Flash photography is quite often frowned upon. It¡¯s not that flashes are bad, but that most people don¡¯t know how to use them correctly. You can¡¯t just flash in any situation however, and the basic built-in flash on DSLRs don¡¯t allow you to point your light and lens in different directions.?
Canon is trying to fix that problem, with its latest product, the 470EX-AI. Part of its Speedlite flash range, it¡¯s a whopping $399 (approximately Rs 25,840) for a reason. The flash is actually smart enough to rotate to the most ideal direction for you to get the best photo possible.
The 470EX-AI looks like any other Canon flash, except it has motors within its base and hinge, as well as a sensor on the front.
There are some limitations of course. For one, you have to let the flash reconfigure each time you move your position. That isn¡¯t really time-consuming, but it¡¯s not ideal when you¡¯re capturing unpredictable shots. For another, it only works by bouncing light off the ceiling. If you turn the camera sideways, it¡¯ll still point up to measure the distance from the ceiling.?
However, it does have another mde called ¡°semi-automatic¡±. Here, you can pick your own angle for the flash to bounce and, if you move and double tap the shutter, it¡¯ll shift to the same direction you¡¯d set.
It¡¯s the sort of technology innovation we¡¯re seeing from Canon, as it tries to make its products more accessible for the photography beginner, and improve their overall versatility. In addition, it¡¯s still within the range of the Speedlite flash budget, so not a bad choice if you find yourself struggling with low-light photos.