External Flash

Although built-in flashes offer a measure of convenience, they also suffer from some significant liabilities:

• Range. Built-in flashes are usually very small, so they have very limited range. Once your subject goes beyond 10 feet, most built-in flashes are useless.

• Propensity to red-eye. Because they’re positioned so close to the lens, most built-in flashes are very prone to producing red-eye effects.

• Unflattering position. Because light almost always comes from overhead, firing a flash directly into someone’s face rarely looks natural. Shadows get cast in weird places, skin tones pick up unusual highlights, and dark shadows get thrown behind the person’s head.

• No creative control. Since built-in flashes can’t be moved, you have very little control over your lighting effects.

• Slow recycle times. Most built-in flashes take several seconds to recycle, which can often be long enough that you’ll miss some shots.