How much has an external flash changed your photography?

[MICKEY88]

I honestly believe if folks took more time to learn flash photography it wouldn't be as disparaged as it seems to be.

the key to that is using flash as fill, not as main light source It definitely deserves a spot in our tool box as an option. It also has a raised a modest interest in the lighting involved in studio work. I'm not able to move that way yet, but I'm thinking about it.

 

[NateNLogansDad]

So, before I left for work tonight I showed my wife a picture of my new toy. She in turn informed me that I'm not allowed to sit next to her with that big thing on top of my camera! Wth?
She keeps asking me why I need....maybe i should get her to read Understanding Exposure

 

[JoeDif]

So, before I left for work tonight I showed my wife a picture of my new toy. She in turn informed me that I'm not allowed to sit next to her with that big thing on top of my camera! Wth?
She keeps asking me why I need....maybe i should get her to read Understanding Exposure

 

[NateNLogansDad]

Deleted-somehow I double posted an hour later

 

[Groucho]

It's a little late for this thread, but I would not buy a third party flash... there have been too many times where there are incompatabilities with newer bodies and they need to be sent in to Sigma/Metz/whoever to get updated. The DSLR builders have little reason to care too much whether or not the third-party stuff works properly, and much of the third-party stuff is reverse-engineered so is not guaranteed to work as reliably.

Now, if you're using Cactus triggers or some other thing and just care about getting basic lighting, then obviously it doesn't matter... but if you're after your custom TTL and off-camera, I would be inclined to dig a little deeper and get the real thing just to save potential future problems... even if that means going for a used one. (And I'm someone who is generally perfectly content to go third-party for any number of things.)

To get back to the original question... most of the time, the flash does little for me because I don't use it very much. In fact, I didn't put mine on my camera a single time on my last WDW trip. There were a couple times where it might have been nice to have (for fill flash, usually) but not enough to throw it in the bag in the morning. However, I did use it a lot at the wedding I shot recently, especially for special effects like rear curtain flash while rotating the camera (giving a nice swirly look to the lights with sharp images of the people) and for off-camera stuff. The ability to have the onboard flash used only to trigger the remote and get full P-TTL (or whatever your brand calls it) is a lot of fun - I probably shoot that was as much or more than having it mounted directly on the hotshoe. Of course, I'm usually handholding it off to one side so I have to operate the camera with one hand, but that's the way it goes unless I grow a third arm (unlikely) or put the flash on a tripod (almost as unlikely since I'm rarely shooting static objects.)

I do have a few Disney shots in the back of my head that will require a second person to hold the flash aways away from me but I'm going to keep those quiet until I see if they'll turn out succesfully or not.

 

[handicap18]

I'm a little late too, but like Groucho, I would not go with a 3rd party especially using Nikon's system. I've had my SB-600 for close to 5 years and absolutely love it. I originally used it with the Nikon D50. Eventually I upgraded to the the D300. With the D300 I can wirelessly trigger the SB-600 just using the popup flash. The D5000 doesn't have this feature, but what happens when you upgrade? Or say you really get into flash and do portraits or other type of off camera shooting? 3rd party flashes will not work in Nikon's Creative Lighting System.

I currently have 2 SB-600's and am thinking about getting more. I can wirelessly trigger up to 5 Nikon flashes using my camera's popup. The SB-600 can only be used as a slave, but should you get a SB-700 or SB-900 you can use those as a master or slave. I'm considering getting the SB-900 so that I can attach a battery pack to it. I've done a few volunteer and pay events that I need the flash to be ready instantly and many times rapid fire.

I only mention all this because 5+ years ago I was using 1 flash for candids only. Since then I have learned a lot and moved my photography along quite a bit. With the Nikon system it was a very seamless transition and very easy to grow with. Had I bought a 3rd party flash instead of the SB-600 I certainly wouldn't be doing the kind of portrait shoots I do today. That or I would have had to spend a lot more money on other equipment.

 

[bob100]

It's a little late for this thread, but I would not buy a third party flash

I would definitely buy third party flashes. I've been using Yongnuo flashes for several years with no problems.
Sure you can buy the expensive Nikon or Canon "geniuine" flashes but you can also get ETTL, full manual controls, built-in diffuser, white card, optical slave, etc. for $60 !!
amazingly, the light from those flashes seem just like the genuine Canon and Nikon light!

 

[Gianna'sPapa]

Here's my take and only mine on this topic. I am not a professional making my living off of photography. There is no income paying for my equipment and I don't have unlimited funds to purchase equipment. Therefore, I prioritize and research all my photographic purchases to obtain the best equipment within a budget to do what I want to do. When I look at flashes and see a third party that admittedly has been reverse engineered, not necessarily a bad thing, to match all the capabilities of the OEM at a price considerably less, then I have to seriously consider that purchase. When I compare the Sigma EF 530 DG Super to the Pentax AF-540, it meets or exceeds the OEM in functions at a price $196 cheaper, I'm sorry I have to go with the Sigma. Its not like Sigma is a fly-by-night company. They just happen to be the largest maker of third party photography equipment in the world. When I had a problem with one of my lenses in an emergency situation, they paid for the shipping on a Monday and I received the repaired lens back on Thursday. That is a total turnaround of four days! That was impressive. If I was a pro and funding, even the ability to write if off on my taxes would help, was not an issue, sure I may go OEM, but sadly that is not the case. So for me its whatever will get the job done in my situation at the cheapest expense. This may be heresy to some, but oh well.

Everyone have a great photography day.

 

[bob100]

Here's my take and only mine on this topic. I am not a professional making my living off of photography. There is no income paying for my equipment and I don't have unlimited funds to purchase equipment. Therefore, I prioritize and research all my photographic purchases to obtain the best equipment within a budget to do what I want to do. When I look at flashes and see a third party that admittedly has been reverse engineered, not necessarily a bad thing, to match all the capabilities of the OEM at a price considerably less, then I have to seriously consider that purchase. When I compare the Sigma EF 530 DG Super to the Pentax AF-540, it meets or exceeds the OEM in functions at a price $196 cheaper, I'm sorry I have to go with the Sigma. Its not like Sigma is a fly-by-night company. They just happen to be the largest maker of third party photography equipment in the world. When I had a problem with one of my lenses in an emergency situation, they paid for the shipping on a Monday and I received the repaired lens back on Thursday. That is a total turnaround of four days! That was impressive. If I was a pro and funding, even the ability to write if off on my taxes would help, was not an issue, sure I may go OEM, but sadly that is not the case. So for me its whatever will get the job done in my situation at the cheapest expense. This may be heresy to some, but oh well.

Everyone have a great photography day.

right, it could be heresy or helping the Chinese economy but the prices for Nikon and Canon flashes seem crazy- Nikon SB-800 $800 Canon 580exII $450
If a professional needs all the bells and whistles it might make sense but a cheap ETTL flash with manual controls for $60 - that's my ticket! Works for me. I've added a wireless flash trigger for $25, a shoot thru umbrella and lightstand for $30.
Yeah, I'm a big spender

 

[emcclay]

I use Bower external flashes and diffuser systems for my Canon. Lighting is a huge part of photography, and sometimes makes all the difference. The pop-up flash on DSLR's are really the worst things ever.

 

[DVC Mike]

Ahem.

I still don't have an external flash. I've yet to get into flash photography - most likely because I don't have an external flash!

I have my eye on the Nikon SB-700, however.