Lighting System

Benefit 2: Off-camera flash

Off-camera flashes can be positioned to achieve the desired detail,
texture, and sculpting

Shot with an external flash unit located away from the camera

Shot with the camera's built-in flash

(A) Control flash
(B) Off-camera flash

Built-in flash sometimes produces flat, two-dimensional images. The larger image, shot with off-camera flash, produces a more dramatic impression of depth while emphasizing the subject's contours.

Off-camera flash enhances depth

Flash aimed directly at the subject can produce flat-looking images. One way to alleviate the problem is to use off-camera flash that can illuminate the subject from an angle so that optimum “sculpting” of the subject's contours is achieved through controlled placement of light and shadow.

Tech Note Wired and wireless flash sync

The external flash must be “synchronized” with the camera shutter. The traditional method is to connect a cable between the camera and flash unit. This type of wired flash is extremely reliable and is often favored in studio situations, but if you want more setup freedom with minimum equipment, wireless flash is a convenient alternative.

The simplest form of wireless flash is optically triggered controller-remote flash in which a light sensor on the off-camera flash unit (remote) is triggered by the on-camera flash (controller). More complex and capable wireless systems transmit and receive more than just basic “fire now” info, allowing the camera to tell the flash unit how much flash power to deliver according to the required exposure, communicate a specified power ratio.

Wired example

		HVL-F60M	HVL-F43AM	HVL-F20M	HVL-F20S	Built-in Flash (α A-mount)	Built-in Flash (α E-mount)
	Wireless/Controller	Available ^{1 2}	Available ^{1 2}	Available ^{1 2}	N/A	Available ^*2	N/A
	Wireless/Remote flash	Available ^*3	Available ^*3	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
1 Availability may depend on the specifications of the camera used 2 Wireless remote flashes also required *3 Wireless controller (HVL-F60M, HVL-F43AM, HVL-F58AM, HVL-F20M, HVL-F20AM, or α A-mount camera built-in flash) also required