by: David L. Tong
For many new photography enthusiasts, upgrading to a fast 2.8 zoom lens will be their first priority and their main reason is for low-light shooting capabilities. There’s nothing wrong with that, it’s a legitimate, worthwhile investment for those who can afford it and need it for their assignments.
Those of us can’t afford fast zoom lenses without going through some serious budgeting will need to real consider the reasons to get one as when we do buy such a nice piece of equipment, most users fail to realize that a fast lens does have trade-offs as well, especially when it comes to depth-of-field and max shutter speed issue.
For most casual users, investing on a flash gun is a much better decision, in my opinion. A flash gun allows your basic kit lens to function well in low-light and fast-moving subjects regardless of lighting conditions.
If you’re shooting a group of subjects in low-light, using a wide aperture (f/4 or larger) usually won’t let you get a sharp image beyond the person your camera focused on. You’ll most probably need f/6.3 to f/11 in most group shots – something even your fast lens won’t be able to cope with in terms of shutter speed. Even high ISO won’t help much, not to mention the loss of detail due to noise.
A flash will allow you to keep a high shutter speed (usually above 1/100) while keeping the aperture opening small (f/5.6 or smaller).
E-TTL systems calculates exposure pretty accurately and if you have the experience, you can always manually mix and match your flash-cam settings.
In addition, the AF assist system of most external flash guns are superior to on-cam flash assistance units especially in near-total darkness.
Here are some examples of a flash’s advantage.
Camera: Canon EOS10D
Flash: Sunpak PowerZoom 4000AF (not ETTL compatible – manual only).
Trigger: Optical hotshoe trigger.
Settings: 1/200 @ F/10 ISO 200. Flash set at 1/16 power @ 28mm
Note that all the photos below are shot with the shutter/aperture/ISO settings above except for the ambient shot (set # 3)
Set 1: Off cam
Set 2: No flash
Set 3: Ambient Only 1/6 second, f/5.6 ISO 200
Excessive blur and much less DOF.
Set 4: Same as Set 1 with a reflector opposite the flash.
As you can clearly see, the ability to use a small aperture gave me great DOF. By setting my cam’s shutter speed to its maximum sync speed (1/200), I was able to take a much sharper shot with low noise as well.
Here’s another set taken this evening with an almost completely dark room… Also to illustrate another benefit of a flash gun – DIRECTIONAL LIGHTING. Unlike available light (indoors) or pop-up flash, the shadows are very clear and defined, which gives a more 3-D feel to your photos.
1/200 f/9 ISO 100
Bye bye frontal lighting…
Sunpak PZ4000 AF @ 1/16 power as optical slave fired through a scrim (hand held). + EOS10D + 50mm 1.8.
Most are shot with 1/125 @ f/5.6 or 6.3, ISO 100
The images above were taken by my 9yo niece, Nicole.
As you can see, it’s almost “softbox” like quality lighting with a cheap flash and a scrim. You can’t get that with your large aperture lens if you don’t have directional light in the first place.
Here are two more examples that I want to use to illustrate the advantage of having flash. The photo was taken with a f/2.8 zoom, which was insufficient to get ample light in at night without considerable blur or grain.
This was taken a few minutes ago, past 9PM. The sky is dark, the only ambient were two overhead tungsten tubes (about 20W each)…
There’s quite a bit of ambient registered in the background despite the direct flash from the pop-up flash. The shadow thing on the right was caused by my camera strap, sorry about that.The lighting was obviously frontal, as evident with the sharp shadows around my wife’s left arm. The pop-up, however didn’t overpower the scene, it worked like a fill-in instead of a main light.
What’s the EXIF? ISO 800 – Aperture F/5
Now try those two setting in Av mode at home at night with whatever ambient you have (1-3 low-wattage ambient lights max) and see what happens… You’ll probably get a shutter speed of around 1/2 to 1/4 or so and your image will result to a blurry photo due to cam shake.
Try to switch to auto or P mode and use flash and take a photo, your cam will try to get you a decently sharp photo at 1/60 of a sec or so and you’ll probably get a dark-background/typical flash shot where no ambient light registered (like the back wall and lights from the other buildings).
The photo above was taken with a shutter speed of 1/10th of a second, hand-held. The pop-up flash was set at +1.3EC since it was really dark and the pop-up flash won’t be powerful enough. There’s virtually no cam shake visible and the flash isn’t very harsh on the subject.
The next one isn’t exactly glamorous… Snails.
This was a ONE SECOND, HAND HELD SHOT AT F/5… Flash freezes motion (to a degree)… Doesn’t really matter how slow your shutter speed as long as your subject doesn’t move too much during the duration of the shot because the flash already registered a “frozen” scene on the sensor. Depending on the subject being photographed, using flash allows you to get a sharper image in slow shutter speed situations than ambient only.
Can you use your f/2.8 lens in near total darkness with a 1-sec hand-held to get a photo this sharp, well lit, and no noise?
I need to reiterate that this post is for most users who are seeking a solution to low-light shooting. If you’re shooting landscapes, macro, outdoor most of the time, obviously, this post will be invalid. I’m referring to hobbyists who thinks a fast, expensive lens for low-light usage is the only solution, I’m pointing out that it’s not the case. Relying on wide-open aperture to get enough light in is a valid use but often abused and misused.
You see a lot poorly executed, thin DOF even if not necessary all in the name of getting a shot in low-light when creating your own light is a much better way to go. Even with today’s superior high-ISO noise control of DSLRs, you still won’t address the issue of where the lighting is coming from. High ISO + wide aperture will get more light in, but it won’t create DIRECTIONAL lighting that’ll make your photos pop.This post is only for those considering a fast lens for low-light purposes. Naturally, if creating your own light isn’t an issue or your main purpose is to get a shallow DOF, of course getting a fast tele is the way to go.
Bottom line is, photography is about light. The more light that’s available for you to control and direct, the better your photographic options will be. If budget forces you to choose between a flashgun and a fast lens, I’d recommend a flash unless you:
A) shoot solo portraits for the most part where DOF isn’t a priority.
B) If you’re a landscape or still life artist, then this post is not for you, you either don’t need a flash, or you’ll need multiple, external light sources.
C) If you’re an experienced photographer who shoots when daylight is available and knows how to read available light and manipulate it, then a flash may not be as important as well.
But if you’re like me who shoots indoor and low-light most of the time, and often need to stop down the aperture for adequate DOF, then a flash is indespensible, even if you’re just taking photos of your love ones 90% of the time.
A flash allows you to direct where light is coming from and makes sure you have ENOUGH light without sacrificing depth-of-field and noise. It also acts as an immediate fill-light source if harsh shadows contrast is too high.
Master the use of flash and you’ll maximize your skill with good lenses. Photography is about lighting, first and foremost after all.
October 1st, 2008 at 11:15 am
nice article Sir David! =)
this helped me on my dilemma on whether to get myself a high grade lens or an external flash…thanks
October 1st, 2008 at 11:17 am
Glad to help :)
October 19th, 2008 at 9:16 am
David sir!
Thanks for tips like this one. I’m just new into photography and i’m planning to buy a dslr camera within this week. Now i know which accessories should i buy first.:)
I’ve got your site from pinoyphotography forum.
God bless!
October 23rd, 2008 at 11:24 am
Very nice and informative topic Dave.
Thanks for sharing! It would really help if you could do some reviews for external flashes. I’m interested in your opinions.
October 23rd, 2008 at 11:50 am
Hmm, good idea but I don’t have access to multiple camera brands neither do I have non-Canon flashes to play with.
October 28th, 2008 at 12:49 am
Excellent article! I’m also a firm believer that it’s not the 2.8s that make the image, it’s the quality of light that really separates a snapshot from a photograph.
November 20th, 2008 at 9:52 pm
Since the day I read this article I kept in mid that flash would be the next gear I’ll purchase. Now I already have one, I’m taking better pictures of my daughter. Thanks for sharing sir!
Question: Will TTL still expose my subject right if the flash is bounced against a wall or ceiling? Does it detect the angle on which the light is pointed? Thanks!
November 20th, 2008 at 10:21 pm
Short answer, yes… You should also refer to the flash’s distance scale, it indicates how far the light can be thrown. If the distance from the flash-to-wall-to-subject still falls within the coverage distance, then yes.
Depending how much light the bounced area “robs”, you may need to add/subtract flash exposure through flash compensation. So check your histogram as a reference when taking test shots :)
November 21st, 2008 at 4:47 pm
Great! That’s the keyword ‘flash exposure’ I was thinking of setting the flash to Manual if bouncing lessens the diffused light. I’m really glad I asked. Thanks again!
November 21st, 2008 at 4:47 pm
Sorry, what I mean is ‘flash compensation’. Hehe.
November 21st, 2008 at 8:37 pm
Dom: Hehe, stop apologizing, there’s nothing to apologize about :)
It’s better if you just use ETTL when you bounce and add FEC instead of using manual if you’re shooting an event as you’re not stationary and the distance between your flash and the wall, the wall and your subject isn’t constant.
December 10th, 2008 at 1:31 am
Nice article…
Where do you buy Sunpak PowerZoom 4000AF and Optical hotshoe trigger?
tmx
December 10th, 2008 at 8:50 am
Hi Jonas, the Sunpak’s from eBay, but it doesn’t ETTL with Canon DSLRs though, so I suggest you get another model.
The optical trigger should be readily available in most camera stores, what’s your location?
December 25th, 2008 at 11:12 am
Great article David, until the time comes that I can get an external flash, I’ll use my built-in flash like there’s no tomorrow LOL. Salamat ulit for this article!
January 6th, 2009 at 11:04 am
good points… btw, i am in dire need of an external flash!
March 16th, 2009 at 1:15 am
Thanks Dave for the post! This helped me decide which is the next equipment I'd buy.
March 19th, 2009 at 3:56 am
Thanks for the article! Just a question, do we need flash diffuser for the pop up/built in flash or we just use it head on?
March 22nd, 2009 at 11:22 am
I use it head-on, I find that most diffusing products (even DIY ones) take too much power off the already small flash and wastes quite a bit of cam-battery as well.
April 7th, 2009 at 4:54 pm
thanks for this informative article bro!
April 7th, 2009 at 5:06 pm
You're most welcome, Darwin :)
June 18th, 2009 at 2:50 am
Thanks David! I have seen the light! so to speak.
July 1st, 2009 at 7:39 am
david,
i think you should come back here and give us a crash course on basic photography. great info. i am glad that i opted to buy a flash than a 200mm zoom lens. i am using a Nikon D60, upgraded lens to a 18mm-105mm (from a D90) and a Nikon SB600 flash.
October 7th, 2009 at 6:50 pm
Followed your advise, got myself a Canon 580EX II. Looking forward to more articles on Flash photography soon.
October 20th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
Thanks for a great article! I'm looking to get a flash for my dslr but I'm more inclined to go strobist rather than having it on cam. I'm having a bit of dilemna debating between the pros and cons of each flash available for Canon but I've rounded it down to either the Lumopro LP120 for the strobist features (I don't mind learning manual), or one of the Metz flashguns (48 AF-1 or 58 AF-1) for their feature set vis a vis price point. Unfortunately, budget does not shine brightly on a 580EX. Would you recommend starting out with a manual flash or jump straight into a TTL capable one?
October 20th, 2009 at 11:38 pm
Joakin: There are advantages and disadvantages for going on-cam and off-cam lighting. On-cam is very convenient and highly flexible, not to mention more logical to use if you don't have an assistant when shooting events. Using off-cam allows greater control but you have to use clamps, triggers, stands, etc.
For flash, it's wise to buy an OEM flash due to metering accuracy and compatibility. On-cam, a 430EX/430EXII would be great value flashes, I prefer 580EX over the 580EXII actually due to ergonomics. For manual flashes, go with whatever cheap flash with full manual step control, doesn't really matter what brand it is.
Don't discount using wireless TTL either, the flexibility of off-cam plus the convenience of TTL is a great combo. Check out Joe Mcnally's videos on you tube when he features the Nikon CLS system's flexibility, you'd be amazed.
In my opinion, go straight for an on-cam TTL flash first as you will need it for your normal shoots more than off-cam setup. You can always just buy RF triggers for you TTL flash and make it work off-cam.
Cheers :)
October 21st, 2009 at 7:54 am
Thanks for the reply, David. Been bouncing back and forth with this decision for the past few weeks. I'll take some long hard looks at the 430EX II since the 580 is still over my budget. But looking at your review of the Nissin 622 and other feedback of Metz 48AF-1, they sound like good values as well. Looking forward to your next article and keep up the great work!
October 26th, 2009 at 6:34 pm
Bit the bullet and got myself a 580EX II. Figured it would save me the hassle of upgrading later on and at least I'll be ready for wireless TTL in the future as I'm really interested in off cam lighting. Still getting the hang of it (and the weight) but am a very happy (albeit now poor) puppy. Thanks again for the advice David.
October 27th, 2009 at 12:43 am
There's a lot to be learned with the 580EXII but experimenting with TTL will be sufficient in most cases. Good buy :)
December 8th, 2009 at 1:22 am
Thanks for the articles, im still reading them and learning as i go (:
December 8th, 2009 at 4:27 am
Wesley: Glad to hear you're finding the articles useful.
December 23rd, 2009 at 1:56 pm
Very well said David, thank you for this great article!!!
June 15th, 2010 at 2:16 am
wow…!!! great article sir david, anyway, why is 1/200 is more sharper? any technical details or specification? thanks
June 15th, 2010 at 9:45 am
Hi Maryon, because faster shutter speeds reduce risk of camera shake, less shake = sharper pics.