Help needing lighting macro subjects with MT24-EX

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Dearis
Posts: 111
Joined: Thu Aug 03, 2006 6:45 pm
Location: Ballarat, Victoria, Australia
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Help needing lighting macro subjects with MT24-EX

Post by Dearis »

Hi there,

I have had the Canon MT24-EX for 12 months now and hardly ever used it. I want to learn it. Think it could help give some of my shots that little bit extra punch. Last night I made some diffusers (i will post a photo of them later) but I don't really know where to position each light. For example I love shooting bugs and botany mostly and regardless of whether I am using the MT24-Ex or 2 other flash units together where should I put the and what power should they be? e.g. 1 to the side one above, one -1 power the other -2 etc

Any help, links etc would be greatly appreciated, it is too good a flash to stay in the box any longer. :-)

Regards Darren
****Darren****

The Angel’s from the Book of Life
Wrote down our Jordy’s birth
And whispered as they closed the book
"Too Beautiful For Earth"

Mike B in OKlahoma
Posts: 1048
Joined: Fri Aug 04, 2006 10:32 pm
Location: Oklahoma City

Post by Mike B in OKlahoma »

I have one of these, but other than with my MP-E-65, I don't use it much anymore. If I think I can envision a particular effect, I will shift the lights around to achieve it (what actually happens doesn't necessarily fit with what I envisioned, though!). If I don't have a specific reason to do otherwise, I typically leave either one at about a 45 degree angle (from vertical) to left or right, and the other at a 90 degree angle on the opposite side. In terms of a clock, think of one light at 10:30 and one at 3 o'clock. Putting both lights at 45 degrees (3 o'clock and 1:30) is tempting, but tends to lead to rather even and routine lighting. As far as light ratios, I usually put them at 3:2, with the higher light as brighter. If I want one side to be notably brighter, I'll put the lights at 2:1. I seldom go to a more extreme difference in illumination than that.

The above is all "average". I frequently shift which light is in the higher position, based on where my subject needs lighting (and usually reverse the illumination ratio when I do). Occasionally I do try something totally off the wall if I think it will work in a given situation.

The diffusers may be useful, but they will further reduce the power of a flash that already has marginal power for many lighting situations. I used to think it was dumb that Canon didn't put an adapter ring for the MT-24 on their 180mm macro lens, till Tom Webster pointed out to me that the '24 is of extremely marginal power for the working distances with that lens! I still find it useful on the 180 sometimes, but he is right if you stop down much and get past the absolute minimum focus distance.

I've written a lot and said little here! Hope this helped. A shorter answer would be "Try it, and if it worked, it was right, and if it didn't work, it was still worth trying, but wasn't right!"

Canon says this light can act as a master for regular flashes. I've never tried that, though it is on my "gotta do that sometime" list for very static situations.
Mike Broderick
Oklahoma City, OK, USA

Constructive critiques of my pictures, and reposts in this forum for purposes of critique are welcome

"I must obey the inscrutable exhortations of my soul....My mandate includes weird bugs."
--Calvin

Dearis
Posts: 111
Joined: Thu Aug 03, 2006 6:45 pm
Location: Ballarat, Victoria, Australia
Contact:

Post by Dearis »

Thanks Mike, will give it a whirl.

Regards Darren
****Darren****

The Angel’s from the Book of Life
Wrote down our Jordy’s birth
And whispered as they closed the book
"Too Beautiful For Earth"

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