Is the built-in flash good for anything in particular?

debbiejeanmalton

Great forum, thought it would be the right place to ask a silly question! I have a Canon 60D and use it primarily for video. Is the built-in flash good for anything in regards to photography? I'm looking to get a speedlite, but have no idea what would be cheapest and best for me.

Moose

Howdy @debbiejeanmalton - Welcome! The built-in flash is primarily used as a last resort in situations where your subject is just too dark. The one area it does pretty well at is when you use it for fill light (outdoors).

On a cloudy day, the flash can actually produce very natural looking shots with balanced skin tones. On sunny days, position your subject under some shade and use the built-in flash to fill in the shadows.

As for external speedlite's, they give you the added ability to bounce light rather than flood your subject with harsh light. For example, when shooting indoors you can point the external flash upwards and bounce the light off the ceiling, which spreads the light evenly throughout the room giving you more natural looking shots indoors.

I would start with the 320EX (see here). This particular speedlite will allow you to bounce light when shooting horizontally or vertically. It has a good recycling rate (shot to shot speed) and is powerful enough for most portraits and small group shots.

Hope that all makes sense and happy shooting! :)

withns

Not to mention the 320EX has the led light for video! You can also use it as an IR remote to take shots wirelessly.

afnas

I use the built in flash all the time for outdoor portrait shots to get rid of unwanted shadows on my subjects face. You have to adjust the power setting so it doesnt look like your using a flash.