What should I look for when buying a camera flash?

Here are eight things you need to know before buying your first hot shoe flash.

• Guide Numbers. Guide numbers are the megapixels of camera flashes; they’re important to consider, but their importance is sometimes exaggerated. …
• TTL. …
• Tilting. …
• Wireless Control. …
• High Speed Sync. …
• Flash Zoom. …
• Recycling Speed. …
• Compatibility.

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Are speedlights worth it?

1) More power

And not only is a speedlight much more powerful in terms of its output, but it’s faster too. Using a camera’s built-in flash can be pretty sluggish, but a flashgun has much faster recycle times so you’re less likely to miss a moment.

What is a speedlight best used for?

A speedlight is a camera flash unit that sits on top of your camera’s hot shoe. A speedlight is also commonly referred to as an ‘external flash’ or ‘on camera flash’. At the most basic level, a speedlight is used to add light to your photographs.

Which is better speedlight or strobe?

Strobe lights create more light, recycle faster and have a built-in modeling light for learning. Speedlights, on the other hand, are much more portable, more versatile, and can create almost all the same effects.

Should I buy an external flash for my DSLR?

Outdoors flash isn’t as essential. Its good for backlight subjects and can be used to create interesting effects, stop motion in less than great light outdoors, but the range of the light is rather limited. You don’t NEED and external flash but if you want your images to stand out you will probably want one.

Should I use flash for indoor photography?

Indoors. A very common reason to use your flash unit is low-light indoor environments. If there’s not enough light shining on your subject, a flash will help illuminate them. Your camera can’t see things that aren’t reflecting light, so in a poorly lit room it can make sense to use a flash.

Is a camera flash worth it?

Flash has the ability to freeze the motion in a photo, allowing you to play around with the light trails. This is especially handy if you’re working in a low light situation with just a nasty on-camera flash, as it allows you to produce something cool and creative from very little.

Are all camera flashes universal?

Just as long as the pattern of contacts are the same on the flash and hotshoe, the flash is compatible with the camera. However, this is not to say that the flash will be able to utilize all of the flash technology built into the camera. You can use flashes with a single pin on cameras with multi-pin hotshoes.

When should I use Speedlight flash? When to Use Flash

1. Indoors. Lighting Ballrooms, Churches, Wedding / Corporate Reception Areas. Photographing Details Indoors.
2. Outdoors. Fill Flash – when your subject is poorly lit. Fill Flash – when shooting backlit. Sunny Day – overpowering the sun to avoid hot spots and intense shadows.

What is the difference between a speedlight and strobe?

Strobe lights create more light, recycle faster and have a built-in modeling light for learning. Speedlights, on the other hand, are much more portable, more versatile, and can create almost all the same effects.

Is continuous lighting better than flash?

Flash is also more powerful than continuous light. A single speedlight puts out more power than most beginner continuous light kits. You can even use them to overpower the sun if you have a big enough strobe.

What is the difference between softbox and Octabox?

A softbox has a square or rectangular shape, while an octabox is octagonal. The two devices do work in about the same way. The small differences are in the photos that you make with them. The difference in shape between an octabox and a regular softbox.

Are Canon flashes compatible with all Canon cameras?

What this means is that flashes from any brand are compatible in manual mode with cameras of any brand as long as they use the same standard central pin firing system. The Canon 5D Mark IV (left) has the central pin that’s missing in the new Canon SL3 (right).

Should I get a camera flash?

Flash has the ability to freeze the motion in a photo, allowing you to play around with the light trails. This is especially handy if you’re working in a low light situation with just a nasty on-camera flash, as it allows you to produce something cool and creative from very little.

Is LED light brighter than studio flash strobe? LED lights are generally much lighter than studio strobes and even some speedlights. They generate very little heat, if any, and they make no noise since they don’t require fans.

What is better umbrella or softbox? The bounce umbrella is a good choice on a budget and works well for quality eye reflections. It’s less controlled however and can cause light contamination. The softbox is the best choice when you are seeking the most control possible. It will also save you flash power so you get more shots out of each battery charge.

Which shape softbox is best? Rectangular: The most versatile softbox shape. It has wide application in product photography and portrait photography. These softboxes were designed to mimic window light, specifically.

How do I choose a speedlight flash?

The most important factor when choosing a speedlight, however, is how much distance you’re likely to cover. You should also consider whether the head rotates — the more rotation, the more control you’ll have over softening or changing the angle of light falling on your subject.

When would you use a speedlight flash?

9. Illuminate Your Subject at Night. Your Speedlight can be a lifesaver if there’s very little or no available ambient light. You can use your flash to lift the shadows and reveal details on your subject if they are backlit.

What is a TTL flash?

TTL flash uses a series or infrared flash bursts before the flash actually fires. This flash information is returned back to the camera which then adjusts the flash power accordingly to set what it thinks is a well-balanced shot. In practice this works fairly well, but what you end up with is often less than desirable.

Does Nikon speedlight work with Canon?

So, as long as it’s a sync-voltage safe (digital-era) flash, you can just put it in the Canon hotshoe, and it will fire in sync with the shutter release. But that’s all it will do. It will probably fire at full power, as it cannot do TTL/HSS/2nd curtain/camera menu communication with the camera.

How long does a speedlight last?

So the question I set to answer in this article is exactly how long a flash pop lasts. In general, the flash duration on most speedlights is between 1/400 at full power, and 1/20,000 at low power. This trend is reversed on many studio strobes, which have a shorter flash duration at higher power than at partial power.

How many speedlights do you need?

My my experience as a photographer specializing in industrial, B2B, and editorial work is : at least two 500 to 640 watt-second MONOLIGHTS and. 4 to 6 speedlights. I also need to say I rarely use all of the lights I take to job or have on set, BUT IT REALLY DEPENDS ON WHAT YOU PHOTOGRAPH AND HOW YOU LIKE TO LIGHT.

What is a speedlight flash used for?

Speedlights are flashguns that attach to your camera’s hot shoe, but they can also be used as an off-camera flash and can be fired in groups – think of them as go-anywhere mini studio strobes.

Is strobe light the same as flash? Strobe lights emit a bright burst of light akin to on-camera flash photography. However, a strobe flash is brighter and produces a tremendously short burst of light. Also known as monolights, strobes have a quick recycle time and a full power output of anywhere from 100 to 1,000 watts.

What size softbox is best?

As a rule of thumb, the size of a softbox should be approximately the same size as your subject; meaning a head shot or half shot could require softboxes in the range of about 18 to 24″, whereas full-body shots could require multiple softboxes in the 48″ or larger range.