Thombar Loc: Hominy, OK

I am really confused about how to take off camera flash and use triggers to fire the flash. I have an inexpensive Canon T3 a couple of inexpensive strobes and a couple inexpensive triggers (do you get the feeling I don't have a lot of money) but no clue how to use them. Could someone please tell me how or direct me to a tutorials/video/YouTube where I might learn? Needless to say free would be good. :mrgreen:

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Start here maybe?
http://digital-photography-school.com/?s=off+camera+flash

OddJobber Loc: Portland, OR

Knowing the models of the flashes and triggers would help.
There are a lot of ways to set up various models.

jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5v7ejTAIlA&feature=youtu.be

Youtube is your friend when it comes to learning off camera flash. There are tons of them. If you watch some of the videos about Sekonic light meters, they will also tell you how to do it.

It sounds like you have everything you need to get started except for a light meter and some light modifiers. (light modifier is a softbox or umbrella etc.)

There are two major ways to do off camera flash with speedlites. One is to manually set your flash power requiring a meter, the other is to have more expensive speedlites that will automatically set the flash power called ETTL or TTL (through the lens). Since you have inexpensive lites, you need a meter and you need to learn to set them manually. Keep in mind, you can't exceed the sync speed of your particular camera body. In other words, you need to set your shutter speed at 1/200th or slower (give or take depending on your camera) so that you don't exceed your sync speed. If you do then some or most of the picture will have a black band.

SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

Why get bogged down?

I have a flash I can fire on camera, or off camera. (Inexpensive BTW)
I like to use it as a bounced flash, triggered by my cameras flash, and it does a great job that way.
So I look at it as a black box, a tool I can choose out of my bag of tricks, to achieve an effect I want (No Shadows, for example.)

On camera it is wired (connected).
Off camera it is a slave and flash triggered by my cameras flash.
How it knows my camera from the rest is a mystery, and really not a concern of mine. But it does.

I don't need to know how the pudding is made to enjoy it. ;)

Thombar Loc: Hominy, OK

1. Vivitar Strobe
2. Neewer Triggers
3. Neewer TT Speedlight

amwalker3 Loc: London UK.

I wonder if you really need a lightmeter [they're expensive]? With digital you can afford to shoot-and-see. Youtube will definitely point you the right way - after that just enjoy experimenting and learning from the experience.

Alan.

sueyeisert Loc: New Jersey

Neil Van Niekerk has a website all about flash. He also has 2 books
1 On Camera Flash
2 Off Camera Flash
He also has courses on Craftsy on the above topics
http://neilvn.com/tangents/

rpavich Loc: West Virginia

Not to start a debate about meters vs no meters but one BIG advantage that I know of for beginners is that a meter spits out a known value.

That may not sound like a big deal but it's akin to answering the question "what's 400 x 2?" with "somewhere between 450 and 800" vs "800"

On the one hand you have a concrete answer to a specific question that doesn't change, and on the other hand you have a nebulous "just about good enough" answer that is never the same.

After a noob has set up an umbrella and flash at a known power value, a known distance, and a known set of camera settings, a half a dozen times, they will get to the point that they know what the meter will say before they pop it.

It's a HUGE BOOST to learning flash in my opinion.

The key is repeatability; set distance, set power, set camera settings = knowing your starting point.

rpavich Loc: West Virginia

First, I'd read the online manuals about how to use your equipment, second, i'd surf Youtube to answer specific questions that you have left after that.

Then after you are able to fire your flashes and use them, I'd surf www.strobist.blogspot.com for some more info.

Cdouthitt Loc: Traverse City, MI

I use cactus V5's to trigger my flashes (olympus) and strobes (novatron). Works great, but everything is manual (no TTL).

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

No need to wonder. The answer is yes. I wouldn't think of setting up multiple strobes without using my Sekonic L-758DR to obtain the correct exposure.
--Bob

brent46 Loc: Grand Island, NY

What flash are you using?

amwalker3 Loc: London UK.

Well, ok, I defer to your expertise and resources ["multiple strobes" - blimey]. But for those of us hobbyists who don't have, or don't want to invest that much - I do think digital offers so much in terms of individual exploration and discovery, without the need of great financial outlay.

rpavich Loc: West Virginia

It does...but it ignores the main advantage of having one; repeatability and the speed at which you will learn about flash because you use it.

Trust me...I resisted it for a long time, I used the same arguments being used here...that it's not necessary, that you just fire another shot to check and adjust...which are all true...you can do that, but you won't learn as well or as fast if you have a meter that spits out a real repeatable value for your lighting set up.

You won't.

After I had used one for just a day I slapped myself on the forehead and said "why didn't I get one sooner!"


It's the difference between fumbling and reshooting for 5 or 10 minutes to get a "that looks pretty good" result and popping the meter once, and knowing what you have and knowing now, what you have to do to get what you want.

It's an eye opener and an amazing learning experience.

We spend so much on crap we don't need. The 'hog is full of "what lens should I buy?" or "Got myself a 3rd camera body!" posts but when It comes to something as useful and practical as an incident meter...the first thing that pops out of everyone's mouth is "it's too expensive and not necessary"