flash 101: Still a newbie. I want to learn about flash photography, but with a pretty small flash budget ($100). I have a Nikon D3400 with the most common kit or bundle lenses. I'll be...

foggypreacher Loc: Dickinson, Texas

Still a newbie. I want to learn about flash photography, but with a pretty small flash budget ($100). I have a Nikon D3400 with the most common kit or bundle lenses.
I'll be shooting some of the best churches and landscapes in Scotland in August 2018. What are some of the comparable third-party lenses that will hold up for a few years until I can afford the better flashes.

Thank you for any suggestions.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

foggypreacher wrote:

Still a newbie. I want to learn about flash photography, but with a pretty small flash budget ($100). I have a Nikon D3400 with the most common kit or bundle lenses.
I'll be shooting some of the best churches and landscapes in Scotland in August 2018. What are some of the comparable third-party lenses that will hold up for a few years until I can afford the better flashes.

Thank you for any suggestions.

You can find Lighting 101, 102 and 201 right here:

http://strobist.blogspot.com/

One of the best sources for great advice and low cost, professional quality lighting suggestions.

Not sure on your lenses. You may have what you need for now, if you can learn how to shoot and stitch panoramic images. Ultrawide lenses do not provide a natural perspective, but a longer lens used to take overlapping images will do a far better job.

http://1001bestphotographytips.blogspot.com/2014/06/23-stupendous-examples-of-panoramic.html

And photoshop has an adaptive wide angle filter that can be used to straighten out curved lines that should really be straight.

CO

Bryan Peterson's "Understanding Flash Photography" in great. He covers a lot of different techniques. I took a seminar he gave once on flash photography and purchased his book. I started using my flash much more in manual mode after that.

Kit lenses can actually have excellent image quality. Your D3400 may have come with the 18-55mm lens. There's nothing wrong with it.

DTran

foggypreacher wrote:

Still a newbie. I want to learn about flash photography, but with a pretty small flash budget ($100). I have a Nikon D3400 with the most common kit or bundle lenses.
I'll be shooting some of the best churches and landscapes in Scotland in August 2018. What are some of the comparable third-party lenses that will hold up for a few years until I can afford the better flashes.

Thank you for any suggestions.

I wouldn't use a flash for churches though unless you just want some small details of the church.

rwilson1942 Loc: Houston, TX

The Godox flashes have a good reputation: https://www.amazon.com/Godox-Speedlite-Wireless-Transmission-Standard/dp/B01969PLQ8/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1517840155&sr=8-6&keywords=godox+flash+nikon" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.amazon.com/Godox-Speedlite-Wireless-Transmission-Standard/dp/B01969PLQ8/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1517840155&sr=8-6&keywords=godox+flash+nikon https://www.amazon.com/Godox-Speedlite-Wireless-Transmission-Standard/dp/B01969PLQ8/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1517840155&sr=8-6&keywords=godox+flash+nikon you can get the compatible transmitter for around $46.

rjaywallace Loc: Wisconsin

foggypreacher wrote:

Still a newbie. I want to learn about flash photography, but with a pretty small flash budget ($100). I have a Nikon D3400 with the most common kit or bundle lenses.
I'll be shooting some of the best churches and landscapes in Scotland in August 2018. What are some of the comparable third-party lenses that will hold up for a few years until I can afford the better flashes. Thank you for any suggestions.

Foggypreacher - You might consider renting rather than buying lenses. The rental fee charged by vendors such as - just one example of many - www.LensRentals.com - for a duration of a week or two is significantly less than the cost of buying expensive gear that you may later decide you don’t want to keep. Also, such fees often can be applied toward the cost of buying the gear rented from such vendors. In my experience (high end camera and lens), the gear arrived in beautiful condition, well packaged for shipment, and LensRental’s Customer Service was flexible and cooperative. /Ralph

PHRubin Loc: Nashville TN USA

I doubt if a $100 flash is any more powerful than the built-in one. I didn't find a guide number for the internal one.

BebuLamar

PHRubin wrote:

I doubt if a $100 flash is any more powerful than the built-in one. I didn't find a guide number for the internal one.

A Youngnuo flash for $100 would be significantly more powerful than the built in flash.

LoneRangeFinder Loc: Left field

This one is labeled as either Godox or Flashpoint. I have switched from the Yongnuo. The Godox/Flashpoint is $85.00. I recommend adding the R2 as a hot shoe trigger for another $42.00.

(Download)

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

Gene51 wrote:

Not sure on your lenses. You may have what you need for now, if you can learn how to shoot and stitch panoramic images. Ultrawide lenses do not provide a natural perspective, but a longer lens used to take overlapping images will do a far better job.

http://1001bestphotographytips.blogspot.com/2014/06/23-stupendous-examples-of-panoramic.html

And photoshop has an adaptive wide angle filter that can be used to straighten out curved lines that should really be straight.

If the OP starts off talking about flashes, then I'd guess that his questions about lenses would really be more about aperture than about angle. How far can one push ISO on his camera before noise becomes an issue ... is there a reasonably inexpensive lens that could alleviate some of this concern??

Boris Ekner Loc: From Sweden, living in Guatemala

foggypreacher wrote:

Still a newbie. I want to learn about flash photography, but with a pretty small flash budget ($100). I have a Nikon D3400 with the most common kit or bundle lenses.
I'll be shooting some of the best churches and landscapes in Scotland in August 2018. What are some of the comparable third-party lenses that will hold up for a few years until I can afford the better flashes.

Thank you for any suggestions.

First I bought a Neewer TTL NW561 for my Nikon D5300, but as it was too much of a manual flash for my liking I bought a second one, a NEEWER iTTL, a NW982II. The little âiâ in iTTL makes all the difference. This flash is controlled by the settings in the camera. And it zooms with the camera as well.

I paid ~$40 each for them, on eBay.

If you buy online - make sure you have 4 electrical connectors on the flash shoe NOT ONLY ONE.

In the picture:
To the left: NW982II - This is the one to go for.
To the right: Neewer NW561 - more of a manual flash. I use it as a slave.

Boris Ekner Loc: From Sweden, living in Guatemala

foggypreacher wrote:

Still a newbie. I want to learn about flash photography, but with a pretty small flash budget ($100). I have a Nikon D3400 with the most common kit or bundle lenses.
I'll be shooting some of the best churches and landscapes in Scotland in August 2018. What are some of the comparable third-party lenses that will hold up for a few years until I can afford the better flashes.

Thank you for any suggestions.

FYI
Don’t diss the internal flash. I’ve used it successfully in several churches and it’s done wonders! Just tune it down to a minimum.

This photo was shot at ISO 100 with a little support of the internal flash set at a minimum. It was far too dark without it.

leftj Loc: Texas

foggypreacher wrote:

Still a newbie. I want to learn about flash photography, but with a pretty small flash budget ($100). I have a Nikon D3400 with the most common kit or bundle lenses.
I'll be shooting some of the best churches and landscapes in Scotland in August 2018. What are some of the comparable third-party lenses that will hold up for a few years until I can afford the better flashes.

Thank you for any suggestions.

I would think if you can afford a trip to Scotland you could afford a decent flash. Unless you are shooting inside the churches you don’t need a flash.

BebuLamar

Boris Ekner wrote:

FYI
DonâÂÂt diss the internal flash. Iâve used it successfully in several churches and itâs done wonders! Just tune it down to a minimum.

This photo was shot at ISO 100 with a little support of the internal flash set at a minimum. It was far too dark without it.

I didn't use the flash and I think it's OK. Didn't use a fast lens either. It's shot at f/8.

GalaxyCat Loc: Boston, MA

Wow! That Church is beautiful!

BebuLamar wrote:

I didn't use the flash and I think it's OK. Didn't use a fast lens either. It's shot at f/8.