Flash & Macrophotography

[4mr4do4sho]

I bought my wife the 60mm EFS for starters for her interest in macrophotography. When she takes close up shots of flowers and uses flash some of the picutures still come out a little dark.

Will the built in flash be sufficient for her macro needs or should I purchase her an external flash like the 430EX or better?

If she will need an external flash, any recommendations?

[Curtis N]

Underexposure is a common complaint of Canon's flash system, and can usually be fixed with flash exposure compensation. She'll need to use one of the creative modes to adjust this.

Depending on how close the camera is to the subject, sometimes the lens can block the light from the built-in flash. An external flash unit offers much more flexibility in this regard.

Canon makes a couple of flash units designed specifically for macro work. The 430EX can be good too, depending on the kind of light you want.

You might want to ask this question in the macro section for more specific recommendations.