Please help me. I need someone to tell this grandmother what she needs for her Rebel XS in the way of an additional flash attachement --- I am having trouble taking pictures in poorly lighted gyms of my grandchildren that participate in sports such as volleyball, basketball, etc. Not too expensive.
Well Grandma,
I am going to suggest you spend your money on a lens instead of a flash! Most sport arenas frown on folks using flash anyway. It is prohibited at our school.
I am going to assume you only have the “kit” lens that came with the camera? The Canon XS has good low light ability and good high ISO performance. You can take advantage of this feature but it isn't easy with the “slow” glass that comes with the camera.
Also, you didn't mention a budget but a top of the mark Canon flash like the 430 EX II is $300 bucks.
A better choice for you in my mind would be the Canon 50mm f1.4 lens at $399.
Remember, however, a 50mm lens is not going to give you up close and personal photos from the opposite side of the gym. But then neither would the flash at that distance.
Get the lens and set the ISO to 800 and have at it!
A Grandpa
Well Mrs. BonBon,
"Any suggestions you can give me will be appreciated." I hear ya and know exactly what you are talking about. I have nine grandchildren myself. Again I am going to go against what others may suggest. You can certainly spend the money for a
70-200mm f2.8 lens and it is likely the best way to go. The cheapest version of that type lens is around $1200 bucks.
I have the Sigma 70-200mm f2.8 and it is a wonderful lens.
But I said I was going to suggest something different than what others will advise. It is a post processing program for your computer. One may have come with your XS but if not Paintshop Pro or Photoshop Elements are under a hundred dollars to a little over it.
With it you can enlarge the photos. You can crop them and do all sorts of neat stuff. You can email them and even post them on Facebook if you want.
So, my "appreciated suggestions" are, get the 50mm f1.4 lens and Photoshop Elements 11.
Sorry to say the often offered with the original purchase of a Rebel is the 75-300mm lens. It is a marginal lens at best. Then only outdoors in proper light. The 50mm f1.4 on the other hand is a great lens, both inside and outside. Also the suggested Canon 85mm f1.8 is a very nice lens at $420 bucks. (Going to give you slightly larger subjects, ((I mean granddaughter)) than the 50mm) You will be happy with either.
Keep in mind, this is not going to produce the photos that a fast, very expensive, telephoto zoom lens would make. The ultimate solution to your situation and why you see those "big" lenses on the Pro's cameras. A big, fast, heavy and very expensive lens is the answer but my suggestion may work for your needs. A flash is not the answer.
Nobody can give you the proper settings without actually seeing the gym. But as a starting place, take the camera off Full Auto.
Try, Av and set it to f1.4 or f2 in the case of the 50mm lens (f1.8 if you opt for the 85mm lens). Set the ISO to 800. Give this a try and make any further adjustments, lower or higher ISO, etc, you may need. You will get slightly better pictures if you can set the ISO lower, so experiment. Also make sure you set the white balance to the type of lights used in the gym. Maybe tungsten?
Import the photos into you post processing software (Photoshop Elements, etc) on your computer and enlarge or crop them to your liking. Here again you can go only so far until it will no longer work.
