Keep it simple

Last saturday I had the opportunity to do a shoot during an university bal. The setup was quite simple, 3x 550EX's, two softboxes, an umbrella and a black backdrop. I sold the first picture of them today.

Here's one for the road.

Simple setup, great effects. One umbrella.

G12 does strobist with Cactus V4's

 The purchase

I’ve bought beginning september a G12. One purpose: replacement of my DLSR's when I’m travelling light and “fun-pictures-I-don’t-care-of-my-settings-love-jpeg-camera”. There are numerous reviews on the net where you can read that it’s a well-thought camera, with everything there to help you taking pictures more quickly than any other compact.  

Here are my fav’s:

 

-          The EV dial

-          The ISO dial

-          The front wheel (the back one is just too small to be operated quickly)

-          The superb, bright, 100% optical viewfinder (just kiddin’)

-          THE HOTSHOE !

My "not-so-good":

 -          It’s big (but you knew it when you bought it)

 -          It's a slow lens compared to other compact cameras (you knew it also)

So I tried this little camera with my Cactus V4 triggers to see what’s possible to do with it. Well, it works, so I’m happy because it’s quite funny to do some studio with big flashes, umbrellas all that gear around with a “stupid” point-and-shoot camera in your hand. It’s light and completely non-pro-style (i.e. not the 1D + 28-70 2.8, 2kg). So until now I know that I can take my G12 with a 430ex in a small space, travelling light and still be able to take some strobist shots!

Canon G12 with a Cactus V4 transmitter

More to come after several informal, non-scientific and non-pro studio sessions.

  



Note: I haven’t fully tested it but I can’t go above 1/1000^th with the V4’s as it seems to be their sync limit… but it’s still plenty enough for action shots ! And you have to disconnect the 3,5" sync cable in order to use it.