The "Flashes etc" page contains links to reviews for all items related
to flash photography, such as flash units, reflectors, snoots, umbrellas, grids, stands, off-camera triggers and more.
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If you've ever found yourself looking
to get more lighting power for interior spaces, or an inexpensive but reliable system for portraits
on location, the Elinchrom D-4 Lite it kit may be your answer. I purchased two of these for lighting interior spaces, and found they're actually less expensive
than buying camera flashes, and much more powerful too. More
info; Elinchrom D-Lite 4 It kit long longer available, but this one is very similar: Elinchrome D-Lite RX 4.
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The HVL-F58AM is Sony's top-line flash unit. It's very similar to the less expensive HVL-F43AM model, but has plugs for an external battery and Sony off-camera cables, (studio use) and of course, the ability to act as
a control flash for Sony's wireless system. Works properly right out of the box with Radiopoppers™ flash triggers.
More info; Sony HVL-F58AM, now discontinued
and replaced by the Sony HVL-F60M.
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Check out Sony's best flash value, the HVL-F43AM. This flash has a whopping 22 power levels, along with a fast recharge rate, modeling and multi-flash emission, plus,
the ability to act as a control flash for Sony's wireless system. It does almost everything the more expensive HVL-F58AM
does, but at a much lower price. Works properly right out of the box with Radiopoppers™ flash triggers.
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The Sony HVL-F56AM is no longer available, it's been replaced by the HVL-F58AM since 2008. The HVL-F56AM is a feature-rich flash with
plenty of custom functions, including modeling and multi-flash, a plug for an external battery pack,
a cable socket for Sony off-camera flash control, and of course it works perfectly with Sony cameras, even though it was
designed by Minolta in 2000. It also work very well with Radiopoppers. |
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Visual Echoes makes a slick, but odd looking devise
that extends the working range of your accessory flash unit via a "Fresnel screen" placed
at a fixed distance from the flash head. Although the "Fresnel screen" is made from flimsy
plastic, it really does work, but there are some limitations you should know about. Try
the fresnel lens with a flash light instead of the camera flash, you can really see the difference as you
point it around the room! More info; Visual echos Better Beamer flash X-tender Better beamer review
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Rogue makes some pretty neat products, most of which
are actually useful for the average photographer. The Rogue 3 in 1 honeycomb grid is designed to fit over a standard camera accessory flash unit, and provides a way to
control the coverage of light that falls on the subject. Grids are better than snoots, although
the difference is sometimes subtle. More info; Rogue 3 in 1 Honeycomb grid
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The Sony HVL-F42AM is no longer available new, which is too bad, because it's feature-rich with plenty of custom functions,
and of course works perfectly with Sony cameras. It has a fast full power recycle time of about
3 seconds, and at half power is almost instant! They're commonly available on eBay, and if you can get a good copy
for less than $150 it's a steal. They also work well with Radiopoppers™ although you have
to go through a power-up procedure before using. The HVL-F42AM
was the first Sony designed alpha flash unit, the other two (HVL-F36AM and HVL-F56AM) were rebadged
Minoltas. |
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More info;
Rogue Flashbender, large Gary Fong lightsphere
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The Sunpak PZ42X S is a poor choice for fully automatic flash use on newer Sony cameras. The flash defaults to full power blasts
in live-view mode, so you have to use an optical viewfinder camera to get proper exposures. This model doesn't seem
to be compatible with Radiopoppers™ flash triggers. Works well on older Sony and Konica Minolta digital SLR's.
More info; Sunpak PZ42X S
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The Vivitar DF-293 is a very economical flash for off-camera or manual use because of the adjustable
zoom and power levels. Works well with Radiopoppers™. Not great for full auto use as you must remember to
manually adjust the zoom feature when changing focal lengths. I no longer recommend this flash as it seems to have reliability
issues. More info; Vivitar DF-293-SON
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To learn how to use your flashes with radio controlled triggers, check out the Sony and Minolta off-camera flash page. This page is mainly for people wanting information concerning Sony and Minolta AF flashes and radio controlled use
with Radiopoppers™. Also has info on using gels, stands and umbrellas, and how to mount your flashes to a stand. |
