This balloon was in normal daylight patio shade ambient (not in bright sun, but far from dark). The big point here is that ISO 400, f/16, 0.8 second was insufficient exposure of the ambient light. That picture would be dark without the flash (so no motion blur is seen from the continuous dim ambient). But the flash was close, and bright, and very fast, and instantly froze the motion of the collapsing balloon and water. In the above example, I used the ambient as my fill and my strobes as the main. I did it this way to eliminate as much of that nasty flourescent green tint as I could while still maintaining a warmth to an otherwise sterile-feeling room. So, I over-powered the ambient for the sake of removing color-cast and providing a more interesting scene. In an A : B flash situation, the distribution is as follows (with 1/3-stop between each): 8:1, 4:1, 2:1, 1:1, 1:2, 1:4, 1:8 If you want to use the flash off-camera for better quality lighting then you will need a RF controller/trigger. This is what I recommend.

Just do not expect the Speedlight to perform at its fullest potential in fact you will need to get a remote trigger. These flashes are compatible with on-camera flash photography and off-camera flash photography which is why they make our list. When we look for flashes we focus on versatility, weight, performance, and quality over time. Honorable Mentions Godox TT685S II Flash (Sony, Nikon, Canon, Fuji, Olympus, Panasonic)

Old flash models

There have been various ways to use flash wirelessly, but more modern flashes and camera systems operate in a much more advanced method with loads of sophisticated functions — all controlled by a single unit or camera. This controlling unit is called the "Master" (Canon) or "Commander" (Nikon). For now, only the top-end flashes have this functionality. The lower-end models can only act as normal on-camera flashes or "slaves". Another example is zooming in the flash tightly to allow the light to reach farther, even across a basketball court. Zooming out, say to 14mm, is a great way to provide (fairly) even lighting for groups. Godox TT685F (TTL, HSS and wireless remote): This well-designed flash unit is on par with the best from the likes of Canon and Nikon. It takes 4 AA batteries and is a direct competitor to the Fujifilm EF-500. The TT685F is compatible with the complete Godox 2.4GHz system that includes the fabulous AD-200 and AD-600 units, among others. Fujifilm EF-500 (TTL, HSS and wireless remote): This top-of-the-range hot shoe flash unit from Fujifilm was the first fully featured, in-house designed flash unit. This flash is compatible with the widest selection of Fujifilm X and GFX cameras. The EF-500 is heavy and can put quite a bit of strain on an X Series camera top plate, especially when the camera is used in portrait mode. The wireless remote feature requires a second EF-500 unit, as there is no dedicated transceiver available from Fujifilm.

I'd like to use a flash occasionally - nothing too big, the same strength as what I have on my iPhone would be fine... Just to illuminate pics of my friends or out in bar. This flash basically has everything that you’d want in a flash. Compared to most third-party options, the Canon has two advantages. In our opinion, it’s totally worth the price tag. The AD100Pro is shown here with the X2T and the company’s miniature TT350 flash. This highlights the small size of the AD100Pro. Metz 44 AF-2 (TTL and HSS): This taller, slightly more powerful Speedlight from Metz has rear curtain sync capability, as well as HSS etc. It takes 4 AA size batteries. A good flashgun is really important for your photography, especially if you’re a portrait or product photographer. This guide will have given you a range of options, with the brand specific flashes difficult to look past.The X2T can also be controlled via Bluetooth. Since the trigger is almost always on-camera, the usefulness of the Bluetooth control is mainly for easier adjustment of shooting parameters. Using a phone’s screen is often more comfortable, and an assistant can tune the light while the photographer is shooting. Focal length– You can concentrate the flash on a point by zooming in from 20mm to 200mm. There is also a diffuser that allows you to spread the light out to 14mm. Flash head swivels sideways? Which allows ceiling bounce when the camera is turned up on its end in portrait orientation as shown (this was a bounce flash picture). See the highlights, and the shadows? The many gradient tonal values which differentiate surfaces, and show shape? This is NOT flat frontal light, considered boring. The pullout bounce card won't aim forward if swiveled, but a rubber band can attach a regular business card to the side of the head, which works fine.