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The built in flashes ( the little pop up things ) on digital SLRs are one of the big drawbacks to buying a digital SLR because these tiny built in flashes are for the most part poor to very bad . Flash coverage from them is often a joke & lets you take pictures up to around a maximum of 10 feet . They are usefull for basic fill in flash outdoors but indoors you need to be very close to your subject to get a decent picture .
The only way to overcome this flash problem is to buy an add on flash that fits on your digital SLRs flash hot shoe . There are various types availble to fit most cameras but we have narowed this down to a select few for each make of camera ... see the best buys below or the list at the bottom of this page for the flashes we think offer the best in terms of performance & value for money .
So - now for some answers to questions you may have ...
- FLASH GUIDE NUMBER . Most flashes including built in pop up ones have a guide number . This number is approximatley the maximum distance you can take pictures indoors with the flash to get sharp images from your camera . You can make this distance much more if you up the ISO setting on your camera to 400 which will then more than double the distance . So - if the flashes guide number is 20 then you can take a sharp image around 20 feet away or a grainy looking image ( setting the cameras ISO to 400 ) at around 40 feet away .
- BOUNCE & SWIVEL FLASH GUNS . Almost everyone seems to think that to take great portrait pictures you need to use a bounce or swivel flash gun & then aim the flash at a cieling to bounce it on to your subjects face . Why though ???? . By aiming the flash at a cieling firsly you are greatly reducing the distance the flash will work because the distance then becomes the distance from the flash to the cieling to the subject . You are also risking creating dreadfull shadows from your subjects hair or nose or chin . We would adivise anyone to not use the bounce or swivel facility on your flash gun unless you are a pro photographer . Best is to just use the flash in its normal front on position & so get more distance a probably less shadows .
- HARSH SHADOWS FROM FLASHES . Most flashes will give harsh shadows - this becomes more apparent when your subject is infront of a light background or light wall . One very low cost way of reducing the harshness is to put a piece of single ply toilet paper over the flash . This will reduce the flash output & half the distance you can take a picture but it will also reduce the harsh shadowing .
Please note that the prices listed are as up to date as we can possibly make them but are subject to change without notice . For our very latest price on any Camera please call us on : 01978 264242 Monday to Saturday - 8.30am to 6pm ... or email us at : vostro@btopenworld.com .
Metz 36 C-2 ( shown above ) ... £49 . Multi fit flash gun with a single contact point so that it will fit on almost any Camera Hot Shoe . You will then have to set the camera manualy ... f stop of approximatley 5.6 ... shutter speed of approximatley 125th second ( depending on your camera ) . Maximum flash distance is around 35 feet . Bounce type head . Ideal foe low cost general purpose use .
Cullmann 20 AF Digital ( shown above ) ... £29 . Available to fit ... Nikon D , Olympus E , Sony Alpha . Fully dedicated flash that works in the cameras fully automatic mode just like the cameras built in flash . Maximum flash distance is around 20 feet so this small flash gun is fairly powerfull & is ideal for genral no hastle home or holiday use .
Cullmann D-4500 ( shown above ) ... £89 . Available to fit ... Canon D , Nikon D , Sony Alpha , .Powerfull flash gun that is fully dedicated to your camera & works in the same way as your cameras built in flash . Bounce , swivel , zoom flash head . Maximum flash distance is around 35 feet . Very easy to sue with a powerfull auto focus iluminator to help focus in low light .
Canon 580 EX ( shown above ) ... £369 . Available to fit ... Canon D . Incredibly powerfull flash gun for pro users . Maximum flash distance even with a low ISO setting is around 55 feet . Fully dedicated to your camera . Loads of user settings on the built in LCD display on the back of the flash . Miles too complicated for general use but fabulous for a pro photographer . Superbly made . Very fast flash recycle times for fast using . Automatic zoom built in flash for perfect flash coverage when using a zoom lens .
Nikon SB-600 ( shown above ) ... £209 . Available to fit ... Nikon D . Powerfull flash with a a maximum flash distance of around 32 feet . Fully dedicated to your camera so it can be used just like your cameras built in flash . Very easy to use . Various user settings on the flashes built in LCD display . Automatic zoom flash built in for perfect flash coverage when using zoom lesnses ranging from around 18-55 ( digital lens ) . Fast flash recycle times for fast using . Superbly made . Ideal for the ardent amateur or semi pro photographer .
| DIGITAL FLASHES | ||
| PRICE | TO FIT | MAKE / MODEL |
| £49.00 | CAN NON DED | METZ 36 C2 AUTO RANGE |
| £79.00 | CAN NON DED | NISSIN di 466 |
| £89.00 | CAN EOS D | CULLMANN D4500 |
| £189.00 | CAN EOS D | CANON 430EX MK II |
| £319.00 | CAN EOS D | CANON 580EX MKII |
| £29.00 | NIKON D | CULLMAN 20 AF-O |
| £79.00 | NIKON D | NISSIN di 466 |
| £89.00 | NIKON D | CULLMANN D4500 |
| £209.00 | NIKON D | NIK SB-600 |
| £349.00 | NIKON D | NIK SB-900 |
| £29.00 | OM E SERIES | CULLMAN 20 AF-O |
| £89.00 | OM E SERIES | CULLMANN D4500 |
| £179.00 | PAN FZ30-FZ50 | PANASON FL-360 |
| £49.00 | PANA NON DED | METZ 36 C2 AUTO RANGE |
| £49.00 | PENT NON DED | METZ 36 C2 AUTO RANGE |
| £89.00 | PENT NON DED | CULLMANN D4500 |
| £49.00 | SAM NON DED | METZ 36 C2 AUTO RANGE |
| £29.00 | SONY ALPHA | CULLMAN 20 AF-S |
| £89.00 | SONY ALPHA | CULLMANN D4500 |