Discussion
Really need some advice re flashes, it has taken me long enough to work out what all the letters and numbers mean when buying a lens and now am baffled by the flashes.
I have a Nikon D60 and low budget. Don't need latest model or even bothered about new as long as it works and I can practice with it. Been asked to photograph a friends baby so am thinking this has now pushed me to make the purchase I have been lingering about.
I have no idea where to start, I see SB... things all over the place, do I need to buy another release type item also? I think in my head I want something that attaches to the shoe but I can bounce off walls etc, and also I can use off the camera, does that even exist?
All help gratefully received.
I have a Nikon D60 and low budget. Don't need latest model or even bothered about new as long as it works and I can practice with it. Been asked to photograph a friends baby so am thinking this has now pushed me to make the purchase I have been lingering about.
I have no idea where to start, I see SB... things all over the place, do I need to buy another release type item also? I think in my head I want something that attaches to the shoe but I can bounce off walls etc, and also I can use off the camera, does that even exist?
All help gratefully received.
Edited by Stiglet80 on Saturday 21st January 13:51
You'll have to RTFM for your camera just to check compatibility - I am not particularly familiar with that model.
Generally - for the sort of thing you want - you need to either bounce the light, use a diffuser, or get the flash source well off the camera. Better still all three. (Get a grapefruit or a melon and practice on that 'til you get to understand the effects)
The recent history of Nikon flashguns which are compatible with all the dSLRs have included the SB-600 and SB-800, and latterly updated with the SB-700 and SB-900, now the SB-910 and added a smaller SB-400. (There's fancy close up stuff that we'll ignore for the moment.)
I use two SB-800s which I got secondhand. But that's risky because some of them will have been thrashed during their life and can have a tendency to overheat. And new might not be too much more money.
For you, you might like to read up what the SB-600/700 will do here and here
For getting off the camera, you have two choices. A coiled lead as already mentioned - gets you about a metre away I suppose, Alternative is to use the on-camera flash as a "master" drive an SB-something as a "slave".
Now from this point on it tends to get a little technical. And I am no expert, which is why I opted for Nikon speed lights, not third party ones.
Plenty of on-line guides like this
Generally - for the sort of thing you want - you need to either bounce the light, use a diffuser, or get the flash source well off the camera. Better still all three. (Get a grapefruit or a melon and practice on that 'til you get to understand the effects)
The recent history of Nikon flashguns which are compatible with all the dSLRs have included the SB-600 and SB-800, and latterly updated with the SB-700 and SB-900, now the SB-910 and added a smaller SB-400. (There's fancy close up stuff that we'll ignore for the moment.)
I use two SB-800s which I got secondhand. But that's risky because some of them will have been thrashed during their life and can have a tendency to overheat. And new might not be too much more money.
For you, you might like to read up what the SB-600/700 will do here and here
For getting off the camera, you have two choices. A coiled lead as already mentioned - gets you about a metre away I suppose, Alternative is to use the on-camera flash as a "master" drive an SB-something as a "slave".
Now from this point on it tends to get a little technical. And I am no expert, which is why I opted for Nikon speed lights, not third party ones.
Plenty of on-line guides like this
A decent flashgun you can bounce and swivel is fine (it works for me and nobody's complained yet). Like Beano I use 2x SB800s, one to use and one for backup. The built-in white card is very useful for catchlights.
Next question of course is budget!
Bounce - swivel - power. You can never have too much power.
Next question of course is budget!
Bounce - swivel - power. You can never have too much power.
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