I use the little Sony flash but at 150 dollars or so, a rip off, IMO but it works. I don't like flash, even when I did weddings and other events but of course for those I used much larger flash but for a nice pick up for the eye, a catch light, it works and then other times when it is better to get something if it is important rather than nothing.
The Nissin Di700A and the Air1 Commander is a very nice combination. It is somewhat fiddly to set up as the instructions are not clear. Once it is setup the system works great and allows a lot of flexibility. The power is of flash is very good for its size and it is relatively cheap. The HSS works great and I love using it for portraits with our Australian sun. For night I prefer to use the ICE lighting or the Rotolight Neo.
Another vote for the nissin i40. I was sort of caught between it and the Di700a, but once I received the i40, was very impressed with the ease of use and the amount of options available, including HSS. It's a solid flash which exceeds my needs.
p.2 #11 · Sony A7RII - Flash Recommendation Please
Just got the HVL-F32M for my A7rII camera and can highly recommend it. It is small, lightweight, and supports HSS. This is one of the easiest to use flashes I have every seen. It is small enough to carry around in a pocket when you occasionally need fill light outdoors. Previously I had been using the HVL-F60 which is really too big for a pocket. It is also a wireless (infrared) controller and/or receiver. The F60 has the advantage of the swivel top which is great for switching from landscape mode to portrait mode, but I found that the A7rII has more than enough pixels to simply shoot portraits in landscape mode and crop in post. The F32 has a bit less light than the F60 which makes it harder to fill-in bright sun shadows outdoors, but for this I carry a variable ND filter so that I can avoid HSS mode, and then the light power of the F32 is enough, even in direct sun. Another thing I noticed, is that at least indoors, recycle time was very fast.
p.2 #12 · Sony A7RII - Flash Recommendation Please
I bought the Nissin i40 and really pleased with it as a small lightweight on camera flash. Really surprising how small it is, yet very capable. I'm looking forward to the recently announced i60, and I plan to try the Air system for off-camera options.
p.2 #13 · Sony A7RII - Flash Recommendation Please
I had been using Sony HVL-F60 and this one has plenty of power, but is heavy and does not fit well in a pants pocket. Yesterday I received the HVL-F32M, and this flash is ideal for hte Sony A7 series! Small, pocket-able, and with excellent performance including recycle speed, power, and features. Supports HSS, wireless (infrared) control and receive, etc. When I get a chance, I will post photos of this mounted on A7rII and A6000, alongside F60.
==Doug
p.2 #15 · Sony A7RII - Flash Recommendation Please
ifxbonz wrote:
Does anyone know if you can control multiple Nissin flash heads tiyh the controller?
Andy
The Air 1 will control up to three Groups A | B | C. They can be set to TTL or Manual on a group by group basis.
Each group can have up to, I think, 20 speedlites.
Nissin has just introduced the i60a. Which is a smaller speedlite, just a bit larger than the i40. It will work in the Nissin Air System. It has a higher Guide Number than the Di700a.
Godox has just started production on the TT685s which is their Sony compatible TTL speedlite. Its the same size as the Canon 580EX-II.
The Nissin Di700a, i60a and Godox TT685s all have plugs for external battery packs.
p.2 #16 · Sony A7RII - Flash Recommendation Please
Why would anyone want to purchase the Di700a now that the Di60a is being released? Smaller form factor, higher guide number. Barring a crazy price, of course.
p.2 #17 · Sony A7RII - Flash Recommendation Please
kkcy wrote:
Why would anyone want to purchase the Di700a now that the Di60a is being released? Smaller form factor, higher guide number. Barring a crazy price, of course.
Plus, I read that the Di60a is a transceiver, right? They can trigger each other rather than being able to get triggered remotely by the Air Commander, unlike the Di700. But if you choose so, the Air Commander also works to trigger the new flash. But my understanding is the Sony version will be released towards the end of the year while the Nikon/Canon version will be available sooner, like in April or May.
p.2 #18 · Sony A7RII - Flash Recommendation Please
II just purchased the Di700A kit (need it now, later in the year is too late). Only issue is the flash is wobbly when it sits in the included mini stand. What does everyone use as a cold shoe to get the flash off camera?
p.2 #19 · Sony A7RII - Flash Recommendation Please
I tried the Nissin's and while the i40 sure was a nice size, didn't care for the build quality at all. I took a competent rep's advice and went with a HVL-43M. From the first hour of use I KNEW I make the right decision. It is not only completely compatible with the feature sets of the camera and it's design and capability, but the rotating feature which is unique to the Sony's is priceless for portrait shots and wedding and event use, which the other simply don't match. I love the solid build quality with NO squeaks or rattles and tons of output to work with. In fact I'm typically taking the output down -2 in a given room environment for the best balance. Love the tilting and placing the flash head away from the subject as it gives an amazingly perfect diffused light with NO "in your face" flash look. The best balance I've received from a flash since my pro body and top flash setups on the Nikon's I used years ago. Can't say enough good things about the 43. One of my better moves on a A7RII
p.2 #20 · Sony A7RII - Flash Recommendation Please
I tried a generic cold shoe I had, and while the flash didn't lock into place, it is much more secure than the included mini stand with the Nissin units. Guess I need to find the best flash cold shoe for the sony interface.
