To bring my flash or to leave it at home?

Our flight to Miami is on Saturday. Our cruise is in Sunday. I'm debating whether or not to bring my flash attachment for my Nikon D5100. What are the benefits if I bring it? Will I be missing out on some great shots if I leave it home?

Help! Lol

Lydia

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On our 2010 Alaska cruise, we shot about 5400 images. If I remember correctly, 4 of those 5400 were shot with flash. 2 of them made "the slide show": and

On our 2012 Alaska cruise, we shot about 9500 images. If I remember correctly, 0 of those 9500 were shot with flash.

For our upcoming 2014 Alaska cruise, I'm not planning to take any external flashes at all.

Always take mine....I've used it little enough to say that statistically, I never use it.

Some kind of OCD, I think.

Dave

Like others, I rarely have used it on a cruise, but I would never consider leaving it a home.

Don't know that I've ever used it on a cruise, but it's always in my bag.

Are you shooting an f/2.8 or wider lens? Or a kit lens? If you've got fast glass, I'm betting you'll never use the flash. If you've got slow glass, you probably won't have the flash range for the shot you're trying to get! (Other than <10 foot people shots, of course.) Kind of a catch-22...

Don't know that I've ever used it on a cruise, but it's always in my bag.

 

 

 

Are you shooting an f/2.8 or wider lens? Or a kit lens? If you've got fast glass, I'm betting you'll never use the flash. If you've got slow glass, you probably won't have the flash range for the shot you're trying to get! (Other than <10 foot people shots, of course.) Kind of a catch-22...

That's the thing... I'm not sure which lens or lenses I'll wind up using. I know I'm playing it safe and at least bringing the kit lens. Other than that I haven't decided what I'm bringing.

Oh... The decisions. No matter what I choose, I'm sure I'll be kicking myself in the butt for not bringing it or for leaving a lens or 2 home.

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Please don't take this as an insult. If you don't know how to take advantages of an external flash regardless of the lens, I am 99% sure you won't miss it.

With that said. If you are planning on taking a lot of photos of people or your family/yourself, I wouldn't be without it.

A perfect example: taking a photo of the sunrise or sunset with people In the photo. If you want to capture the sunset properly and see the people you need the flash. That is a basic example but there are a lot of variables that can play into it.

Another thing. I am required to use an external flash, my 10-24 wide angle a pop up flash will not clear, the same with the 24-70. Plus the camera I am ordering doesn't come with one. If using a super zoom 18-200 etc, your best bet would be to take it, you won't want a dark shadow at the bottom of your image from a pop up flash not clearing the lens.

You will be thankful you brought it when you need it. You will regret it if you don't. Just read up on fill flash and some one camera flash techniques.

Hope you have a great cruise. If you have any questions feel free to ask.

Greg

That's the thing... I'm not sure which lens or lenses I'll wind up using. I know I'm playing it safe and at least bringing the kit lens. Other than that I haven't decided what I'm bringing.

 

Oh... The decisions. No matter what I choose, I'm sure I'll be kicking myself in the butt for not bringing it or for leaving a lens or 2 home.

 

 

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Where are you going and what do you plan to shoot? What lenses are on "the list"? Sounds like you've got a lens debate and a flash debate! That makes it really bad!

My 2 cents worth. Have a lumix fz 200. Built in flash is quite adequate in most situations. Was in Cuba for 4 weeks and 500+ pics. Bought a Rokinon flash from amazon to take with me. Always found it easier to use built in and seldom used external. I got the fz200 to have less weight than dslr. Guess that goes for flash too. On vacation seems like most shots are snapshot types not needing bounced/ diffused light.

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Where are you going and what do you plan to shoot? What lenses are on "the list"? Sounds like you've got a lens debate and a flash debate! That makes it really bad!

We are going to Ocho Rios, Cozumel, and Costa Maya. I've been to all 3 ports already.

On the lens list, I have the kit lens 18-55mm, 55-200mm, 35mm and my new 14mm f/2.8 that I've decided to bring. I was going to bring the 50mm but decided against it.

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We are going to Ocho Rios, Cozumel, and Costa Maya. I've been to all 3 ports already.

 

On the lens list, I have the kit lens 18-55mm, 55-200mm, 35mm and my new 14mm f/2.8 that I've decided to bring. I was going to bring the 50mm but decided against it.

 

 

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35mm f/1.8?

If you have anything that fast, I'm betting you'll only use flash if you decide to get creative (in which case you'll want an external flash, not a pop-up). If you have room, I'd probably throw it in, but I'm betting, like the rest of us, the one time you want it, it'll be in the bag in the cabin...

Ordinarily, I'd say if you need the room, leave it. But I found myself in some situations in the Caribbean that really called for fill flash. Not all opportunities are on well-lit beaches.

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Use re-chargeable batteries and bring the re-charger unit with you. The re-chargers are very compact theses days. Have one set of batteries charging and one in use and you won't face a dead battery issue. You can find them in the camera section of Walmart etc.

I am thinking I'm going to travel light and leave my flashes and most expensive gear at home. I'm planning to bring:

Canon 550D

Canon 50mm 1.4

I'm planning to leave at home:

Canon 5D Mark III

Canon 24-70 2.8

Canon 550 EX

Canon 600 EX-RT

Do you think I'll regret my decision? I want good shots to remember our trip, but nothing so fabulous I'm hoping to sell it for a few thousand. And I surely don't want salt or sand in my good stuff. Am I making a mistake?? :confused:

I am thinking I'm going to travel light and leave my flashes and most expensive gear at home. I'm planning to bring:

 

Canon 550D

Canon 50mm 1.4

 

 

I'm planning to leave at home:

 

Canon 5D Mark III

Canon 24-70 2.8

Canon 550 EX

Canon 600 EX-RT

 

 

Do you think I'll regret my decision? I want good shots to remember our trip, but nothing so fabulous I'm hoping to sell it for a few thousand. And I surely don't want salt or sand in my good stuff. Am I making a mistake?? :confused:

Taking the 50mm in place of the 24-70mm??? Yikes! :eek: And the 5DmkIII is weather sealed. Just don't bury it in the sand.

I am thinking I'm going to travel light and leave my flashes and most expensive gear at home. I'm planning to bring:

 

Canon 550D

Canon 50mm 1.4

 

 

I'm planning to leave at home:

 

Canon 5D Mark III

Canon 24-70 2.8

Canon 550 EX

Canon 600 EX-RT

 

 

Do you think I'll regret my decision? I want good shots to remember our trip, but nothing so fabulous I'm hoping to sell it for a few thousand. And I surely don't want salt or sand in my good stuff. Am I making a mistake?? :confused:

I cannot fathom leaving a 5D3 home and taking a 550D. The button layout/actions are just so different. Also to put a fixed 50 on a 1.6 crop factor camera, you might as well just handcuff yourself to your belt IMHO.

Get a LowePro Toploader 70 AW and put your 5D3/24-70 in there. You won't need a flash with the 5D3.

If you're really concerned, just call up your homeowner's insurance company and add a Valuable Personal Property policy to cover your gear. My yearly VPP premium is about 1.5% the retail price. Money VERY well spent, in my opinion.

I guess I should have noted that I am a professional family photog and I have a family session the day after I get home. I need to make sure the 5d3 and 24-70 are ready to work! I won't have time to get repairs or even rent if something gets lost or goes wrong. I know I will miss my 5d3 but knowing she is secure at home will make it worth it.

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I take time to "photo-document" each ship pretty completely, at least the public spaces. Particularly on ships that have interesting art work --statues, friezes, and bronzes or glass-- like the QM2, an off-camera flash is invaluable for getting good light on the piece for detail, particularly in dark panelled rooms or hallways.

Bronze, in particular, is difficult to light without an off-camera flash (sometimes I put the flash behind the piece at low power and bounce off of the wall just to get the bronze to stand out from the panelling a bit).

It's also useful for shooting "up light" in really bright rooms during the day, particularly portraits.

I do try to get double use of my flash. My Canon 320EX has a fairly bright LED for DSLR video as well. I've only used it twice, but I'm always glad I have it.

Having said that, once I finish that the photo-doc shoot, I seldom use a flash except maybe the on-camera pop-up for fill outside.

Obviously, mine is an artistic-historic endeavor. The newer ships are usually bright enough (and lenses fast enough) that you don't really need a flash, and for candid shots the flash distracts anyway. The old Noordam, Rotterdam VI, and the QM were, in particular, quite dark by design.

I'm dragging the flash along next month on the QM2.

Was in Cuba for 4 weeks and 500+ pics. Bought a Rokinon flash from amazon to take with me.

I have a relatively expensive Canon flash which I bought years ago to use with my Nikon!

Haven't used it since.

Usually the built-in flash (like the FZ200) is sufficient and I prefer natural light in any event and programs like the Adobe Photoshops/Lightroom or Perfectly Clear will lighten up pictures that may be too dark.

And Mr. Robb, if you have your Cuba pictures somewhere for viewing, let me know. Lived in Havana some fifty-sixty years ago and curious about the changes.

I have a relatively expensive Canon flash which I bought years ago to use with my Nikon!

Haven't used it since.

 

Usually the built-in flash (like the FZ200) is sufficient and I prefer natural light in any event and programs like the Adobe Photoshops/Lightroom or Perfectly Clear will lighten up pictures that may be too dark.

 

And Mr. Robb, if you have your Cuba pictures somewhere for viewing, let me know. Lived in Havana some fifty-sixty years ago and curious about the changes.

I doubt much has changed. We have been going for close to 15 years. Lots of vintage Russian and American autos.

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http://s744.photobucket.com/user/cwrobison/library/Mobile%20Uploads

Here, I think, is a link to some of my Cuba 2014 pics

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http://s744.photobucket.com/user/cwrobison/library/Mobile%20Uploads

Here, I think, is a link to some of my Cuba 2014 pics

 

Thank you - appreciated it.

I actually use my external flash quite a bit. Especially in the bright Caribbean sun, I often use fill flash even outdoors in the daylight.

Here is an example.

Taking a photo in the evening as the sun goes down, and the sun is in front of you, the subject will be severely underexposed:

But with a fill flash, the subject is properly illuminated.

The trick here is you setup the camera to properly expose the background. then when you add the flash, you set it up to expose the foreground. The flash obviously does not have enough power to illuminate the background, so you are using the limitation of the flash to your advantage to create two lighting zones - background (via camera exposure) and foreground (flash).

Here is another example:

This photo is properly exposed for the foreground, and the background is overexposed.

But if you expose for the background, then the foreground is too dark.

But again, if you set the camera to expose for the background and the flash for the foreground, you get this result:

So basically, you are using the flash to compensate for the low dynamic range of digital photography.

Once you start using the flash for these kinds of things, you will be using it a lot, and you will wonder how you ever got by without it.

Also, an external speedlight is my preference as it is easier to independently control. I could use my on-board flash I suppose, but I would have to set it up by changing the flash compensation. Doeable, but not as easy as having dedicated controls on a speedlight.

Once you start using the flash for these kinds of things, you will be using it a lot, and you will wonder how you ever got by without it.

 

I totally agree with this statement. I just recently bought a cheap flash, and I am loving it! Thanks for posting some good examples of using the flash.

With my Rokinon external flash, I can hand hold it off camera (FZ200) and it will be triggered by the cameras pop up flash......for nice lighting effects

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