Flash photography tip: Use your flash's zoom setting

Thursday 4 December 2025, 14:14 by Elja Trum | 1,953 views | 0 comments

This article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.

Many flashes have the option to 'zoom'. When you have the flash set to automatic mode on your camera and pointing straight ahead, the flash head zooms in and out when you do the same with your lens.

20mm (left) versus 200mm (right)
Many flashes can zoom from 24 to 200mm, for example. This zooming has the advantage that the flash beam becomes more focused. This means that areas which are outside the frame are not lit, and your flash uses less power.

When you work manually, or turn the flash head to the side or upwards, the flash automatically switches back to its widest setting. After all, the flash no longer knows how wide the light should be.

You can also set this zoom setting manually on your flash. This allows you to focus the beam of light more, creating more of a spotlight. Handy when you use a flash as a hair light, for example.

Share: WhatsApp Facebook

About the author

Elja Trum is the founder of Photofacts and online photography course website Photofacts Academy. He has been writing about photography since 2006. Elja is also the author of (Dutch) books on composition, black-and-white photography, flash photography and portrait photography.

Why would you zoom with your flash?
by Liesbeth van Asselt
Shooting in Manual mode and zoom lenses
by Nando Harmsen
Aeroplane mode on a camera
by Nando Harmsen
10 Tips for Beginner Photographers
by Elja Trum
Automatic subject recognition, or not?
by Nando Harmsen
Canon launches the RF 16-28mm f/2.8 IS STM ultra-wide-angle zoom
by Nando Harmsen

Show every article in Flash photography

home

0 comments

There are no comments on this article yet.
Be the first to share what you think!

Have your say

Please note: Articles older than a week can only be commented on by signed-in visitors.
Would you still like to comment? sign in or create a free account.

Become a better photographer every week

A practical photography tip in your inbox every week.
39,178 photography enthusiasts already receive the tips! More about the weekly mail. Or keep up to date via Facebook. Sign-up secured with Google reCaptcha.

Elja Trum

Photofacts; everything to do with photography!

Would you like to take better photos and keep up with what is happening in photography? Photofacts publishes articles that teach you something about photography — from a product announcement to a practical shooting tip or a look at a website. Photofacts covers photography every day and is a hobby project of Elja Trum's that got out of hand. The articles are written by a team of volunteer authors. If you would enjoy writing one or more articles for Photofacts, do get in touch.More about Photofacts

Photofacts is made possible in part by