Best flash for a 6D

[DonnaRichmond]

Hi guys,

I have just bought a 6D. I'll use it for portraits and occasional weddings. What would be the best flash for this model please? (I don't want to spend mega bucks, but want to buy Canon!)

A photographer and friend recommended the Canon Speedlight 430 EXIII. I have not seen so many for sale online, I am mostly seeing the EXII. I appreciate any advice you can give please.

Many thanks!

[RobertTheFat]

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@ebiggs1 wrote:

"I'll use it for portraits and occasional weddings."

I have not used a flash for a wedding for as long as I can remember. ...

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So don't keep us in suspense, Ernie: what do you use? Some form of studio light? I've never attended a wedding that didn't require supplementary light, and it's hard to believe that wedding venues are all that different in your part of the world.

Or are you referring to just the ceremony (where it can be difficult to get permission) and not the reception?

[ebiggs1]

"...are you referring to just the ceremony (where it can be difficult to get permission) and not the reception?"

I consider a wedding to be the ceremony.  The reception is a 'party' so to speak.  In 40+ years I have meet every conceivable type of priest or preacher or rabbi or reverend possible.  Some say you can do whatever you want.  Some say if I can tell you are here, I will throw you out. That is usually a priest.  Obviously a flash is impossible.  Some are somewhere in between.

For the reception all kinds of light is possible.  If I can avoid a flash I make every possible adjustment to do so.

[TCampbell]

In all my years doing weddings, generally the officiant (priest/minister/rabbi/etc.) says no photography during the "ceremony" but they're fine with it both before & after the official ceremony.

I use flash outside during the day for fill-in of dark shadows and to balance back-lit shots.

Certainly also at the reception (most tend to be indoors at a hall/club/etc.) 

If you just use flash as a key light, then you get that bright subject, nearly black background (no ambience) and rapid light "fall off".  

I use Av mode and set the camera to to use auto-shutter speed with the restriction that it must be within the 1/60th to (whatever the flash-sync speed is... 1/200th, 1/250th, etc.)  This results in the camera metering for ambient light but supplementing with flash and you get a much more balanced result.  (BTW, this is not the default mode for the flash... you have to go into the camera menu to enable this behavior.  But I find it produces a much better result.)