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Canon MT-24EX Macro Twin Lite Flash
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Gidday everyone,
I've noticed a few other members also use the Canon MT-24EX Twin Lite Flash in their macro photography. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be much information on how to use the twin lite flash system.
My question concerns the harshness of the flash system. In the macro below, you can clearly see two flashes in each eye, which I really don't like.
Does anyone have any idea's how I can minimise this? Maybe a diffuser would stop the harshness of the flashes in the eyes?
Dalantech, your macro's seem to have a much softer flash to them. Like your bee shot here: www.flickr.com/photos/dalantech/2260286061/in/set-7215760...
Did you use diffusers or maybe it was a particular setting on your MT-24EX Twin Lite Flash?
I also noticed you often say something along similar lines to: 'Shot at about two and a half times life size'.
When you say this, do you mean you used extension tubes? If so, does the Canon MT-24EX Twin Lite Flash work well with extension tubes?
Thanks in advance for any advice you can give.
Tanya.
Originally posted at 2:52PM, 3 March 2008 PDT
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Tanya Puntti (SLR Photography Guide) edited this topic 52 months ago.
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Hey Tanya,
I give out all of my secrets on my blog: No Cropping Zone. I've written about the diffusers that I use and how I use the MT-24EX.
The light that the MT-24EX produces is harsh, and using ratio control just makes one flash head even more harsh than the other so I never use it. As long as the flash heads are not 180 degrees apart and at the same angle relative to the subject the light will not be "flat". So ratio control isn't necessary on the MT-24EX (unlike the MR-14EX where you have to use ratio control to get good light).
To diffuse the MT-24EX's flash heads I've used Sto-Fen's diffuser, milk and fruit juice bottle plastic, Pec Pads, and now a set of Gary Fong's Puffer diffusers that I hot glued to the flash heads (details in the links above). The Puffer diffusers is what I've settled on, since I'm getting the quality of light that I like and the flash duration is still very low (important for freezing motion since I do not use a tripod). People are starting to confuse my flash photography with natural light, so I must be on to something ;)
Here are some recent example of what I've been able to do with the MT-24EX and the MPE-65mm and it's the only macro lens that I currently use. It allows me to shoot from life size to five times life size.
At 4x:
At life size (exposed for two light sources: natural light for the sky and flash for the bee):
At 3x:
At 2x:
Please let me know if you have any more questions.
Sincerely,
John
Posted 52 months ago.
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Hello John,
Fantastic information you have in your blog there. Very helpful, thank you.
I'm definately going to try your Sunny 16 Rule for Macro and also change the positioning on the flash heads. So far, I've always placed them 180 degree's apart.
I ordered some Sto-Fen diffusers yesterday. I'm aiming for a more natural lighting feel to the macro's, as you have in the examples you posted above.
Thanks again, I'll let you know how it goes.
Tanya.
Originally posted 52 months ago.
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Tanya Puntti (SLR Photography Guide) edited this topic 52 months ago.
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Hi Tonya,
John has given some good advice and the examples he has chosen have superb lighting. Since I use the mt-24ex a lot, I will add a few words.
I like the stofen diffusers. I have been known to stuff a piece of tissue in them.
In addition to the two flash heads being located on a 360 degree circle on the mt-24ex, each head can be pointed in or out. I point them in for the more extreme macro (mpe 65mm or higher focal lengths when using extension tubes and/or teleconverters and closeup lenses [canon 500d, 250d]). Further more, each head can be rotated on its own axis quite a bit. Thus, each head can be pointed independently. Move the heads where you want them. Try pointing one head where there are a lot of shadows and the other in the general area of what your photographing.
Overall, I find the mt-24ex less useful at longer focal lengths. It is great with the mpe 65mm as well as my 50 and 100mm macros. It is not as good with the 180mm macro or when I use teleconverters on the 100mm.
If you want to really get crazy with lighting, you can have a slave flash off of the mt-24ex. Here is an example where the mosquito was biting me. The slave was an a sigma 500 dg super covered with a mini softbox placed behind the bug.
Posted 52 months ago.
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Thanks Tanya :)
Mark is my mentor, and he's the one who got me to think outside the box on my lighting and to try new things. I still look to his photos for inspiration and ideas...
Posted 52 months ago.
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