Cameras with hot shoe for external flash

Flash connection

— ability to connect an external flash to the camera. Usually, a standard hot shoe connector is provided for this. Almost all SLR and mirrorless cameras are equipped with this connector, but it is quite rare in compact devices.

The flash is used to illuminate the scene being shot. The main use of such backlighting is shooting in low light (at dusk or complete darkness), but it can also be useful in other situations — in particular, when shooting against the light, when the subject is shaded. The flash may be built-in (see the relevant paragraph), however, external flashes have more advanced characteristics and more extensive capabilities, they are recommended for professional shooting.