Nikon Digital Flash Vs. Speedlight
Digital photography has taken off over the last decade. Cameras are smaller than ever and still have excellent picture quality in the proper lighting. Ken Rockwell, author and creator of KenRockwell.com, states that, "Lighting is the most important technical issue in all of photography." Most cameras have a built in, or internal, flash. These internal flashes are good for all-around picture taking; however, an external flash like the Nikon branded Speedlight will give you amazing results when used properly. Having an external flash gives you many options over the standard internal flash including off-camera flash, bounce flash and a more powerful direct fill flash.
Internal Flash
Most Nikon digital cameras have an internal flash. These range in power depending on the size, battery and type of camera. Digital Single Lens Reflex cameras, or DSLRs, have a much more powerful internal flash than a standard pocket size camera. Having a more powerful flash will give you better fill coverage and eliminate some shadows dark spots in some pictures. But internal flashes use the camera's main battery and reduce the number of pictures you can take.
External Flash
External flashes are more popular in the DSLR world that with standard point and shoot cameras. To use an external flash, the camera must have a hot-shoe. The hot-shoe is the holder and interface for the external flash, so it will "know" when to fire. Since many of Nikon's Speedlights are actually larger than their point and shoots, the hot-shoe is only available on Nikon DSLR and some Nikon Coolpix cameras. According to their website, Nikon currently has four different Speedlights ranging from the SB-400 to the SB-900. The features that separate the different levels of flash include flash power, zoom, remote firing and head movement.
Direct Fill Flash
A direct fill flash is a flash that is pointed directly at your picture subject. A direct fill flash is produced with internal flashes and external flashes that are forward facing. A direct fill flash from an internal flash usually produces "red-eye." Red-eye is not as common when using an external flash, since the flash is farther from the lens. An article on Digital-SLR-Guide.com explains that red-eye occurs when the flash bounces off the retinas of your subjects back into the lens.
Bounce Flash
A benefit of using an external Speedlight is the ability to point the flash in a different direction than your picture subject. This will cause a "bounce" flash effect--the flash bounces off another surface. A bounce flash gives you a much more natural and soft light compared to the direct flash of an internal or external flash.
Off-Camera Flash
A flash that is fired while not connected to the camera is considered an off-camera flash. An off-camera flash can give a dramatic shadow effect or create back lighting. An advantage of off-camera flashes is that more than one flash can be used at the same time. Certain Speedlights can control other flashes to fire remotely. The SB-900 is able to wirelessly fire other SB-900 or SB-600 Speedlights at the exact same time. Other external flashes can be controlled by a wireless controller, a sync cord or a light sensor that will fire the flash as soon as it detects a large amount of light.
Tags: direct fill, bounce flash, external flash, external flash, fill flash
