Master Canon Speedlites: A Guide to Crafting Professional-Quality Lighting

Dcslez: Detailed descriptions diagrams... and uses all the equipment i own

Australia on Sep 08, 2018

aleiorio: 400 pagine in inglese possono intimorire ma risultano molto facili da comprendere e da seguire. L'autore divide il volume in capitoli ben precisi, la prima parte la dedica alla luce, alla tecnica ed all'attrezzatura mentre la seconda, è completamente dedicata alla tecnica.
Le foto inserite sembrano un po' datate ma aiutano a capire anche ai diagrammi affiancati che illustrano la posizione dei flash e della reflex.
Lo consiglio come primo acquisto per chi vuole iniziare, poiché al suo interno troverete ottimi consigli per acquistare l'attrezzatura...

Italy on Feb 14, 2013

Dominique Sablons: Ce livre est la bible du système Speedlite Canon,
version originale de l'ouvrage, totalement en anglais, avec sa couverture si percutante.
Il va bien plus loin que toutes les notices Canon sur les capacités infinies du système.
C'est un cours de photographie numérique pour le débutant, un champ d'exploration pour les experts, les créatifs.
Que vous pratiquiez le portrait, le reportage, la photographie créative, en intérieur ou en studio, vous trouverez votre bonheur dans ce manuel de référence sur l'art de travailler avec les flashs Speedlite de Canon.
L'auteur, Syl Arena, y explique point par point tout ce qu'il faut savoir sur un sujet loin d'être épuisé.

Si l'anglais vous pose des problèmes, passez à la version française de l'ouvrage, rebaptisée « Manuel d'éclairage au flash : Les flashs Canon Speedlite », chez Eyrolles, et adaptée de l'anglais par Volker Gilbert.
Le propos, la structure du manuel, les images sont identiques. Seuls la maquette, le texte et l'index sont adaptés (avec quelques petites erreurs que l'on peut pardonner).

France on Feb 11, 2013

DJBostonlover: In the last year I have purchased quite a few photography books. This is without a doubt one of the very best. If you are a Canon user and have a Canon Speedlite of the 430 EX 11 or 530 EX 11 variety, this book is for you. Author Syl Arena is not only a great photographer, he is a great teacher. His book is extremely well organized. Every concept he teaches is accompanied by a photograph or diagram. And you never have to turn the page you are reading to look at those photographs or diagrams. They are right there. Also, he provides the camera and flash settings he used. Great diagrams show his lighting setups. The book covers virtually every topic needed to start taking better flash pictures both indoors and out. The book is very current. For any gear that he suggests a person might want to purchase, a photograph is provided. You never have to guess or imagine what he is talking about. Quite honestly, I think I would have had a hard time learning how to use my Speedlite effectively without this book. The manual for the flash unit leaves a lot to be desired.

I know that I will be referring to Mr. Arena's book over and over again. If you are...

Canada on Jan 06, 2013

Charleston Dave: Syl Arena's magnum opus on tilt-head portable flash technique and equipment dwarfs every other book on the topic.

I'm not usually prone to breathless hyperbole, but if you light with Canon Speedlites, or are thinking about it, you need this book. The only comparable texts in the field are NK Guy's text (not as useful a reference, dry and technical) and Joe McNally's books emphasizing, well, Joe's rambling writing style, Joe's sense of humor, Joe's killer imagery and Joe's Nikon speedlighting. For the Canon guys, and anybody wanting to understand basic flash lighting design, this is the go-to. Every page has well-organized information about how particular equipment works and how to accomplish a particular lighting effect.

Syl's underlying message is that your pictures will look better if you get your Speedlite off the camera. Triggering the off-camera flash is then done via (a) a long cable running from your hot shoe to the flash, (b) radio triggers working wirelessly to send a signal from your camera to the flash, or (c) on some Canon models, a pop-up flash can be used to trigger the off-camera Speedlite similar to the Nikon CLS approach. If you...

United States on Apr 08, 2011

Boing: If you have ANY interest in flash photography, this book is the new modern bible. It really is. Syl Arena has managed to produce what I would call "a thinking manual" which teaches you the best way to THINK about how flash influences photography, and how to formulate strategies for exploiting its effects. The book is largely based around the Canon system but I would say that the vast majority of the theory and principles taught are brand-independent, and users of other brands may feel a bit nauseous reading it but they will learn just as much.

Although some readers have criticised Arena's style, I find him to be clear in what he is trying to explain (although sometimes not all at once: as is the case with many technical books sometimes he mentions a concept but only really explains it later on). If you are using the book to learn technique and see what's possible then you don't strictly speaking need to waste any time imagining how smug the author is! Even if he does try to sell you his "long ETTL cord" every three paragraphs.

The order of topics in the book is quite logical, starting in the "what are Speedlites and why would you want to use them"...

United Kingdom on Mar 19, 2011

Eugene Khoo: One of my favorite photography lighting books is Joe McNally's Hot Shoe Diaries. Joe can really write and its a great book with lots of inspiration and stories behind how each picture is made. Sometimes, you do want a book that's specific to your camera system and covers the nitty-gritty details in configuring your small flash units. There are many books on lighting and flash but only a couple are really good. If you want a good flash and lighting book that is Canon specific, there's only one good book and it's this one. The Speedliter's Handbook by Syl Arena. Joe McNally started me on multiple flash units and others like Louis and Syl has gotten me to journey down the e-TTL multiple speedlite path. As you start to wander down this road, it's indispensable to have a book like this.

What I love about this book is that it's big but not too big. You need space to have nice readable type and space for diagrams, before and after shots as well as some in-between shots for various settings or configurations. The pages are printed on quality paper and it feels good in my hands. There's technical information and jargon along with clear concise explanations that...

United States on Jan 30, 2011