UKH

I'm new to photography but I have seen quite a lot of photos that use a remote flash and I think the results can be excellent, however I was looking for remote flash guns for Nikon cameras today and they all seemed very expensive. This got me wondering if you could just use another light source (e.g. a head torch) to provide the lighting.
What are the particular advantages of using a specifically designed flash system rather than just a torch? And can anyone recommend some flash systems that aren't too expensive or useless that would work with the Nikon D3200?

Thanks in advance

In reply to RBonney: A torch would probably work quite well in some situations, the advantages of the expensive systems are TTL which gives through the lens metering so if you are at an event like a birthday party or similar where you only have one chance to capture that moment then these can perform better than taking a chance you have the metering and lighting right.

With portraits and the like you can use strobes in manual mode( or torches) so cheap versions with remote triggers from ebay can work well, this web sight might interest you http://strobist.blogspot.co.uk/2006/03/lighting-101.html

In reply to RBonney:

Have a look at these old threads:

http://www.ukhillwalking.com/forums/t.php?t=504818&v=1#x6866937

http://www.ukhillwalking.com/forums/t.php?t=480849&v=1#x6618190

Off-camera flash with cheap manual units is great fun.

I've also done two friends weddings with them.

In reply to RBonney: Thanks for the info

In reply to RBonney:

Unless you are doing close work, a headtorcjh will not be bright enough for most situations, I have used a 1600 lumen bike light for some photoshoots(climbing) but even this on full power required a mixture of slow shutter speed/High ISO. If you are shooting any type of action and at distance you are better off with a flash.It doesnt have to be fancy, a basic flash with manual settings and an inexpensive trigger is the way to go.
This is a good example of a cheap way in.. http://www.ffordes.com/product/12062917225981
Ive shot many hundreds of images with this flashgun, solid, inexpensive and pings out a nice light(for a strobe!)

Im running a flash/off camera flash workshop in Edinburgh in Feb if you are local.

Have fun

In reply to RBonney:

I often use this great little Sunpak flash (pack of cig size) with my GF-1.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sunpak-PF20XD-Wireless-Flashgun/dp/B000JC7HAK/ref=s...

It can trigger off the GF-1 flash (cranked well down) and is great for social settings,nights out, family stuff. Either place on something/someone to side or hold out with one hand, camera in other.

Can give really great results.

In reply to RBonney: I've got a D7000, which has optical triggering inbuilt - great for quick shots but isn't that reliable when the angle starts getting weird. For serious (or paid) work, I use a set of Phottix Stratos triggers - about £100 for transmitter and 2 receivers - which allow multi-channel work*. All you need to go with them are cheap third-party manual flashguns (they aren't TTL triggers, so no need to pay for TTL flashes). If you want remote TTL, you need either Pocketwizards, Phottix Odins or a Nikon SU400 (and Nikon flashes); any of which will be expensive!

*you could probably use cheap ebay ones instead, but using triggers of some sort will be the only way to get multi-channel remotes, let alone TTL, with the D3200; using a "dumb" optical signal alone will fire every flash that can see it at the power it is set to. The reason I like multichannel is that you can test-fire each channel separately, easily flick between two setups etc.

In reply to RBonney: I can probably help with this one; I work in a camera shop.

The phottix idea is good, but you can go for the Aster triggers (smaller and cheaper) if you're only going to be using 1-2 external flash guns. http://www.castlecameras.co.uk/phottix-aster-flash-trigger-and-receiver Not bad for £45.

Try ebay a flash gun, something like the old Nikon SB28 offers a full range of control and can be bought kinda cheap. There are a lot of inexpensive flash guns out there but alot don't have proper settings, just High or Low power.

Worth checking out the Strobist blog (google it) for a super easy to follow guide to off camera flash.

Hope that helps!

In reply to jamesc88:

I *think* there's also an issue with the colour of the light? A proper camera flash is a standard neutral colour, where as a torch or otehr light source might give you an odd colour cast?
Redundant if shooting in RAW mind you.

In reply to Durbs:


Unless you're mixing light sources in which case the different colour casts can be a right pain.

If you're only looking at short range stuff with easy line of sight from camera to strobes, cheep (even just IR) triggers are fine, go enjoy.

If you're looking at more complex stuff, need TTL and must have that flash fire, buy the pocket wizards and bask in the security.

In reply to RBonney:

I have a manual Yongnuo YN460-II from EBay as a second flash unit (also have Canon 550ex), and TBH if want one gun for manual off-camera, I usually go for the cheap Yongnuo as the power setting are so easy to set:

http://tinyurl.com/bfdh96c

In reply to Durbs: That's correct. Standard house light bulbs and a lot of torches give orange casts. Daylight is blue. Flash is as close to white light as you can get. LED's are somewhere in between blue and white. Flash colour can be changed by using filters/quality street wrappers (Christmas tip for you there) to match. Shooting indoors you would set your white balance to Tungsten (orange) and use an orange filter to match, you'd end up with a colour matched image.

Any cheap flash is great, so long as you have manual power input. Old-ish film flash guns (Canon EZ range, Nikon is a bit harder, it tends to just be double digit 24/26/28 etc) work great as off camera flash but won't give you TTL metering if you stuck it on the hot shoe.

In reply to RBonney:

I got a Jessops own brand gun a few months back and it's been very good. It cost £59 I think (it's a tenner more now I see), but I'm not sure if you could still get one, given the latest news on their business!

http://www.jessops.com/online.store/categories/products/jessops/360afd-digi...



Buy a remote trigger kit for off-camera stuff for £50:

http://www.jessops.com/online.store/categories/products/hahnel/combi-tf-rem...

In reply to SeanB:



you have mail!

In reply to Garbhanach:

Another vote for the Strobist blog - flash photography, broken down into its constituent parts and giving a non-expensive route into creative lighting.

I've just ordered a set of remote triggers off the well-known auction site for about £20 (they get decent reviews, and should do the job). Hopefully they'll work with my combination of Nissin Di622 and cheapo non-programmable flash combined (item no. 110837938400). Really looking forward to playing with them.

In reply to RBonney: Thanks again for the info. I thought one of the reasons might have been to do with the colour of light. Won't be able to go to Edinburgh though, I'm based near London.

In reply to SeanB:


<hijack> Did you get my email about this Sean? (haven't heard back...)

In reply to Fraser:

I did mate.Check your inbox...

In reply to SeanB:

Just checked again, nothing since your original 'out of office' reply msg.

In reply to Fraser:Back to work now Fraser, sent you a mail Hope to see you on the 9th!

In reply to RBonney: Apologies for the wee hijack! Hope you get up a running with the lighting set up soon!

All the best

In reply to SeanB:

Got it, cheers. Yep, see you on the 9th.