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Flash or Fisheye??

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Math37
Posts: 24 - Karma: 48

Ok so right now im getting some cash and I was wondering what I should buy.. the nikon 10.5 f2.8 or someting like a sb-600..

I would mainly shoot park and some street.. so flash would be really useful for late nite street but i was wondering if it was still handy during a sunny day in the park..  Im thinking  about the fish for the moment but id like your toughs to decide

thx

Jun 14 2009 9:34PM
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thisandthatfilms
Posts: 7714 - Karma: 526
word flash
Jun 14 2009 9:51PM
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jwhyte
Posts: 596 - Karma: 21
flash for sure! and drop the like 30 bucks on ebay for some radio poppers so you can fire it off camera
Jun 14 2009 9:58PM
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Jordan
Posts: 4079 - Karma: 2,122
Get the sb 600 for sure.
Jun 14 2009 10:05PM
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tBatt
Posts: 9632 - Karma: 580
Yeah if you get a flash definitely get a flash slave. Maybe it's just my noobiness but just a flash on a camera (if you're not shooting indoors/have something to bounce it off) don't do much more than make stuff brighter than a regular flash and make it look more flat.

Someone please correct me (if I'm wrong)
Jun 14 2009 10:25PM
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thisandthatfilms
Posts: 7714 - Karma: 526
get a vivi... they're sick if you get the right slaves and stands
Jun 14 2009 10:28PM
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davedinuzzo
Posts: 232 - Karma: 36
dont waste your cash on a SB600 when you can get an SB28 which is older but more similar to the SB800 for around $135 in like new condition


I had a friend knock over a flash stand and my sb600 and cables were toast. $250 GONE.... even an SB25 or 26 will be fine, but save the dough from 1 sb600 and get 2 sb28's or something, way more worth your cash
Jun 14 2009 10:45PM
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LC.
Posts: 5952 - Karma: 2,423
Bingo. Fisheye shots get old really fast. Get an SB24, SB26, SB28 or SB80 for cheap.
Jun 15 2009 5:31AM
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*Fujative*
Posts: 8554 - Karma: 183
Get a Vivitar 285, they are super cheap, and they are pretty nice.

this place is legit
Jun 15 2009 12:07PM
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davedinuzzo
Posts: 232 - Karma: 36
i actually love my fisheye, but i feel that top notch glass won't do anything for your action shots unless you have proper light... plus the cash to buy an SB600 wouldn't come close to putting a decent fish on your camera so theres no question about what to buy
Jun 15 2009 5:31PM
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.peter
Posts: 1222 - Karma: 63
Definitely flash

It'll definitely come in handy more
Jun 15 2009 11:31PM
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benk
Posts: 1342 - Karma: 988
i asked this same question a month or two ago...

I got both and would have to say nice lighting will make the photo look better but I use the fisheye much more just because I shoot landscapes a lot
Jun 16 2009 4:53AM
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Perma
Posts: 513 - Karma: 20
Definitely get a flash, but I would get an sb-800 or 900 if I were you because they are much more impressive than the 600 and they are really good wireless lighting features
Jun 16 2009 11:18AM
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davedinuzzo
Posts: 232 - Karma: 36
any of those flashes are a waste of money, especially for someone looking to buy a first flash and learn about lighting. The older model SB's are perfect and you can get them for a fraction of the price


don't be fooled by every new toy that comes out, 90% of the time you don't need the 1 new feature they changed on it
Jun 16 2009 1:03PM
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Math37
Posts: 24 - Karma: 48

Thx for all the replies..

im really interested in buying 2 sb28 instead of one sb600..

but i have litteraly no experience with flashes.. so i have a couple of questions:

would i be able to sync both sb28 using my d80 flash as a commander

would the sb28 work on my d80

and what is your favortie triggering system

thx in advance!

Jun 16 2009 9:01PM
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davedinuzzo
Posts: 232 - Karma: 36
not sure about using your on-camera as a trigger but if you are going to invest in lighting do it right

personally i use elinchrom skyports to trigger my flashes... will cost about $300 to get trigger/recievers for 2 flashes and generally the cables you need are $20 at www.flashzebra.com


ebay triggers are the cheap way to do things but you get what you pay for and they misfire a shitload
Jun 16 2009 9:47PM
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LC.
Posts: 5952 - Karma: 2,423
PWs or nothing.
Jun 17 2009 7:30AM
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goombastompa
Posts: 206 - Karma: 30
Flash all the way! It makes long lense shots look so much better and i agree fish gets old
Jun 17 2009 1:19PM
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Bangor
Posts: 9599 - Karma: 129
Definate truth. Spend the money on PW's once, and you'll never need to buy another radio trigger.



A note about the Nikon Speedlights: Spend the extra couple bucks for the SB-80's over the SB-28's. The 80's have built in optical slaves that will trigger when other flashes fire nearby. It's not the TTL whiz bang bullshit of the SB-600/800s, just a simple slave. I've owned both the 28's and the 80's, and the 80's are MUCH more useful, and cost maybe $20 more a piece on the used market.

And if you take a super duper cheap flash, put a filter over it that only lets infrared light through, and pop that off, that should trigger the other flashes, without affecting your exposure. As long as it's not putting the camera in TTL mode. (You can supposedly use a piece of exposed color film, that's been developed, for this purpose. It'll be black to the human eye, but lets IR light through.) This is all hypothetical to me, as I've not tried it personally, but I've read about it in more than one place....... google fo' mo' info.


And:

KEH.com for used camera gear. All I'm going to say.
Jun 18 2009 7:24PM
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yourthemannowdog
Posts: 4541 - Karma: 313
you won't regret getting a speedlight.
Jun 18 2009 7:48PM
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TPatel
Posts: 207 - Karma: 10
flash for sure; and its definitely worth the extra $20-$30 for the SB-80.
Jun 18 2009 10:55PM
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davedinuzzo
Posts: 232 - Karma: 36
I'm actually going to disagree... while PW's are the standard and are sick, for most people, myself included, getting into using multiple wireless flashes Elinchrom Skyports are a much cheaper and equally reliable solution. I have had mine for 2 years now and I'm still yet to have a single misfire. They are $90 cheaper per unit that PWs and make a lot more sense than dropping $600 on professional grade equipment for someone who isn't a professional
Jun 19 2009 9:04AM
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Bangor
Posts: 9599 - Karma: 129
Look into the "MAC on campus" program if you're a college student, pretty good discounts on alot of stuff, including PWs. MAC in that does not mean Apple, it's Mamiya distribution, but like 20 brands are under it.
Jun 19 2009 5:13PM
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WSMFP
Posts: 824 - Karma: 123
SB-80 allllllll the way, such a fucking nice piece of equipment
Jun 19 2009 7:17PM
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blackoutbill
Posts: 2918 - Karma: 282
When I get the money, I'm going to pick up this: http://www.mpex.com/page.htm?PG=STROBIST2XKITS

Jun 19 2009 10:26PM
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LIAM.M
Posts: 12 - Karma: 14
I wouldnt get the sb600

i managed to get a sb20 for $30 on ebay
its the same as a sb24 but it doesnt have a swivel head, but that wont matter if your using it off camera and on a stand

its great because it has different power setting "full, 1/2, 1/4, 1/16 etc." which you will need for off camera

I also got a sunpak 522, which is super powerful (liek teh popular 555) and great for $50 on ebay

then i got CT-301 P ebay triggers, which are supposed to be better than the misfiring Cactus ones
- $40

So for under $150 I have basically got a "descent" lighting situation
Jul 26 2009 10:39AM
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[~_~]
Posts: 20239 - Karma: 1,273
As a photographer, light should be your first priority.
Jul 27 2009 1:53AM
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HamFaceGirl
Posts: 5242 - Karma: 2,676
flash
Jul 27 2009 10:28AM
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