Recently I purchased and downloaded the iPod Video called “On Camera Flash” from the Shoot Smarter website. It’s new and there is not a whole lot of info available on shooting flash, so I thought I would download a copy for viewing during my free time.

Although the iPod version is specifically for the iPod, I felt the video quality was rather low. They say the video size is small to fit the iPod which I understand, but if you have bought any videos from iTunes, you’ll know that they offer much better and larger videos to be played back on your computer screen. I thought for the price it could have been larger perhaps. To me, this was just whipped together quickly.

The video content itself was more of an “organized” way to explain what I already know I felt. I am about half way through the video and there is not much “new” material here and I actually think beginners will probably find the same. However, I do think the video helps to enforce and build confidence in the area of on camera flash. Smart Shooter also makes recommendations about accessories they use and this is very helpful. Although, the only minor problem is that most all of the recommendations were not found on some of the larger and popular camera forums such as Dpreview. So it made me wonder whether it was a sales pitch or if indeed the products were really good. Again, the video states very clearly that they are opinions only and each viewer needs to test and decide which tools are the best for them. This is fair.

I am anxious to finish the video to see if there are any tips about actual operation of the flash and other devices. After about half way through the video, I have yet to hear any hands on tips about flash settings for different scenerios or setups. Mostly theory and/or methodology thus far.

My post here is not meant to be a review and I am still not done with watching the video, so it could actually get much better. However, for those on the fence about this video, I probably would still recommend giving it a try even with the rather slow beginning. It does help to explain methods more clearly and it does give you alternative ideas about flash accessories. Do grab the iPod video if you can though as I don’t think the DVD is actually worth it. For what I am seeing, I am glad I saved 10 bucks and just got the smaller iPod video.

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