I'm picking up one of these bad boys tomorrow after a strong recommendation from one of my most trusted photo girls!

Quantum Qx2

I'll be sure to post some images once I figure out how to turn it on!

The Q Flash is amazing! Buy one along with a $50 light stand and you'll revolutionize your receptions!!! I used to hate shooting receptions b/c I hate anything that looks flashed but this gives off a very soft directional light that will allow you to have some fun while shooting indoors...

So what don't I need from this Quantum lighting package:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller...u=314906&is=REG

I've already purchased Quantum's T2D on eBay (as opposed to DJ's powerhouse X2D) and am wanting to finish off my lighting package and need some wisdom ...

Yea!!! :-) You're gonna love it!

The items that you need are:

1. Flash - already bought
2. Battery(s) - I've heard the Quantom Turbo Z is the best
3. Charger (doesn't always come with the battery) so make sure you get this
4. Lightstand - pretty much anything will do
5. miniphone to household adaptor for the Wizard connection

That's it! :-)

I'm getting mixed messages on the battery. The Turbo 2x2 will allow me to power both my 550 EX and the QFlash at the same time on the same battery. The Turbo has "no memory" and the TurboZ apparently does. Wisdom? What specifically have you heard about the Turbo Z?

I think I've heard that just because of the size and because you're going to probably drain it at every wedding anyway...but that being said you may not even need to worry about the size b/c you'll probably be leaving the battery with the flash and the lightstand anyway.

The 2x2 is cool but it seems like you'd probably use it to power your camera and an on-camera flash if you're doing event type work that requires mobility instead of two flashes. I don't imagine you're going to want to be runnning cords from one flash to the other at every reception. Maybe the Turbo is the best bet...

Do you know what the power difference is between the two?

Similar power ... use is what matters I think. I'm probably going to go with the turbo for my uses.

DJ - do you have a kit bag to hold all your lighting gear? How do you protect your flash head? What do you recommend?

I don't have a case for my flash but I'm looking getting one so let me know if you find something you like.

Now that I've had my QFlash for a bit, I can't believe I worked without it. What a great investment. I'm even thinking of getting a second Turbo battery.

Has anyone who has a QFlash made the investment in a second battery? Was it worth the investment? Currently I only get about 250 flashes out of a charge and would love to be able to cover more than the reception in certain conditions (night weddings, odd lighting in flash permissive churches, etc.).

Insight?

Yea...I have two batteries for mine but we'll see how it goes with the new body...I'm hoping to slim down the flash usage now that 800 and 1600 iso's are printable...

How did things work for you this past weekend? Any need for the second turbo battery? How did your high ISO come out?

It was kind of an interesting setup so I didn't even use my quantum...but the Mark II is incredible and here's a shot from an ISO 500 file shot with existing light in the bride's room...and then I crossed it with the Nitorix Automactions -

ISO 500 Full Image



Let me know what you guys think!

:-)

Nice shot DJ. Which lens did you use for this shot? Any updates on your IS problem with the 70-200?

I think it was the 28-70...

I don't think that the IS was the issue b/c I've had it lock up with all my lenses... I thought for awhile it was the Pocket Wizards but it's not that either...These cameras are still up for debate and I'm gonna shoot with the 10d alongside the Mark II this weekend and see how it works out. The softness issues are real but very spiratic...

weird....

FYI: I just had my first lock-up down here in South Africa on the Mark II. No big deal, but noteworthy since it had never happened before. I'm wondering if it could be related to the battery.

I'm watching my softness and find it to be sporatic as well. Are you shooting your 10D raw or jpg?

You rock!!!

Thanks for keeping in touch while you're out there! That's devotion!

Also, for anybody who's interested in seeing the great work that Dana is doing out in Africa you can follow his adventures by Clicking Here

The battery idea is a good thought. Although I have 4 of them and I haven't been keeping track of which one I've been using and it freezes at every wedding. Everything is RAW for me.

So David and Dane, do you still shoot with your on camera flash or is it a Quantum world for you guys now?

The Q flash is nice but I've been happy just using the 550's and they're certainly a lot easier to carry around! If you're able to setup a nicer light than do it but if you want to be more mobile than just go with a smaller more portable flash.

Hi DJ,

So you're not using the QFlash anymore? I'm mostly interested in it because it seems like it would fill large spaces better than a conventional flash.

-TM

I just wanted to suggest a used Lumedyne from Ebay at around $300 would give equal power as a more expensive Qflash. We often put a Lumedyne head in a softbox and mount it on a monopod for a move around reception light. Even the cheapest set 065 pack will recycle fast when it is on 50ws.

We have both the Q and the Lumedyne at school (UCM). The Q flash is powerful and TTL ready but I generally like the smaller, more basic head of the Lumedyne. TTL and fancy electronics are of little used in a softbox or umbrella.

The roaming light is pretty easy if you just keep the light at about the same distance from the subject. I generally hold the light and Tom runs the Camera in these situations.

Jerry

Hi Jerry,

The Lumedyne runs on a battery pack? The reason I like QFlashes is they can be used as a really big version of the 580 flash.

-TM

DJ and others - I've seen these before but I wonder why don't you use put a diffuser on your 580 and shoot it via wireless with an ST-E2?? Those 580's are incredibly powerful in my experience. Point it at a good bounce wall with a diffuser and I'd expect very similar lighting, using equipment you already own, and for a lot less money.

So what is it about the above you don't like or the advantage of the QFlash to make it worth purchasing an additional (expensive!) piece of gear. ??

This is an honest question, no sarcasm intented. ???

It seems this is a serveral year old thread and that oponions on gear have drastically changed since, considering the 580 didn't exist when this was started

I think the answer is that Canon's IR solution is more or less line-of-sight and has limited range, while radio solutions like PWs have tremendous range. Additionally, the QFlashes are quite a bit more powerful than the Canon 580s et al.

I am curious to hear my DJ decided that Canon flashes were good enough. Looks like size was a big factor.

-TM