Do you have to use the built in flash when using speedlites?

Question

When using a speedlite, i know that I have to have the built in flash popped up. But does it have to fire when using a speedlite wirelessly.
Thanks

Answer 1

If the speedlight is being used off camera & the pop-up flash is acting as a trigger, then yes it does need to fire. It may be that is only sends a small triggering signal (Nikon's CLS wireless system uses this), but even that can be visible in shots when the aperture is wide open and the subject is close.



The only way to NOT have the pop-up fire is to use radio triggers - they cost about £20.

Answer 2

I can only speak about Nikon DSLRs.



If you use a speedlight on the hot shoe, you cannot pop up the flash as it will interfere with the speed light. In that situation, keep your built-in flash down.



For wireless remote (assuming your camera and speedlight both support it), you have to popup the flash, as the flash signals the speedlight.



However, you can set the built-in flash to either just signal the remote speedlight - in which case it will not add to the lighting in the photo - or set the built-in flash to both signal the remote speedlight, and provide additional lighting.



But if you have an entry-level Nikon DSLR, it will not support a speedlight wireless control without also having to buy a SU-800.

Answer 3

If you are using a flashgun on the hotshoe I don't know of a camera that requires you to pop the inbuilt flash - in fact on most cameras this would be impossible.



As you start going up the ranges from the different manufacturers you find that you gain the ability to use the inbuilt pop up flash as a controller for off-camera flash guns. Go further up the ranges and you gain more control, such as the ability for the inbuilt flash to control the power output of multiple groups (even to to point of not firing itself for the actual shot, just as a trigger beforehand). Few cameras will offer as much control though as using a flashgun as the trigger, or a dedicated trigger.



What's now starting to appear is radio triggering built into the camera, as opposed to encoding the trigger into a pre-flash from the flash gun.



So I guess the answer is that it depends on your camera.