External Flash was a great investment

[cfm]

Been playing around with a DSLR for the last few years. I end up taking quite a few photo's indoors, and have been roped in by relatives to photographing a wedding (scary!) and a couple of big birthday parties.

I bought a Sigma external flash with adjustable head, you can swivel it up/down and side-to-side. I reckon it's the best investment for getting decent indoor photos in low light. But only if you bounce it off the roof or similar, it's often too bright when used directly.

I recently had a nephews birthday party, and was able to compare:
- my photos with external flash bounced off the roof
- my photos with built-in pop-up flash
- my photos with fast lens (e.g. f 1.4 - f2.0) and no flash
- other peoples photos from DSLR's with pop-up flash
- other peoples photos with pocket cameras

I was really pleased with how my photos came out with the external flash.

If you're doing a lot of photos inside, or in low light, I can highly recommend an external flash unit.

[PH005]

Get yourself a diffuser or two for those stright on flash shots.

[cfm]

Thanks PH005.

Yes, initially I thought the flash unit had a built-in diffuser, a little flip-down plastic window that covered the flash. I recently found out it's just to widen the flash spread, but doesn't diffuse the light.
So a diffuser/softbox is on my wish list.

[Bennymiata]

I had never had an external flash for all of my almost 50 odd years of taking photos, but when I bought my new Canon D60, I decided to invest in a Canon 580 EXII flash, and I am so happy that I did.
Just after I got it, my wife and I were invited to a Xmas party and so I took along my camera and the flash.
Not knowing exactly how to handle it, i took most of the photos on the full auto setting, and I was amazed at how good the photos looked.
I also bounced it off the ceiling when indoors, and used it directly for the outside shots, and it just turned night into day.

I've since been using it a lot at work taking product shots, and the photos are a definite improvement.
I also use it wirelessly with the internal flash and now I can get to fill those dark spots hidden behind things and also use it to cut down shadows.
I've learned a lot about the flash now, and now I just couldn't live without it.

I know a good flash unit costs quite a bit, but after you have one, youll never be without it.
It's found a permanent place in my camera bag.

[yogestee]

Good work in getting an external flash and sorting things out.. Once you've mastered on hotshoe flash, you'll be wanting to move to off camera flash..


This is where the real creativity side of flash comes to play..

[JayR]

tis so much easier now things are in TTL for learning... I had a nightmare trying to get my head around it as a teenager in the days of film (early 1990s) waiting to get the pictures back and having them over exposed or something else...
Still, I do most of the flash work in full manual these days - so much easier with instant feedback via LCD!

[Blueywa]

I rarely use my speedlights on camera, and I use the popup even less frequently.
The Nikon CLS is great and I really enjoy the effects I get by placing slaves in different positions, sometimes I use light stands and sometimes just sit them on the floor or on tables etc.
As said good speedlights arent cheap neither are studio lights; but get a set of good speedlights and in my opinion all you will need is an excuse to use them.

[steamboat]

I wouldn't go anywhere without my SB-26!
Purchased this classic for the delay/slave built in function then purchased triggers.
Great fun and fantastic results!