Today Sony announced their new flagship HVL-F60RM Wireless Radio Flash for its full-frame E-Mount cameras. Alongside it they also announced the Sony FA-EB1 External Battery Pack and the Sony FA-RG1 Multi Interface Shoe Rain Guard.
The HVL-F60RM has been designed specifically for E-mount. The HVL-F60RM is not replacing the HVL-F60M flash, as this remains in Sony’s lineup for A-mount cameras.
Several improvements have been made, heat resistance has been increased by “as much as” 4x, recycle time has been reduced to 1.7 seconds, and a new External Battery Adaptor (the FA-EBA1) drops that recycle time even lower to only 0.6 seconds.
Additional features include non-directional wireless radio communication from up to 30 meters away, support for up to 15 flash units (assigned to up to 5 groups), an LED Light and AF Illuminator, and a dust and moisture resistant design.
Here’s the full press text:
Sony today announced a new flagship addition to its digital imaging range with the launch of the HVL-F60RM Flash. Addressing the needs of the increasing numbers of professional photographers switching to the Sony α system, the HVL-F60RM offers high-power flash output, reliable continuous performance and advanced control features with integrated radio control options.
The HVL-F60RM has a guide number of 60[i] and covers illumination angles from 20mm[ii] to 200mm,[iii] providing uniform wide-range zoom coverage without shading with continuous shooting up to 220v flashes. The use of heat resistant materials and the deployment of new advanced algorithms means that heat resistance has been increased by as much as 4x[iv] compared to the previous model, HVL-F60M.
Further improvements have been made to the recycle time which has been reduced to 1.7 seconds[v] or just 0.6 secondsv with the new External Battery Adaptor, product code FA-EBA1. One of the star features of previous Sony flashes, Quick Shift Bounce is again a feature and allows the photographer to quickly shift from horizontal to vertical orientation, 90 degrees left or right, upward by up to 150 degrees, and downward by 8 degrees for flexible positioning and optimum lighting for a wide range of scenes.
Independent light output level (LEVEL -/+) buttons allow direct control of output or compensation, supporting an efficient workflow. A comprehensive display facilitates adjustments and flash output level confirmation, and also provides intuitive access to flash output settings for paired wireless flashes.
Functions can be freely assigned to the unit’s four-way controller, centre button, and control wheel for easy access when required. Furthermore, TTL flash output can be memorised and recalled in manual mode when needed for immediate use or use after minor adjustment. This is another feature that can simplify manual workflow and save time
The dust and moisture resistant design[vi] of the HVL-F60RM allows flash shooting, even in challenging environments and a new optional Rain Guard[vii], product code FA-RG1, minimises ingress of water dripping into the flash and camera[viii]. Another example of the complete attention to detail that has gone into the design of the HVL-F60RM, is the metal foot of the Multi Interface Shoe™ connection which has been re-designed to minimise damage and increase reliability.
A pre-requisite for leading-edge studio set-ups, the wireless radio communication is non-directional so receiver flash units can be positioned anywhere up to approximately 30 metresiii away from the camera, even in situations where reflectors or other obstacles would interfere with optical communication. A HVL-F60RM mounted on a compatible camera[ix] functioning as transmitter can be paired with off-camera units functioning as receivers. Multiple flashesare supported with the user able to use up to 15 flash units, assigned in to up to 5 groups[x] or wireless flash control and the use of a pairing system effectively prevents interference from other electronic devices.
In addition to an auto white balance function that automatically adjusts for light colour in the scene being photographed, amber and green colour filters are supplied as standard and can be used to match or complement existing lighting in order to achieve natural white balance or create a specific atmosphere.
The new HVL-F60RM will be available in Europe in April, 2018 priced at approximately £620 / €700. The new FA-EBA1will be available in Europe in April, 2018 priced at approximately £270 / €300. The new FA-RG1will be available in Europe in April, 2018 priced at approximately £27 / €30.
[i] 200mm at ISO100 in metres
[ii] 14mm with wide panel
[iii] 35mm full-frame equivalent
[iv] Sony test conditions
[v] With Ni-MH batteries. Sony test conditions
[vi] Not guaranteed to be 100% dust and moisture proof
[vii] Not to completely protect against water ingress. When the camera is held in the portrait orientation or at a tilt for photographing, in particular, it may fail to protect against water ingress
[viii] With this unit attached, the camera may fail to record audio during video shooting, depending on the model. For the camera models to which this precaution applies, visit http://www.sony.net/acc/rg1/.
[ix] Refer to the Sony support page for camera compatibility information. http://www.sony.net/flash/f60rm/
[x] In the Group flash mode. Up to 3 groups in the TTL or Manual flash mode
=== End of Press Text ===
Sony has also released quite a few videos to show off their new flagship flash.
If you’d like to learn more simply visit the HVL-F60RM product page.
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