# Flash Photography Adviser — Flashgun and camera settings

> Calculates flash photography settings for balanced exposure using the guide number rule. (iPhone/iPad app by Rob Duell PhD.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/flash-photography-adviser/id1354932744 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Rob Duell PhD](https://appshunter.io/developer/1458271389)
- Category: Photo & Video, Utilities
- Price: $0.99
- Rating: 5.00/5 from 2 App Store ratings · 1 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 17.0 · 1 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2018-03-06
- Data updated: 2026-09-02
- Monetization: paid
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/flash-photography-adviser/id1354932744/reviews.md

## What is Flash Photography Adviser?

The Flash Photography Adviser app automatically proposes balanced settings, and subsequently supports changing these settings to achieve a new equilibrium, for:

- Flash Coverage (Zoom), 

- Flash Output (Power Level), 

- Flashgun-to-Subject Distance,

- Camera ISO,

- Camera Aperture,

assuming a shutter speed that is at or below the camera's maximum flash sync speed, and where the flashgun-to-subject distance is measured along the path that the light travels from flash to subject.

Each such an equilibrium represents a correct exposure in accordance with the guide number rule.

The guide number rule is a handy rule of thumb in flash photography; the rule estimates the required flash exposure value without using a light meter.

This rule evolves around three concepts:

- Incident light (as opposed to reflected light);  an advantage for `difficult' subjects (for example bright or dark scenes).

- The different lighting conditions that occur when (a) zooming your flashgun, (b) changing the flash-to-subject distance, or (c) changing the flash power

- The relatively fixed exposure value for the light from the flashgun under these conditions

What the rule does NOT prescribe are the actual flashgun and related camera settings (aperture, ISO, flash power, flash zoom, flash-to-subject distance) that you can use, as long as the combination of manual flashgun and camera settings lead to an equivalent exposure value as specified by the rule. Often, there are many of such equilibria.

The Flash Adviser will assist in finding these equilibria by indicating how to achieve balance (the deviation as well as the direction), and indicating when balance is achieved. For this, the app indicates the resulting overall exposure value in stops RELATIVE to the rule for a selected lighting condition.

Also, in the balancing process, you can choose to balance to a flash exposure compensation value rather than balancing to the zero value. For instance, you can use this feature for compensating for specific light modifiers (e.g., a shoot-through umbrella, a softbox) or to achieve balance between flash light ambient light.

In this convenient app you can define and store your own flashgun(s). The app estimates the required exposure value based on the (zoom-value dependent) guide numbers of the flashgun. These guide number values can often be found in the specifications section in the User Guide of your flashgun, and can be stored in the app when defining your flashgun. 

The app can also be used as a `training device', where you first guess the required combination of settings for balance, and subsequently check these with the app.

Further characteristics:

- No in-app purchases
- No account, no login
- No advertisements

## Key features

- Proposes balanced flash and camera settings
- Supports adjusting flash coverage, output, and distance
- Calculates camera ISO and aperture
- Assists in finding exposure equilibria
- Allows defining and storing custom flashguns
- Can be used as a training device for settings

## Recent user reviews (1 of 1)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/flash-photography-adviser/id1354932744/reviews.md

### 3/5 — Useful little app.

*2025-12-10*

This is a good little app. Used it  number of time and is really useful. 

One thing that frustrates though is that it doesn’t retain the last settings but seems to default back to the first setting applied after adding a flash to the list/menu.

## Frequently asked questions about Flash Photography Adviser

### What is the main purpose of Flash Photography Adviser?

Flash Photography Adviser helps photographers automatically determine balanced flash and camera settings to achieve correct exposures based on the guide number rule. It supports adjusting flash coverage, output, distance, ISO, and aperture for optimal results.

### How does Flash Photography Adviser work with flashguns?

You can define and store your own flashguns within the app, inputting their guide number specifications. The app then uses this information to estimate required exposure values and suggest settings tailored to your specific equipment.

### Can I use Flash Photography Adviser to practice my photography skills?

Yes, the app can function as a training device. You can first guess the combination of settings you think will achieve balance and then use the app to check your results and learn from the feedback.

### What is the guide number rule mentioned in Flash Photography Adviser?

The guide number rule is a common method in flash photography to estimate required flash exposure without a light meter. It relates flash output, distance, and camera settings like ISO and aperture to achieve a correct exposure.

### Does Flash Photography Adviser have ads?

No, Flash Photography Adviser does not contain advertisements. The app is designed to provide a focused and uninterrupted experience for photographers.

### What devices is Flash Photography Adviser compatible with?

Flash Photography Adviser is available for iPhone and iPad devices. It is designed to run on Apple's mobile operating system.

### How often is Flash Photography Adviser updated?

The latest version of Flash Photography Adviser is 2.0, which was last updated on February 17, 2024. Updates typically include improvements and new features.

### What is the price of Flash Photography Adviser?

Flash Photography Adviser is a paid application priced at $0.99. There are no in-app purchases or subscriptions required to use its full functionality.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 2.0 — 2024-02-17

This version includes three example flashguns for demonstration purposes. These example flashguns are not shown when other flashguns are already defined by the user in a previous version of this app. The example flashguns can be deleted, but they can also be edited to transform them to flashguns that are relevant to the user.

This fully redesigned version of the app provides increased flexibility to the user, so that any combination of settings may be used incrementally to achieve or maintain exposure balance. In order to support this increased flexibility, the app indicates the amount of unbalance as well as the direction of the unbalance (if any).

### 1.4 — 2023-07-09

Xcode 14.3 and iOS 16.4 compatibility update.

### 1.3 — 2020-04-22

Update for iOS 13 SDK.

### 1.2 — 2018-03-14

App demo video.

### 1.1 — 2018-03-09

New Advice Screen and longer flashgun names.

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## More apps by Rob Duell PhD

- [Pixel Map](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixel-map/id1568277391)
- [Flute Cards](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/flute-cards/id6444918833)
- [Exposure Equivalence](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/exposure-equivalence/id6469605168)

All apps by Rob Duell PhD: https://appshunter.io/developer/1458271389

## Related topics

[settings photography](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/settings-photography) · [mpow flash](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/mpow-flash)

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-09-02.*