Sony today announced the Sony HVL-F60RM, a new flagship flash designed for use with its A7 series of mirrorless cameras as well as its DSLR and compact camera lineup. A pro-level unit, the HVL-F60RM is said to address the needs of pros who are switching to the Sony alpha system, providing high-power flash output, integrated radio control, and other options.
The HVL-F60RM has a guide number of 60 and covers a field of illunination from 20mm to 200mm, providing uniform wide-range zoom coverage without shading with continuous shooting up to 220 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 compared to the previous model, HVL-F60M.
Further improvements have been made to the recycle time which has been reduced to 1.7 seconds or just 0.6 seconds with the new External Battery Adaptor, according to Sony. Quick Shift Bounce 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 assigned to the unit’s four-way controller, center button, and control wheel. TTL flash output can be memorized and recalled in manual mode when needed for immediate use or use after minor adjustment.
The HVL-F60RM has a dust- and moisture-resistant design; an optional Rain Guard is said to minimize water dripping into the flash and camera. The flash also has a metal Multi-Interface Shoe connector foot that has been re-designed to minimize damage risk while improving reliability.
The flash is fully integrated for wireless radio multi-flash setups, with a 30-meter range from the camera. A HVL-F60RM mounted on a compatible camera functioning as transmitter can be paired with off-camera units functioning as receivers. Multiple flashes are supported with the user able to use up to 15 flash units, assigned in to up to 5 groups or wireless flash control and the use of a pairing system effectively prevents interference from other electronic devices.
The Sony HVLF60RM will be available from Adorama starting in mid-April for .
Battery Adapter
Sony also announced the FA-EBA1 external battery adaptor for the flash unit. This adaptor speeds up recycle time to less than 0.6 seconds and extends battery life to over 660 continuous flashes. A battery magazine system allows fast battery replacement and can be inserted in any orientation, minimizing fumbling and lost time. The battery magazine can hold up to eight AA batteries for maximum performance, but can also operate with as few as four AA batteries. When in use, the FA-EBA1 takes priority so that minimal demand is placed on the internal batteries of the HVL-F60RM flash.
Release Camera Allows Dual Camera Shooting for RX0
Finally Sony introduced a new cable release, the VMC-MM2, that lets users simultaneously shoot videos with an RX0 action camera and with a Sony Alpha-series or Cyber-shot camera body. The VMC-MM2 cable lets you shot simultaneous photos and movies with just a single press of main camera’s release button. This enables the user to capture one moment in two different ways, with a variation of angle of view, depth of view or frame rate. The cable also has a coiled design with a right-angle connector to minimize clutter and keep it clear of the EVF during shooting.
