{"id":8835,"date":"2016-03-02T10:16:22","date_gmt":"2016-03-02T10:16:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dev.wordpress\/?p=8835"},"modified":"2022-11-28T17:02:16","modified_gmt":"2022-11-28T22:02:16","slug":"quickstart-guide-to-speedlights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/quickstart-guide-to-speedlights\/","title":{"rendered":"A Quickstart Guide to Using a Speedlight"},"content":{"rendered":"

Light is essential for any photographic genre and, in many situations, sunlight or ambient light isn\u2019t enough. The sunlight\u2019s direction may not flatter the subject or fit your composition. Or you may simply need to take photographs on an overcast day, at dusk or dawn, or in a dark interior. For all these situations and many others, you need an additional light source to create high-quality photos and fulfill your artistic vision \u2014 enter the speedlight<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Although your professional camera has a built-in flash, using it isn\u2019t always the best option. To begin with, the built-in flash is the least-performing flash unit available for your camera model. It also creates a harsh unidirectional beam of light going from the camera to the subject. You can\u2019t change its position and create a more interesting lighting setup. So, you need a more versatile flash unit.<\/p>\n

What is a Speedlight?<\/h2>\n

A speedlight<\/strong> is an external flash unit you can either mount on top of the camera (hot shoe) or another support (cold shoe). It is a portable, light, and battery-powered flash.\u00a0The name \u2018speedlight\u2019 technically belongs to Nikon<\/a>, who came up with it in the 1960s to refer to all independent Nikon flash units. Canon<\/a> uses the term \u2018Speedlite.\u2019 The other brands use either of these terms with no reference to Nikon or Canon.<\/p>\n

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Types of Flash<\/h2>\n

Speedlights are of two types: with TTL technology<\/strong> and without, referred to as Manual<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

TTL (Through-The-Lens) technology<\/strong> allows the camera to control the flash. Similar to other automatic camera modes (Auto, Aperture Priority, and Shutter Priority), you let the camera use its metering system and decide the best settings for the flash.<\/p>\n

For an accurate evaluation, the camera needs to see the flash abilities. Therefore, you half-press the shutter release button to trigger the flash. The camera measures the amount of light available in the scene and the flash power and decides how much more or less light it needs to get the right exposure. Then, it sets the flash accordingly. When you press the shutter completely, the flash fires again using the last setup, and the camera records the photo.<\/p>\n

Using TTL flash units increase your reaction speed and help you take photos on the go. You don\u2019t have to change flash settings for each photo, which allows you to move fast from one shot to another. It\u2019s a nice asset for event photographers, for example. On the other hand, when you don\u2019t control the flash, you risk getting errors. The most common TTL flash disadvantages are overexposed subjects with washed-out colors and unwanted dark backgrounds.<\/p>\n

Manual flash<\/strong> units don\u2019t rely on the camera\u2019s metering system. They rely on you<\/em>. You are responsible for setting the flash power for each shot. While it may take some time and patience to get it right, using a manual flash has a few benefits. Among them is being in control of the power of the flash, creating artistic effects, and eliminating mistakes due to accurate readings of the available light. However, if you don\u2019t do it right, you can also ruin your shots by using the wrong flash settings.<\/p>\n

On-Camera vs. Off-Camera Flash<\/h2>\n

You can mount a speedlight on the camera’s hot shoe and use it as you would normally use the built-in flash. Or, you can use the speedlight off-camera. Both setups have advantages and drawbacks.<\/p>\n

An on-camera flash<\/strong> creates a frontal illumination of the subject. The light intensity decreases with distance (flash falloff), meaning that objects close to the camera receive more light than far away objects.<\/p>\n

If you have a short camera-subject distance and need a dark background (e.g., commercial photographs, still life, macro photographs of inanimate subjects, etc.), the on-camera flash is a good choice. It concentrates the light on the subject and makes it stand out. However, if you photograph living subjects (e.g., people, babies, insects, pets, etc.), the powerful burst of light may startle them. You may need to step back and increase the camera-subject distance to protect the subject. Also, a TTL flash fires twice, which may be even more unpleasant.<\/p>\n

If you have a long camera-subject distance, the on-camera flash can\u2019t send enough light to the subject and becomes useless.<\/p>\n

Another drawback of on-camera flash is the limited directionality. Although a speedlight can tilt and rotate, its fixed position on top of the camera doesn\u2019t allow for lateral lighting, for example. It can only act as a primary light.<\/p>\n

An off-camera flash<\/strong> can be placed anywhere around the subject. Radio-controlled speedlights, for example, can be placed up to 98 feet (30 meters) from the camera, even behind obstacles. This allows for more complex lighting setups in which speedlights act as secondary light sources (e.g., hair lights, lateral lights, backlights, etc.). Because setup can take some time, off-camera flashes are usually used for planned photo sessions with stationary subjects (e.g., fashion photos, studio portraiture, fine art, etc.).<\/p>\n

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Photo by insung yoon on Unsplash<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What is Sync Speed?<\/h2>\n

Sync speed<\/strong> represents the fastest shutter speed you can use with a flash. The shutter speed<\/a> controls how long the sensor is exposed to light. To ensure that the flash fires at the exact same time when the sensor is exposed, cameras have a control system called flash sync. Most cameras can synchronize the flash and shutter up to a shutter speed of 1\/200 or 1\/250 seconds. This is the native or normal sync speed.<\/p>\n

However, sometimes you may need to use the flash with shutter speeds faster than 1\/200 or 1\/250 seconds. For this, you need a flash with High Sync Speed (HSS). HSS is a function that allows you to use the speedlight with the fastest shutter speed of your camera. Instead of synchronizing the firing of the flash with the full opening of the shutter, HSS fires the flash in a high-speed burst throughout the time the shutter is fully or partially opened. The time between consecutive fires is so short that the camera perceives continuous illumination.<\/p>\n

HSS is useful when the background is brighter than the subject or the subject is moving. However, keep in mind that the flash recharge cycle is longer with HSS.<\/p>\n

Wireless Flash Controls<\/h2>\n

Speedlights have wireless controls to maintain the connection with the camera even when they are off the camera. The most common types are:<\/p>\n