Canon MT-24EX Macro Flash

Cunha · Post by **Cunha** » Sun Sep 02, 2012 9:37 am

Canon MT-24EX Macro Flash.
Is this flash ok for "normal" use like portrait apart from macro work?
Thank you.

Cunha · Post by **Cunha** » Mon Sep 03, 2012 7:53 am

Maybe this is a silly question.
Thanks a lot anyway.

Craig Gerard · Post by **Craig Gerard** » Mon Sep 03, 2012 5:21 pm

The MT-24EX was designed for macro use and would not have sufficient output for taking portraits. It is a close range speedlight. You could be creative, however, and in some situations it may be applicable.

Portrait photography usually involves some type of shoot-through umbrella/diffuser, bounced light, snoots, beauty dish..... etc; all of which take a toll on the flash output; suffice to say the MT-24EX does not provide adequate power or positioning options for portraits. It's 'throw' is also considerably less than that of a standard speedlight and the focal length of most 'portrait' lenses require a speedlight with power to spare, otherwise, your lighting options would be restrictive.

An MT-24EX is not essential for macro; it is a tidy, rather compact, highly portable unit, but it does present diffusion challenges. A 270EXII could also be considered as an alternative for macro work if used with an appropriate bracket and diffuser.

Craig

Cunha · Post by **Cunha** » Mon Sep 03, 2012 7:00 pm

Hi Craig,
thank you very much for your attention.

I do macro with a Canon MP-E65 so I need proper light from now on.
I´m reading a book about "flash techniques for macro and close -up photography" and everything is done with "normal" flashes; not macro flashes.

I´ve the possibility of buying this MT-24EX Macro Flash second hand for half of the price. Half of the price for me is €450.
That´s why I´m considering the MT-24EX and because is portable both for studio and outdoor work.
But with a macro flash (as I suspected) I can only do macro.

Why do you suggest the the 270EXII and not another Canon flash. It´s a good enough flash for the price?

Thanks again.

Craig Gerard · Post by **Craig Gerard** » Mon Sep 03, 2012 11:44 pm

In most 'macro' situations the 270EX II will provide a generous amount of light, a good selection of flash durations and E-TTL, but the unit does require a separate bracket arrangement and a DIY diffuser.

A larger flash unit could be considered overkill; for example, I find the 580EXII to be a bit too heavy when wandering around and I rarely use it to its full potential for macro; it was not designed for this purpose, so it comes as no surprise. In addition to the 270EX II, the 430EX II could also be considered as a possible compromise if your intention was to only use Canon speedlights...there are less expensive options available but I'm not up to speed with current third party offerings.

The flash heads of the MT-24EX are designed to mount on the front of the MP-E; an additional adapter is available for attaching it to the Canon 100/2.8 Macro lens. When increasing/decreasing magnification on the MP-E the flash heads move in unison with the telescoping barrel, this is a good feature. An appropriate method of diffusion does present a challenge; I've seen some weird and wonderful DIY approaches, some made me feel a little scared

, but results speak for themselves. If you have the opportunity to purchase an MT-24EX at a good price I don't think you would regret the acquisition.

Craig

johan · Post by **johan** » Tue Sep 04, 2012 1:09 am

Just to add to what Craig is saying, I concur. As in, I'm testing a homemade 'wannabe mp-e 65' construct (initial results here) which zooms from approx 1:2 to 3:1. One of the biggest challenges with this is the flash aspect. It's actually very tricky to have the flash in one position, setting and using one diffuser that satisfies both the light requirements for 1:2 at f/14 with a WD of 15 cm and 3:1 at f/2.8 with WD of 5cm. And this is in a nutshell why that particular flash unit you have a potential deal on, which is designed to overcome that problem, is such a good thing

Cunha · Post by **Cunha** » Tue Sep 04, 2012 5:04 am

Craig Gerard wrote: An appropriate method of diffusion does present a challenge; I've seen some weird and wonderful DIY approaches, some made me feel a little scared , but results speak for themselves.
Craig

Could you point a link to some of those DIY examples, please?

I saw these the other day:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003D0 ... B003D0ZXM4

There´s also this kind of product for normal flashes but I guess macro work presents additional care with diffusion. So one must be creative ,-)

Craig Gerard · Post by **Craig Gerard** » Tue Sep 04, 2012 5:19 am

Here are a few examples of MT-24EX DIY diffusers to get you started:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/orionmystery/4439128867/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/9578475@N0 ... 120206794/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/devil_macro/7427705710/

Cunha · Post by **Cunha** » Tue Sep 04, 2012 5:41 am

Thanks for the links.

Pardon my ignorance on flashes, but with they´re almost always too strong for the job?
As far as I could read, one must, diffuse, cover, bounce, turn to walls, reflect, etc. Otherwise the flash light is like shooting everything and everybody on the moon ,-) Most of the cases at least.

A strong light can be diffused, etc. Controlled.
A week light is forever a week light...
Maybe this is the reason?!

Craig Gerard · Post by **Craig Gerard** » Tue Sep 04, 2012 6:48 am

Speedlights emit a 'harsh', concentrated light which bounces off a subject at close range resulting in visually disruptive catchlights, distintive shadows and 'blown' highlights. A broad diffused light source returns a more desirable outcome. Consider the results of an image taken under natural light conditions, compare images taken in direct sunlight to those taken when partial cloud cover is present.

The main aim of a diffuser is to broaden the light source and as a consequence 'soften' the light. It is not an exercise in 'blocking' the excessive output of a speedlight but more an attempt to manipulate the light fallling on the subject whilst still maintaining access to the important capabilities of the speedlight.

Others can explain this in more detail...it's getting late here and I'm off to bed.

An example of a diffuser and sunlight on a dragonfly.
http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/v ... php?t=8806

Craig

Cunha · Post by **Cunha** » Tue Sep 04, 2012 11:43 am

Manipulate the light is a good concept. Keeping the light source strong enough for the job, but modeling it between the source and the subject.