Most cost-effective way to improve the A570IS's flash?

Hi,

I just bought a A570IS PowerShot and I am absolutely delighted with this terrific little camera. I realize that this is not a SLR camera and that for $135 I got a terrific deal. Still, I am often frustrated with the crummy built-in flash, in particular for indoor photos. Is there a cost-effective way to somehow add an external flash to this camera without paying another 100 dollars (if I had 200+ dollars to spend I would have bought a more capable camera in the first place...). Is there some cheapo not-brand-name external flash which I could get to supplement the built-in one?

Thanks,

Mamadu

If the A570's flash has manual controled output, you can get the flash like the Sunpak 383 + a optical slave for under $100. But unless you want to shoot with the slave flash in the other hand, you are going to need a lightstand and a tilting bracket to make a practical setup.

mamadu.bwana wrote in post #5459938
Hi,

I just bought a A570IS PowerShot and I am absolutely delighted with this terrific little camera. I realize that this is not a SLR camera and that for $135 I got a terrific deal. Still, I am often frustrated with the crummy built-in flash, in particular for indoor photos. Is there a cost-effective way to somehow add an external flash to this camera without paying another 100 dollars (if I had 200+ dollars to spend I would have bought a more capable camera in the first place...). Is there some cheapo not-brand-name external flash which I could get to supplement the built-in one?

Thanks,

Mamadu

The big issue with an additional flash is there is no place to plug the flash in on your camera.

Check to see if the on camera flash has a manual mode. Many of the smaller Canon digitals do.

If it has a manual mode you can use a flash that is triggered by with an optical slave.

Enjoy! Lon

Sorry, but I am not sure what you mean by "manual controlled output". What the A570IS can do in many modes is a "controlled flash output compensation" ranging from -2 to +2. I have seen the Sunpak 383 on Amazon for eighty bucks. But what is an "optical slave"? The A570IS does not have a mount on top to attach a flash, nor does it have any cable connection to drive a flash. I believe that the only way to use an external flash on the A570IS is to use a flash which detects the unit's own flash and then triggers its own flash. Is that what you are reccommending?

Also, I am really poor so I have to ask, is there a cheaper version of the Sunpack which would still do a decent job?

FlashZebra wrote in post #5460047
Check to see if the on camera flash has a manual mode. Many of the smaller Canon digitals do.

If it has a manual mode you can use a flash that is triggered by with an optical slave.

The A570IS has a manual mode in which I can set shutter, aperture, ISO, and flash output. Is that what you mean?

What is an 'optical slave' and could you recommend a *cheap* flash+optical slave combination?

What about something like this. Does that look like a good idea for cheap?

Flash has manual mode means the user can adjust the flash power level, like level 1 is very weak flash, and level 5 for flash at max. More importantly, digitcam with manual flash can bypass the preflash, so any external manual flash can be used with a optical slave, and many older and cheap speedlights can be use with that setup.

That digital slave flash could work. You could ask in the Compact Digital section of the forum.

thanks!