FIVE THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR

Five tips to help ensure your new flash ends up being much more than just a flash in the pan

01 Zoom head

A flashgun with a motorized zoom head can focus the flash burst to suit your focal length, tightening it into a brighter, more focussed beam if you happen to be using a telephoto lens.

02 Guide number

Max flashgun power should be measured at ISO100 for consistency, but flashguns with a zoom head are often rated with the head at its tightest beam focus, giving an artificially high GN.

03 Fancy features

Extras like High Speed Sync or an LED video light can still be had on a budget, but think before spending extra for features you may not use.

Space-saving 04

Don’t fancy carrying a standard-size flashgun? Some manufacturers offer much smaller alternatives that still cram in plenty of features, but max flash power is likely to be slightly lower.

05 Remote control

Even the cheapest of budget flashguns should still be capable of operating remotely in slave mode, wirelessly triggered by the flash burst of your on-camera flash.