For those who love taking pictures, there are instances that you are not happy with your shots. Sometimes it is attributed to your camera like its flash. A lot of cameras got a built in flash. The flash usually illuminates the subject in the maximum distance of three meters away. There is a tool that could enhance the flash portion of your camera and its called slave flash.
Slave flash is usually a unit that provides an extra flash that is often triggered by the built-in flash in the camera. This is particularly helpful for those who want a more powerful flash in their photo shoot. This equipment has a bracket where a hot shoe is attached to its end. This bracket is usually attached by screw in a tripod placed at the bottom of the camera. The flash is then placed on the hot shoe. There is no cable lines required when it comes to using slave flash.
Slave flash usually works just like an ordinary flash gun. You can place it on the accessory shoe of your camera. This slave flash usually got a sensor that can be triggered by another flash. This can placed anywhere within the triggering range of the sensor. It often flashes in synch with the main flash of the camera.
Slave flash can be used to give a better lighting to interior shots. If you are going to take a portrait, it can enhance the lighting of the whole picture. It also serves as a boost to the built-in flash for longer range shooting.
Correct exposure is a tricky part when you use slave flash. Usually a camera with a built in flash works automatically based on the camera’s exposure meter to give a correct level of lighting. By adding a slave flash, the camera has no control with exposure level. You need to automatically set the slave flash or manual adjust it in a distance that can’t over power everything. If you are using digital camera you can check the LCD right away and check if it is perfectly adjusted. You can either move the subject to a good lighting or fix the slave flash options. For cameras that have manual exposure control, precision and balance is the key when it comes to synching the built in flash with slave flash. Film cameras need a lot more work to it when it comes to using slave flash. The exposure scale on the flash can actually serve as your guide. Try to take down notes and shoot roll of films in various settings. Experiment in different subject distance and angles. Repeating the process will show you which combination will work best.
When buying slave flashes it usually include selectable power levels, zoom capability, vertical bounce angle and a 360 degree swivel. In supporting the flash, buy a mini tripod or flash shoe adaptor so that you could use the flash in any position that you want.
A slave flash unit should be compatible with the camera that you have. Slave flash makers nowadays designed them specifically to function well with digital camera. Often times a digital camera brings about series of flashes but slave flashes can now adjust with the camera.
Manufactures make slave units specifically designed for digital cameras, which fire on the second flash. Some also have a learning mode that profiles a camera. The learning mode teaches the slave unit the number of pre-flashes for a given digital camera.
A limitation of a slave flash is that it can be triggered by flashes of other cameras used in the same room.
