FlashQ: the wireless flash trigger for mirrorless camera

[flashKK]

We are a group of photography enthusiasts & engineers in Hong Kong. We design FlashQ in our spare time, try to make wireless flash photography easy & stylish on mirrorless camera. Check this out. http://youtu.be/lgMQrZQFiEE

After launching of our crowdfunding campaign, we find FlashQ is struggling in building audiences. We have no money to hire PR firm, because money already went into R&D and prototype build. We would ask for tips of spreading our word to photography lovers. Or just share / like / tweet. Appreciated for your help.

And welcome your comments on FlashQ, this greatly helps for FlashQ refinement.

[Manfred M]

My suspicion is that you are not getting any traction because you have developed a product that does not have a large demand. Just because something can be done technically, it does not mean that there market for it.

Most of the mirrorless camera users I know fall into one of two categories;

a. They have use these as a light-weight second camera they travel because they don’t want to drag their pro gear (including lighting gear) around; and

b. It’s their only camera and they have no interest in any more gear.

In both cases, using off-camera flash is going to be of little or no interest, so having a wireless trigger is for this is going to have a very limited demand. I rather suspect that you have put the cart before the horse; usually market research is done before product development occurs. I rather suspect you have not done this.

Just as an aside, I am an amateur photographer, but my “day job” is that I am an engineering manager. What I see in your video, is something I often see in the working world, where one of our engineers has come up with a wonderful solution and is now looking as some way of applying it. We call it “a solution in search of a problem”. Having a solution for a problem that does not exist or a product that has no demand simply doesn’t work.

[flashKK]

Hi GrumpyDiver,
Thanks for your sharing here.

We realized that wireless flash photography is not a big market, and really small in mirrorless users. Our thought is that FlashQ can encourage wireless flash photography technique on mirrorless camera. Give mirrorless users a handy tool. Besides DSLR camera is getting small & silm, we think FlashQ may be another choice (compact & stylish) to DSLR users. So we go on this fun project.

Welcome any other member's PRO / CON comments.

[davidedric]

Hello FlashKK,

First, Manfred (Grumpy Diver) is a wise and experienced photographer, and I would not often disagree with him, but I think he is mistaken here, because he has missed an important class of mirrorless users.

Let me explain (this may be a long post!). I started off in Manfred's class a) a few months ago. I am an enthusiastic amateur, and I have had slr's and dslr's for manay years. I bought into a mid-range micro 4/3 camera/lens as a second camera for my APS-C dslr. Once I started to use it, I found I really liked it, for a whole lot of reasons. So now, apart from wildlife, I will pick up my 4/3 before my dslr. I suspect that in a year or so I will cut over completely as the 4/3 range of bodies and lenses grows.

However, the flash options are rather limited. As your actor shows, one of the nice aspects of a small mirrorless is the ability to shoot one handed, so an off camera hand held flash is very attractive. Especially if the body does not have a pop-up flash.

So, I am very interested in your product. Of course, it depends on quality, cost, compatibility, guide number and so on. However, I would certainly consider purchasing. I might even pre-order

If you haven't already done do, I would suggest that you head over to the micros 4/3 user forum

http://www.mu-43.com/forum.php

and see what the guys there think,

Best regards,

Dave

[Venser]

For all my non-Nikon cameras, I simply use a Wein IR Sync Trigger. Just put my speed lights in slave mode and off I go. Sure it's IR, but it's all I really need and I've never had problems at high noon without clouds yet.

[Shadowman]

Just wondering if you provided marketing data during your initial crowdfunding campaign on potential users of your product? If so, perhaps you should look at earlier forecasts or ideas and incorporate them into your business plan.

[inkista]

flashKK, I took a look at your video.

I'm a female photographer with a small white mirrorless camera (Panasonic DMC-G3), and I have zero interest in your product, because it appears to be completely about appearance/packaging/form, and not about function. I'm in the US. The mirrorless market is quite different over here, because the majority of users are male, and not particularly interested in looking cute, girlish, or color-coordinated.

I already do wireless 2.4GHz RF flash triggering with gear I got for my Canons (Yongnuo RF-602). They're small, light, convenient, cheap, in existence, and do flash triggering perfectly fine. I don't actually agree with the kick off statement of your video that it's difficult to find a trigger for mirrorless. The Yongnuo Rf-603II, Cactus V5/V6, Pixel, Phottix, PocketWizard, etc. triggers are all out there right now and do the job perfectly fine, and can be a pretty decent fit on a mirrorless camera.

I'm unlikely to be walking around with radio triggers and small white Nissin 466 flash held at arm's length because in that type of situation, I prefer having HSS/FP flash capability, so I'll use a Canon TTL cable instead with my FL50, which gives me full hotshoe communication and full function of the flash.

I'm not interested in my triggers being small, cubelike, and white, because that probably means they're running off coin batteries, and not AAAs or AAs. I prefer being able to find rechargeable, standard batteries at low cost and easy availability. It also looks like you have separate Rx/Tx units. I do that with the RF-602s, and I greatly would prefer having transceiver units that are swappable, in case one unit goes down. Channel settings don't look easily accessible. I already hate the dip switches on my RF-602s, but worse than that it looks like your units require a screwdriver to open them up and get to the battery or channel setting (assuming channel setting is possible).

While I think there is a need for wireless flash triggers for mirrorless, I think that basic manual triggers are already here, and you're going to have a hard uphill battle gaining a foothold against the established players. And that the only thing that's liable to make mirrorless users sit and up and take notice is if you offer TTL RF triggering for mirrorless systems that offer AT LEAST manual power control, if not TTL, HSS/FP, and 2nd curtain sync, as well as communication of the near-infrared proprietary signalling protocols (groups, channels, zooming, etc.)

Function matters. Range, reliability, build quality--these are all going to count more than the color/shape/size of the triggers.

The FlashQ looks cute. But that seems to be its only virtue.