What makes a good flash?

Why do they cost so much?

Why are they needed?

dont know, dont know and try taking the same shot in the same conditions using an integrated flash and a strap on flashgun. this will answer the last point. I purchased a range topping speedlite for my canon only because longer/wider lenses impaired the integrated flash's effectiveness. after the first time I used it I found myself wandering why I ever thought the integrated flash was any good.

I thought I should ask them all just in case.

My only experience with DSLR's and lighting goes as follows:

I was able to borrow a Nikon DSLR for about an hour and a half, but there was no nature in sight. I was basically limited to the inside of a fancy hotel at night. Nearly all of the pictures I took without the flash had too little light, but every single picture taken with the internal flash was so over-brightened that it was ruined, even after I fiddled enough to turn down the power of it. This could be because I tend to shoot macro-like shots (even if not macro) and the flash was just too close, but now I am worried that all flashes will ruin my pictures. I am not sure if the experience told me to get proper equipment for my specific style of shooting or rather that I was a bad photographer and needed the "brains" of a point-and-shoot to produce anything worthwhile. Probably both, but definatelt the second.

If I buy a flash, would I be able to buy a fitting diffuser that I could flip down like a translucent plastic shield? If not, I honestly would make one of Darryl's imaginary creation's, even if they seem as wild as Red Green's ideas. People rave about the latest Canon flash and the Nikon equivalent, but so far in my (very uneducated) book, flashes all make light and are basically the same. What has the edication system come to around here??? ;-)

Maybe you will need one of these for your close-ups;-)

Control, speed, Dispursement, and recovery time.

the canon speedlite i have has the flip down diffuser you speak of as well as a pop out catchlight bounce screen - I also acquired a stofen clip on diffuser which works very well.

How much do those run for these days? For a second I thought you said "I also aquired a stolen clip on diffuser..." :-)

Oh the key thing these days is to that the flash is compatable with your camera. It has become an issue as with lenses. For example there are not compatable ttl flashes for all nikon cameras. The technology just has not cought up with the digital camera systems yet.

The Sto-Fen Omnibounce is an essential accessory for those who use flash regularly. I have them on my 550's.

The only thing that a lot of people don't understand is that the Omnibounce diffuser has no effect when the flash is pointed directly at the subject (the flashgun head swiveled to its normal position).

The objective of the omnibounce is to act as a really good bounce card (when the flash head is swiveled up 45 degrees or more), directing light at the ceiling and walls of the room, as well as at the subject. The omni bounce does not soften the light when pointed straight. The determining factor for soft light is the relative size of the light source to the subject (eg. an umbrella or softbox enlarges the light source relative to the subject, thereby softening the light. When the flash is bounced, the whole ceiling becomes your light source).

As for what makes a good flash, that depends really on what you need. If you require manual control over the flash and need wireless slave capability, then a more advanced one is for you, such as a 550EX or 580EX. If you just need basic features, the 420 or 380EX is more like it. All of the EX Speedlites should produce consistently well exposed images when used on a body that supports either E-TTL or E-TTL II. The only real difference is how much control you would like to have.

the 580 EX speedlite with the afore mentioned bits and bobs will set you back between $370 - $390 depending on where you shop around.

I find it fun to play with shadows, but in what little experience I have had, I prefer using a stable light source such as a white lamp instead of a camera flash. Remote flashes sound really cool (especially for $20 a piece!), but I want to make sure that I can conrtol them. Having a bounce flash sounds convenient, probably neccessary if I need a flash, but I rarely do when shooting with my mom's point-and-shoot. I am both scared and scarred from my experience with a Nikon. Is it bad in the real world?

Flash may seem intimidating, but I'll assure you that it's really quite easy when you get the hang of it.

For instance, I often use the flash in manual mode, setting it to 1/16 power for example, and then adjusting my exposure accordingly. The only time I use auto flash exposure is when I need fill flash and don't have the time to tinker with the manual settings. If done properly, flash and a continuous light source should be the same and produce equally pleasing results (except for the color temp. difference).

Thanks!

Just as an addition to the above, I use the built-in flash quite a lot on macro shots in cloudy daylight, to allow smaller apertures and increase the depth of field and to keep the ISO down. I almost always have to set the exposure compensation to the full -2 ev, or under-expose manually to prevent white-out.

Should I invest in a 580EX when I get my camera? Or should I think about buying a cheap flash when I get the camera and save for a 580 later?

Also, they have a type of built in laser, right? What does it do? They say it finds the distance, but does it speed up autofocus or just affect the flash?

The focus assist light is just a really bright red LED that shines a pattern of lines on the subject to help the AF system. It only comes on in One Shot focus mode and then only when the camera deems the ambient is light too dark to focus accurately and quickly. It's surprisingly handy for those situations where the camera won't focus. As for which flash unit, that’s really a matter of personal need.

The 580EX is not a huge improvement over the 550, so you may want to consider picking up a 550EX used, or new if you can find one somewhere. I use the 550's and have no complaints about them...I would only recommend buying a flash if you think that you will use it regularly, no sense in investing in something that may end up spending a lot of time in the camera bag.

Ahh, but something needs to take up all that spare space in the small photo backpack. It isn't like it will be overflowing with L-series lenses (actually, it might if I didn't need to buy such things as flashes). ;-)