Can I use a Nikon d5200 for flash photography?

Hi! I was wondering if Nikon D5200 can control let's say 5 flashes with just one shutter click?

Yes it is good quality camera for your Flash Photography.

Yes, there are several methods. You can use a master flash on your camera to control as many slaves as you want. On some DSLR cameras the pop up flash can act as a Master. This is called 'Wireless' flash.

You don't always want flash from the camera position so there's a more expensive option of using radio signals to do the same thing, any flash attached to a receiver will react to the transmitter on your hot shoe. Radio Poppers still keep full TTL (Auto), but are expensive.

Either of the above methods can be done with Manual flashguns much cheaper. Manual flash gives you far more control over the flash(es) but the exposure and balance between the various flash guns is not automatic. Most studio flash is manual. Some studio flash enable you to control the remote flash(es) from the camera position, again with more cost.

You only need one off camera flash to start, then add flashguns as the need arises. It can get very complicated very quickly with multiple flash.

See this site for chapter and verse on off camera flash.

http://strobist.blogspot.co.uk/2006/03/lighting-101.html

It's a huge site well worth exploring.

Yes you can. There are 3 ways to do this;

- using the pop-up flash on camera (cheapest way) to trigger off camera flashes which have an optical slave mode. When they 'see' the on camera flash go off, they will go off too. You would have to manually control the flash output power on each unit, as the D5200 pop-up flash can't act as a 'commander' flash to adjust power levels. The onboard flash will contribute to the exposure, but you should be able to manually turn it's power down so that its contribution is minimal, yet it still triggers the slave flashes. There can be issues with distance/triggering outdoors on a sunny day.

- using an external speedlight like the SB800, SB900 or SB910 mounted on the camera (most expensive way) as the 'master' flash. If you use Nikon speedlights compatible with the CLS system (SB600 and higher spec), the onboard master flash can control the power output of the remote flashes in up to three groups. Again though, the system can be prone to distance/outdoor issues as the triggering signal is IR. The master can be used as a flash as well, or it can be turned off completely if you don't want any frontal flash. Using a completely compatible Nikon system, you can have TTL (auto flash metering) OR manual flash output. Or you ccan use any cheaper manual flash on the hotshoe + manual slave flashes in optical slave mode.

- using a wireless radio trigger on the hotshoe. This is a fairly cheap way of doing it. I use RF602 triggers which cost around £20 for one transmitter/receiver. You mount the transmitter on the hotshoe and put a receiver on either all of the flashes (need a receiver for each) or on one of the flashes & optically trigger the rest from that flash. Again, you would have to set the flash output power manually on all the flashes. There are no issues with radio triggering in terms of outdoor use &the range is greater than with optically triggered flashes. There will be NO contribution of flash from the hotshoe.