Boz wrote:
I have a DSLR and I want to learn more about the external flashes. ... I have another but it's a wired one that you mount completely off the camera. For $1 at a garage sale, it was a steal!
But I want to learn more about using an external flash in general. What should I look for in a flash? I don't have a lot of money to spend and I know they can get pricey. :shock:
First, I'm not sure I'd use that $1 flash - the internals of today's cameras can be damaged by the high voltages used in the "good old days" when flash units were switched by physical switches in the camera. Today's electronics aren't nearly as tolerant. Even if the flash wouldn't damage the camera, it's not going to use any of the camera's ability to meter flash for exposure. You'd have to use manual exposure on the camera to get the pictures right, based on the distance from the flash to the subject and the strength of the flash. In years past I've done it, but it's no fun, and you never quite got the exposure right.
There's a thread in this Camera Corner forum about external flash, called
Flash - on and off camera, and also one just called
External Flash. You might want to look at them for some comments and examples. The thread on
taking pictures of rabbits with red eyes might also be helpful
If you're using the D5000, you should look at one of the Nikon flashes which can interface with the camera electronics. They're really amazing - the camera reads the actual flash through the camera lens as it reflects from the subject, and shuts off the flash when the exposure is perfect. Some of them, like the SB600 I have, can read the focal length of the lens and adjust the light pattern accordingly - zoom in and the flash concentrates the light toward the center, zoom out and it spreads the light to get full exposure.
Yes, the Nikon flashes can be pricey - $100 and up - but in actuality the built-in flash is pretty good - much better than an external flash which can't talk to the camera. If you really want an external flash, I'd just use the D5000's own flash until you can save up enough for one of the Nikon Speedlights.
Ken Rockwell's got a good
page comparing the Nikon flashes - you should probably take a look at that and see which flash unit would be best for you. He has an SB-600 like the one I use, but he says that the SB400 ($140 new, $100 refurb) is the one he uses the most.
