Questions tagged [flash]
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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Prime lens or flash: which upgrade will most improve baby photos?
I current own a Nikon D5000 with kit lens (18-55mm f/3.5-5.6) and am looking to take better indoor photos of my fast-moving 9-month-old, which sometimes come out blurred or not natural I use the on-...
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How do I know if it's safe to use an older film flashgun with a modern digital camera?
I've read from many sources that film flashguns won't work with newer digital cameras due to voltage differences and timing differences (and trying may in fact damage my camera), however I have heard ...
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Can I use my old Canon Speedlite 277T with my new Canon dSLR?
Actually it's my dad's flash that he bought many many moons ago to use with his old Canon T70. I don't have a flash but have borrowed his to try out, but he mentioned that some flashes will send too ...
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CLS to work with third-party Ring Flash?
I was new to this CLS technology from Nikon and wanting to make full use of this technology. Unfortunately recently I just bought a Sunpak ring flash and it does not support CLS function. May I know ...
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What third party Speedlites work best with Canon?
I am currently picking out a flash (speedlite) for Canon XSI. There is a number of third party flashes available from manufacturers other than Canon. They all claim to be Canon compatible but I have ...
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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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Why do flashes make a whistling sound when recycling?
When recycling, some flashes make a whistling sound, going from low to high frequency for a few seconds. After a more intensive flash, the sound is more intense as well.
What is the source of this ...
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Looking for a remote flash trigger for Sony
Can anyone recommend a wireless flash set up for Sony A200 camera/Sony F58-AM flash unit?
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Which Better Beamer model for the Sigma EF-530 DG Super Flash
I'm looking to order a Better Beamer flash extender for my Sigma EF-530 DG Super flash however, I can't find which model would fit it. Anyone can point me to the right model?
Thanks
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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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How do I create 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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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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Why is it important to move the flash away from the camera?
I've read that it's not the quality of your camera, but the quality of the lighting that make pictures really good. That is probably not always true, though - there are many crappy cameras out there. ;...
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image metadata - flash mode values
the 'flash mode' is saved in the image meta-data as a number, what does every value mean in words? How can it be parsed? is their any documentation for this?
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What does optional-TTL mean?
I have a Sunpak PF30x on a Nikon D40. When I take pictures with the Sunpak flash, I notice the image data has "Optional-TTL" as the flash mode.
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My Flash doesn't Flash
I have a Sunpak PF30x on a Nikon D40. I just put in new batteries and the flash worked great for two shots. After that, the flash doesn't pop. I tried turning the camera off and the flash off then ...
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What does TTL mean?
I'm new to photography and I see the term TTL all over the place. What does it mean? And how do I use it to make my pictures better?
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What is a good off-camera flash for a Nikon D40?
I have a Nikon D40 and would like to start taking pictures with the flash off the camera. The D40 doesn't have a commander in it. So what can I do? Do I need two flashes? One with a commander in it (...
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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 need TTL compatibility so it can be ...
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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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Why does my 420EX Speedlite sometimes fail to start up?
I have a Canon 420EX Speedlite that sometimes won't start up. When it's not working, it behaves as if it didn't have any batteries in it... just totally dead. The odd thing is, it doesn't seem to be ...
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More powerful battery for on camera flash on Canon 5dMkII
I don't shoot weddings or enough events a year to warrant forking out the money for a full Quantum flash/battery yet.
I am trying to decide if I should either go ahead and get the Quantum battery ...
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Which AA rechargeable batteries work best for Nikon SB-600 speedlight?
I am interested what is your experience with this speedlight with regards to the type of batteries you use.
Can you recommend the batteries providing shortest recycle time and max number of flashes?
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How can I get a black background in daylight using flash sync speed with no extra gear?
I have seen sports photography where the background is completely wiped out (black) during daylight. I'm trying to achieve a similar (pure black background) effect with no extra gear, just a DSLR ...
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Flashgun for Nikon D60 and F5
So, I'm a massive fan of Nikon gear. I've got a D60 which is pretty lovely, and I've recently bought a 2nd hand F5.
However. The flash on the D60 is feeble, and there's no builtin flash on the F5. ...
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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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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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How can I use wide aperture with fill flash?
I was working with an off-camera flash this weekend for some portraits of my son. I was shooting in medium sunlight (early morning, partly cloudy, w/ some shade), and I like the lighting control I ...
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How to set up Metz 35 CT2 flash?
I inherited Metz 35 CT2 flash from my grandfather and I don't have an idea how to set it up for use with my old manual Praktica camera. There is a "slider" which has lens hood numbers on it, DIN ...
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What flash options are there for the Pentax system?
I am a relative newcomer to the photography world and am slowly building up a set of gear based around my Pentax K-x. Next on my list of priorities is a flash. As I have virtually no experience in ...
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What's a good starter flash for Nikon?
I have a Nikon D3000, use it mostly to take pictures of my kids. Going into winter, I'm thinking about getting an external flash but I don't even know where to start. I'm assuming all flashes are ...
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Quick way to disable the flash (Speedlite) on a Canon without switching off?
I have a 430 EX mounted on a 450D/XSI.
Is there any easy way to quickly disable the flash for a shot, without turning it off, as you have to wait for it power up again.
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Will Quantaray QTB 7500A with module CN AF work with Canon Rebel XSi?
I saw your earlier post about a new module that was required for use with the quantaray QTB7500A with the canon rebel xsi? I'm not sure what you meant by new module...my module says CN AF and has 1/...
Gail
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What are the disadvantages of using a diffuser on a flash?
I am thinking of using a diffuser on my canon speedlight flash to soften harsh shadows when shooting indoors. I was wondering what the disadvantages of this might be.
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Flash on Nikon d50 broken, need to set up correctly
Nikon D50 comes with built in flash now it's not been firing for a while and its impairing the camera's usability. I've now changed to a speed-light but seems that the two different flashes have a ...
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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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How do cheap macro ring flashes perform?
When I last checked years ago, the price of a typical Ring flash unit was approximately $500. Nowadays there are still ring flashes for approx. $500 like Pentax AF160FC, Pentax AF-140C, Canon MR-14EX, ...
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Can an E-TTL II cable trigger a speedlite in Manual mode
Essentially, if you own an E-TTL II (or presumably iTTL) cable of a certain length/type, is there any reason to also own a manual PC-sync cable of a similar length/type, or can the camera be fired in ...
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Is this sensor ghosting, or something else?
I recently took some shots of a house fly, primarily for use in a simple case study of print sharpness that I posted here. Several of the shots turned out fairly well with flash, however they all seem ...
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Low budget entry level Speedlite?
Owning a cheap Canon 20D, I now want to buy an entry level speedlight/external flash but I'm confused with
should i go for used or new the one while considering my low budget(150$ max).
What things ...
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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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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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Does UV light pass through the fabric of a softbox?
Studio flash makers sell both bare flash tubes and flash tubes with a UV coating to block the UV emissions. Quite a few studio monolights come up on eBay without the UV coating, and I'm wondering if ...
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Why does my old Quantaray flash not work on my newer Canon DSLR?
I have an older Quantaray QTB-7500A flash with the Canon TTL module. I used this with my old Canon EOS Elan 35mm which died a few years back. I recently bought a Canon Rebel XSi, because I could use ...
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Does the zoom head position of a flash matter when shooting through an umbrella?
It seems like a hotshoe flash's zoom head position might factor in to the lighting pattern when shooting through an umbrella. In the wide beam position, I expect more even light that one is ...
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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 flash duration?
When speaking in terms of flash specifications, what is flash duration and how does it impact exposure?
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What is sync speed? [duplicate]
When referring to flash exposure, what does "max sync speed" mean?
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How to gel a large softbox to match ambient?
I'm searching suggestions to quickly and easily add a gel to color correct light from a giant softbox to match ambient. In my application I'm using a CTO for tungsten ambient.
The equipment I'm ...
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