Hot Shoe Flash - Bright and Lightweight

[jseakoi]

Looking for recommendations on a hot shoe flash. Being portable and lightweight is most important to me. I typically shoot with 400 ISO film and want more versatility as to what kind of light settings I can shoot.

Thanks!

 

[Bill Clark]

Small flash adequately covers small space.

What/where are you going to photograph? Will you use it as your main light source or as a fill in for existing light where you're making your photographs?

Then, depending on your camera, do you want the flash controlled by your camera using TTL or ETTL?

In my case I run my flashes manually when I use them.

Don't know where you live but in my case B & H is a good place to start looking.

 

[B-9]

Nikon SB-30

Auto, Manual, and Slave.

Plenty of power for adding fill.

 

[Solinar]

I'll second the Nikon SB-30 recommendation. You can vary the output in Auto to allow for opening up the Aperture, should you want to the ambient light in the background to be more balanced with the flash lit foreground.

http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/sb30.htm

To clarify the Guide # by Ken R. - According to Nikon - there are two figures: one for 28mm coverage without the diffuser and a second for coverage with a 17mm lens using the diffuser.

Guide number (ISO 100, m/ft.) 16/52; 10/32 (with built-in wide flash adapter)

For ISO 400 - you double the above numbers.

 

[lynnb]

second hand: National PE-2002. 4xAA batteries, manual or thyristor auto. Can be found for $5 in thrift stores. At ISO400 f5.6 @ 23'.

And I'll second the SB-30. Takes CR123 lithium battery. I was lucky to find one for $5!

 

[David Hughes]

Hi,

There's thousands of second-hand and barely used flash guns out there. Any of the Vivitar auto's should do the trick. I see them for a pound or so most weeks in charity shops and it doesn't take much time or effort to test fire them.

There's probably a dedicated one for your camera too.

Regards, David