Speedlite for the Nikon D3100

Newbie

I have a Nikon D3100 and I'm thinking of getting a speedlite. I have seen conflicting things on them being important to have.

So first, I would like any input on the pros of having one or if it is just a must. I do portrait photography mostly. I don't have a very big budget ($90 at the moment) for one. I heard I need one with TTL so that I can trigger it with the shutter of the camera.

I was also hoping to be able to have it unattached from the camera as well and I'm not sure what I would need to be able to do that. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks so much!

houghs

I am afraid that you can only get a non-TTL speedlight for this price. You might find a used one somewhere. The D3100 cannot trigger a speedlight remotely, so you would need a separate trigger for extra money.

Moose

Hey @Newbie - I'd start with the Nikon SB-400 (see here at B&H). You won't be able to do any off-camera flash, but it's close to your budget and will greatly improve the look of your portraits.

The advantage with using an external flash is the ability to point the flash head upwards towards a ceiling and bounce the light so that it spreads evenly throughout the room, giving you more natural looking light and better looking portraits.

The caveat with the SB-400 is that you can only do this when shooting horizontally (landscape orientation). When you try to shoot vertically, the flash head will have to be pointed towards a nearby wall...which in some cases can create interesting light.

Later on, you could upgrade to the SB-700 or SB-910, which will allow you to do off camera work, much more power and faster recycling (shot-to-shot) speeds.

All the best!