After you have owned your Canon dSLR for a while you will probably begin to realise the limitations of the inbuilt flash on the camera. Inbuilt flash is great for beginners but has a number of disadvantages as you want to progress in your photography. The solution is to upgrade and purchase a flash gun for your Canon dSLR camera but how much do you need to spend and which are the best models to consider?

As you progress with your digital camera you will begin to understand the limitations of the built in flash. The camera flash that comes with most cameras has two major disadvantages. The first and perhaps most significant problem is that it points directly at the subject of the photograph. This can result in the dreaded ‘red eye’ effect and can result in snaps where the colour seems to be washed out of the subject of the picture. The second significant problem is that the camera flash isn’t powerful enough to really illuminate the subjects of the photograph.

When considering the purchase of a flash gun for your Canon camera the obvious choice is to stick with the Canon line and purchase one of the two Canon Speedlite flashguns available. The cheaper of these models is the Canon Speedlite 430EX II which is around half the price of the more advanced Canon Speedlite 580EX II. The advantage of sticking with a Canon flashgun is that you can guarantee full compatibility with your digital SLR camera and seamless integration of features. Both models have a lot going for them and are good choices however you will probably end up paying a higher price for the same number of features from other manufacturers.

When it comes to other manufacturers of flash guns that are Canon dSLR compatible you have companies such as Sigma, Metz, and Nissin that all have competitive models. You will almost certainly get more for your money from these manufacturers however you may have to make sacrifices in other areas such as full compatibility with your camera. You may also wish to consider the master/slave facilities available to the flashgun when you progress further and consider using more than one flash gun. Some models don’t have the facility to be used in this configuration so you need to consider it at this stage.

It is almost always the case that a non Canon model will provide more features for you money.

One great example of a Canon Flash Gun is the Canon Speedlite 580EX II although you will spend considerably more than other models.

Another alternative is the Nissin Speedlite Di866 Pro which has many of the same of better features as the Canon Speedlite but costs around half as much.

Visit our website at http://www.canon550d.com for more information on the different Canon flashes available and the latest offers.