Features to look for …

Get all the power and clever tricks you need for flash photography

Heads up

Many flashguns have a wide-angle diffuser panel to spread coverage when using ultra-wide angle lenses, and a reflector card for directing some light forwards in upright bounce mode (see page 52 for more on this).

Light tube

The flash tube fires a very bright pulse of light for a split second. The maximum available output is quoted as a Guide number (see Jargon Buster, below).

Zoom, zoom

The most common motorised zoom range is 24 to 105mm but some stretch a little further. For example, the Nikon SB-910 has a 17 to 200mm zoom facility.

On the bounce

A bounce range of between 0 and 90 degrees (horizontal to vertical) is usually available, and some flashguns add a -7 or -9 degree downward-slanting option for close-ups.

LCD screen

An illuminated LCD info panel is useful for displaying important flash settings. The Metz flashguns on test go even further, with mono or colour touchscreens.

Control

On-board controls tend to comprise an array of buttons and dials. With the Nikon SB-500, however, adjustments need to be made via the camera.