Eli5 Why are photography flash programmed to go off at the time of capture and not illuminate continously.

Question

I understand the energy conservation while on battery but I have seen the same with rigs connected to the wall.

In: 4

Answer 1

It takes a lot of power for continuous light at that brightness, and camera flashes have a lifespan, and an on-camera flash dying out would very much suck compared to an external flash. Also, bright lights will make people squint.