Flash photography gets a bad rap, but the technique can make for fantastic photos when used correctly. Canon's trying to slice the learning curve to bits when it ships its newest $399 Speedlite in April. It's called the 470EX-AI, and it's a flash that can automatically determine the "best" spot to bounce the light off of the ceiling.

The 470EX-AI looks just like every other Canon Speedlite, but it has motors inside at the base and hinge, and a sensor in the corner of the face of the flash. When you double tap the shutter button on your camera, the flash points out at the subject, calculates the distance, then points itself at the ceiling and does the same. Right after that, the flash reorients itself one last time into what it "thinks" is the best direction to achieve the perfect bounce light for your subject.