12. Flash: Simple Or More Complex?

Like all consumer SLRs, the D50 and istDL are equipped with a built-in flash with TTL metering; it is housed in the viewing prism, and pops up by pressing a small button (or automatically if you're in full automatic mode.) Naturally the power of the flash is fairly modest, with a guide number at ISO 200 of around 15. For an f/4 lens, that gives you a range of about 12' (3.5 m). Naturally, you can increase that by using a higher sensitivity setting, but if you need a more powerful flash, you'll have to buy an external unit to mount on the camera's hotshoe. Needless to say, though the hotshoe is standard, its automatic systems aren't, so you'll have to buy a flash made by the maker of the camera or a compatible model. A word of caution: Earlier generation flash units are not always totally compatible with current digital SLRs.

Despite their similarities, there are some very clear differences between the two models. The Pentax's maximum synchronization speed is 1/180s, while the Nikon goes up to 1/500s, which makes using the flash for fill-in lighting in daylight more effective. Nikon also offers second-curtain synchronization, which is useful for getting nicer shots when using the flash at slow speeds to balance the ambient lighting. That requires a suitable external flash on the Pentax. Overall, the flash is a strong point of Nikon's compared to all its competitors - at least if you use a flash for more than just the very basics.