Newbie hooked on 55-250

[gerardo12]

Hi guys, I am a newbie here. Have been using my 550D with 17-55 f2.8 and 55-250 for about 1 month. I think this is an excellent combination and covers almost everything I need. I am pretty hooked on the 55-250 when I bring my kids out to the zoo and beaches, and also can snap alot of candid shots when I am out in the street. I think the image is amazing for a lens that is so cheap (got mine at an excellent price ). Does anyone here feel the same as me??

Anyway just want to ask you seniors, I may be bring both set up to watch my kids performance next weekend. I have a feeling that the 17-55 is not going to have enough reach to capture the performance on stage. Therefore I just want to check with you guys whether using a flash is going to help, if I were to shoot with the 55-250 there. This will be my first time shooting indoor using this lens, and I know it does not perform as well as outdoor. Flash is permitted for this performance. I have a 270ex, not sure if that's sufficient.

Cheers

 

[An drew]

Don't know if this will work: :bsmilie:
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/better_beamer.shtml

 

[alphabeta93]

how far will you be from the stage? if you are say 10m away i dont think your flash would be able to reach that distance to light the scene enough.

even so, i think it would be sufficient to use the 55-250 wihtout flash provided you bump the iso. if the performance is rather low light then i would think you will have to bump the iso to at least 1600 or more. which i think the 550D can handle pretty well.

or else, go buy a 70-200 2.8

 

[gerardo12]

how far will you be from the stage? if you are say 10m away i dont think your flash would be able to reach that distance to light the scene enough.

even so, i think it would be sufficient to use the 55-250 wihtout flash provided you bump the iso. if the performance is rather low light then i would think you will have to bump the iso to at least 1600 or more. which i think the 550D can handle pretty well.

or else, go buy a 70-200 2.8

yup I think I will be 10m or more away....70-200 f2.8 not necessary for me now...just a hobbyist. I am pretty satisfied with 55-250 now. Most importantly, if I use white lens, I won't be able to shoot discreet shots in the street (maybe it's me ).

 

[gerardo12]

Don't know if this will work: :bsmilie:
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/better_beamer.shtml

Thank you for the link. Will do the reading up

 

[gerardo12]

By the way, what must I do to achieve the shot below?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/backflin/5135385280/in/pool-568672@N20/

I like the way the person kept the boy well lit while maintaining the dark sky behind.

 

[spree86]

By the way, what must I do to achieve the shot below?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/backflin/5135385280/in/pool-568672@N20/

I like the way the person kept the boy well lit while maintaining the dark sky behind.

A flash is used in this picture.

 

[Octarine]

By the way, what must I do to achieve the shot below?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/backflin/5135385280/in/pool-568672@N20/
I like the way the person kept the boy well lit while maintaining the dark sky behind.

Spot metering on the boy. For metering with flash please read up in the" Flash Bible" for Canon. It's not that straight forward.

 

[Shahrie]

Judging from the bokeh in the foreground and blurness of the trees in the background, the photog may have use big aperture maybe F/2.8 to F/4 (my guess ony provided he didn't use blur during pp). So initially, the ambience light may be already dim. (Taken in the eve?)
High shutter speed to produce even darker background (maybe 1/125 - 1/200). For well exposed and nice big soflight on the boy, the photog might have use off-flash with shoot thru umbrella or softbox.

What do you guys think?

 

[gerardo12]

Judging from the bokeh in the foreground and blurness of the trees in the background, the photog may have use big aperture maybe F/2.8 to F/4 (my guess ony provided he didn't use blur during pp). So initially, the ambience light may be already dim. (Taken in the eve?)
High shutter speed to produce even darker background (maybe 1/125 - 1/200). For well exposed and nice big soflight on the boy, the photog might have use off-flash with shoot thru umbrella or softbox.

What do you guys think?

I think it may be zoomed to tele and shot at f5.6, because this photo is actually from the 55-250 group in flickr. That's why I am impressed, and hope to try that out on my kids if the chance arrives

 

[magicianhisoka]

pump ISO and it may work. but overall renting a F4 or F2.8 telephoto may be better

 

[gerardo12]

Spot metering on the boy. For metering with flash please read up in the" Flash Bible" for Canon. It's not that straight forward.

Thanks for the tip. Guess have to read up more and try it out myself. Time to get a better flash.......:think:

 

[gerardo12]

High shutter speed to produce even darker background (maybe 1/125 - 1/200). For well exposed and nice big soflight on the boy, the photog might have use off-flash with shoot thru umbrella or softbox.

Wow, if need so many gear then I think I can't achieve that already, me just a hobbyist so won't be looking at buying the umbrella or softbox...

 

[spree86]

Wow, if need so many gear then I think I can't achieve that already, me just a hobbyist so won't be looking at buying the umbrella or softbox...

I think an omni-bounce type diffuser and a reduction of 1.7 to 2.0 of the flash would do fine as well, anyway, you can get those white umbrellas from daiso and use as a shoot-thru, its cheap.

 

[Shahrie]

Wow, if need so many gear then I think I can't achieve that already, me just a hobbyist so won't be looking at buying the umbrella or softbox...

Actually, to produce this kind of photo doesn't need a lot of gears. Telephoto zoom like 55-200mm can produce good bokeh. For the external light, you can mount your flash on your camera, eg: 270EX, and use a cheap shoot thru umbrella (can be bought from Daiso for $2) and cover your flash with it. The light from your flash diffuse thru the umbrella and producing a bigger and softer light on the subject.

Shoot during the 'golden' hours, sunrise or sunset. External flash and a diffuser (eg white translucent umbrellas or any canvas that is translucent so the light from the flash won't be harsh.

I'm no expert and still learning. I shoot for fun too.

 

[CorneliusK]

By the way, what must I do to achieve the shot below?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/backflin/5135385280/in/pool-568672@N20/

I like the way the person kept the boy well lit while maintaining the dark sky behind.

Come on, the info is right there in the comments below the photo

Original text

"Flash metz 54 a 1/16 a 45º y a la derecha de la camara con paraguas traslucido.

1/10 f5 iso 1600"

Translated

"Flash metz 54 to 1/16 to 45 degrees right of the camera with translucent umbrella.

1/10 iso 1600 f5"

Like some others have guessed, he is using a flash, at 1/16 power, shooting through a translucent umbrella to one side.

 

[Shahrie]

Anyway TS, for your kids performance, like others had said, bumping up your iso is the best. Your flash can't do much from that far. I use 550D too and its high iso is quite :thumbsup:.

 

[gerardo12]

Anyway TS, for your kids performance, like others had said, bumping up your iso is the best. Your flash can't do much from that far. I use 550D too and its high iso is quite :thumbsup:.

Thank you for your kind advise.

 

[gerardo12]

Come on, the info is right there in the comments below the photo

Original text

"Flash metz 54 a 1/16 a 45º y a la derecha de la camara con paraguas traslucido.

1/10 f5 iso 1600"

Translated

"Flash metz 54 to 1/16 to 45 degrees right of the camera with translucent umbrella.

1/10 iso 1600 f5"

Like some others have guessed, he is using a flash, at 1/16 power, shooting through a translucent umbrella to one side.

Hi bro, thanks for your help I did not understand those words at all.....that's why just ask around over here.

 

[Octarine]

Hi bro, thanks for your help I did not understand those words at all.....that's why just ask around over here.

Metz54 - a flash device by German manufacturer Metz.
1/16 power gives the amount of light emitted from flash. Full Power is 1/1. Reduction goes in steps of 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/16 ... either manually or by camera (depending on system and transmitter).
45 degree right of camera: Look at the shadows, not difficult to guess where the flash was. Clockwise it's between 1 and 2 o'clock (if that helps you), half-right, above the head of the boy.
Umbrella: Look here. The flash fires through the umbrella, the umbrella diffuses the light to make it softer.
Hope that's clear now. Otherwise check http://strobist.blogspot.com for further readings.