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Questions tagged [off-camera-flash]

Using flash(es) while not mounted on camera hot-shoe.

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7 votes
2 answers
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My Godox flash won't fire off-camera. What should I check?

I have a Godox flash with a built-in radio trigger, and I honestly can't figure out what I'm doing wrong. I've checked that: All the batteries in everything are good and everything's turned on. The ...
inkista's user avatar
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57 votes
14 answers
319k views

Is camera flash actually harmful to infants or newborns?

I just got a new off-camera flash, and the instruction manual says: Never fire the flash unit closer than 1 meter from infants. This was a little startling to me, since one of the main reasons I ...
anon's user avatar
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1 vote
3 answers
24k views

Why does the YN-565EX need a radio trigger with the YN-560-TX?

I am buying a Yongnuo YN-565EX TTL Flash Speedlite for Nikon. I am not sure what radio trigger do I need for this. I have found the YN-560-TX transmitter on Amazon. However, the description says ...
Sankalp's user avatar
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16 votes
8 answers
6k views

Recommendations for Wireless Flash Triggers?

Currently my AB800's have a built-in optical trigger, but still requires a flash to trigger them. I'd like to move to an all wireless setup. I also have the canon ST-E2 to pair with my Sigma 500 DG ...
Alan's user avatar
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6 votes
3 answers
5k views

Why is there a preflash from a built-in flash when using remote flash only?

When using Nikon D7000 with an off-camera SB600 (which cannot be used as commander) in TTL mode, the built-in flash must be opened to make it work (to serve as a commander), even if this built-in ...
Arseni Mourzenko's user avatar
13 votes
6 answers
22k views

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 ...
Patrick Desjardins's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
3k views

Can I get HSS with off-camera Canon 430EX II speedlites, radio triggers, and a Sony A7?

I've been tirelessly searching the Internet for information on how to use my two Canon 430exii's in conjunction with my Sony A7 in HSS mode. I think I already know the answer (can't do that!), but ...
GFlom's user avatar
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11 votes
7 answers
12k views

What are the advantages of TTL over manual mode when using speedlites?

Yesterday a user on Stack Exchange asked me why I prefer manual over TTL when working with speedlites. I use them mostly off-camera and I've developed a kind of a workflow where I do not walk back and ...
Miljenko Barbir's user avatar
9 votes
1 answer
676 views

Is there a simple flash bracket which holds a flash securely?

The flash bracket / umbrella swivel I'm using works just fine, but I'm a little nervous about the way the flash attaches. It's held in place by a combination of friction from screw on the side of the ...
mattdm's user avatar
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9 votes
1 answer
7k views

How do I get my Godox trigger and flash to work close to each other?

I have a Godox light and transmitter, and they work fine when they're a few yards apart, but when I try to put the flash on a bracket or use it close to the transmitter, they stop working reliably. ...
inkista's user avatar
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5 votes
2 answers
3k views

Will my SB-600 work off camera with any camera?

I own a Nikon SB-600 flash and no camera. Now, looking for a new camera, I want to know if I could trigger the flash from another non-Nikon camera body. I never use it on camera and therefore I ...
Bick's user avatar
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4 votes
5 answers
10k views

Is there a radio flash control system for Olympus that allows setting flash power from the camera?

One of the main advantages of optical wireless flash control systems is that they don't require anything extra: at least with many cameras, they work with the built-in flash, and can often control (...
mattdm's user avatar
  • 142k
3 votes
4 answers
46k views

Why is the bottom half my picture black when shooting with Cowboy Studio remote triggers?

This is my very first day of shooting with flash and remote flash. And picture turned out like this: Bottom half of it is black. I have no idea what has caused this and how to prevent it? I just know ...
Brandon's user avatar
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11 votes
3 answers
2k views

What's the best bang for your buck to improve low light portrait shots: Lens, Flash or Body?

I want to get better action shots in low light indoor conditions. I've got a Canon T1i (APS-C size) with 3.5-5.6 18-55mm lens, and am thinking about a flash upgrade, a lens upgrade, and/or body ...
MrWonderful's user avatar
10 votes
6 answers
62k views

How can I fire a single canon 430ex flash remotely from a Canon 6D camera?

I don't ever use flash but I would like to start learning about portraits and lighting. I have a mainly unused Canon 430ex which I would like to use off camera with a softbox or bouncing of an ...
Jakub Sisak GeoGraphics's user avatar
9 votes
3 answers
1k views

Shooting glass product with embossment

Have been going crazy trying to wrap our heads around our problem for the past 2 weeks trying to find the right equipment settings, position our camera and lights for photoshoot. We need to take ...
canufeel's user avatar
  • 191
5 votes
7 answers
3k views

How do I correct overexposed fill-flash when shooting outdoors on a sunny day?

I'm trying to learn shooting with off-camera flash outdoors. I'm using a Yongnuo YN560 IV flash and YN560-TX transmitter. I'm shooting in Manual on bright, sunny day. I tried using flash as fill to ...
Jay Kalasnik's user avatar
5 votes
3 answers
451 views

What to look for in a starter-level off-camera flash?

I have zero experience with flash and want to learn how to use it from zero, for example by following the Strobist blog. What are the absolutely necessary specifications I should look for when ...
Brandon's user avatar
  • 2,460
4 votes
4 answers
2k views

What off-camera flash solution should I use with an entry-level Nikon?

I want to start experimenting with off-camera flash and have a Nikon SB600 + D3000. I plan to upgrade my body in the next year so would like to purchase something which is: a) wireless, and b) will ...
codecowboy's user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
1k views

What is the difference between the YN560Tx and the YN-E3-RT?

I know that the Yongnuo YN560-TX Manual Flash Controller is to control multiple flash units, and that the Yongnuo YN-E3-RT Speedlite Transmitter is also to control multiple flash units. My ...
Florian Mertens's user avatar
2 votes
3 answers
10k views

What setups work to trigger a Profoto B1 and Canon 600EX-RT Speedlights together from canon body

Given a Profoto B1, a Profoto AIR Remote TTL-C, and some Canon 600EX-RT , what configurations work with triggering these items together. Additional items are allowed (slave triggers, pocket wizards, ...
Jafin's user avatar
  • 143
2 votes
3 answers
19k views

What Yongnuo flash and trigger works with the Panasonic GH4

I am so confused - I'm fairly new to the whole camera trigger thing, as well as new to Yongnuo and the GH4, but here's my thing: All I want to do is figure out what I need if I want to control 2 or 3 ...
user3833000's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
641 views

The combination of transmitters to fire AND control Canon 430EX III-RT and Yongnuo YN-560 IV

I'm having a hard time figuring out how to expand my flash system which is currently very modest - it only consists of Canon 430EX III-RT flash. I'm planning to buy 2 Yongnuo YN-560 IV flashes and ...
Mariusz Ignatowicz's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
1k views

Can I trigger Yongnuo YN-622N and YN-622C together at the same time?

I am a Nikon user and my friend uses Canon. If we use Yongnuo YN-622N & YN-622C can we trigger both the Nikon and Canon flashes at the same time?
Remus Rigo's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
925 views

Canon 5D mkIII: Preview initially look underexposed when shooting flash

I was shooting today using two off-camera speedlites fired using radio-triggers. Images were captured in RAW. Mode was AV. I have the camera set to display the captured image for a few seconds ...
mooie's user avatar
  • 1,290
17 votes
3 answers
2k views

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. ;...
Vetle's user avatar
  • 375
12 votes
4 answers
29k views

Can I trigger my flash with an iPhone?

I have a Canon 430EX flash and an iPhone 5. I really enjoy the quality of the camera in daylight, but of course in low light conditions the built in LED flash is quite poor. So would it be possible to ...
dpollitt's user avatar
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11 votes
4 answers
10k views

What are the effects of umbrella size?

I keep seeing shoot thru an reflecting umbrellas in sizes around 33", 36", 42" and even larger. Many of the kits (stand, clamp, umbrella) I see around have the smaller size umbrellas. Strobist.com ...
Mike's user avatar
  • 1,403
10 votes
3 answers
365 views

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 ...
anon's user avatar
  • 1,851
9 votes
2 answers
3k views

Are there any radio flash triggers capable of P-TTL?

All the popular radio TTL flash triggers, like PocketWizard or RadioPopper, seem to be only available in Nikon and Canon flavors. Are there any models capable of transmitting Pentax P-TTL data?
Imre's user avatar
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8 votes
7 answers
31k views

When and why should I consider buying a speedlight/external flash?

I am just a hobbyist in photography. And I do not have specific interest areas (as of now). So while looking for different things to try with photography, I kept coming across things which require use ...
Sudarshan Kadam's user avatar
7 votes
3 answers
25k views

How to use old flash units with Digital SLR?

I got some old flash units (e.g. Metz 30bct-3) that I won on eBay along with some older slr cameras. The flash units are in good condition. I thought of using them with my Canon 600D but heard about ...
Nitin Kumar's user avatar
  • 1,216
6 votes
1 answer
2k views

How do I compare the output of an LED panel with that of a flash?

How do I compare the output of an LED panel with that of a conventional hotshoe flash? I haven't been paying attention to the LED panels, but they've been on the market long enough so that I'm ...
Eric's user avatar
  • 3,810
6 votes
3 answers
3k views

Why does using my slave flash darken the image?

Why does my slave flash at full power actually seem to darken the image? The camera (Lumix G1) is set to M-Mode, forced flash at -2, f6, 1/30s. I set my external flash (Nissin Di466 FT) to slave mode ...
Stiefel's user avatar
  • 205
6 votes
4 answers
1k views

Why did this image turn out darker?

In this tutorial on creating christmas themed images the author describes how she adjusted her exposure settings to add more weight to the christmas lights She says she went from f/2.8 and 1/3 of a ...
Levon's user avatar
  • 269
5 votes
3 answers
2k views

How does commander mode on a Nikon camera body differ from commander mode a on SB-700 Speedlight?

My Nikon D80 and new Nikon SB-700 both offer Commander mode. I have two questions: When NOT in wireless mode (that is, when the flash is plugged into the hot shoe either directly or with a cable), ...
anon's user avatar
  • 1,851
5 votes
5 answers
2k views

How can I shoot in a studio at the widest apertures?

I ran into a limitation while shooting a newborn baby this weekend. I was indoors next to a set of windows. I was also using an off camera flash on a stand through an umbrella. The flash was a Canon ...
dpollitt's user avatar
  • 46.4k
5 votes
1 answer
2k views

How to get beautiful even and soft lighting on face?

How do I get bright even and soft light on a face like this? Image taken from this link I got the exact same equipment but I wasn't able to reproduce the result. First I tried lighting it from ...
erotsppa's user avatar
  • 3,278
5 votes
2 answers
17k views

What do I need to trigger a remote flash with a Nikon D3100?

I'd like to get into doing some remote lighting, but really don't get the best way to do it. I've got a Nikon D3100, so no "commander mode" with the built-in flash. My current external flash is a SB-...
user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
178 views

What to look for in a flash battery pack?

I have never had one but have seen it on flash stands of other photographers. So my assumption is that it brings more power to faster recycle time to shoot faster with flash. I wanted to buy one but ...
Brandon's user avatar
  • 2,460
4 votes
2 answers
340 views

Will using a CTO gel help make my flash less distracting in a cafe?

I sometimes encounter a situation where using a flash would greatly enhance the pictures because of the low ambient light, but I don't use the flash as it is mighty distracting in a low-light cafe/bar ...
Saaru Lindestøkke's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
710 views

Would it be better to use hotshoe flashes or studio lights for a product shoot?

I need to make some shots of headwear for a website. Pictures are basically something put on the dummy head. I don't need super-professional pictures but I want something reasonably good, better than ...
mb14's user avatar
  • 133
2 votes
1 answer
602 views

How do I set the ID on a Godox X1R receiver?

I've learned about Godox ID codes acting as a digital filter on top of the analog radio channels to stop someone else nearby on the same channel from firing my lights. I know how to set an ID on my ...
inkista's user avatar
  • 50.7k
2 votes
4 answers
432 views

What are some interesting things to try with a basic flashgun?

I've just got a relatively cheap, basic flashgun (TTL only) and a TTL cord. What are some interesting/enlightening (pardon the pun) exercises to try in order to illustrate the benefits of off-camera ...
ElendilTheTall's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
2k views

Is a Yongnuo YN560-TX compatible with Canon SL3 or T100?

Is a Yongnuo YN560-TX radio transmitter compatible with a Canon SL3/250D or T100/4000D?
Shadrack M's user avatar
2 votes
3 answers
1k views

Are any of the common third-party flash systems with radio-trigger capability inofficially multi-platform?

There is a rather confusing mess of flashgun+wireless sets sold under various brands (eg Godox, Neewer,....), usually described as preflash/digital-TTL capable for a certain camera platform. Can any ...
rackandboneman's user avatar
2 votes
3 answers
2k views

Is a TTL wireless flash trigger something meaningless?

I have a couple TTL flashes (Nikon SB-910s) and also a a couple of PocketWizards but I see on the internet that there are triggers that support TTL and that confuses me. If I am understanding ...
user1899082's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
148 views

Can vintage strobes damage wireless receivers?

It is well documented that some old strobes can damage digital cameras. However, I couldn't find information about any potential damage from using a wireless transmitter on camera and receivers or ...
Reed -SE is a Fish on Dry Land's user avatar
1 vote
4 answers
9k views

What adapter can I use to mount my flash on a tripod?

I had a Nikon D90 with and SB910 Speed light. To trigger my flash remotely, I had a Yongnuo remote trigger. I used to have a Ravelli tripod for my camera, but I recently upgraded it to a Vanguard ...
Teja Kantamneni's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
1k views

Do TTL flashes always "count" as a single pre-flash?

My Sony speedlight will only trigger off-camera with a TTL signal. I'm looking to expand my controlled-lighting arsenal with other speedlights and monolights that all have the ability to optically ...
feetwet's user avatar
  • 3,583