The biggest advances you can make in flash photography are to use an
old, low cost flash that offers multiple manual power settings and use
it in manual mode. The easiest way to do manual flash is to pre-compute
an exposure for one or more fixed distances (like 11 feet) and then
always stand that distance away from the subject and use your zoom to do
the framing. Perfect exposure every time and beats TTL every time. The
reason I suggested 11 feet is that it's also a common f/stop. If your
subject is at 8 feet or 16 feet then the exposure for those distances is
just +/- one stop from the 11 foot distance. Easy to remember. If
you'd like to use some other base distance, like 3 meters, just remember
that multiplying or dividing by 1.4 (square root of 2) will give you the
distances for +/- one stop from your base. You can't use this method if
you're using bounce flash, of course, but, since you're shooting
digital, you can narrow in on the correct exposure with just a couple of
test shots.
I was going to suggest a Sunpak 422D (with TTL foot for one of your film
cameras) on a low cost bracket like the Stroboframe Quick Flip 350
<http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=6993&A=details&Q=&sku=52728&is=REG&addedTroughType=categoryNavigation>
but then I remembered that your 300D has no PC connection and the hot
shoe is limited to 6 volts for flash trigger voltage. (There may be
some 6 volt 422D's but my own 422D's measure about 10 volts). You could
use it with a voltage isolator but for the cost of 422D plus a voltage
isolator you could probably buy a Canyon 540EZ or another EZ series
flash that offers manual control such as the 420EZ or 430EZ (model
numbers less than 420 have no manual control). The EZ series of flashes
don't support ETTL which is what's needed for automated flash control on
all Canyon DSLR's. Because of that they're much cheaper used than the
EX series of flashes needed for automation on the DSLR's.
In addition to easily controlled manual power levels you'll get a zoom
head (which also alters guide number) and an autofocus assist light with
a range of 7 meters on the 420EZ, 10 meters on the 430EZ and 15 meters
on the 540EZ. Having used the autofocus assist light on the 540EZ at a
big dinner party and dance this past Saturday night I can attest that it
works well. I think I only had two frames out of about 200 that weren't
properly focused and that was me mis-aiming the camera in the dark.
Raising the flash head above the built-in flash will reduce the
incidence of red-eye. Adding a Lumiquest Pocket Bouncer diffuser
<http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=Search&A=details&Q=&sku=32576&is=REG&addedTroughType=search>
will raise the light source even higher and soften the shadows a bit.
But even that is still not enough to eliminate red-eye in all cases so
the Stroboframe is still useful for that and will also cast shadows down
and behind your subjects where they are less noticeable. The downside
of the Stroboframe with the dedicated flash units it that you also need
a Canyon off-shoe connector to activate the autofocus assist light.
<http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=Search&A=details&Q=&sku=12972&is=REG&addedTroughType=search>
Since you probably don't have a flash meter you can predetermine the
flash power by setting up a large white target (like a white dress
shirt) at 11 feet or whatever you want for a base distance. Shoot test
shots of the white target and keep backing the exposure down until you
no longer get any overexposure indications on the camera's display
screen when reviewing the image. Use an aperture of about f/8 for
reasonable depth of field and ISO 400 to minimize flash power
requirements and speed recycling. Adjust the flash power down for
correct exposure (probably about 1/8 to 1/4 power at a 50mm zoom head
setting). Since the older flash models only allow full stop manual
exposure control you can fine tune the exposure with the aperture for
1/3 stop control.
Dr. Flash
Allan Mee wrote:
>
> Arguably the biggest improvement in photography, for me, as I've moved up
> through various cameras - has been in flash photography. The OM2 SP and Om40
> were notceably better than my earlier film cameras - and, imo, the 300D
> seems better still (at least with regards to on/in-camera flash). I think my
> T20 may be just a shade more powerful than the 300D's built-in one (I
> haven't compared guide nos but the 300D does takes better flash pictures
> than my classic OM2 (which, unfortunately isn't an OM2(n) - I sold the OM2
> SP to help pay for the 300D).
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