I ask because I want to know the maximum distance ay which it become pointless to use a flash. I use Kodak Easyshare Z612.
Also, how in general do you take better pictures of people that are far away from you. I ask because I went to a show today and took some photos of the people on a stage that wasn't lit well and they didn't turn out well, even with the flash. What's more, the photos seemed to get darker when I would zoom in.
2007-06-01 08:45:55 · 5 answers · asked by Ofmettle 1 in Consumer Electronics ➔ Cameras
There are several factors that determine flash range.
The first factor is the actual power built into the flash. That is usually expressed as a guide number associated with a specific ISO rating. For instance you can have a flash with a guide number of 31 at ISO 100 which means it will cover 31 feet (ten metres) at that specific speed. Clearly the higher the guide number the more powerful the flash and thus the farther away it will illuminate.
The second factor is the flash lens. Many flashes have a single lens and it's usually a very wide one to cover what is seen by a wide angle lens. A few flashes however have a zoom lens so that the beam can be narrowed (and thus intensified) depending on the focal length of the lens being used. Flashes that can be zoomed into a narrow beam have a much greater range again than those that are restricted to a single wide angle.
The third factor affecting range is the camera. If you stop your lens way down (f22 for instance) your flash range is going to be very short because the camera needs a hell of a lot of light at that aperture setting. If you open the lens up all the way, perhaps to f1.4 your flash range will be far greater because you need a lot less light now to get a proper exposure.
The camera you have has a fixed lens on the flash designed for a wide angle so if you zoom your camera lens you're also reducing the amount of light available for an exposure. Additionally, that flash likely has a very low guide number, probably it covers about twelve feet (four metres) at best which is typical of that kind of a camera.
I don't know your camera so I have no idea if you can add an external flash but that's the only way you would be able to overcome the limitations of the built in one. However to get a brute force flash that will provide a good distance and will zoom with the camera lens you're also looking at spending at least $500 for the flash alone. For an exceptionally powerful flash you're looking at closer to $800.
My suggestion is to try to keep within your twelve foot limit. If that's impossible you might be able to squeeze a bit more range out of the flash by adjusting your ISO setting to 400 or higher but that will get you a grainy picture of course. Some point and shoot cameras also have a flash power setting that is usually found in a menu. If you have one of those you could also try to increase the power of the flash. Usually the default setting is not full power. At the end of the day though, even if you are able to take those measures it's very unlikely that your flash coverage will be much beyond fifteen feet.
2007-06-01 10:50:15 · answer #1 · answered by Shutterbug 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
You really should read your manual as the information you need is there. Usual effective flash range is about 12-15 feet although some cameras have a better flash range and some have worse ones.
Taking pictures of people on stage with a flash does not usually work out very well because you are out of flash range.
2007-06-01 08:55:40 · answer #2 · answered by gkk_72 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It depends on the size of your flash. Yes, size does matter. Do you still have your camera manual? It should tell your optimum flash range. One thing I can tell you, though, is that you should not even try it at concerts (unless you're right out in front), or for fireworks or laser light shows, where it would defeat the purpose, if it could reach out that far. You wouldn't believe how many people I've seen try taking flash pictures where they obviously won't work!
Try keeping your subject close, but not too close. Maybe 5 to 10 feet away. See how that works, and then adjust distance accordingly.
2007-06-01 08:54:57 · answer #3 · answered by Terisu 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
it has it in the manual
and it all depends on the zoom you use
more zoom - less effective
no flash
raise your ev setting
also in manual
2007-06-01 09:27:27 · answer #4 · answered by Elvis 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I also want to ask the same question
2016-08-24 04:20:22 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋