Equipment
Canon IXUS 100 IS (SD780)
Canon IXUS 100
We picked up a Canon IXUS 100 a couple of weeks ago (typically, Canon have just announced the IXUS 120!).
Becky was after a small compact camera that was easy to use, produced decent images and was small enough to keep in her bag. We had a friend’s wedding coming up so decided to make the plunge and get one. After a bit of research we settled on this little Canon compact.
Little is the appropriate word because this camera is tiny, not much bigger than a pack of playing cards. Despite the small size, the controls on the camera are large enough to use easily and the 2.5″ screen is sufficient. The camera does have an optical viewfinder, but the LCD will be used for this 99% of the time.
The camera has an all metal body and feels very solid. The rounded off corners give the camera a good feel in the hand. It is advisable to get a small case for it because the metal finish can scuff in a bag with keys and other objects.
Cheap Wireless Flash Trigger CTR-301(P)
I had been using a PC Sync cable for remotely firing my flash but the connection between my 20D and the cable was a bit loose, resulting in me having to hold or tape the cable against the camera to get it to fire consistently. Using a cable is also a bit of a pain if you are moving around when shooting.
I wanted to try wireless triggers, but even the cheap end of the name brand triggers are over 100 quid for a minimal setup, so I decided to investigate the current state of the ebay wireless triggers (sometimes known as poverty wizards, as play on words with the top quality pocket wizard products).
Up until recently, the Cactus V2 triggers were the popular choice on ebay. Not massively reliable, but easy to modify and improve. Recently, two more types have arrived - the Cactus V4 and the Yongnuo CTR-301. The Cactus V4 was intended to improved the build quality and fixed the main reliability problems with the V2 version. The CTR-301 triggers were an alternative from the Yongnuo company who make a lot of cheap, third party camera accessories.
Lumiquest Promax System Review
A while back, I was asked to shoot a friend’s birthday party that was being held in a function room near where he lived. I shot events with my on camera flash, bounced off the ceiling, and with a small Joe Demb flip-it on the flash to add some front fill.This worked fairly well, except in this case when I arrive at the venue to see the ceilings are really high. I mean really high - way higher than the ceilings in our victorian terraced house. Ceiling bounce was a total no go and there were mirrors at head height around most of the walls - a nightmare room for flash shooting. I ended up with decent shots but the lighting was pretty much straight camera flash with only slight diffusion from my flip-it. My friend loved the pictures though, which is the main thing.
After this, I had a look round for a modifier I could use on the flash that would cope with situations like this. In the end, I decided to get the Lumiquest Promax system as it seemed to offer the flexibility that I’m after. In the box you get:
- A folding A5 sized plastic wallet to store everything in. It all folds flat, so it’s easy to transport, and there is room in the wallet for my flash gels.
- A Lumiquest 80-20.
- A diffuser that fits to the front of the 80-20.
- White, silver and gold inserts for the top of the 80-20 in case you have no ceiling to bounce off.
- Some velcro to stick to your flash so you can attach the 80-20 to it.
I didn’t really fancy sticking velcro to my flash, so I picked up one of the excellent HonlPhoto Speed Straps to attach everything to. Lumiquest also do their own Cinch Strap, which is essentially the same thing.
Lumiquest 80-20 attached to flash with HonlPhoto Speed Strap
 Lumiquest 80-20 with gold insert |
 Lumiquest 80-20 with diffuser |
