5 questions to ask when buying your first Olympus Flash

The quality of your SLR pictures can greatly improve once you start using an off-camera flash.  I’ve had the Olympus E-510 for the past several years, and once I bought the Olympus Flash FL-50, my pictures became much better.  There is a very simple reason for this.  My Olympus Flash – and off-camera flashes in general – have much more creative versatility than on-camera flashes.

When buying a flash, it is best to match the manufacturers.  For example, I bought an Olympus flash to go with my Olympus camera.  Although it is possible to use an Olympus flash with a non-olympus camera, you may be missing out on some options.

There are 5 main questions to ask when buying an off-camera flash for your SLR.

•  How large do you want your flash to be?  Generally speaking, the more powerful flashes are larger (and of course, more expensive).  So, if you want something that you can fit in your pocket, make sure to keep that in mind.
• What is the maximum shutter speed you want your flash to work at?  The shutter speed needs to be slow enough so that the entire frame is exposed when your flash goes off.  
• How much control do you want over your flash?  I personally enjoy the ability to control everything, since I find it extremely fun.  Keep in mind that not all flashes have automatic control or manual control.
• Does you flash have TTL?  TTL means “through-the-lens” and simply allows your camera to detect when the flash light is enough.  It is an important feature, but it’s also important to have the ability to turn it off for more control. 
• Is there an auto-focus light with your flash?  Some camera bodies already have auto-focus light, but others, such as my Olympus don’t.  This was an important feature when I bought my Olympus flash. 

Although the first flash you buy doesn’t have to be great, you do want one that is decent, in order to have fun with it.  Once you get some more experience, then you can add other properties to the list above!