Canon® Speedlite System Digital Field Guide, 2nd Edition

Introduction

Welcome to the new Wiley Digital Field Guide for the Canon Speedlite System. Whether you are holding this book or your new Canon Speedlite in your hands, you are holding a fantastic tool that will assist you in creating awesome photographs that you will be proud to display and share with your family and friends. Much has changed in the technology of flash equipment in recent years, and this book aims to provide you with a solid basis for understanding the Speedlite System, the nuances of lighting, and camera flash terminology.

With the Canon Speedlite System, you can literally just point and shoot! A Canon Speedlite is able to do the complex exposure calculations for you, balancing the flash exposure with the ambient lighting and allowing for a more natural look to your images.

Learning how to properly use Speedlites is only the beginning to creating great flash photographs. You will also learn about the subtleties of lighting and light modifiers, and when, how, and why you should use them. I will also cover light placement and styles of lighting for different and creative effects. This book will take you beyond the everyday use of flash equipment and start you on the path to creating truly dazzling images.

Short History of Canon's Speedlite System

The first Canon Speedlite that offered any type of automatic flash was the 300TL, introduced in 1986, which employed the TTL (Through-the-Lens) metering system and was designed to be used with the Canon T90 film camera.

Essentially, ...