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External Flash Options for t4i

1alfie
Contributor

I recently purchased the Canon t4i and am more than a little impressed with the unit.

 

Years ago, I purchased a Canon Speedlite 299T external flash to be used with my Canon AE1 Program camera.  Wondering whether or not this old, but still working, flash will work with my new camera?

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION

cicopo
Elite

It will but you'll need to shoot in manual mode to adjust to it's output. The camera can't control it so you need to do the work.

"A skill is developed through constant practice with a passion to improve, not bought."

View solution in original post

6 REPLIES 6

cicopo
Elite

It will but you'll need to shoot in manual mode to adjust to it's output. The camera can't control it so you need to do the work.

"A skill is developed through constant practice with a passion to improve, not bought."

amfoto1
Authority

You'd be much better off getting a modern flash that's fully compatible with your camera. Any of the Canon EX flashes would be grea. 90EX, 270EX and 270EX II are all very compact, pretty highly automated.  320EX has additional light for video. 430EX is a fairly full featured, mid-size model. You might still find 580EX II new, it was just recently discontinued. It's a larger high powered unit. The new 600EX-RT is the latest & greatest, top of the line with remote radio triggering. There are also a lot of third party flashes, some of which are pretty good. Or check out used. 420EX and 550EX, for example, will work great, too.

 

***********
Alan Myers

San Jose, Calif., USA
"Walk softly and carry a big lens."
GEAR: 5DII, 7D(x2), 50D(x3), some other cameras, various lenses & accessories
FLICKR & PRINTROOM 

 





Thanks a lot for the timely input.  As for the recommended flash units, which one would be best for general purpose indoor use?

"Best" is always a subjective term because all of the current Speedlites will work with your camera and the 600EX-RT is the flagship flash (about $500) -- and probably overkill unless you're getting more serious into speedliting.   (These are what I mostly use.)

 

The 430EX II is probably my favorite recommendation for most people.  But it may help to understand why.

 

Flash can really improve the look of photos (more than even buying a new high-end lens) -- light is everything (ok... not "everything" but it is ranks very high on the list of what contributes to a good looking image.)

 

Getting the flash off the camera and also creating a broad light source rather than a pin-point light source are both key in improving the look.  This is where the 430EX II comes in.

 

If you remove the trailing "0" from the model number of a Canon flash, the remaining numbers are the "guide number" of the flash measured in meters (guide numbers can be measured in either meters or feet but Canon happens to use meters.)  A 430EX II has a guide number of "43".  A 600EX-RT has a guide number of "60".  A 270EX II has a guide number of "27", etc.  (BTW... using the guide number as a model number is something Canon does -- it isn't usually done by other camera companies and for those, you have to look up their specs.  Canon makes it easy by using this scheme.)

 

The "guide number" is a baseline value that tells you the maximum distance that the flash can adequately illuminate a subject USING a baseline exposure of ISO 100 and f/1.0.  The ISO 100 is no problem... every camera can do that.  But you probably cannot do f/1.0 (Canon used to make a 50mm f/1.0 lens -- but they haven't made that lens in many years).  So why f/1.0 if you can't use it?  The answer is because... it makes the math EASY.

 

All you do is divide the guide number by the f-stop that you are really going to use and that becomes the new distance.  It really is that easy.  So a 430EX II has a guide number of "43" meters at f/1.0  -- but let's suppose you are using f/5.6.  Divide 43 by 5.6 and you get about 7.7 (meters).  Convert that to feet and it works out to about 25' (that's ISO 100 and f/5.6).

 

That sounds like a lot... but that's with the flash head pointed straight at the subject which isn't a very flattering look.  Usually you want to diffuse (broaden the light source) and get it to come from some direction other than right out of the camera.  

 

If you point the flash head straight up at the ceiling and "bounce" the light off a white ceiling (obviously this only works indoors when you have a ceiling -- and preferably a "white" ceiling because painted colored ceilings will "tint" the color of the light that reflects) you'll get a MUCH more flattering look.  But that means that (a) the light has to travel much farther and (b) the ceiling isn't a very efficient "reflector" -- it eats a lot of the light.

 

Could you use a 270EX II or a 320EX?  Sure... but you'll be a bit more constrained.  You'd be limited to small rooms, low ceilings, and close subjects.   The 430EX II offers some room to breath.

 

The other nice thing about the 430EX II is that the reflector on the flash head is electronic (motorized) and moves forward or backward to control the concentration of the beam.  The 320EX has a manually adjustable head.  When you zoom, you check your focal length, then adjust the head on the flash to match (or just be close).  On the 430EX II it's automatic.  

 

The 430EX II and 320EX both work as off-camera slave lights.  The flash on your T4i can act as a "master" light.  In other words the flash on your T4i can trigger a remotely located 430EX II or 320EX flash to fire.  Getting the flash off the camera can _really_ improve the look of your shots.

 

In addition to the cameras I list in my signature, I also own a Powershot G1 X (it's an advanced point & shoot which has a hot-shoe and works with all these flashes.)  For THAT camera, I have a 270EX speedlight that I keep in its bag.  I use the 270EX because it's compact and the only time I use the G1 X is to take to places where either a DSLR isn't allowed or isnt practical OR because I just don't want to stand-out and be noticed as the guy with the really big camera.  The 270EX gives me a nice compromise in that it's supplemental light which is stronger than the built-in light, but still compact and doesn't create bulk.  BUT... when I use it, I know that I'm limited to using flash with close subjects.  I mostly use it as a "fill flash" when shooting outdoors in sun, but will use it indoors to bounce IF the subject is close because that flash is significantly less powerful than the 430EX II.

 

Hint:  Buy Sanyo Eneloop rechargeable batteries to power the flash.  Eneloops have a very long life and are "low self discharge" meaning that if you charge them, then leave them sitting around for months, they STILL have most of their charge capacity (they claim to still hold 90% of their charge even after sitting unused for a year.)

 

Rechargeable NiMH batteries actually provide better flash performance (faster recycling time) then non-rechargeable Alkaline batteries. 

 

 

Tim Campbell
5D III, 5D IV, 60Da

"which one would be best for general purpose indoor use?"

 

That really depends upon you and what you need.

 

If you want to do a lot of bouncing off ceilings or walls, you'll probably want one of the more powerful units with a tilting and swiveling head, such as the 420EX, 430EX, 550EX, 580EX, 600ERX.

 

Those higher end units also allow more customization and control over the output. They also have more automated modes, for fast, easy use. The 500 and 600 series are larger.

 

If you will be shooting longer series of images, you will likely want a flash that recyctes as quickly as possible. The 500 and 600 series can be used with an external battery pack that speeds up recycling, especially the most recent models such as the 580EX II and later.

 

If you want something really compact and very simpl, easy to use (mostly automatic) unit, the 90EX, 270EX and other 200-series might be just the ticket.

 

If you plan to shoot a lot of video, you should check out the 320EX.

 

For multiple flash setups, the 500-series flashes can be used as "masters" controlling several off cameras flashes set as "slaves". The 500 series also can be set up as slaves. The 400 series flashes can only be used as slaves. There also is a module called an ST-E2 that can be used on camera to control multiple flashes off camera.

 

The 600EX-RT is the latest and greatest for multiflash setups... It uses radio communication, rather than the optical (near IR light) all the earlier models use. This means a lot more flexibility with wireless off-camera flash placement. The optical method required all flashes be within line-of-sight. The radio method doesn't and increases the range as well. There is an ST-E3-RT module available to act as a main controller, if you don't want a flash on camera too.

 

Note: All the flashes that use the optical method and the ST-E2 also can project a Focus Assist grid that can help the camera and lens achieve focus in low light. The ST-E3 cannot do this. But the 600EX-RT flash can.

 

I don't have a Rebel T4i, am not sure if it has built-in wireless flash control the way some Canon cameras do. If it does, that uses the built-in flash to communicate with the off-camera flashes. This might be convenient, but has the same line-of-sight limitations as the older optical triggering method, and somewhat less range. Built-in wireless uses white light to communicate, a rapid series of brief flashes... These can be a bit obnoxious in some situations. The red/near IR light used by the off camera flashes and ST-E2 module is much less intrusive. Of course, the radio communication used by the latest RT models is completely invisible and the best of all. The built-in wireless control also drains the camera's battery a lot faster, since it uses the built in flash.

 

Spend some time looking at the specs for each, thinking about what features you need and considering what fits your budget. There is something to fit nearly anyone's budget. You might want to get some books about using flash. Photographic lighting is a big, big field of study.

 

One tip, while all these flashes can be put directly into the camera's flash shoe, you might want to consider a flash bracket and an off camera shoe cord. While an accessory flash is better than the camera's built in.... it's less prone to redeye and ugly shadow effects by moving the flash head away from the lens axis.... Moving the flash even further off camera with a relatively inexpensive bracket and shoe cord setup can help improve these even more.

 

" but that's with the flash head pointed straight at the subject which isn't a very flattering look"

 

True... however a flash bracket and off camera cord can help a lot to allow you to use more direct flash, rather than having to bounce it. Bouncing a flash wastes a lot of the light output and forces the flash to fire more fully, which slows down recycling. There also are situations where bouncing is simply impossible (such as a ceiling is too far away or is painted a color other than white that can cause an unwanted tint in your images).

 

You also can use some diffusion with a direct flash, which costs some light but not nearly as much as bouncing the flash. I often simply use the wide angle diffusion panel that my flashes (550EXs and 580EX IIs) have built-in.

 

Some other accessories you might want:

 

There also are light modifiers that can be used on flashes, such as soft boxes and diffusion domes, so that direct flash is more flattering. Also, colored gels can be used to better match flash with ambient light... or just the opposite for special effects.

 

Every flash mentioned above uses standard AA batteries (the ST-E2 uses a 2CR5 battery, but it lasts for a long, long time in regular use). You can use alkalines, but might want to invest in rechargeables (such as Eneloops or similar). You'll save a lot over the long run. Plus rechargeables make for faster flash recycling. If you get one of the flashes that can use one, there are supplemental battery packs, available from Canon and elsewhere, that really help a flash recharge faster. I use serveral Canon CP-E2 and CP-E4 with my flashes. This gives a flash 10 or 12 AA batteries to draw upon, instead of just 4.

 

Have fun shopping!

 

***********
Alan Myers

San Jose, Calif., USA
"Walk softly and carry a big lens."
GEAR: 5DII, 7D(x2), 50D(x3), some other cameras, various lenses & accessories
FLICKR & PRINTROOM 

 





ebiggs1
Legend
Legend

"I recently purchased the Canon t4i and am more than a little impressed with the unit."

 

And so you should be! You will also be "more than a little impressed" with a 430EX II.  It is very likely the only flash you will need.

The short and sweet of it.  Smiley Happy

EB
EOS 1DX and 1D Mk IV and less lenses then before!
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