Off Camera Flash: A New Way to Blow Money

Mike Cash · 10-05-2007, 06:50 AM

Having recently picked up a set of the el cheapo eBay radio flash triggers and finding myself thoroughly thrilled at the possibilities they open up, I did what any of us would quite naturally do.

I cracked open my wallet and bought even more stuff!

Today the mailman brought me a package from Yodobashi Camera in Tokyo containing an Etsumi light stand (telescopes up to 205cm), a ball head to go atop it, an optical slave, an extra hotshoe with PC cord (for use with my medium format cold shoe cameras)....and an extra strap just to round out the order and get me to the minimum for free postage.

Now I can set up one flash on my tripod with the radio trigger, another on the light stand with the optical slave, and have fun trying to learn a brand new aspect of photography.

Why my wife hasn't killed me yet, I'll never know.

JCSullivan · 10-05-2007, 08:14 AM

Probably because it is illegal for her to kill you.

kenyee · 10-05-2007, 08:32 AM

Explain that you actually saved money ;-)
For the price of a Pentax 540, I bought a few flashes and fleabay triggers and a lightstand and umbrella. Way more lighting control than a single P-TTL flash, though I'll probably have issues trying to photograph dynamic situations (e.g., kids running around indoors)...

AVANT · 10-05-2007, 09:01 AM

Have fun. I'm sure you'll learn a lot with all that manual flash experience you're about to have

and · 10-05-2007, 09:20 AM

I think I have the same Etsumi lightstand

But I didnt get a ballhead for it, just a swivel adapter, it will move in all the ways I want anyway

Mike Cash · 10-06-2007, 05:48 AM

If I manage to get up tomorrow, I plan to pack a lunch and spend several hours practicing and experimenting with flash at the old textile/weaving museum here in town. The place is practically deserted, so I won't bother anyone and no one will bother me.

I think if my wife ever finds out the different categories of homicide, I'm done for.

1. Negligent
2. Intentional
3. Commendable

I fall under #3 on most days.

**jfdavis58** · 10-06-2007, 06:41 AM

You don't get this marriage thing, do you?!?!?

She won't lay a hand on you! She's going to kill you with loving. As in loving to shop, loving to travel, loving to see old friend (you'd rather forget). And all this loving is going to take a very long time. You will pay and pay and pay. Slow torture, lingering death. And all along the way that look-a little bit smile, a little bit frown, a little bit....

Get the picture?

This year I've been married exactly half my life; next summer it will be a quarter century. I know the subject of which I speak.

Originally posted by Mike Cash

If I manage to get up tomorrow, I plan to pack a lunch and spend several hours practicing and experimenting with flash at the old textile/weaving museum here in town. The place is practically deserted, so I won't bother anyone and no one will bother me.

I think if my wife ever finds out the different categories of homicide, I'm done for.

1. Negligent
2. Intentional
3. Commendable

I fall under #3 on most days.

khardur · 10-06-2007, 06:44 AM

LOL I'm in the exact same boat Mike. Just bought myself an extra flash, el-cheapo wireless trigger (already had an optical slave for the 2nd flash) and a lightstand, plus an umbrella too.

It was nice knowing ya.

*waves* (ha ha)

-Dan

little laker · 10-06-2007, 10:08 AM

Originally posted by jfdavis58

This year I've been married exactly half my life; next summer it will be a quarter century. I know the subject of which I speak.

Congrats John, that's a pretty good record.

roy · 10-06-2007, 03:36 PM

i agree with john. well, either that or she's in a coma at the present time. i thought you were just going to list an off camera sync cord which i think is some of the best $$ i've ever spent.

Mike Cash · 10-06-2007, 06:28 PM

John and I have in common that we've been married half our lives (I passed the sad milestone in August of last year). At this point I'd welcome some of that loving....even the kind that kills me.

@Dan: I lacked the courage to push my luck by getting an umbrella at the same time. (In the previous week the postman had delivered three antique cameras, and she was starting to get testy).

@Roy: Already had the sync cord. And have already had it out at night with an old Yashica Electro 35 doing some night shots downtown. I mounted the camera on a tripod and rigged the flash atop my monopod for light-on-a-stick flash. That little trip was the inspiration for buying the flash triggers. The cord is fine, but a bit impractical for street work.

Peter Zack · 10-06-2007, 07:06 PM

This thread cracks me up. Congrats on the new gear Mike. Should be fun and you need to train an assistant so that he can take some great pictures of you at your wake. Give him your password to this site so we can collectively stand at attention and raise a glass to the guy who bought just one too many peices of gear....

Mike Cash · 10-06-2007, 07:26 PM

You just gave me an inspiration, Peter.

I was going to make a joke about not having enough money to buy a casket big enough to throw all my gear in with me, so she'd probably just throw it in the hole after me. Then I remembered that I'll probably end up being cremated. That gave me the idea of having them open up an old telephoto lens and using it as an urn. But I'd hate to see a good lens go to waste like that, so as a compromise I'm considering the old case that goes with my Takumar 200/4. What could be better!

dantuyhoa · 10-08-2007, 09:26 PM

Originally posted by Mike Cash

You just gave me an inspiration, Peter.

I was going to make a joke about not having enough money to buy a casket big enough to throw all my gear in with me, so she'd probably just throw it in the hole after me. Then I remembered that I'll probably end up being cremated. That gave me the idea of having them open up an old telephoto lens and using it as an urn. But I'd hate to see a good lens go to waste like that, so as a compromise I'm considering the old case that goes with my Takumar 200/4. What could be better!

LOL ! LOL ! LOL !

+ I can't just post one "LOL" , too short +

**Eaglerapids** · 10-09-2007, 10:33 PM

I can see the ad on eBay:
Snappy, oil free aperture. No fungus, haze or scratches but a little dust inside the lens that doesn't affect the pictures.

10-05-2007, 06:50 AM	#1
Mike Cash Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Japan Photos: Gallery Posts: 6,950	Off Camera Flash: A New Way to Blow Money Having recently picked up a set of the el cheapo eBay radio flash triggers and finding myself thoroughly thrilled at the possibilities they open up, I did what any of us would quite naturally do. I cracked open my wallet and bought even more stuff! Today the mailman brought me a package from Yodobashi Camera in Tokyo containing an Etsumi light stand (telescopes up to 205cm), a ball head to go atop it, an optical slave, an extra hotshoe with PC cord (for use with my medium format cold shoe cameras)....and an extra strap just to round out the order and get me to the minimum for free postage. Now I can set up one flash on my tripod with the radio trigger, another on the light stand with the optical slave, and have fun trying to learn a brand new aspect of photography. Why my wife hasn't killed me yet, I'll never know.

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10-05-2007, 08:14 AM	#2
JCSullivan Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Windsor, Canada Posts: 3,056	Probably because it is illegal for her to kill you.

10-05-2007, 08:32 AM	#3
kenyee Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Boston, PRofMA Photos: Albums Posts: 3,026	Explain that you actually saved money ;-) For the price of a Pentax 540, I bought a few flashes and fleabay triggers and a lightstand and umbrella. Way more lighting control than a single P-TTL flash, though I'll probably have issues trying to photograph dynamic situations (e.g., kids running around indoors)...

10-05-2007, 09:01 AM	#4
AVANT Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: California Posts: 426	Have fun. I'm sure you'll learn a lot with all that manual flash experience you're about to have

10-05-2007, 09:20 AM	#5
and Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,476	I think I have the same Etsumi lightstand But I didnt get a ballhead for it, just a swivel adapter, it will move in all the ways I want anyway

10-06-2007, 05:48 AM	#6
Mike Cash Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Japan Photos: Gallery Posts: 6,950 Original Poster	If I manage to get up tomorrow, I plan to pack a lunch and spend several hours practicing and experimenting with flash at the old textile/weaving museum here in town. The place is practically deserted, so I won't bother anyone and no one will bother me. I think if my wife ever finds out the different categories of homicide, I'm done for. 1. Negligent 2. Intentional 3. Commendable I fall under #3 on most days.

10-06-2007, 06:41 AM	#7
jfdavis58 Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: 13 S 0357397-3884316 Photos: Gallery Posts: 887	You don't get this marriage thing, do you?!?!? She won't lay a hand on you! She's going to kill you with loving. As in loving to shop, loving to travel, loving to see old friend (you'd rather forget). And all this loving is going to take a very long time. You will pay and pay and pay. Slow torture, lingering death. And all along the way that look-a little bit smile, a little bit frown, a little bit.... Get the picture? This year I've been married exactly half my life; next summer it will be a quarter century. I know the subject of which I speak. Originally posted by Mike Cash If I manage to get up tomorrow, I plan to pack a lunch and spend several hours practicing and experimenting with flash at the old textile/weaving museum here in town. The place is practically deserted, so I won't bother anyone and no one will bother me. I think if my wife ever finds out the different categories of homicide, I'm done for. 1. Negligent 2. Intentional 3. Commendable I fall under #3 on most days.

10-06-2007, 06:44 AM	#8
khardur Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: NW Massachusetts Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,560	LOL I'm in the exact same boat Mike. Just bought myself an extra flash, el-cheapo wireless trigger (already had an optical slave for the 2nd flash) and a lightstand, plus an umbrella too. It was nice knowing ya. waves (ha ha) -Dan

10-06-2007, 10:08 AM	#9
little laker Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Photos: Gallery Posts: 5,697	Originally posted by jfdavis58 This year I've been married exactly half my life; next summer it will be a quarter century. I know the subject of which I speak. Congrats John, that's a pretty good record.

10-06-2007, 03:36 PM	#10
roy Inactive Account Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: D/FW area, Tx. Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,710	i agree with john. well, either that or she's in a coma at the present time. i thought you were just going to list an off camera sync cord which i think is some of the best $$ i've ever spent.

10-06-2007, 06:28 PM	#11
Mike Cash Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Japan Photos: Gallery Posts: 6,950 Original Poster	John and I have in common that we've been married half our lives (I passed the sad milestone in August of last year). At this point I'd welcome some of that loving....even the kind that kills me. @Dan: I lacked the courage to push my luck by getting an umbrella at the same time. (In the previous week the postman had delivered three antique cameras, and she was starting to get testy). @Roy: Already had the sync cord. And have already had it out at night with an old Yashica Electro 35 doing some night shots downtown. I mounted the camera on a tripod and rigged the flash atop my monopod for light-on-a-stick flash. That little trip was the inspiration for buying the flash triggers. The cord is fine, but a bit impractical for street work.

10-06-2007, 07:06 PM	#12
Peter Zack Pentaxian Moderator Emeritus Join Date: May 2007 Location: Edmonton Alberta, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 10,643	This thread cracks me up. Congrats on the new gear Mike. Should be fun and you need to train an assistant so that he can take some great pictures of you at your wake. Give him your password to this site so we can collectively stand at attention and raise a glass to the guy who bought just one too many peices of gear....

10-06-2007, 07:26 PM	#13
Mike Cash Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Japan Photos: Gallery Posts: 6,950 Original Poster	You just gave me an inspiration, Peter. I was going to make a joke about not having enough money to buy a casket big enough to throw all my gear in with me, so she'd probably just throw it in the hole after me. Then I remembered that I'll probably end up being cremated. That gave me the idea of having them open up an old telephoto lens and using it as an urn. But I'd hate to see a good lens go to waste like that, so as a compromise I'm considering the old case that goes with my Takumar 200/4. What could be better!

10-08-2007, 09:26 PM	#14
dantuyhoa Veteran Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: California Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,245	Originally posted by Mike Cash You just gave me an inspiration, Peter. I was going to make a joke about not having enough money to buy a casket big enough to throw all my gear in with me, so she'd probably just throw it in the hole after me. Then I remembered that I'll probably end up being cremated. That gave me the idea of having them open up an old telephoto lens and using it as an urn. But I'd hate to see a good lens go to waste like that, so as a compromise I'm considering the old case that goes with my Takumar 200/4. What could be better! LOL ! LOL ! LOL ! + I can't just post one "LOL" , too short +

10-09-2007, 10:33 PM	#15
Eaglerapids Site Supporter Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Idaho,USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,619	I can see the ad on eBay: Snappy, oil free aperture. No fungus, haze or scratches but a little dust inside the lens that doesn't affect the pictures.