What do I look for in a flash?

[serissolutions]

I need to shoot a wedding in a few months.
I need to buy a flash for indoor use and outdoor fill.

What should I look for in a flash?

- 360 degree head
- vertical pivoting flash
- wireless remote flash?

[scottbergerphoto]

I need to shoot a wedding in a few months.
I need to buy a flash for indoor use and outdoor fill.

What should I look for in a flash?

- 360 degree head
- vertical pivoting flash
- wireless remote flash?
Judging by your equipment list, one that says Pentax on the front? ;)

[DavidEB]

look for a blinding white light. that's how you can tell the good ones.



sorry, couldn't resist.

[serissolutions]

Wow. Out of all the time I have been on this forum these are the first ignorant answers I have received. Congratulations!

[robertwgross]

Wow. Out of all the time I have been on this forum these are the first ignorant answers I have received. Congratulations!

Note that this is a Canon-oriented forum. If you had stated that you had a Canon Model XYZ, then you could have gotten a clear answer about a Canon-compatible flash unit. However, we don't claim to know much about Brand P. Did you try a Brand P forum?

---Bob Gross---

[mbze430]

Yeah I have to agree on this one. Hardly any non-canon users are here. You might want to find out from a Pentax forum. Helping you with compositions and lighting is not a problem, since it's the same regardless of camera. But when it comes down to specific manufacture products. We can't give much help

[DavidEB]

OK, I apologize for the attempt at humor I made above, and I will try to redeem myself with something useful.

I have a Sigma 500 DG Super. This third-party flash also comes in versions compatible with Pentax's system, and if it works as well for Pentax as mine works for Canon, I recommend it. It will give you the following features that are useful to a flash beginner (like myself) -- these are things you should look for ....

through-the-lens metering (called E-TTL for canon, something else for pentax)
bounce flash
on-flash exposure compensation
zooming flash lens (so flash coverage matches lens field-of-view)
high-speed sync and multi-flash strobe
wireless flash system (if you get 2 or more of these units)
full manual control, including optical slave, for when you really need it

and of course, it provides the blinding white light I recommended above.

you can see info and the manual at www.sigmaphoto.com


kind regards,

David