1. When would you use an external flash?
-
Light is too low (indoors, night, events)
-
You want better quality light than the built-in flash
-
You need control (direction, power, bounce)
-
To fill shadows in bright daylight (fill flash)
-
For creative lighting off dramatic flash
External flashes are stronger and way more flexible than pop-up flashes.
2. Do you need to meter the light if you use flash?
-
TTL / E-TTL: The camera meters automatically
-
Manual flash: You meter or adjust power yourself
3. What does flash synchronization mean?
Flash synchronization is the timing between:
-
The camera shutter opening
-
The flash firing
4. What does E-TTL mean?
E-TTL = Evaluative Through-The-Lens
-
The flash fires a quick pre-flash
-
The camera measures the light through the lens
-
The camera automatically sets flash power
(Used mostly in Canon systems; Nikon calls it i-TTL.)
5. What happens when you shoot faster than the camera sync speed?
-
Part of the sensor is blocked by the shutter
-
You’ll see a black band in the image
Unless you use High-Speed Sync (HSS), which allows faster speeds but reduces flash power.
6. Why do photographers bounce the flash and use a diffuser?
Bouncing or diffusing:
-
Softens shadows
-
Reduces shiny skin and red-eye
-
Creates more natural-looking light
-
Mimics window or studio lighting
The light spreads and wraps around the subject instead of blasting them.
7. What is a slave?
-
Fires when it detects another flash
-
Or is triggered wirelessly (optical or radio)
It’s used in off-camera lighting setups to create more dynamic, professional lighting.
8. What should you do if your image is too dark or too light
-
Flash power (increase/decrease)
-
Aperture (wider = brighter)
-
ISO (higher = brighter)
-
Flash exposure compensation (FEC) in TTL mode
-
Distance between flash and subject