External Flashguns and Why You Might Need One amongst your Digital Camera Accessories

Having a flash built in to your camera is common and useful. It is ready and available at the touch of a button and is fully integrated into the electronics of your camera. But external flashguns are an indispensable digital camera accessory for the serious hobbyist with an SLR.

Power is the main reason why people choose to buy an external flashgun, they are much more powerful than built in flashguns, and the world of flashguns, power equals distance. Your built in flashgun will give you good pictures in subjects up to about 10 - 12 feet away, but an external flashgun can extend this distance up to 50 - 60 feet or more.

 If the only advantage of this extra power was to take flash pictures from far away, it's very unlikely that these devices would be so popular. The main benefit is that they give you much more creative control over the look of your flash photography. Many people just don't like flash pictures because the lighting looks unflattering and unnatural. However, this effect isn't the result of using flash. After all, light is just light. On the other hand, it is the result you will always get from a built in flashgun.

The high power of an external flash unit gives you is that you can use "bounce flash". This is a technique where, instead of pointing the flash directly at your subject, you aim it at a light coloured wall or ceiling. The light then bounces off this onto your subject. The result is a soft even light that can be very flattering and looks totally natural. If you don't like the look of flash pictures, this is the cure.

You can also use the flash "off camera". That is, not physically attached to the camera, but still connected by a cord so it fires in sync with your shutter. This too is a much more natural looking lighting effect than you get from a built in flash.

Another benefit is the range of apertures available for flash shots at a given distance. Using a built in flash at its maximum distance restricts you to using the maximum aperture. Using an external flash at the same distance allows you to choose a smaller aperture and improve the depth of field of the shot.

If you choose a flashgun that is "dedicated" to your camera you also have total integration between the two devices. You have the same fully automatic functionality that you get with the built in flash.

Having the light source close to the lens (as it is with built in flash) largely causes the ugly red-eye effect. Fitting an external flash moves the light further from the lens and reduces the chance of it happening, especially with subjects only a few feet away.

There are many options, such as a flash head that both tilts and swivels. But most photographers do not need and therfore not wish to pay for all of these features, and in fact it is important that you know what your needs are before making a decision.

Features that you will never use, not only needlessly increase the cost, but they can become confusing if activated accidentally, not something you want in the middle of an important shoot! But once you know what you want, you will discover that a flashgun is a useful digital camera accessory that will help you take unusual and creative pictures.