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Hi,

What model of (Canon) flash gun do you have?

What is the guide number?

What made you choose it?

What kind of thing do you use it for?

Have you tried using it for close up (macro) work?

How do you rate it for fill in flash outdoors?

Does it always get the exposure right?

To keep this objective please stick to the questions.

Many Thanks.

Steve Price

What model of (Canon) flash gun do you have?

550EX & MR-14EX

What is the guide number?

Not sure, 55 and 14?

What made you choose it?

Best ones available (then)

What kind of thing do you use it for?

550EX for close-up work, portraits, and everything else that require additional lights.
MR-14EX - Macro work.

Have you tried using it for close up (macro) work?

Yes, all the time (both of them)

How do you rate it for fill in flash outdoors?

550EX - Excellent
MR-14EX - Can't say I've tried it

Does it always get the exposure right?

You mean 'do YOU get the exposure right?' Yes. majority of the time.

What model of (Canon) flash gun do you have?
420EX & 550EX

What is the guide number?
Don't remember

What made you choose it?
Both best at time of purchase

What kind of thing do you use it for?
Primarily outdoor fill flash
Secondarily general indoor work

Have you tried using it for close up (macro) work?
No

How do you rate it for fill in flash outdoors?
Both are quite good

Does it always get the exposure right?
Always for outdoor fill flash
Indoors, as long I use the units correctly, yes

steveprice wrote:Hi,

What model of (Canon) flash gun do you have?

580EX

What is the guide number?

160 @ 10ft, ISO-100 (metered, on fresh batteries)

What made you choose it?

choice of modes, secure wireless trigger for remote like model family flashes

What kind of thing do you use it for?

weddings, photojournalism, location portrait, just plain intimidation

Have you tried using it for close up (macro) work?

not yet

How do you rate it for fill in flash outdoors?

as good or better than lumodyne, norman

Does it always get the exposure right?

dead on, every time. let it recharge fully

To keep this objective please stick to the questions.

Many Thanks.

Steve Price

steveprice wrote:Hi,

Hi,

What model of (Canon) flash gun do you have?

Canon Speedlite 580EX

What made you choose it?

I needed flash for my Galapagos trip so I had to buy that =)

What kind of thing do you use it for?

Probably shooting peoples. Haven't use it much.

Have you tried using it for close up (macro) work?

Yep. but I only get too bright photos =(

How do you rate it for fill in flash outdoors?

Good.

Does it always get the exposure right?

Nope.

To keep this objective please stick to the questions.

gemmf wrote:What model of (Canon) flash gun do you have?

550EX & MR-14EX

What is the guide number?

Not sure, 55 and 14?

What made you choose it?

Best ones available (then)

What kind of thing do you use it for?

550EX for close-up work, portraits, and everything else that require additional lights.
MR-14EX - Macro work.

Have you tried using it for close up (macro) work?

Yes, all the time (both of them)

How do you rate it for fill in flash outdoors?

550EX - Excellent
MR-14EX - Can't say I've tried it

Does it always get the exposure right?

You mean 'do YOU get the exposure right?' Yes. majority of the time.

Firstly, thanks for taking the time to reply. I found it very useful.

When would you use the MR-14EX in preference to the 550EX for close up work?

Is it that you think MR-14EX is just unsuitable for fill in flash outdoors? Would you be prepared to give it a go and post an example?

Thanks again.

Steve

dougj wrote:What model of (Canon) flash gun do you have?
420EX & 550EX

What is the guide number?
Don't remember

What made you choose it?
Both best at time of purchase

What kind of thing do you use it for?
Primarily outdoor fill flash
Secondarily general indoor work

Have you tried using it for close up (macro) work?
No

How do you rate it for fill in flash outdoors?
Both are quite good

Does it always get the exposure right?
Always for outdoor fill flash
Indoors, as long I use the units correctly, yes

Thanks for your reply Doug.

How do you find the E_TTL metering or do you often need to compensate.

Thanks again.

Steve

whig wrote:

steveprice wrote:Hi,

Hi,

What model of (Canon) flash gun do you have?

Canon Speedlite 580EX

What made you choose it?

I needed flash for my Galapagos trip so I had to buy that =)

What kind of thing do you use it for?

Probably shooting peoples. Haven't use it much.

Have you tried using it for close up (macro) work?

Yep. but I only get too bright photos =(

How do you rate it for fill in flash outdoors?

Good.

Does it always get the exposure right?

Nope.

To keep this objective please stick to the questions.

Many thanks for your reply, it was very useful.

I am particularly interested to hear that your close up work is too bright. Why do you think that is happening? Did you have the flash on auto?

Thanks again.

Steve Price

steveprice wrote:
Firstly, thanks for taking the time to reply. I found it very useful.

When would you use the MR-14EX in preference to the 550EX for close up work?

Is it that you think MR-14EX is just unsuitable for fill in flash outdoors? Would you be prepared to give it a go and post an example?

Thanks again.

Steve

No problem.

I use 550EX when I need lighting at angles (side, top, back, you name it, anything but front, as the flash from MR-14EX can look slightly flat (but I think 'flat' looking is perfect for insect photos). But I often use the 2 at the same time, which is very effective.

I've never used MR-14EX as a fill-in, because there hasn't been a need (as I use 550EX, which is much more powerful). But I've seen people using the ring flash for portrait and it can look effective. You just have to be careful with the red-eye.

I have the 580 EX and it's a very nice flash. I believe the guide number is 190 feet, quite robust. I use it with spot metering, metering on faces and setting the flash for 1 - 1 1/2+ exposure, which produces reliable exposures consistently whether direct or bounced. Works well for outdoor fill as well if you set your manual exposure for ambient. I've not used it for macro. Pricey, but a good flash.

Rick

steveprice wrote:Thanks for your reply Doug.

How do you find the E_TTL metering or do you often need to compensate.

Thanks again.

Steve

On the 550 the ETTL is usually OK, indoors I frequently set the camera to manual, pick the f stop, SS and let the flash meter the exposure. Outdoors I shoot mostly in Av with -2EV flash comp for fill flash, works very well.

I don't use the 420 too much anymore, sometimes for outdoors fill flash with the same conditions as the 550.

I hope it helps.

It occurred to me that a guide number definition might be interesting as part of this post.

Guide number definition: the guide number is an index to the light emitting power of a flash and is calculated by multiplying the flash distance and the f-stop used. The above mentioned Canon flash units contain the guide number in their name e.g. the 580 EX has a guide number (GN) of 58.

Guide numbers are usually expressed in metres for ISO100. Therefore, at ISO100 for the Canon Speedlight 580EX, if you shoot at f16 the light will light a subject at a distance of 3.625 metres or about 11.9 ft (58 divided by 16 = 3.625m). If you reduce or increase the f stop the distance increases or decreases respectively. Also, If you shoot at ISO200 the distance doubles; at ISO400 you can quadruple it; at ISO800 multiply it by 8 and at ISO1600 you can multiply the distance by 16.

To convert metres to feet and inches multiply by 3.28 e.g. 3.625mx3.28=11.9ft.

The MR14-EX is a specialised ring flash that fits around the barrel of Canons 50mm and 100mm macro lenses. The guide number is so low i.e. 14, because with macro photography camera to subject distances are much less.

I have uploaded a table of GNs and distances you might find useful:



If you find this table difficult to read click it to go to a larger version.

How to use the table: for example for the Speedlight 430EX the guide number is 141 and at f8 the subject to camera distance could be a maximum of 18ft (rounded to nearest foot) for "correct" exposure. Fortunately owing to through the lens flash metering you dont have to calculate this, the camera does it for you. But I thought it was interesting to see the numbers.

The 580EX includes a manual override for the power output so you can leave it on full power or dial in a fraction of full power down to 1/128th of full power. I dont have one of these flashes but I have a similar facility on my studio flash unit and I use this feature all the time.

I have checked the above info and I am pretty sure it is accurate but if not please correct me.

Steve

I use the Sigma EM-140 DG ring flash for macro photography. You can manually control each of the side lights or set it in TTL or E-TTL II. It has a modeling light for close focusing and costs a couple of hundred less than the MR-14. I've used it so far on a film Rebel, 300D and30D. All have had good results.

jimgephart wrote:I use the Sigma EM-140 DG ring flash for macro photography. You can manually control each of the side lights or set it in TTL or E-TTL II. It has a modeling light for close focusing and costs a couple of hundred less than the MR-14. I've used it so far on a film Rebel, 300D and30D. All have had good results.

Thanks,

I had looked at this one but wasn't sure about compatibility issues with my Canon cameras as regards ETTL II.

As regards ringflash do you find the lighting is flat or does individual control of sidelights introduce some modelling.

Steve

Thanks,

I had looked at this one but wasn't sure about compatibility issues with my Canon cameras as regards ETTL II.

As regards ringflash do you find the lighting is flat or does individual control of sidelights introduce some modelling.

Steve

I've had no problems to date with ETTL II.

The light can be flat and clinical or have surprising depth. A fair example is a quick snapshot taken of a bowl of nuts with the ringflash.

http://www.pbase.com/jimgephart/image/74177216

The whole of it was to point the camera at the bowl, and change the ratio of flash sides.