body, and it will work as a radio trigger if you set the triggering up using the on-flash controls.

The other direction — newer body, older Speedlite — tends to work without fuss, too. I've used an ancient 380EX on my 5D Mk II several times, for example. If you go with an old enough flash, like an EZ series, you will lose out on body features like E-TTL, but that should also be unsurprising.

Answered by Warren Young

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What type of flash/diffuser was used in this picture?

Question

What type of flash/diffuser was used in this picture ? I am amazed of the by level of diffused light. I am sure there is a lot of post processing but i believe the lighting is the most important aspect.

Asked by Daniel

Answer

It actually says in the description: "lighting- extern flash canon 480II+ difuzor"

I guess he either used the diffuser supplied with his speedlite or, as Matt above mentioned, a Sto-fen diffuser (these are the most popular nowadays).

Yes you are right, light in macro photography is really important. I'm surprised that he managed to achieve such excellent light diffusion with his speedlight instead of using the o-ring flash attached to the front of the lens.

Best Greg

Answered by Greg

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How to Avoid Red-Eye in Photos?

Question

Although tools exist to remove red-eye in post-production, what's the best way to avoid it while creating the photograph in the field?

Asked by ahockley

Answer

To understand how to prevent red-eye you need to understand what causes it.

Red eye is caused by light from a flash that is close to the lens entering the subjects pupils and bouncing off the rear of the eye back into the lens. (The main cause for the red colour is the blood in the back of the retina). Wikipedia has more info.

To prevent red-eye you need to prevent this light bounce back. There are several ways to achieve this.

1. Pre-flash. By flashing a bright light prior to taking the main photo. This causes the subjects pupils to narrow and reduces the amount of red eye. Many modern compacts have red eye reduction modes that do this by flashing multiple times before the main flash, or providing a continuous bright light in place of a quick flash.

2. Use and angled flash to direct the light to bounce of a wall or ceiling to prevent the direct bounce back.

3. Use a flash that is separate from the camera so the light bouncing back does not bounce directly back down the axis of the lens.

If you have a compact camera it is likely your only option is number 1. With an SLR you have more choices.

Answered by Simon P Stevens

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Does the back of the case for the Nikon SB-400 (SS-400) have a loop?

Question

This is kind of a lame question, but I'm wondering if the back of the case for the Nikon SB-400 have a loop to carry it on a belt or strap. The model number for the case is SS-400 and looks like this:

http://www.pbase.com/image/88383398

Thanks.

Asked by jaquer

Answer

I have an SB-400, just can't locate it at the moment! Will update with a definitive answer once I've found it! Almost certain that jaquer is correct and there isn't one. It's a tiny unit, not much bigger than a pack of cigarettes, and the case is very snug. You can put the whole thing in a pocket, it's that small, or simply leave it on the camera.

Answered by MikeW

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Is it possible to manually controll the flash while using the BULB manual exposure setting on a Canon XSi?

Question

To explain a little more, I want to be able manually set off the flash more than once for the purpose of having a double exposure while shooting in manual exposure mode. Is there a way to do this using the Canon XSi that doesn't involve any extra equipment and only the on-camera flash?

Asked by Dylansq

Answer

Since you're looking to do this with the built-in flash, the answer is a simple "no, sorry". Some other Canon models can use custom firmware which might be able to enable what you want, but not this one.

I would suggest getting a very cheap manual flash which you can trigger by hand, if timing isn't vital. Or, at a higher cost, many non-manual hot-shoe flashes (both from Canon and third-party) have a stroboscopic mode, which does exactly what you want automatically.

Answered by mattdm

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How do I read the flash distance scale on the Canon 580EX II?

Question

My Canon 580EX II has a distance scale running from 0.5m to 18m.

When the flash is in manual mode, a single segment of the distance scale illuminates to indicate the maximum effective range for my current aperture and ISO settings.

In E-TTL II mode, the scale illuminates a number of segments. For example, if I set my aperture to f5.6 and ISO to 400, 7 segments illuminate between 1m and 9m. What does this mean?

Asked by gjb

Answer

This shows you the optimum range of distances you can use those settings with. In your example, beyond 9m and the camera settings mean you won't be able to illuminate the subject properly; and closer than 1m and the subject will be overexposed even on the flash's minimum setting.

In manual mode, you've already determined the flash power, so the effective range is reduced to just the single bar.

Answered by Nick Miners

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What cheap flashes can be wirelessly triggered by a Nikon SB-900?

Question

I have a Nikon SB-900 and I love it. I am looking to expand my off camera capabilities and would love to buy another flash.

The one important factor I'm looking for is the compatibility between my SB-900 and the new flash to work wirelessly. Wireless i-TTL isn't mandatory, but definitely a plus. I'm fine with setting the new flash in Manual mode.

Simply put, I want to keep the SB-900 on my Nikon D3100 and the new flash on a light stand. When I take a shot, I want both to go off, and the new flash should be triggered wirelessly. I don't want to have to buy a wireless commander since the SB-900 can do that already.

Thanks!

Asked by Jeff Lange

Answer

If you want to use i-TTL, the safest options it to go with Nikon. The cheapest Nikon flash available new would be the Nikon SB-700, or the Nikon SB-600 if you can find it used.

However, if you don't need i-TTL, you can get away with any cheap flash. For example I have a pair of YN-460 speedlights, dirt cheap compared to the Nikon flashes but can still be used as optical slaves. Combining optical slaves with using i-TTL on the SB-900 may not work however, as the slaves can be fooled by the pre-flashes used for measurements. Some flashes have a mode that is supposed to ignore these preflashes and only trigger on the "real" flash, but I can't vouche for the accuracy of these systems, YMMV.

Also note that, as an alternative to using optical slaves, you can use radio triggers. These will have to be purchased separately, and you need one unit per flash, plus one for the camera, but it will give you increased reliability and range. It will also get around the problem of the on camera flash affecting the lighting in the picture even when set to "off", as a pulse from that flash is required in order to trigger any other, i-TTL or not.

Something worth considering is that you could get 2 or even 3 flashes + radio triggers for less than what that SB-900 cost you ...

Answered by Freed

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Why is the D7000 limited to shutter speed of 1/250th when the flash is up?

Question

Sometimes in bright backlight and with large aperture (f2.8) I want flash at high shutter speeds. But when I pop the flash up on D7000 it caps the shutter speed to 1/250th, which overexposes the shots and makes everything look like a nuclear bomb just went off.

What's the logic behind the limiting of the shutter speed when using flash? Is there anything I can do to get flash + faster shutter speeds?

Asked by Ricibob

Answer

The limitation has to do with synchronizing the length of the exposure with the length of the flash burst. The flash does not go off immediately...it occurs a fraction of a moment after the shutter has opened, and the burst only lasts a fraction of the time the shutter is open. This is necessary to produce a proper exposure when using a full-powered flash due to the way the shutter itself works. The maximum shutter speed that can be achieved at is 1/200th or 1/250th of a second most of the time. With more precise logic and shutter timing, you can achieve 1/500th of a second flash sync, however thats more difficult (and therefor expensive) to do, which is why its relegated to only top of the line pro-grade cameras. This ensures that the front shutter curtain is fully open before the flash pulse is set off, and that it stays open long enough for the effects of flash to properly light the scene and allow correct exposure before the second curtain closes.

There is also an alternative approach to flash, called high-speed flash sync. This allows flash to be used at any shutter speed. The difference between high speed flash sync and normal flash sync is that at shutter speeds above about 1/500th of a second, the second curtain starts to close before the first curtain is fully open...a shutter "gap" transitions across the sensor. High speed flash sync uses a lower-powered flash pulse set off multiple times in rapid succession to ensure that the scene is properly lit for each part of the sensor as that shutter gap moves across it. High speed flash sync is generally not as good as standard flash, and in most cases it should not be needed...but in a pinch it can do the job.

Answered by jrista

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D7000 1/250 shutter speed limit when flash up

Question

Sometimes in bright backlight and large aperture (f2.8) I want flash at high shutter speeds. But when I pop the flash up on D7000 it caps the shutter speed to 1/250th which overexposes the shots and makes everything look like a nuclear bomb just went off.
Whats the logic behind the limiting of the shutter speed when using flash?
Is there anything I can do to get flash + faster shutter speeds?

Asked by Ricibob

Answer

The limitation has to do with synchronizing the length of the exposure with the length of the flash burst. The flash does not go off immediately...it occurs a fraction of a moment after the shutter has opened, and the burst only lasts a fraction of the time the shutter is open. This is necessary to produce a proper exposure when using a full-powered flash due to the way the shutter itself works. The maximum shutter speed that can be achieved at is 1/200th or 1/250th of a second most of the time. With more precise logic and shutter timing, you can achieve 1/500th of a second flash sync, however thats more difficult (and therefor expensive) to do, which is why its relegated to only top of the line pro-grade cameras. This ensures that the front shutter curtain is fully open before the flash pulse is set off, and that it stays open long enough for the effects of flash to properly light the scene and allow correct exposure before the second curtain closes.

There is also an alternative approach to flash, called high-speed flash sync. This allows flash to be used at any shutter speed. The difference between high speed flash sync and normal flash sync is that at shutter speeds above about 1/500th of a second, the second curtain starts to close before the first curtain is fully open...a shutter "gap" transitions across the sensor. High speed flash sync uses a lower-powered flash pulse set off multiple times in rapid succession to ensure that the scene is properly lit for each part of the sensor as that shutter gap moves across it. High speed flash sync is generally not as good as standard flash, and in most cases it should not be needed...but in a pinch it can do the job.

Answered by jrista

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Without modification, is the built-in pop-up flash EVER appropriate?

Question

You can't use a diffuser, you can't redirect it, you can't adjust intensity, you can only pop that little sucker up and blast away.

Is there ever a situation where having this built-in pop-up flash is beneficial?

You don't own any other flashes/lights so using it to trigger something else is not a valid response. :-)

Asked by Andrew Heath

Answer

The pop-up flash produces notoriously bad results if it is allowed to overpower any ambient light and is used as the main light. This is because it is a small, hard light, and it is directly on the camera axis, so you can get a washed out look, particularly if you're photographic a human face - no light and shadow areas.

If you use it as fill, it can enhance your images, not harm them:

• it will add catchlights to the eyes
• it will fill in shadow areas, preventing dark eye sockets or dark shadows in the neck area. Portrait photographers often place a fill lights behind or above the camera, on-axis (true, it's a larger, softer light, but the idea is the same)

To us as fill, you simply have to dial down the power (using flash exposure compensation). As long as there is reasonable ambient light, and you only fill in shadows with the pop-up flash, you can obtain fine results.

You wouldn't want to rely on it for portrait work, but for general snapshot, with exposure dialled back a bit, it's far better to use the on-board flash than to have blurry, underexposed and noisy images.

Not all photographs are made of human faces however. Pop up flash can be very useful in macro work for example to allow you to take hand-held shots at a faster shutter speed or lower ISO.

Answered by MikeW

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How to meter for manual bounce flash?

Question

I use an eBay flash in manual mode. Mostly indoors, so I bounce the flash off the ceiling. What is a good approach to read the camera metering and make adjustments to flash intensity?

My flash cannot communicate with my camera. No (E)TTL.

Asked by publicRavi

Answer

I have four manual flashes. I love them. I just make a test shot and look at the histogram on the back of my camera: adjust to suit.

Works great.

Check out the Strobist, he loves manual flashes (http://strobist.blogspot.com/)

Answered by Pat Farrell

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Why is the shutter speed so long when using Flash in Aperture Priority on a Nikon D40X?

Question

I'm trying to get the background out of focus (bokeh) and using Aperature(A) mode and setting aperture to lowest value.

Update: I'm shooting in dim light and the flash goes off but the shutter speed incredibly slow (1-2 seconds), even slower than if I put it in full auto (where, presumably, the Aperture would be no wider than in Aperture mode with maximum Aperture .

I did find something in my Nikon Df0/D40X Digital Field Guid (by Busch) that said that in Aperture priority, the shutter speed is limited to 1/60s up to Syc speed. So I assume that means no slower than 1/60s

Here are the photos:

Aperture Priority with Flash (2s Shutter time)

• Exposure : 2s
• F/5.6
• Focal Length: 120mm
• ISO: 100

Full Auto

• Exposure : 1/60 s

• F/5.6

• Focal Length: 135mm (Ok, that's a little different)

• ISO: 200

Asked by Clay Nichols

Answer

This is called Slow Sync, which is a technique that allows you to combine flash with an ambient light exposure.

You probably turned this on by mistake. Generally, that's by holding the flash button (the one that pops up the flash) and turning the control wheel.

Your manual is here, see page 47 (in the PDF, technically pg 35 in the actual manual).

Answered by Instantkamera

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What should I consider when choosing continuous lighting vs. strobes for studio photography?

Question

If one were to want to get started with studio photography (I'm thinking things like portraits, headshots, perhaps pets, etc) what would be the considerations in choosing whether to go with continuous lighting vs. strobes for the lighting equipment?

Asked by ahockley

Answer

Studio strobes:

• + More light means lower ISO, larger aperture etc.
• + Can freeze motion
• + Can overpower the ambient light meaning you can leave the room lights on to see what you're doing
• + Greater choice of flash units / accessories / lighting modifiers
• + Can be used with battery pack for location shoots
• - Have to be triggered somehow
• - Need to use a flash meter, or test shots to set exposure
• - Can be too bright (some have limited options to turn the power right down)
• - Can be more expensive to start off with

Continous Lighting

• + Can be done on the cheap using gear lying around the house
• + Can use the camera's metering system
• + Can be used for video as well
• + No need to trigger
• - Limited power output
• - Can cook your subject
• - High levels of ambient light can be undesirable when working
• - Fire risk with homemade mods!
• - There can be colour issues with some florescents

Answered by Matt Grum

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Is the HF-DC1 flash light a good choice for my Canon EOS 400D?

Question

I want to buy an external flash light for my Canon EOS 400D. Is HF-DC1 good enough or is it designed for more compact cameras?

Any suggestion on alternatives?

Asked by Don

Answer

Canon HF-DC1 is designed for Canon PowerShot product line only and incompatible with DSLRs. You can get Canon 270EX which is about the same price range. Other relatively expensive options will be Canon 430EX II and Canon 580EX II.

Also there are 3rd party (non Canon branded) flashes, which are cheap. But most of them do not have automatic (TTL) mode and all settings have to be done manually.

Answered by ShutterBug

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HF-DC1 flash light for Canon EOS 400D

Question

I want to buy an external flash light for my Canon EOS 400D. Is HF-DC1 good enough or is it designed for more compact cameras?

Any suggestion on alternatives?

Asked by Don

Answer

Canon HF-DC1 is designed for Canon PowerShot product line only and incompatible with DSLRs. You can get Canon 270EX which is about the same price range. Other relatively expensive options will be Canon 430EX II and Canon 580EX II.

Also there are 3rd party (non Canon branded) flashes, which are cheap. But most of them do not have automatic (TTL) mode and all settings have to be done manually.

Answered by ShutterBug

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Where does the assertion that food photography must not use flash come from?

Question

I often hear/read in webcasts and blogs that when doing food photography, it's better to use only the indirect sun light from a window, and without flash.

Why?

I tested multiple times two setups:

1. Reflected sun light from a window (no direct sun),

2. Reflected sun light from a window + light from a single flash, bouncing from a ceiling or a white wall.

Every time, the second setup gave much better results than the light from a window only. Am I doing it wrong? Have I misunderstood the assertion?

Asked by MainMa

Answer

Generally anybody who says "Don't use flash, it won't look natural" about any photography, means don't use direct, on camera, harsh small flash - because it doesn't look natural.

Mixing flash and ambient like you're doing or even doing all flash with sufficient softboxes and such is just fine and can produce some wonderful results.

As usual, rules in photography are more like guidelines - trying to help those who may be starting out and not fully understanding what they're doing. Its easier to tell somebody with a point and shoot or not real flash equipment to just 'not use flash' than it is to explain to them the intricacies of 'real' flash work.

Answered by rfusca

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I cannot open the internal flash on my Canon 60D camera; how do I fix it?

Question

I tried opening the internal flash on my Canon 60D camera the other day and it didn't open at all. I couldn't understand why. After messing around in the menus, I found out that the camera thinks that an external flash is attached. It gives the message "This menu cannot be displayed. External flash is attached."

How do I fix this?

Providing a few photos to explain what happens here. Sorry for the low quality, obviously I couldn't use my 60D to shoot photos of my 60D :))

Asked by RiMMER

Answer

There is a little microswitch in the hotshoe that detects an external flash -- this may have become stuck, or got a piece of grit blocking it. If you cannot see anything under the rails, you may have to take it to your local friendly Canon authorised repair centre, but if you can see some grit, you may be able to carefully remove it with a cocktail stick or similar.

Answered by Rowland Shaw

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Are super cheap flashes worth it?

Question

Is YN-460 Yongnuo worth it? Found it for 34 EUR http://bit.ly/GE1Tdp

Fist of all: is it so cheap I will regret I bought it and just withdraw using it?

In my understanding and for I would use limitations are:

• no radio trigger. I would need to use optical one. I read that it might not work well in the sun, etc. Does is usually work with some flaws or does it usually not work? :)

• It doesn't have i-TTL I didn't really know how it works, but I guess I can have better control and possibly better results just setting all the things by myself. How complicated is it to do calculations and setup? Do i need to mesure distance of the subject for it?

Asked by Paolo

Answer

I have a YN-462 and a Nikon SB-600 so I'll comment a bit. There's a clear quality of product between the two. The Nikon feels better better and solid. However, functionally, when they're both in manual mode on a stand, they both work fine and consistently.

Manual for flash is not hard at all - once you do it a few times, you start to get a feel for it. Then you'll setup, take a test shot or two and only have to make minor adjustments.

You absolutely can use radio triggers with them - I use these cheap ones and love them.

One caveat about cheap flashes - most of them are weaker in strength than a more expensive flash. This could result in slower recharge times because you're doing a full pop instead of a half pop or just having insufficient power. Much of this will be determined by how you use it, its not been an issue for my style of photography.

Answered by rfusca

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How do I know if it's safe to use a Nikon SB-20 on an Olympus E-520?

Question

I have an Olympus E-520 and I borrowed a Nikon SB-20 flash which I intend to use as an optical trigger for an off-camera flash (TTL connectors on the flash connector are removed to avoid mixing ttl signals). How do I find out if it's safe to use on my camera?

Asked by ruminator

Answer

Well, the there is a flash trigger voltage overview site that says Nikon SB-20 has a trigger voltage of 5.5V, and that some older Olympus digicams has trigger voltage of 10V, and that Olympus recommends something in 3-6V range. There's a related thread on dpreview forums that suggests that flashes in this range should be okay.

Answered by che

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