Flash guns, after much trial end error I've figured out how to get reasnoble results from a fully manual one attached to a digital camera, might try with film at Swinley on Sunday if there are any willing victims/voulenteers 
Anyway, battery life is limited, AA's will cost me more than film! It wont work with NiMh rechargables, I've tried. Anyone recomed an extrnal flash that takes rechargeable AA's or a lithium battery?
Budget - small, so s/h unless theres good flashes at under £30.
Sadly, strobes are one area of photography which require a bit of wonga if you're looking to get your flash away from the camera without cables.
What system are you using - Nikon? Canon? Other?
digital: Fuji S9500
film: Pentax ME Super
Doesn't need to get away from the camera, and the current flash seems bright enough, it just munches its way though alkaline batteries like theres no tomorrow.
Hmmm. Could be you're trying to light the whole scene with the flash. Try bumping up the ISO to allow the camera to use more of the ambient light. Also, the default shutter speed is likely to be 250th of a second - you can slow that right down to maybe a 60th - again, this will let in more of the ambient light and use less flash juice.
Other than that, don't know. Could be the flash has a fault. My strobes can go a couple of hours or so, pretty much flat out on one set of 7dayshop rechargables (or Duracell AAs).
EDIT: is it a Metz flash? There's not many that'll go between systems like that.
Its a prinz 577CB, yup that old! It has 2 modes 'M', blue and orange, blue and orange are for lighting up slightly further away objects, 'M' gives you a redy reckoner for ISO/appeture/distance.
Seems to work right upto 1/4000 which is odd as I though flashes didnt work at high speeds as they woudn't sync, or is it more that it didn't work quite as well as it should and i'm just not fussy enough to notice?
There's a brand called YongNuo that makes cheapo flashguns that a lot of people seem to use/recommend.
Daytime Bump.
Any recomendations for a more powerfull flash?
I was shooting at Swinley on sunday and it was struggling pointing it into the woods at 1/125, f5 (wide open), 200iso. The pictures were sharp enough (pace was set to pootle), just very under exposed. Obviously I coudl turn op the iso a bit to compensate
Or is what I need going to be so far out of my budget that it's not worth it. Ohh, and how quick do good flash's charge? The camera does 1.4fps, is it possible to match that?
Budget increaced to ~£100
Sadly, strobes are one area of photography which require a bit of wonga if you're looking to get your flash away from the camera without cables.
Nahh. Not really.
I use a Vivitar 285HV with Cactus V4 wireless triggers. Whole set up is about £100 and it works superbly. IIRC the Vivitar is now out of production, but Cactus (Or someone) have bought the design and it's still available. Or get one used from eBay.
However this "It wont work with NiMh rechargables, I've tried" confuses me! In theory it should be BETTER with good rechargeables, it should cycle faster and last longer! I use them just fine....
Getting the flash off the camera is key, IMO. It can give the 'cover shot' results you're after with a bit of experimneting. I tend to set my exposure for the background, then use about 1/4 power on the flash to light the subject and freeze motion. Usually about 1/125th and f5.6 seems to do the trick. I shoot a lot under tree cover, and I can't get a fast enough shutter speed without the flash to help things.
There's also other ways to get good results: Slow syncro flash: Set about 1/30-1/40th shutter speed, mount the flash on the camera and pan with the subject. The flash only has a limited range and freezes some of the foreground action and blurs the background with the slow shutter speed.
Off camera flash, sited on the far side of the trail in front of the rider:
IMG_8520 by PeterPoddy, on Flickr
Slow Sych flash, on camera
103 by PeterPoddy, on Flickr
watch you don't fry your camera electronics! apparently some old flashes can deliver quite a voltage back to the cam.
I've got a Metz that I use with my Olympus E500, I bought it a few years ago off ebay for a reasonable £100. Works great for portrait type work, but cycles quite slowly, so even that doesn't keep pace with the camera.
I've got a YongNuo yn-460, which is/was good, EXCEPT it's now stuck on full power 
I'd send it back but it came from dealextreme and only cost £25, and I've got some good use out of it. Just had it apart to manually drop the power a few stops so it's more useful.
It'll be getting replaced with a nissin Di 466 (using it with a G1)
The camera does 1.4fps, is it possible to match that?
Yes, easily. But NOT on full power! (Which you shouldn't need anyway) It takes a few seconds to recharge the flash from a full discharge, but on 1/4-1/8th power I can shoot 3fps no problems.
Where are you in relation to the subject? I'm rarely moer than 10-15 ft away, and the flash is generally closer than that. All you need to do is light the subject, so get the flash close in, and power it down. The top pic of mine there the flash was maybe 6-8ft from the rider, and dialled down to low power. Too much flash looks odd IMO. Also, a lower powered dischage from the flash has a shorter duration, so will freeze action better
watch you don't fry your camera electronics! apparently some old flashes can deliver quite a voltage back to the cam.
Vivitar 285HV is digital ready, low voltage. It's a big 'ol plastic brick of a thing, but it works. 
Agree with PP post, just like to add, one of my favorite flashes from the past was a Vivitar 283
A manual flash, no dedication or zoom like PP 285.
But gave a even exposure and warm tone, well for a flah anyway 
Used to have one as a backup to the Metz units we used to use, years back, guessing you might pick one up for £30ish off ebay?
Some flash equipment used to be reversed polarity too, which could aparently cause problems with modern kit.
You could always use a flash slave to use the flash off camera?
the yonugo flashes are pretty ok for the money (canon flash clone, without alo of the fancy electronics).
otherwise something like a vivtar 285HV - with older flashes, watch youre trigger voltages.
I owuld suggest a cheap set of triggers - the cactus ones are ok, or the rf602s are good too. a read of the strobist lighting 101 too to get some basics.
recommend cotswold photo on ebay - Trevor is a top bloke and really helpful
Will go looksie at those cheep ones, no issues yet with the current flash frying the camera 
I'm not sure how powerfull the flash is, it has a 3 way switch, 'M' blue, and orange. Which seem to corespond to the ready reckoner on the back which relates iso/distance/f-number, presumably at 1/125 as I had some success at that indoors. The ready reconer has the blue and orange as the furthest away settings so presumably they are higher power settings. Takes ~5-10seconds to charge with 4x 1.5 duracell batteries and makes a wizzing noise. Put rechargables in there, and theres no oise so guess it needs >1.2V to function.
PP, ygm ref Swinley Pics.
So to clarify,
Set speed relative to the rider (unless panning)
Set appeture to get the background exposed properly at that speed.
Set flash power to expose the rider.
Have I got that about right?
Anyone recomend me some fash remote triggers? Pro's use pocket wizzards, DX have loads of cheep alternatives. Seeing as I don't want/can't use most of the fancy gadgetry on the flash and just simply want to trigger it at the right time, will any set do? Any recomendations? IR Vs Radio?
I would choose radio sync every time.Especially outdoors when sunshine can fool the IR sensor.All sorts of cheap Chinese PocketWizard copies available on Ebay these days.You'll need a transmitter to go on the camera and a receiver to connect to the flash.This was shot with 2 flashes either side and slightly behind the rider.
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[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos[/img]
TINAS - Those Cactus V4 triggers I linked to above. Cheap and reliable
wildheart - Wea combe, Seb's photo course? Fantastic bit of trail.
I use Yongnuo radio triggers, they've been great for me
nbt- Smiths Combe,I think.Yep,photo course weekend.We were soooo lucky with the light that day.And you're right yes, some of the best trails I've ever ridden.I hear lots of good things about those Yongnuo triggers.
It's Smiths, yes
wildheart - nice photo and I like the more balanced effect of two flashes used.
TINAS - your description of the flash makes it sound like my Dad's old Vivitar with an autothyristor. If you put the switch on orange, match your camera settings to the orange marked settings on the back the flash will auto-regulate its power. I actually found it to be very effective, and even to work with the flash off camera as long as its about as far from the subject as you are with the cam.
Ive got a 283 vivitar sitting in front of me, as i now have *counts* 5 flashes this one can go to a good home for £25 posted if thats any use to anyone?
Using speedlights Nikon Sb units in manual is good off camera but they do chew batteries. really never found better remotes than pocket wizzard's expensive but they rarely fail. I now tend to use three to fire three Quantum q-flash units for a completely relyable portable flash system.
I've always just used cheapy ebay radio triggers - the low profile ones are the only ones which will work with brollie brackets and mini brollies. The tall ones mean that the flash head peeks over the top of the brollie.
Also, as soon as you add brollies to the equation, wind becomes an issue. No matter what I use to weigh down the lightstand, there's always the danger that it's going over. The cheap trigger is usually the weak point and my brackets, brollies and Speedlights usually survive! The triggers are so cheap I can afford to have a few spares in my bag.
TINAS - rather than exposing for the background / general scene, I would usually knock the overall exposure down a touch to 'pop' the subject with he flash. Not everyone's cup of tea, but it works for me...
Edit; note the lightstand leg in the bottom right of the middle shot 
AH yes, Smiths. About 10 yard s from this
Try talk photography for cheap gear - there's a chap who sells yongnuo stuff, he is great, sorted me out with missing bits with minimal delay
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