Sony Cyber-shot® Slave Flash with Bracket - HVL-FSL1B

Sony Cyber Shot Slave Flash - HVL-FSL1B

Strengths: Powerful flash, Pocket sized, Low, medium and high selections for intensity of flash, Fast cycle time

Weakness: Uses CR-123 batteries (there is a rechargable version of this battery out there, but I don't think I would use it.)

For indoor pictures at home you don't need this flash for the Cybershot camera I own. You will blind your subjects and wash out your photos. I wouldn't use it unless the subject was at least 13 to 15 feet away. Even then I'd start out with the lowest intensity setting for the flash. It has settings for the internal flash to adjust to a higher flash intensity. I used mine to take photos of...
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For indoor pictures at home you don't need this flash for the Cybershot camera I own. You will blind your subjects and wash out your photos. I wouldn't use it unless the subject was at least 13 to 15 feet away. Even then I'd start out with the lowest intensity setting for the flash.

It has settings for the internal flash to adjust to a higher flash intensity. I used mine to take photos of airplanes inside the local Air Force Base Museum. I got some good photos of planes with it inside a rather dark facility. I used it on the highest setting. The little flash on the camera would not have sufficed.

The flash has no physical connection to the camera. It has a photo sensor and is tripped by the flash on the camera. When it goes off a tiny amount of time later this slave flash goes off. You should be able to use this slave flash with other cameras besides those for which it was originally designed.

The manufacturer cautions against using the flash outside. I think I would throw caution to the wind and do so. If it was OK inside the cavernous Air Force Base Museum I don't see the difference of being outside. Also they caution the flash could go off if it is directly exposed to an extraneous flash going off. I have not found it to be that touchy. I suppose if you worked at it you could make that happen.

I intend to use the lithium CR-123 batteries rather than attempt to use rechargables. Rechargables don't hold their charge and I only intend to use the flash occasionally. The maufacturer claims you can get around 400 flashes out of a battery. I don't want to recharge my battery every time there is a remote possiblity of my wanting to use the flash. That's too much work for me and probably no savings.

By ggovin - Aug 17, 2005