Looking to get a flash for Sony A7iii

[Tri Danimal]

I am looking to get a flash fo rmy Sony A7iii. I found his kit on amazon. Is this a good starter kit or should I look for something else? any reccomendations?

[rpcrowe]

I have one of these flashes and a transmitter and, am quite happy with the combination.

Whether this would be the best flash for you depends on how you plan to use it.

While I often use my off camera flashes in manual mode, it is nice to have a flash that will also do TTL for run and gun shooting. I like to have a flash that is capable of TTL exposure. I will often use my on camera flash by bouncing; modified with a Joe Demb Flash Diffuser Pro which provides very nice lighting for both people and dogs. In this case, I quite often will use manual exposure on the camera combined with TTL Auto exposure for the flash.

I like that the Godox/Flashpoint (note: Godox and Flashpoint are the same products. Flashpoint is the Adorama branded Godox units - for simplicity, I will refer to them as Godox) flash units are capable of high speed sync (HSS) which is very handy when using fill flash outdoors when I will often need to shoot upwards of 1/2,000 second.

I also like that the Godox flash units, when used off camera, can be triggered with the Godox triggers and these triggers can be used with any of the Godox units, In other words, I can use a Canon specific unit with a Sony camera as long as the trigger is specific for Sony.

Godox puts out a wide range of flash products, ranging from rather large units that incorporate a separate battery pack (such as the AD360) down to the TT350 which is a small flash unit that uses two AA batteries for power. The standard battery operated hotshoe flashes from Godox such as the TT600 can have a rather sluggish recharge time. The TT350 with its two AA batteries is even more sluggish. Godox also has a line of hotshoe flashes which draw their power from a rechargaable Li-ion internal battery pack. The V860ii is an example. I recently purchased a V860ii unit because I needed faster recycle time when shooting active dogs and puppies. The Li-ion flashes are more expensive but, the faster recycle time can be worth the extra cost.

The T350 (using 2 AA batteries) or its Li-ion battery powered twin the V350 are small flashes that are easily carried and which, when mounted on the camera hotshoe, don't add a lot of weight to the combination.

One thing that I don't like about Godox units is that the hotshoe, designed to fit into the Sony Multi Function camera hotshoe seems pretty darn flimsy but, I think that this may be a factor with all flashes that can be fit into the Sony hotshoe. The larger AD360 flash has a hotshoe that can be replaced with a cold shoe incorporating a 1/4 x 20 screw mount enabling it to be used with various flash mounts or brackets that mount the flash with a screw. I wish that all the Godox units had this type of accessory mount.

There have been horror tales of Godox flashes not working well in TTL mode when shooting in HSS. The problem with that is that when your shutter speed increases, the HSS power decreases. I will often use the flash in manual mode when shooting outdoors in HSS mode at a high shutter speed (when shooting wide open with a fast lens), so I have not experienced the problems recorded on some websites.

Finally, I have not had any problems with my units but, I use all Flashpoint equipment from Adorama. I have been told that Godox requires the retailer to take care of warranty problems and I know that Adorama will stand behind its products. If you buy a Godox unit from some obscure eBay seller, you may have problems with warranties.

Finally, the really neat thing with all Godox flashes is that each flash has an incorporated radio receiver/transmitter. In other words, you can use every flash as a master or a slave to control or be controlled by another flash. The X-Pro transmitter/receiver has some additional functionality but, you just need a couple of flashes to control each other.

[rpcrowe]

I enjoy using a Custom Brackets RF-Pro AS Rotating Flash Bracket for run and gun shooting. The bracket keeps the flash over the lens and I usually have the flash-head pointing up and modified with a Joe Demb Flash Diffuser. The Demb diffuser allows versatility in that I can have the flip-up portion pointed straight up for shooting indoors where there is a decent ceiling off which to bounce or angled at 45 degrees toward the subject when I am shooting outdoors or in an area that doesn't have a viable ceiling of which to bounce.

The problem with the Sony Multi Interface Shoe (on the Godox/Flashpoint units and, I think on other Sony flashes using the Multi Interface Shoe is that this shoe doesn't fit any standard hotshoe/cold shoe receptacle. My flash bracket utilizes a 1/4 x 20 screw to mount the shoe that will accept the flash. I had the devils own time finding a way to mount the MI shoe flash to this bracket (or to any of the other brackets that I have in my inventory). None of the standard cold shoes with screw mounts fit this flash and I have not been able to find any screw mount cold shoe despite numerous inquiries to various companies such as Custom Brackets, Adorama or B&H. B&H suggested this cold shoe which simply will not work with a MI hotshoe flash...
https://smile.amazon.com/ChromLives-...%2C1022&sr=8-8

I finally bit the bullet and purchased a Meike MK-FA02 Off camera Sync Cord. https://www.amazon.com/Meike-MK-FA02.../dp/B0722964RP which works O.K. but, I have almost ten feet of cord that I need to wrap around the bracket. This is bulky and adds extra weight.

I don't know if you have any expectations of using the flash you purchase on a bracket but, I just wanted to add this information.

Additionally, a way to use the flash on a camera hotshoe with a Demb diffuser is this:


I find that is O.K. when using a very lightweight flash like toe small TT350 but I worry about the heavier V860ii flash. The MI Hotshoe just doesn't seem sturdy enough the have the camera in the vertical position with the flash cantilevered over to the side...

You may not use a flash the way I like to do so the problems I have might not be problems for you. But, I just wanted to give you some insight as to what problems I have been experiencing with the Sony MI Shoe.

[Manfred M]

I teach flash (studio and speedlight) at two local photo clubs. It's a touchy topic to teach not only because of inconsistencies by the OEM manufacturers in how they set up menus and controls. Add third party flash to the mix and things get very strange.

The most problematic seems to be Sony. They seem to have issues even when paired with "dumb" studio lights and triggers and sometimes expert Sony shooters have issues here. FujiFilm gets honourable mention here as we have had issues with these cameras as well, but not nearly as much as the Sonys.

While I love my Godox Witstro AD-360 and have never had a problem with it, I would be very cautious with any of the Chinese brands here. Customer support is virtually non-existent outside of what the retailer provides. If I were a Sony owner, I would probably stick with Sony flash, regardless of price, just to minimize compatibility issues. Be cautious here as you could easily find yourself having purchases a unit that creates headaches rather than good images.

[rpcrowe]

Actually, the only problems I have had with the Godox/Flashpoint units is the darned MI Shoe which I hate.

However as Manfred and others mentioned, there are significant under exposure problems using the flash in HSS mode at higher shutter speeds but, when I use fill flash outdoors, I normally have the units in manual exposure modes so, the TTL underexposure which may very well be a problem for many photographers is a non-entity for me.

I have experienced no problems at all with the numerous Godox/Flashpoint units in manual exposure and HSS or with TTL with standard sync speeds. The ability to view your result in the eye level viewfinder makes it easier to use manual flash exposure than it would be with chimping.

I also have not had any failure of these units in which I needed warranty support, although I have heard horror stories about the units purchases from eBay and the buyers having no warranty recourse.

On the other hand, you could buy three or four Godox/Flashpoint units for the price of a single equivalent Sony unit and throw away the Godox unit (or use it for spare parts) if it fails. There is no other radio controlled flash unit (that I know of) that sells for $65 U.S. Dollars... Or a set of two flashes and a radio transmitter for $165 USD...

I do like the radio interface of the various Godox/Flashpoint units and have used both the transmitters (the Pro Model is better). I have also used one Godox/Flashpoint flash to trigger others.

The accessories available for the TTL360 (or Wistro 360) are very reasonably priced and work quite well. I originally purchased the TTL360 to use with Canon gear but, now use it with the inexpensive expedient of purchasing a Sony dedicated Pro Trigger. I have several modifiers which were ridiculously low priced - including this neat diffuser which costs under $13 USD.
https://www.amazon.com/Godox-Diffuse...065079&sr=8-16
Shooting with this diffuser and the flash pointed straight up gives a very nice bare bulb effect...

I got the TTL360 from Adorama at a very low price (open box unit) and it is a lot of power at a low weight and as I mentioned - a low price.

[Manfred M]

Richard - it wasn't HSS where people were having problems; the problems were far more basic like the flash not firing at all or the camera not focusing and the shutter release being locked with the flash trigger mounted.

[rpcrowe]

Maybe I have just been lucky but, I haven't experienced any of those problems, That is not to say that it won't happen to me but, so far I have dodged the bullet...

New line of thought...

I just took a good look at the fully manual Flashpoint R2 Flash. It uses more of a standard base that can be mounted to my flash bracket with this cold shoe



which can be attached to the flash bracket with the 1/4 x 20 screw of the bracket.

My plan for photographing the Indian Diwali festival on Saturday evening/night is to use the R2 Flash on my RF-Pro Bracket with the flash head pointed up. I will modify the light and cast it forward using a Joe Demb Flip-It flash diffuser - pointed at an angle to the subject.

I will trigger the flash with the XPro transmitter.

I will determine the exposure with the camera in manual without the flash on. Then I will turn on the flash and start at a very low power and adjust the power of that flash so as not to override the incident lighting. I can adjust the power of the flash using the dial on the transmitter. I just want enough light to get some detail into the shot - not to override the background light or the lights from the decorations. I will most likely use a straw colored gel on the flash to have the light from that unit more closely match the candles and lantern lights of the festival.

NOTE: I keep getting blind sided The above cold shoe does have a screw mount but, it is for a 25mm metric screw and doesn't fit the 1/4 x 20 screw of the bracket...

I have two ways to work around my problem:

I bought a cold shoe on amazon.com with a 1/4 x 20 threaded hole that fits great on the bracket.
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
The RF-Pro bracket includes a spacer on each side of the cold shoe which prevents rotation around the mounting screw.

I will also bring my A6500 plus a 30mm f/1.4 Sigma lens. Using the little A6500 with the R2 transmitter, I will shoot one-handed while holding a small TTL 350 flash in the other hand.

Hell's Bells! I used to shoot a humongous 4x5-inch Graphic press camera in one hand with the equally large Graflex flash in my other hand. If I could shoot one handed with the cumbersome Graphic using cut film holders and having a lousy focusing system; I could certainly do the same with a tiny auto focusing A6500 and minuscule TTL350 flash.

This is the ultimate fix. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2i-e3WxEEE I offered to purchase a block like this one but, I think that I can fabricate one if I can't buy it.