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Congratulations to Art Ibewuike, February 2024 PFRE Photographer of the Month! The theme this month was "Living Room or Family Room". Art Ibewuike - #895 Paul-Dan Dragoman - #898 Peter Wingfield - #900 Here's what Art has to say: Thank you so much for ...

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Best Flash for Real Estate Photography [2024 Review]

In: 
Published: 01/11/2022

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

For a professional photographer photographer, the best flash for real estate photography is one that can be used in different ways and has a high sync speed.

The right flash for real estate photography is not just about the power of the flash or the number of flash units. It’s also about what you can do with it. You need to look at the features and how they will work for your needs.

For instance, you might need a high sync speed so you can use it with your camera’s built-in shutter or external shutter release. The more powerful flash units might have better range, but they may not be able to fire as quickly as weaker ones because they are drawing more power.

My Top Flash For Real Estate Reviews

I recommend the Canon Speedlite 430EX III-RT Flash after evaluating the various options. Yes, its on the expensive side, but its user friendly, compatible, and powerful (which you'll need).

The right flash for shooting real estate photography should be compatible with your camera, have a flexible design and advanced smart functions. After plenty of research, I’ve found the flash units best for real estate photography.

Best Overall Camera Flash for Real Estate Photography: Canon Speedlite 430EX Flash

The Canon Speedlite 430EX III-RT Flash is a good choice for real estate photographers who are looking for a compact flash. Although it is more expensive than both the Yongnuo YN560 IV and Godox V850II, it offers a good value to save money compared to other Canon flash models.

The Canon Speedlite 430EX Flash gives you a 90o vertical spin, which is crucial when capturing interior photos. It also has a 330o horizontal spin allowing you to capture the property at an angle. You can do it all by simply pushing the bounce back release button.

Like other quality flashes, the flash has both manual and TTL modes that allow real estate photographers to take automatic flash photographs. Through the Lens (TTL)  is a function that enables real estate photographers to take perfect lit shots without adjusting the images too much.

If you are a new professional photographer using a Canon camera, the flash will automatically determine your lens's focal length and adjust the flash accordingly, saving you the hassle of manual settings. However, if you are using other camera models, you will need to manually set the focal size.

Best Real Estate Photography on Camera Flash for the Money: Godox V850II

The Godox V850II is the flash for real estate photography when it comes to the ease of use. For starters, the user friendly LCD display and control panel has simple to use commands. Like many other godox brand equipment, this flash is compatible with multiple camera brands such as Nikon, Canon, Pentax, and Olympus which means you won’t have to shop for a new real estate photography camera.

The right flash for real estate photography should have a short recycling time. This device has a recycling time of 1.5 seconds which is faster than that of both the Canon Speedlite 430EX III-RT and Yongnuo YN560 IV. It’s a powerful flash with a guide number of 197' at ISO 100 and 200mm, enabling you to get as many pictures as possible in a short time.

This real estate photography flash comes with a 20mm to 200mm adjustable zoom range with the ability to accommodate different lenses. This flash tilts vertically between -7 to 90o and horizontally rotates at 360O, giving you control of your illumination. With these features, you can use this flash to illuminate every angle during interior real estate photography shooting.

Depending on your real estate photography needs, you can use high-speed sync setting with faster shutter speeds to freeze moving subjects and capture images in style. The master and slave functions in this flash helps deliver adequate lighting on time, allowing you capture the sharpest images in the industry. The long-lasting battery makes it ideal for capturing images even during power outages. The Short recycling time allows you capture several images within a short time.

Best Cheap Camera Flash for Real Estate Photography: Yongnuo YN560 IV

If you are a photographer looking for a flash that is compatible with most cameras in the market today, the Yongnuo YN560 IV will be a great pick. This flash has a flexible design with a variety of smart functions, making it suitable for use as an on camera flash.

The flash has a zoom range of 24 mm to 105mm. This is vital if you want to capture a vast area in a property without moving around.

The Yongnuo YN560 IV also gives a recycling rate of 3 seconds. Although this is longer than Godox V850II’s 1.5 seconds, it is still a good value for money compared to many flashes in the market today. At this rate, you’ll be able to take several amazing photos in a short time.

As a photographer who will be shooting real estate pictures in poor lighting, you will want a strong flash output.

The flash comes with a guide number of 190' for 105mm at ISO 100. This makes it one of the best flashes for photographers who want to use it as an on camera flash unit when shooting photos from a distance.

The included flash bounce card makes this flash a good choice when you want to have precise control over the scene lighting and capture different elements in style. The 11 custom functions makes this flash one of the most flexible camera flashes in the market.

Features to Consider for Flash for Real Estate Photography

When buying a flash for the real estate photography business, you need to factor in features such as compatibility with different cameras, recycling speed, flash zoom, and whether you can use it as an on-camera flash.

Let’s look at some features and why they are important for your specific real estate photography needs.

Recycling Speed 

Recycling speed is the duration of time the flash unit needs to attain full power after being fired. A good flash should have a fast recycling time that can allow photographers to make shots in the quickest time possible.

The Godox V850II has the shortest recycle time of 1.5 seconds, while the Canon Speedlite 430EX III-RT and Yongnuo YN560 IV have to recycle speeds of about 3 seconds.

Flashpoint and Speedlite with a Canon camera

Compatibility

A good flash needs to be compatible with the brand of camera you have. This is especially important for photographers who use different cameras for different real estate photography needs.

If you already have a camera and are just looking for a new flash that will make your images look like ones shot using natural light, make sure that you buy one that works well with that camera.

A good flash should support a wide range of camera models. This camera can be used as an on flash with cameras from a popular brand like Nikon, Canon, Panasonic, Fujifilm, and Pentax.

Buying a real estate photography flash from the same brand as your camera is the best way to avoid compatibility issues. For instance, if you use the Canon Speedlite 430EX Flash on a Canon camera, it will adjust accordingly depending on your camera’s focal length.

Flash Zoom

Flash zoom refers to the area your flash covers during photography. A good flash covers enough area with precise control, just like the natural illumination.

The big flash zoom range of 20mm to 200mm in Godox V850II makes it one of the best real estate photography equipment with precise auto zoom.

Important Tips When Using the Flash to Take a Photo

Even with the best flashes, it can be challenging to shoot a quality picture of a house or room in low natural light if you don’t know how to use the flash. Although you can brighten the images using Photoshop, with the right tips, you can brighten the scene when capturing.

Whether it’s an on camera flash or not, considering these four things when taking pictures can help improve the overall image quality.

Keep the Flash Some Distance From the Subject

In most cases, the subjects in real estate photography are bigger than your flash. As a result, the images will have sharply defined shadows. The best way to prevent this problem is to keep your flash some distance away from the subject.

Typically, this will make your flash appear bigger and the resulting shadows softer. You can also attach reflective objects on your flash head to help reflect the light and make it broader.

Bounce Off the Light

Sometimes the flash can be harsh. Instead of using it to illuminate the subject directly, you can consider bouncing the light off the ceilings or walls. Again, this helps you capture less-defined shadows.

Use High-Speed Synchronization

Enabling high-speed synchronization settings allows you to capture using faster shutter speeds. For instance, if you set your Nikon camera to a shutter speed of 1/8000, you will need to enable high-speed synchronization.

Use the TTL Mode

The Through-the-lens mode is an advanced technology in cameras such as Canon and Nikon. This setting allows cameras and flashes to instruct the flash unit. Note that different camera models might use a different name for the TTL services.

For instance, the Canon uses the E-TTL while the Nikon camera will use the i-TTL technology to decide how much power the flash needs to illuminate a subject.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Do I Need a Flash When Taking Interior Images?

You will need a flash when taking interior images due to the poor lighting indoors. The regular lighting in most buildings is not sufficient to illuminate a subject.

Do I Need to Use a Diffuser When Capturing Real Estate Images?

Yes, you might need to use a diffuser when capturing real estate images if you want to illuminate the subject using the flash, and then blend the best flash light with the natural lighting.

Conclusion

Getting the right flash for real estate photography is one of the first steps to improve the quality of your real estate images. Whether you use the best flash on or off your camera, adding one to the scene can help create more depth in your real estate photos.

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