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what flash to buy?
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<blockquote data-quote="WayneF" data-source="post: 222493" data-attributes="member: 12496"><p>It seems real hard to fault the SB-700. It has about everything any flash could have. Maybe not a PC sync port, which is maybe a $10 Ebay extra added on the foot. Maybe not an external power port, which we don't need. But it has about everything else we could imagine. The one feature I would miss is the overt TTL/TTL BL menu (to force TTL mode), but Spot Metering mode also selects TTL mode on any of them. It may be slightly less power than the SB-910, but only closer to 1/2 stop than 1 stop. Not a lot of difference, and it could matter in a few situations, but not many. SB-700 is a couple hundred dollars less.</p><p></p><p>If cost is a concern, the Youngnou YN-568 is quite comparable in features, even with Commander Remote mode and Auto FP HSS mode (for compatible cameras), and also manual slave, etc. Apparently also full power like the SB-910 for about half of the SB-700 price. It does not have the GN mode the SB-700 has, and I think not a DX mode, but very comparable in features. I have no experience with the Yongnuo, but people seem to like them.</p><p></p><p>I've had a pair of SB-800 for 8 years, and I dearly love them. They do anything.</p><p></p><p>As a rule, we don't need much power for macro work (something like f/32 could be an exception, but we tend not to with digital). Macro work being small and close means soft light is not much problem to create. The tiny lights that are ill advised for normal work become relatively large at macro distances. Here's a couple of easy kludges which actually work surprisingly well.</p><p></p><p>Hot shoe flash aimed forward, inclined about 30 degrees up. Take a small palm sized white paper shopping bag (like from a jewelry or candy store) over the flash head, extending forward a few inches to make an illuminated white surface aimed down. Or make one from a folded letter size sheet of white paper, stapled into such a bag. This becomes a larger light there. It will surprise you.</p><p> </p><p>It will take two hands, but if camera is on a tripod, one hand for shutter button (could be selftimer, freeing that hand), and the other hand holding a white card or paper, maybe a foot square (or larger, about the size of the desired lighted area). Aim the flash head sideways, or maybe mostly up, and hold the card or paper reflector there, maybe a foot from the flash head to illuminate most of it, angled to aim down at the subject. This is like making a larger wall there, to bounce the flash from. Again, it will surprise you. There could be a second card standing close on other side of subject, to reflect back from that side too.</p><p></p><p>Or if you have to carry it through the jungle, a simple L shaped bracket from like 1/8" thick 1 inch flat aluminum bar stock. Running under camera to tripod socket with a drilled 1/4" hole (tripod thread is standard 1/4"x20 screw from any hardware store - a knob on it is handy). And bent to run vertically up the side of camera a few inches higher than the camera. Other 1/4" holes and a standard cold shoe up there will hold the flash high, and its head can be angled down at the macro subject... with some sort of diffuser on it. Macro is surely the easiest stuff to light.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="WayneF, post: 222493, member: 12496"] It seems real hard to fault the SB-700. It has about everything any flash could have. Maybe not a PC sync port, which is maybe a $10 Ebay extra added on the foot. Maybe not an external power port, which we don't need. But it has about everything else we could imagine. The one feature I would miss is the overt TTL/TTL BL menu (to force TTL mode), but Spot Metering mode also selects TTL mode on any of them. It may be slightly less power than the SB-910, but only closer to 1/2 stop than 1 stop. Not a lot of difference, and it could matter in a few situations, but not many. SB-700 is a couple hundred dollars less. If cost is a concern, the Youngnou YN-568 is quite comparable in features, even with Commander Remote mode and Auto FP HSS mode (for compatible cameras), and also manual slave, etc. Apparently also full power like the SB-910 for about half of the SB-700 price. It does not have the GN mode the SB-700 has, and I think not a DX mode, but very comparable in features. I have no experience with the Yongnuo, but people seem to like them. I've had a pair of SB-800 for 8 years, and I dearly love them. They do anything. As a rule, we don't need much power for macro work (something like f/32 could be an exception, but we tend not to with digital). Macro work being small and close means soft light is not much problem to create. The tiny lights that are ill advised for normal work become relatively large at macro distances. Here's a couple of easy kludges which actually work surprisingly well. Hot shoe flash aimed forward, inclined about 30 degrees up. Take a small palm sized white paper shopping bag (like from a jewelry or candy store) over the flash head, extending forward a few inches to make an illuminated white surface aimed down. Or make one from a folded letter size sheet of white paper, stapled into such a bag. This becomes a larger light there. It will surprise you. It will take two hands, but if camera is on a tripod, one hand for shutter button (could be selftimer, freeing that hand), and the other hand holding a white card or paper, maybe a foot square (or larger, about the size of the desired lighted area). Aim the flash head sideways, or maybe mostly up, and hold the card or paper reflector there, maybe a foot from the flash head to illuminate most of it, angled to aim down at the subject. This is like making a larger wall there, to bounce the flash from. Again, it will surprise you. There could be a second card standing close on other side of subject, to reflect back from that side too. Or if you have to carry it through the jungle, a simple L shaped bracket from like 1/8" thick 1 inch flat aluminum bar stock. Running under camera to tripod socket with a drilled 1/4" hole (tripod thread is standard 1/4"x20 screw from any hardware store - a knob on it is handy). And bent to run vertically up the side of camera a few inches higher than the camera. Other 1/4" holes and a standard cold shoe up there will hold the flash high, and its head can be angled down at the macro subject... with some sort of diffuser on it. Macro is surely the easiest stuff to light. [/QUOTE]
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