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Thread: Beginer question on flash

  1. #1
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    Beginer question on flash

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    I'm thinking to buy external flash to use with my compact camera. I've been reading on sales section at clubsnap and realise it that not all flash worked with Digital camera. Could anyone advice me what to look for? How much is the typical flash cost? I saw at clubsnap people selling at $200~$300, so expensive Does different camera model require different flash model or all compatible?
    -Robert
    Aquascaping is a marriage between Art and Farming
    My Blog: http://aquatic-art.blogspot.com/

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    I am not 100% sure if all compact cameras can support external flashes.
    You will have to check with your camera manufacturer on that.

    A typical flash, in the case of Canon (in the 2nd hand market) is from 400 to 700 bucks depending on the model. For Nikon, it should be in that price range. But there are also 3rd party flashes which might be cheaper.

    Another cheaper alternative is to use slave flashes which might be able to be triggered by the on-board flash of your compact. But I have no experience with the usage, so can't provide you with much information.
    ~ Vincent ~ Fishes calm your mind...
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    Hi Vincent, from your discription seems like there are 2 type of external flash. One triggered by on-board flash called slave flash, the other one not driven by on board flash. I was fisrt though that all driven by on-board flash. Any idea whattriggered them? infra red?

    I' sure my compact camera do not have such option, thus slave flash is the only option. With slave flash, would on-board camera flash be reflected by the tank glass?
    -Robert
    Aquascaping is a marriage between Art and Farming
    My Blog: http://aquatic-art.blogspot.com/

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    Robert,
    Buying a slave flash to fill in is great, but have to be careful. I bought a Sunpak Remote II sometime ago for my Oly E-10 and it worked fine. Trouble starts when I changed my camera to a Fuji S6500fd and because of some differences they don't work together at all, picture turn out dark.
    So before you buy that slave unit, test it out and make sure they are compatible.
    BTW the slave unit cost $100 and works on 2 AA battries.

    Richard
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    Richard, care to elaborate on how a slave flash works so that Robert will have a better picture.
    ~ Vincent ~ Fishes calm your mind...
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/valice/





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    Robert,
    Slave unit is used when addition light is required or to remove shadow and it's usually placed away from the camera (remote) and nearer the subject.
    Slave flash unit works when the on board flash fires, the phototransistor in the slave unit sense the flash from the master flash and trigger off the slave unit.
    Hope that helps.
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    Richard
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    Thanks Richard, does it mean there is possibilities that slave flash response slover than the shutter speed? Or maybe not, speed of light is very fast.
    -Robert
    Aquascaping is a marriage between Art and Farming
    My Blog: http://aquatic-art.blogspot.com/

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    Robert,
    The slave unit will fire a few microseconds after the on board flash fires. Flash speed is roughly 1/2500 so it's much faster than the shutter.
    Richard
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    Richard
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    http://www.trident.smugmug.com/

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    Robert,
    To play safe, bring your camera down to the shops where you want to buy your slave flash from and try it out to see if it works or not. If you're buying slave flash that fires based on optics alone, you don't need those expensive kinds because you will have to set the flash settings manually anyway. But those cheap old types will do. Those few hundred dollars flash from Nikon or Canon usually have build in a lot of things that can allow the flash to fire at correct light, etc, which you cannot do using your compact camera.

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    flash sync speed is usually 1/200 - 1/250s, not 1/2500.
    why I don't do garden hybrids and aquarium strains: natural species is a history of Nature, while hybrids are just the whims of Man.
    hexazona · crumenatum · Galleria Botanica

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    I think he mean the flash light speed is 1/2500.

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    Luenny,
    Thanks, I was referring to the flash light speed.
    Richard
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    http://www.trident.smugmug.com/

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    Remember, you camera will not take the readings from the slave flash as no pre-flash will be shot.
    Using slave flash, your pictures will be prone to over or under exposure. I was using dual slave flash for my underwater pictures. I can only say it wont be easy on a compact camera taking aquarium fishes. Your built-in flash is not suppose to fire as it will cause very bad reflection/glare/ghosting if place at wrong angle.
    Cheers and Regards,
    Billy Cheong

    I'm not always dumb,
    Just most of the time...

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