How to choose a flash for lighting. Types of flashes for cameras. Macro flashes can be distinguished as a separate category of flashes.

Sooner or later, many passionate photographers think about
about buying an external flash for your camera.

Indeed, an external flash gives the photographer tremendous opportunities. You can read about the main types of flash for a camera in the last article, and in this article we will talk about the advantages of an external flash and tell you how to choose a flash for your camera. To understand the huge lineup when choosing a flash, you need to pay attention to some important characteristics:

1. Leading number - This is the main characteristic of the flash, indicating the maximum distance in meters from which the correct exposure can be obtained at ISO 100 and diaphragm 1 ... Simply put, the larger the guide number, the higher the maximum flash output.

2. TTL function - a function that allows the camera device to meter exposure and sets the flash power. Sometimes the flash makes a preliminary impulse to assess the degree of illumination in the scene.

3. Automatic Zoom - This is the ability to automatically adjust the angle of illumination of the flash. In some models of flash units there is a possibility of adjustment, which can be carried out in two modes: manual and automatic. The automatic adjustment mode implies adjusting the flash illumination angle to the angle of view of the camera lens and the flash will automatically adjust to the frame you are shooting.

4. Minimum recharge time - This characteristic is especially important if you plan to shoot reports. It depends on whether you will be in time " to catch ”The frame you want or not.

5. Exposure control - The function describes the available flash shooting modes. For example:

- suppression of the effect " red eye»
- automatic high speed sync FP
- different kinds synchronization
- blocking power flashes and others.

6. Swivel head

The swivel head on the external flash allows you to change the direction of the light flow. You will be able to change the direction of the light: aim the flash head not at the target of the picture, but at the ceiling or to the side.

How to choose a flash for
Your camera?

This concludes the description of the main characteristics. Depending on the model, there are also additional functions that do not make much sense to describe. You can simply list them: test preflashes, test firing, auxiliary illumination AF, modeling light and others.

Depending on the purpose of the flashes
they can be divided into three classes:

- Budget models

In fact, they are completely useless, since almost all flash units in this category lack the ability to rotate the flash head. The cost of such models is within 2000-3000 rub. You will not be able to direct the flash to the ceiling or to the side, and this differs little from a budget flash from a built-in camera, except for the power, of course.

- Semi-professional flashes

A good choice for amateurs, as changing the position of the flash head - you can aim the flash at the ceiling, and its power is sufficient to provide sufficient light to illuminate the entire frame. Therefore, if you have a camera Nikon then we recommend - Nikon SB-910 Speedlight... This is a full-featured powerful flash that can be deployed to 180 degrees in both directions, which makes it flexible when reflecting light.

- Professional flashes

Such flashes are used by professional reportage photographers... They have a lot of power, quickly recharge, and also have extensive settings and the ability to connect an external battery pack. The best choice for professional flash Canon- photo flash Canon 580EX II Speedlite. This flash can also be deployed to 180 degrees in both directions. This function is available only in expensive models. Thus, opt for " Native outbreaks", as experience shows their stable and efficient work.

There is also a separate
flash type - Macro flash.

When using a regular flash, the light comes from the top of the lens and if you are shooting a small object, the light may simply not hit it. Therefore, for lovers of macro photography, you need a flash that is attached to the lens itself and its light will go directly to the subject. The result is stunning macro shots of flowers, plants or insects. Therefore, when choosing a flash, you must clearly define the objectives. Whether you need a flash for macro photography, just for shooting friends or for serious reportage shooting.

Choosing an external flash for a camera - this is a task many owners of "DSLRs" face. In this article we will analyze - what are external flashes, how they differ from each other, and for what purposes they are used, so that you can make the most informed choice! Photo enthusiasts also call this device "blitz" or "puff".

Actually, most devices already have a built-in flash. What makes people “cheat” on her, how can an external flash be more useful than the built-in flash of your camera?

Flash intensity (guide number)

First of all, almost any external flash is much more powerful (brighter) than the built-in solution. However, external flashes also have a different power, called the "guide number" of the camera flash. To quote Wikipedia, then guide number is the maximum distance in meters from the flash to the subject at which a normally exposed image of an average (18% gray) subject is obtained at ISO 100 and f / 1 aperture. All in all this indicator characterizes the maximum energy of the light pulse of the given flash unit, and for us this is the main thing!

This is the first and essential characteristic flash. Often - the leading number of a camera flash even appears in its name.

For example : Canon EX 580 II... Her guide number equals 58, and such a flash is considered quite powerful... And at the flash Metz mecablitz 36 AF-5 guide number - equals 36 - this flash counts as " average", But also much more powerful than any built-in one. For comparison, let's say the guide number of the built-in flash in Nikon camera D5100 - equals 12.

The more powerful the flash, the more voluminous rooms you can use it to illuminate, the more distant objects you can illuminate

But power is not the only characteristic to look out for when choosing and buying a flash.

Flash Compatibility

The second most important characteristic is the compatibility of the flash unit with your camera. Yes, almost all Canon flashes are compatible with Canon cameras, but if you buy a Metz or Sigma flash, it's important not to be mistaken! Some manufacturers of photographic supplies - such as Metz, or Sigma, Acmepower- they produce flashes for cameras of different manufacturers, and they are not compatible with each other, since their attachment system to the camera is different!

It is recommended to use flash units - manufactured by the same manufacturer as the camera itself, this will provide the clearest, smoothest firing experience. Although, with financial constraints, you can choose third-party manufacturers.

Swivel head

Some - the cheapest flashes - do not have a swivel head, and therefore you can shoot with such a flash only "head-on", which is not always good, such flashes are best used as additional ones (if you are shooting with more than one flash).

For everyday use- I recommend choosing a flash with a swivel head, and with such that the angle of rotation of the head upward is at least 90 degrees. And so that on the sides it also rotates freely - all 180 degrees. This will help you create different lighting effects.

Manual zoom

A good flash should have manual zoom capability. Flash “zoom” is used when - when you are using zoom lenses or multiple fixed focus lenses - the zoom mechanism adjusts the flash to the specific angle of view of the lens, “focusing” with the lens. But sometimes this mechanism may not work the way you want - for this it is desirable to be able to manually correct the "zoom".

In the characteristics of a photographic flash, you can often see the maximum and minimum angles of illumination, or the focal lengths of lenses - to which the flash can be adjusted. For example: 28 - 85 mm. The smaller the first number, and the larger the second, the better, the more convenient it will be to work with different lenses.

Wide angle diffuser (diffuser)

The diffuser - aka the diffuser - is a highly desirable element of a flash. With it, you can get the most uniform illumination when using a wide-angle lens.

Wide-angle camera flash adapter

Flash power control

Usually TTL, E-TTL, and manual. E-TTL, and manual setting flash power - extremely useful in day-to-day work.

Synchronization type

It happens "on the front curtain" and "on the rear curtain" of the shutter. Better to be able to customize both options. Having both is a must for some artistic effects.

Ability to act as master or slave flash unit

During a photo shoot - sometimes you need to use several flashes - at the same time. For example - at. For this case - most external flashes - have a special stand, and almost all flashes can work as additional (slave) ones - flashing simultaneously with the master flash, but not all (especially - not all built-in ones) they can be "master" - and "ignite" other external flashes.

Stroboscope

The stroboscope function is not superfluous for some photographic effects, but you should not pay much attention to it.

Powering the camera flash

It is desirable that the flash can be powered by AA batteries and rechargeable batteries. Then, if necessary, you can buy them anywhere.

Also pay attention to the number of operations from one set of batteries. The larger it is, the better. Auto power off will also help your flash conserve battery power.

Dust and moisture resistant

Not many flash units boast a dust / water resistant design. Such pleasure is worth the money ...

Camera flash price

The more flash power, and the more other functions, "bells and whistles" - the more expensive the blitz, so before buying it is important to decide which of the functions you will need, so as not to waste money.

Availability of flash accessories

For example - the presence of a bracket for installing the puff from the side of the camera, the presence of an external shoe cable, an additional external power supply ... all this must be taken into account - if necessary.

Let's take as an example - a set of accessories for the Canon 580EX II flash

Flash Accessories for Canon 580 EX II

Speedlite 580EX II (On-camera / Master)
Speedlite Transmitter ST-E2. Dedicated transmitter for wireless remote control remote flash units 580EX II / 430EX.
Compact battery pack CP-E4. Compact and lightweight portable external battery pack. Provides the same level of dust and moisture resistance as the 580EX II. Accepts eight AA size alkaline or Ni-MH rechargeable batteries. Lithium AA batteries can also be used.
EX-series Speedlite with slave function.
Off-Camera Shoe Cable OC-E3. Allows connection to a 580EX II located within 60 cm / 2 feet of the camera. Provides the same level of dust and moisture resistance as the 580EX II. All the automatic functions of the EOS camera can be used.
Speedlite Bracket SB-E2

Macro flashes can be distinguished as a separate category of flashes.

Macro-flashes differ from the usual ones - in their design and purpose. Their power is less than that of conventional external flashes, but more is not required - after all, shooting is done on a very close range... But the choice of a macro flash for a camera is a separate topic ...

Checking the external flash

Flash check - in general, it is not a big deal, and there is no special wisdom here.

I recommend that when buying - attach a puff to your (necessarily - to YOUR!) Camera, set the settings to automatic, and try to photograph the seller or your friend - with a flash directed directly "to the forehead" - first from a distance of 1 meter, then from distance of 3 meters. If there are no overexposures in either case, then the flash can be safely taken!

Explanatory video on shooting with flash:

If you have any additional questions dedicated to the choice of flash, please ask them in the comments of this article!

Anyone who has dealt with photographic equipment, even in the form of a smartphone camera, knows that the quality of photographs is highly dependent on lighting. In low light, photos do not work or are of poor quality. In this case, the brighter the illuminated subject, the more scope for choosing settings. The lighting can be natural (like the sun) or artificial. Artificial lighting, in turn, can be constant or pulsed. Pulsed lighting is a variety of devices that can be combined general concept"flash". Our article will be about them.

To begin with, let's talk about the advantages and features of flash units.

Energy efficiency. The flash, as you can understand, works for a very short period of time. To be precise, this time is even faster than the shutter speed of a conventional camera. Therefore, the energy of the power source will not be wasted on creating a stream of light when it is not needed.

Unity of color temperature. All flashes have the same color temperature. That is, if you need to use several flashes at the same time, you can use different ones from different manufacturers.

Wide creative possibilities. The flashes have a high brightness, due to which you can use reflected light, or light that has passed through a diffuser. Flares can be brighter than direct sunlight: even in bright sunlight, you can create the kind of cut-off pattern you want.

Convenience. Modern flash units are reliable, easy to operate and inexpensive. For example, a pair of on-camera flash units are lighter than a set of interchangeable-lens lenses, but they offer just as much creativity.

As mentioned, all flash units are quite clearly divided into on-camera and studio flash units. Let's talk about them separately.

Camera flashes

Camera flashes, as the name implies, are mounted on a camera equipped with a so-called “hot shoe”. These mounts, despite the external similarity, have a different arrangement of electrical contacts, so on-camera flashes in most cases are designed for cameras of a certain manufacturer.

Taking a closer look at the mount of any flash, we will see that there are a lot of contacts, which makes it clear: they are used to transfer data. It's connected with automatic modes camera operation, which is described below.

As portable devices, on-camera flashes are lightweight, with a plastic body and optics.

When choosing a camera flash, pay attention to the following:

Focal length

Camera flashes with their own built-in optics can “adjust” to the equivalent focal length of the lens. Actually, in the flash settings, you can specify this focal length in order to use its power as efficiently as possible.

Leading number

This is a conventional value, measured in meters, that characterizes the flash power.

In the main characteristics of on-camera flashes, the guide number is always indicated at the maximum flash zoom, since it is simply larger. This is worth paying attention to. Therefore, modern flashes with a guide number of 60 per focal length The 200 mm flash is the same as the previous generation flash units with a guide number of 58 x 120 mm.

Modes

The input for the sync cable is a 3.5 mm jack, less often a 6.3 mm jack (similar to a headphone audio jack). When its contacts are closed, the flash will fire. To do this, cameras may have a so-called PC connector, which is connected to the flash with a sync cable to synchronize the flash with the triggering of the camera connector.

For simple studio shooting tasks, so-called flash lamps can be used. It is an E27 flash unit that is both low cost and easy to use. The disadvantage of such flashes is low power.

conclusions

Considering the main characteristics of modern flares, you come to the conclusion that they do not change so much over time. For example, ten years ago, the functionality of on-camera and studio flashes was very similar to what we have now. However, with the arrival of Chinese manufacturers, something very important has changed - the price. It decreased three to four times, both for on-camera and studio flashes (relative to the cost of cameras and lenses). As a result, shooting with artificial lighting became available, many people buy studio lights for personal use. So, if you are thinking about how to realize the creative possibilities of your camera, we advise you to take a closer look at the various flash units.

> Unlike continuous illumination, flash creates a beam of transient light that photographers use in a wide variety of situations to obtain a technical high-quality pictures... Flashes are used not only for studio photography, but also when shooting on location, in bright sunny weather, with a lack of lighting and many other situations. Experienced photographers will certainly be aware that not all flash units are suitable for all cameras. Requires compatible flash and camera models.

Camera Compatibility

Racks and brackets

When planning your budget for buying lighting, keep in mind that you may need to invest a little in a rack and umbrella.

Most flashes come with stands.

This allows the flash to be placed on a flat surface such as a table or on the floor. If your flash model does not come with a stand, or if you prefer more flexibility, you have to. They are generally inexpensive and reliable enough.

The swivel umbrella arm is another useful accessory for studio and open air photography. We had an article in our blog about special flash holders. While it is certainly possible to use a regular flash stand with ease, it is still worth buying a stand to be able to change the angle of the flash relative to the subject.

The flash head can be rotated in a convenient direction due to the adapter bracket, through which, in fact, the flash is mounted on the stand. Such a bracket can also be equipped with a socket for mounting an umbrella. The use of umbrellas in photography gives the photographer the opportunity to fulfill a wider range of tasks and bring their portrait shots to a higher technical level. As an option, a photographer should always consider purchasing a softbox for on-camera flash.

This is a good modifier for on-camera flash and is becoming the standard and good form for sequential shooting. Umbrellas and softboxes for on-camera flashes are easier to use, quite mobile, so they do not take up much space and are widely used for photo sessions on the road.

Almost all modern cameras are equipped with built-in flashes, but their power is rather low. Reportage and artistic photography require the use of powerful external flashes, which we will talk about in this article.

External flashes provide many more options - for example, their light can be directed in the desired direction, not just forward. In addition, their power significantly expands the space in which the photographer can express himself.

In the next section, we will talk about all the important technical characteristics flash units, and at the end we present to your attention ten excellent models for cameras of different manufacturers and wallets of different thicknesses. It is worth noting, however, that it is better to choose the flash yourself - you need to take into account both the reputation of its manufacturer and the shooting conditions.

Key features to look out for

Compatibility

The first thing to be sure about when buying a flash is its compatibility with the camera you want to use it with. Some flash units can only be used with models from one manufacturer, others are universal and can be connected to different cameras thanks to a special mount.

For example, Canon flashes are only for Canon cameras but some third-party flash units can be designed for a wider range of devices. Naturally, compatibility is always indicated in the documentation and on the packaging - check this information before making your final choice.

Fastening

The vast majority of modern flashes are mounted directly on camera bodies using special "shoes", which usually provide also electronic contact for synchronizing all structural elements.

The most powerful and heaviest flashes, however, can be mounted on a thread or on a stand - separately from the camera, for example, on some kind of tripod. They are synchronized using a cable or wireless connection. Such flashes are used when you really need a lot of light.

There are also flashes that are attached to the lens - two-lamp and circular. They are used to take pictures of various objects up close.

Flash type

Dual-lamp and circular flashes, as we wrote above, are great for macro photography. The position of the two lamps can be changed to achieve the desired lighting angles, and the circular flash allows for even illumination without shadows.

Also on sale you can find special flashes for shooting underwater and flashes that provide constant light. It all depends on what exactly the photographer needs, and in what conditions he is going to take pictures.

Leading number

One of the main parameters of any flash. The guide number is a conditional characteristic that describes the intensity of the flash light. It is obtained by multiplying the distance to the subject (the maximum distance at which the lighting is acceptable) by the f-number.

Leading number for inexpensive built-in flashes compact cameras is 10-12, more expensive mirror models- up to 20. The guide number for external flashes is usually (significantly) above 20.

Recharge

Flash recharging speed depends on flash electronics, capacitor, power source, and many other factors. This parameter will be important for those who take a lot of pictures in a short period of time - for example, when shooting reportage. In this case, the less maximum speed the recharge the better.

Also pay attention to the flash duration. It depends on the operating mode of the device and should not be less than the time for which the camera shutter opens. Again, it all depends on how you shoot.

Display

The flash has its own display allows you to see all the settings and information about the operating mode - it is much easier to handle such a flash. Some displays are equipped with a backlight that allows you to work in the dark.

Dimensions and weight

Weight and size of flashes, depending on the type, price category and the purpose can vary greatly. V general case they are not so important, but they should be considered if you often have to carry your camera and accessories to it in your bag or backpack.

Swivel head

The presence of a swivel head will allow you to change the tilt angle of the flash, resulting in a different lighting of the scene. In many cases, this also allows for more natural lighting. The more possible angles of rotation, the better, but not all photographers can use them - you should not overpay.

Synchronization

All modern flash units "communicate" with the camera through an electronic interface, coordinating the triggering with other elements of the device. An important function in some cases is FP-sync, which allows the flash to go into strobe mode, illuminating the scene at a very high frequency. This makes it possible to shoot in burst mode - several frames per second.

Also, the flashes can synchronize their work with the front or rear curtain of the shutter. This allows you to get the effect of blurring the background of an object as it moves.

As mentioned above, some models have a special connector for connecting a sync cable. These flash units are usually mounted on their own tripods, not on the camera.

If you want to use multiple flashes wirelessly in your work, some of them will be the “master” (master), and the rest - slave (of course, they must support these functions). The masters transmit all the necessary settings to the slaves using infrared transmitters. Also, a separate control unit can be used as a master flash.

Lighting angles

Some flash units support automatic lighting angle adjustment. Such models receive information about the angle of view of the lens from the camera and illuminate only it, which significantly saves battery or rechargeable battery power. Manual flash units will appeal to those photographers who want something extraordinary in the end. It is important to make sure that the flash illumination angle is at least equal to the field of view of your camera / lens.

Also on sale there are models with a wide-angle diffuser - a removable plate that optically increases the angle of illumination by diffusing light. This diffuser comes in handy when using a camera with a wide angle lens.

Support modes

Flash output can be automatically adjusted using TTL technology and its options. The principle is simple enough - when the camera's sensors pick up enough light, it sends this information to the flash, and it turns off.

For example, Canon models use E-TTL and E-TTL II (enhanced version), Canon models use D-TTL technology, Nikon models- i-TTL.

Most flashes allow you to manually adjust the power in case the camera does not support TTL. In this case, everything depends on the qualifications of the photographer. In difficult conditions for accurate calculations, the bracketing function can also be useful - when the system takes several pictures with different lighting powers.

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