Flash is a device which provides additional light to a scene. It can be used to help fill in a dark area of a photo, to provide light if there isn't sufficient light to begin with, or it can help to improve the composition of a particular photo, by creating your own source of light.
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How can I get proper flash exposure in AV mode without using ETTL?
I have a Canon 5D Mark II and normally shoot with natural light (I try to stay away from flash). However, I am taking on more situations where I need to use my hotshoe flash (Canon Speedlite 580 EX ...
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Why am I limited to 1/100th of a second or slower with 5D Mark II, 600EX-RT, and ST-E3-RT?
I'm fairly new to using flash in my photography, so I'm a bit of a beginner when it comes to the finer points.
I have an ST-E3-RT transmitter on my 5D Mark II, and a 600EX-RT Speedlite set as a ...
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How would one remove yellow eyes instead of red eyes?
On a recent trip to Madagascar, we were able to capture some interesting animals during the night, where of course we used flash. The following photo is not made by me...
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Why is the D7000 commander mode flash firing during exposure when the manual says it won't?
I'm wondering if I'm using the D7000's Commander mode incorrectly. Page 225 of the Nikon D7000 manual says
The built-in flash does not fire [in "--" Option], although remote flash units do.
Yet ...
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6answers
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Can a Nikon/Canon flash be used on the other brand of camera
I was just thinking about this problem and was wondering if anyone knew if/how to use a competing flash unit (EX or SB series) on a nikon or canon (respectively) camera. I would assume a lot of the ...
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What is the best external flash for Nikon beginner?
I have read a lot about the SB-800/SB-900 but I am on a low budget (around ~120$). Is there an external flash that I can have to start learning to use it? I do not want absolutely TTL compatibility so ...
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Low budget entry level Speedlite?
Owning a cheap Canon 20D, I now want to buy an entry level speedlight/external flash but I'm confused with
should i go for used or new the one while considering my low budget(150$ max).
What things ...
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What's a good, small, auto/thyristor flash? (non-TTL)
Persistently on my wish list is a small, portable, auto-mode flash. Non-TTL is a must, as I need to use it on a bunch of different equipment.
But the vast array of flashes out there is a bit ...
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Why is 1/250th second used as shutter speed when using a speedlight with my Nikon D7000?
I've got a Nikon D7000, if I increase the shutter speed it eventually goes to the bulb option and after that to 250, I've been told that 250/second is specifically for when using a speedlight as ...
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Why do I get horizontal grey bar with flash at shutter speeds slower than max sync speed?
I'm a total newbie to flash photography, and I am just trying to do some test shooting with Canon Speedlite 580 EXII using my 7D.
I saw on the user manual that the maximum sync speed is 1/250 sec.
...
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How many watt-seconds do regular battery-powered flashes have?
I'd like to know how do battery-powered system flashes compare to studio units in terms of light output.
I know that AlienBees B400 has 400 "effective" Ws, and that Canon Speedlite 580EX II has ...
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What will I be missing with Vivitar 285HV vs. LumoPro LP160 or Canon 580EX?
I'm planning to get a hotshoe flash soon (I currently only have the onboard), and I have narrowed my choice down to several options, but I'm having a hard time deciding which way to go.
ETTL
This is ...
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Using flash with Aperture Priority or Shutter Priority gives me a white image - why?
When using the built in flash with Aperture Priority or Shutter Priority selected, I am getting a completely overexposed (white) image.
Now my understanding of AP and SP modes is that the camera ...
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Can using an old flash damage a new DSLR?
I have been using my dad's old Metz mecablitz 18 B1 flash for a while with my Canon 7D and had no trouble with it, but just received some advice from a friend that using old flashes can fry the ...
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Creating silhouettes in a studio environment
The trick to creating silhouettes in the field, as far as I know, is to use spot-metering and to expose for the background. However, this is a bit more difficult in a studio environment. What is the ...
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What do you recommend as a first step for hands-on learning about flash?
So far, I am enjoying my new Speedlight (Nikon SB-700), but any good results I have gotten have been mostly luck. I'd really like to understand how to use it so that I can make intentional technical ...
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Which is faster for flashes, radio triggers or optical triggers?
Assuming you have a line of sight to all your flashes and both methods will trigger the flashes with 100% reliability, is it faster to use radio triggers or optical triggers to set them off? Or put in ...
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What's the relationship between flash power expressed as a fraction and as EV?
I'm looking around for a second flash to play around with for off-camera stuff. Some flash specs I'm reading say that I get an adjustment range of plus or minus 2 EV or similar, while others say I get ...
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2answers
389 views
Inexpensive flash with full ETTL support
I've been planning to get the Canon 430EX, but I'd love to save a little cash, so I started looking at other 3rd party flashes. I've found a few that claim to have ETTL II support, but being so much ...
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What is a good softbox for small hotshoe flash?
What are the good softboxes for a small flash like a Canon Speedlite 430EX, for example?
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To take my portrait photography to the next level, should I get a second flashgun or a monolight?
I am a hobbyist and using a Canon 600D with 50mm f/1.8 and 18-135mm lenses.
I bought 430EX-II flashgun, and it works great as off-camera flash with the 600D's built in transmitter. I also have a ...
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8answers
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How do I reduce glare on subjects during night flash photography?
I've been taking a lot of photos at night, using an attached flash. The photos are generally pretty good, however I've noticed that there is quite a bit of glare on subjects faces (especially when ...
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4answers
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How do I start using a hotshoe flash?
I've just been given a Sigma EF-500 DG ST flash unit. I've not really had much experience using flash. How can I get started? Are there any good learning resources?
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Wide-angle flash for outdoor nights, or poorly-lit ballrooms
I am trying to think of good techniques that can capture the full vibrant scene of outdoor night or poorly-lit events at wide angles.
In my previous experiences, flash fitted with wide-angle plate or ...
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Why does my lens focus better/faster with a speedlight attached to the camera?
I have a Nikon d90 and have often found that the camera reaches focus faster, with less re-adjusting and missing the focus, when I have a speedlight (the Nikon sb-600 in my case) attached.
Why is ...
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When and how to use a push-on flash diffuser?
I've bought a cheap flash on eBay and got this fancy flash diffuser as a free gift:
So, what are the effects of a light diffuser like this one? What difference does it make to the resulting photo? ...
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What kind of lighting equipment should I have as a Strobist beginner?
What kind of lighting equipment should I have as a beginner?
Basically I want to take some great portrait pictures with a decent lighting equipment.
Any suggestion towards strobist accessories?
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How much better is a macro ring flash than a “normal” external flash, for macro shots?
Canon produces two macro rings, MR-14EX and MT-24EX, and many other manufacturers also produce such rings. I have a Canon Speedlite 440EX II external flash, which I use when I don't use a tripod for ...
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3answers
833 views
Metering - How to account for the light from the flash
I pretty much use Manual mode (in my Nikon D40) and learning quite a lot from it. Though I understand "Metering" for correct exposure, I've trouble understanding it while using Flash (both in-built as ...
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Should I turn off image stabilization on my lens when using flash?
I seem to remember reading that you should turn off lens image stabilization when using on camera flash? Is that right? If so why?
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How limiting are the line-of-sight requirements of Canon's optical wireless flash system?
I have a Canon 7D and 580EX II Speedlite, and am trying to make the jump into flash photography, particularly portrait work. I understand that the 7D's wireless trigger works by line-of-sight. Will ...
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Etymology of “flash gun”
I used the term "flash-gun" today in front of some non-photographers, and they looked at me blankly.
"Why," they wanted to know "is it called a flash-gun, and not just a flash? How is it anything ...
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How do I reduce the light from the pop-up flash as a wireless controller on a Canon 7D?
What are the best work-arounds out there for dealing with the built-in flash when trying to use the Wireless Flash feature of the 7D?
Is there a Canon version of the SG-3IR? Or do you use a modified ...
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When should I use Flash Exposure Lock (FEL)?
I know that this function calculate the flash output required for a shot and store it in memory. When and why would you use this function in the real life.
Thanks,
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What does UV coating do for a flash tube?
For studio portrait lighting, is it better to have a UV coated flashtube, or a clear flashtube, and why? Does it make a difference what ambient light there is?
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What is the quantative relation between flash guide number and ISO?
I found that formula on the Internet:
Guide Number = (Shooting Distance * Aperture) ÷ ISO Sensitivity
Is it correct? If it is could someone please explain why ISO is related to guide number in this ...
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Can I combine my Canon camera with my Nikon flash?
I have a Canon 60D camera and a SB-600 flash for Nikon. Can I use this flash wirelessly with my camera? I had Nikon camera before which I replaced with Canon and I haven't purchased a flash yet, so ...
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Can I fire my SB600 without using my D90 on-camera flash as a trigger (with CLS/TTL)?
So as mentioned above, I have a D90 and an SB600. I can set up the SB600 to be used as a flash on-camera and off using TTL w/ the D90 as a commander. What I'm trying to understand is can I fire the ...
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Are burn marks on a flash unit window normal?
My flash unit has been accumulating small burn marks on its window. Is this normal wear and tear or equipment damage?
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Photoshoot lighting on a shoestring budget?
I've just about used every cent I can afford on my DSLR and an extra lens and a tripod and a friend of mine suggested I come along and do a casual photo shoot of two bands that are staying at her ...
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In low light, does it make sense to use a normal house light bulb instead of a flash?
Actually, yesterday I shot a photograph indoors with a tubelight (on the wall) and a flash on. The results were "too" boring. The flash had robbed away all the natural looks of the scene.
Does ...
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5answers
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What should I consider when choosing continuous lighting vs. strobes for studio photography?
If one were to want to get started with studio photography (I'm thinking things like portraits, headshots, perhaps pets, etc) what would be the considerations in choosing whether to go with continuous ...
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3answers
416 views
Why does my external flash use Ni-Cd and Ni-Mh batteries so quickly?
I've recently purchased a Canon 430EX II to use with my 550D and it's great but I'm having battery issues.
I've been trying to use 2× 800mAh Ni-Cd and 2× 2500 mAh Ni-Mh (all rechargeables, the 800mAh ...
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What is the purpose of a dual LED flash?
I see that some smartphones now have dual LED flash.
What exactly is the purpose of a dual LED flash? Anything to do with brightness? What can a dual do that a single flash cannot? Would a triple LED ...
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What post-processing methods work best to “fix” photos that are blown out from flash?
Even when bouncing flash off the ceiling or nearby walls, you can occasionally blow out or overexpose a picture.
What methods work best in Lightroom 3 or other software to reduce or eliminate the ...
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566 views
Can one radio trigger be used to trigger two speedlights?
I have a pair of Yongnuo RF-603 radio flash transceivers, two SB-600s & D200. I'm planning to build a large rectangular softbox that'll use both speedlights for extra power. Is there a synch cord ...
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2answers
1k views
Is it necessary to fully drain Ni-MH batteries before recharging them?
Is it really necessary to fully drain the Ni-MH batteries before recharging them?
As a rule, I always want my speedlite batteries to be fully charged. At the end of each day when I use my flashgun, I ...
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1answer
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Why does the camera default to ISO 400 in auto ISO mode with flash?
I've observed this behaviour on my Canon 550D, and I was wondering why it didn't use a lower or even variable ISO. I'm not sure if this is a camera/brand specific setting.
Is there any particular ...
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What is flash duration?
When speaking in terms of flash specifications, what is flash duration and how does it impact exposure?
