Flash photography tip: Use your flash's zoom setting

Thursday 4 December 2025, 14:14 by Elja Trum | 1,864 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.

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