Advice on camera flashes

One of the most important characteristics of an external camera flash is that it's a lot more powerful than an internal pop-up flash. With a built-in flash, you can't adjust the direction of the light. You can with an external flash. The head of an external camera flash can often be turned and tilted. In addition, the internal flash has a limited flash intensity. Subjects at a greater distance are less well exposed.

Are you going to use a flash to light up close subjects, like with macro photography? Then you can use a ring flash or special macro flash. These macro flash units are mounted on the lens with an adapter ring to get as close as possible to the subject. In addition, flash units are suitable for portraits in poor lighting conditions, such as a wedding reception in an auditorium.

"Strobist" is a collective term for flash units that are used independently of the camera. Some camera flashes have a "slave" function. The flash signals that a flash is firing in the vicinity. The flash reacts to this by flashing at lightning speed. The most advanced method is with a transmitter and receiver. The flash is placed on a receiver while a transmitter is mounted on the camera. You then use a remote trigger.

There are a number of accessories that help you create the right kind of light. With a diffuser, you can soften the light when you want to flash right away. This way you'll get a wider beam of light that ensures fewer shadows. The softbox is a successor to the diffuser. With a softbox, you can create uniform light that produces almost no shadows. You can also easily reflect the flash light by using a reflection screen. You decide where you place the screen yourself.

Most camera manufacturers also make flash unites. But there are also a number of manufacturers that specialize in making camera flashes. So you have a choice of different brands. A camera brand flash isn't necessarily always better. It's true that a brand combination guarantees a seamless collaboration between camera and flash. Do you want to use a different brand of flash? Then check if it communicates well with your camera.