Slave flash questions?

Question:I own a panasonic dmc-fz8, and am looking to buy a digital slave flash, but I had some questions. Does the flash from my camera have to "hit" the flash's sensor directly or If I use a card to reflect my internal flash upwards (as to not show up in the photo) will the slave still fire?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: I own a panasonic dmc-fz8, and am looking to buy a digital slave flash, but I had some questions. Does the flash from my camera have to "hit" the flash's sensor directly or If I use a card to reflect my internal flash upwards (as to not show up in the photo) will the slave still fire?

I am not real familiar with your camera or whatever slave flash you intend to use, but in general terms, no, your camera flash does not have to be directly aimed at the slave. The slave DOES have to be able to pick up the flash from your camera, but you would be amazed at how little it actually takes to make it fire.

steve

They are pretty sensitive, they react to the sudden increase in light, so you don't usually need direct line of sight for them to trigger.

Chris