Can I use a phone LED as an off-camera flash with a Nikon D5300?
Asked 9/21/2018
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I have a Nikon D5300 and wanted a second light source, but I can't afford a dedicated external flash right now. Could a phone's LED be used as an off-camera light or 'flash'? Ideally I'd like it to fire only briefly, or be triggered when I take a photo. If not, what are the practical low-cost alternatives?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
8y ago
2 Answers
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No. Your phone has no flash. Your phone has a led light that pops when your phone takes a photo, and no. It is not powerful enough to be used as a "flash". (A flash is a strobe light of a fraction of a second, let's say 1/500s or faster, and in some circumstances can overpower the sunlight)
Instead of fooling yourself triggering a phone's "flash", learn how to use continuous light illumination.
Yes, you could use your phone to paint light or use it as another light source. Used like this you could use for example a shutter speed of 1/30 and have a decent result.
But probably it is a good idea to use a desk lamp, for example, or some industrial lights that can be cheap (but can be really hot)
But if you really want to take photography that needs a real flash there are some really cheap options. One used flash and a cable, amazon basics flash, or if you want to be serious Yongnuo flashes or Godox with radio triggers are a solid bet.
If you want to make some stroboscopic effects using multiple lights as I am understanding your project:
1) Prepare a completely dark room. Clear any obstacles to prevent accidents.
2) Put your camera on a shutter speed of 30 secs, (probably you need to set up the focus on manual mode) and have some friend to press the button.
3) Take photos with your phone. It will probably shoot some pre-flashes, or something and move around.
4) Again, you could use any other light source to do this kind of photos.
Originally by user37321. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user37321
8y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
A phone LED is not a true photographic flash. It’s a small continuous LED light, not a powerful strobe that fires for a very short burst, so it won’t work like an external speedlight for freezing motion or strongly lighting a scene.
You can still use a phone as a continuous light source: turn on the flashlight and position it off-camera, especially for long exposures or slower shutter speeds. In that case, the camera’s shutter duration provides the “short moment” more than the phone does. This can also work for light painting.
For better results, other continuous lights like desk lamps can be more useful, though they may be hot or awkward.
If you specifically want flash behavior, the practical answer is to get a real speedlight. It doesn’t have to be an expensive Nikon unit: used Nikon flashes and third-party manual or TTL options are commonly available at lower cost than new branded flashes.
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