Lighting for photos in dim rooms with one lamp

[dullard]

I'm frequently taking family photos in different houses where there may be one tiny table lamp in the corner. The photos are okay but never great with such terrible lighting.

I went in to the local camera store and they recommended this Phottix Kelby Mitros+ kit:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1030780-REG/phottix_ph80377_mitros_ttl_flash_and.html

They also recommended an LED light panel for half the price. Something like this:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...e_360b_spectroled_essential_360_bi_color.html

I really liked the possibilities and portability of the hot shoe flash (it would work well with or without hauling all that equipment all over the place, on or off camera, easy to get light at the family or bounce it off the ceiling, etc). On test shots around the store, it worked quite well, but the store wasn't dim either. My wife was really persuaded on the LED light panel.

Neither of us are great photographers. We have a low end camera: Canon SL1 with EF-S lens kit. We don't need anything too fancy. It just seems that all of her relatives have no lights at all in their houses, and that is where many of the photos take place.

Which route would you go?

 

[Syborg1211]

Setting up a studio light is an awfully intrusive thing to do in a family setting. Having the flash on camera is the best thing for constantly changing positions, unless you plan to set up the light in a single spot and have people move in front of it. There's definitely uses for studio lights, but for events the mobility is more important. I'd also recommend finding specs on the power of that flash you plan to use. Nikon's the most powerful which might only be important outside when you're trying to contend with the sun.

 

[slashbinslashbash]

Two things you can do, not mutually exclusive:

1) Get a good hot-shoe flash. (Meaning, durable and capable of rotating/tilting in all directions) Bouncing it off the ceiling can give great results.

2) Get a better lens, in particular a "prime" lens (non-zoom) that has a large aperture (low f-number). A good example would be a Sigma 30mm f/1.4. Definitely some lens with an aperture of f/1.8 or lower. You have to bump up the ISO to 800 or 1600, shoot at f/1.4 or f/1.8, and have a relatively low shutter speed (such as 1/50) but you can end up with some nice indoor shots without adding a flash. Maybe shooting with a single 40W bulb in the corner of a large room still won't give good results, but if it is a typical house with some overhead fixtures and/or a couple of table lamps then there should be sufficient lighting to get some keepers.

An off-camera flash, set up on a stand and pointing up at the ceiling in a corner somewhere can be a great solution as well, but IMO it's the more "advanced" option and probably overkill for most family situations. That Phottix stuff will not hold its value well. Far better off buying a 430EX and using it on-camera and then, if you decide to go off-camera later, you can pick up an equivalent stand, umbrella, and wireless triggers on eBay for like $80.

LED lighting, to me, is always going to be more of an option for video shooting, not still photos. It is never going to be as bright or able to produce the same results as a bounced hotshoe flash.

 

[EOM]

Two things you can do, not mutually exclusive:

1) Get a good hot-shoe flash. (Meaning, durable and capable of rotating/tilting in all directions) Bouncing it off the ceiling can give great results.

2) Get a better lens, in particular a "prime" lens (non-zoom) that has a large aperture (low f-number). A good example would be a Sigma 30mm f/1.4. Definitely some lens with an aperture of f/1.8 or lower. You have to bump up the ISO to 800 or 1600, shoot at f/1.4 or f/1.8, and have a relatively low shutter speed (such as 1/50) but you can end up with some nice indoor shots without adding a flash. Maybe shooting with a single 40W bulb in the corner of a large room still won't give good results, but if it is a typical house with some overhead fixtures and/or a couple of table lamps then there should be sufficient lighting to get some keepers.

An off-camera flash, set up on a stand and pointing up at the ceiling in a corner somewhere can be a great solution as well, but IMO it's the more "advanced" option and probably overkill for most family situations. That Phottix stuff will not hold its value well. Far better off buying a 430EX and using it on-camera and then, if you decide to go off-camera later, you can pick up an equivalent stand, umbrella, and wireless triggers on eBay for like $80.

LED lighting, to me, is always going to be more of an option for video shooting, not still photos. It is never going to be as bright or able to produce the same results as a bounced hotshoe flash.

Here's a set of two speedlights with a controller that goes on your camera. It's manually controlled so there is a bit of a learning curve, but in the end I think this would be a much more flexible option for you and could give you some creative latitude.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00LSGDHNC/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?qid=1433515771&sr=8-4&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_FMwebp_QL70&keywords=yongnuo+560+iii&dpPl=1&dpID=51z9lw9XdqL&ref=plSrch