Vivitar Series 1 DF-183 Bounce Head AF Flash (for Canon EOS E-TTL)

The built-in flash of a Digital SLR is typically effective to 15ft or even less!
The built-in flash of a Digital SLR camera is on average effective to maybe 15 feet, and that's only when your lens is at its widest-angle setting, where it is also the "fastest" (usually f/3.5), letting in the most light it possibly can. When you want to zoom in on the action towards the telephoto end of your zoom range, you'll find that your built in flash does exactly opposite of what you want. Its range can be reduced to under 10 feet because your lens becomes slower (f/4 or f/5.6)! So, when you want to use your lenses telephoto capability that you paid for, but also require the built in flash, your pictures come out dark, grainy or even worse, not at all!, but this high power flash can be effective to over 50ft!

Your flash pictures might be lower quality because your camera's light sensitivity (ISO) is being raised by the camera to compensate for the lack of power of the built-in flash.
If you shoot using your camera's "Green"/"Auto" exposure mode setting (where the flash automatically fires as needed) it is possible that unknown to you, your camera's light sensitivity (ISO) is being raised by the camera to compensate for the lack of power of the built-in flash. This might provide better exposure, but it is at the expense of the quality image quality which can have more grain and noise. The greater power and zoom head of the High Power Auto Flash will enable you to shoot at longer distances and/or lower ISO's for optimum image quality.

For professional looking flash pictures!
This height advantage of this powerful flash increases the distance between the flash head and the lens. This along with zoom head's bounce and swivel capability can eliminate or minimizes redeye, reduce shadows and add more dimension to your flash photography.

Reduce or totally eliminate "Red-Eye"
Even using the red-eye reduction feature of your camera (because the built-in flash is too close to the lens) the flash reflects off of your subjects retinas directly back into the lens and often results in pictures with "red-eye."

The height advantage alone greatly reduces or eliminates this "red-eye" effect from the flash bounce back off of the retina in the eye.

This can be totally eliminated by utilizing the bounce feature of the flash head to "bounce" the light off of a ceiling, wall or bounce flash reflector for professional looking results.

Professional looking bounce flash results
Direct on-camera flash is not the best lighting for portraits, because it casts an unattractive shadow behind the subject, provides little modeling of the face, is harsh and produces red-eye.

Utilizing the bounce feature, you can soften the light by bouncing it off a nearby ceiling, wall or from another white surface, such as a bounce card, sheet of poster board or an umbrella reflector. This type of lighting is more attractive as it eliminates harsh shadows and the flat look of direct on-camera flash.

• A red focus assist beam for low light focusing
• An automatic shutter speed setting
• A flash readiness indication
• A five position tilted reflector
• Red-eye reduction
• Front and rear curtain synchronization
• A Power saving function