Best External Flash for Sony Cameras
If you’re a serious photographer, you might want to invest in a high-end camera like the Sony A7riii.
However, if you don’t own an external flash, enhancing the professional tone of your photograph is extremely hard.
Flashguns provide a rapid, intense burst of illumination to any shooting environment; they’re ideal for freezing motion, lighting up a dark interior, smoothing out the shadows of a portrait, and much more.
Which Sony flashgun you pick will be determined by your needs.
The Guide Number is part of Sony’s naming method for flashguns; hence the Sony HVL-F208RM, for example, has a Guide Number of 28, meaning its max guide is 28 meters or 92ft.
More flash power is essential not only for shooting your subject but also for diffusing or bouncing light off another surface, which expands your options and makes a flashgun more useful for portraiture, where intense light on a subject’s face is unwanted.
That said, let’s look at some of the best Flashguns for Sony cameras.
| 5 Best External Flash Sony | Max Guide Number | Bounce and Swivel | Wireless Master/Slave | Zoom Range | Batteries | Dimensions | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Altura Photo AP-305S | 118ft at ISO 100 | 0° - 90° | Master/Slave IR/IF | 24 - 105mm | 2 x AA | 6.5 x 3.6 x 3.3 inches | 12 ounces |
| Sony HVL-F20M | 66ft at ISO 100 | 0° - 75° | Master IR | 27 - 50mm | 2 x AA | 3.5 x 2.5 x 4.5 inches | 3.2 ounces |
| Sony HVL-F28RM | 92ft at ISO 100 | 0° - 120° | Master/Slave IR/RF | 24 - 50mm | 2 x AA | 2.56 x 3.28 x 3.59 inches | 8 ounces |
| Sony HVL-F32M | 105ft at ISO 100 | 8° - 90° and 90° - 180° | Master/Slave IR | 24 - 105mm | 1 x Li-ion | 4.45 x 3.86 x 6.89 inches | 8.3 ounces |
| Sony HVL-F45RM | 148ft at ISO 100 | 8° - 150° and 180° - 180° | Master/Slave IR/RF | 24 - 105mm | 4 x AA | 2.38 x 4.5 x 3.5 inches | 11.2 ounces |
1. Altura Photo AP-305S
One of the most common flashes on the market is the AP-305S from Altura Photo. It offers a plethora of fantastic features that make photography even easier.
It has a wireless trigger that allows you to capture photos even when you’re not near your camera. It has a wireless range of up to 90 meters or 300ft. What’s more, you can use the AP-305S to control other cameras and flashes as well.
Key Specifications
- Max Guide Number: 118ft at ISO 100
- Bounce and Swivel: 0° – 90°
- Wireless Master/Slave: Master/Slave IR/IF
- Zoom Range: 24 – 105mm
- Batteries: 2 x AA
- Dimensions: 6.5 x 3.6 x 3.3 inches
- Weight: 12 ounces
2. Sony HVL-F20M
The HVL-F20M is a perfect travel companion because it’s compact and slim enough to carry in a pocket and just requires two AAA batteries to function.
It isn’t particularly strong, but it can offer adequate illumination in most situations, especially if you don’t mind upping your camera’s ISO level.
It features a standard 0/75-degree bounce capability but no swivel, as well as a standard 27/50mm manual zoom mechanism.
Key Specifications
- Max Guide Number: 66ft at ISO 100
- Bounce and Swivel: 0° – 75°
- Wireless Master/Slave: Master IR
- Zoom Range: 27 – 50mm
- Batteries: 2 x AA
- Dimensions: 3.5 x 2.5 x 4.5 inches
- Weight: 3.2 ounces
3. Sony HVL-F28RM
The HVL-F28RM flashgun, released alongside the lightweight Alpha 7C, is a light and nimble flashgun with all of the newest features and capabilities.
One of its most notable features is the ability to cooperate with a camera’s face detection for flawlessly balanced images and combining light output with the ambient lighting of a scene.
Another useful feature is the weather-sealing, which allows it to be utilized in any weather.
Key Specifications
- Max Guide Number: 92ft at ISO 100
- Bounce and Swivel: 0° – 120°
- Wireless Master/Slave: Master/Slave IR/IF
- Zoom Range: 24 – 50mm
- Batteries: 2 x AA
- Dimensions: 2.56 x 3.28 x 3.59 inches
- Weight: 8 ounces
4. Sony HVL-F32M
Sony’s HVL-32M packs a punch with remarkable features and adequate power inside its small yet durable, weather-sealed body despite its low price.
With its Li-ion battery, the HVL-F32M has a substantially greater power rating than the entry-level HVL-F20M.
Alongside more power, the bounce and swivel head offers more adaptability. Indeed, the bounce ranges from -8 to 90 degrees, with a 90-degree rotation to the left and a complete 180-degree rotation to the right.
Key Specifications
- Max Guide Number: 105ft at ISO 100
- Bounce and Swivel: -8°- 90° and 90° – 180°
- Wireless Master/Slave: Master/Slave IR
- Zoom Range: 24 – 105mm
- Batteries: 1 x Li-ion
- Dimensions: 4.45 x 3.86 x 6.89 inches
- Weight: 8.3 ounces
5. Sony HVL-F45RM
The HVL-F45RM is a genuinely mature flashgun with a bulky design a slew of other high-end features and runs on four AA batteries.
Unlike Sony’s cheaper flashguns, this one features an additional LED bulb handy for close-range stills and is much better for movie capture.
However, it isn’t extremely bright, barely providing enough light for shooting at a distance of one meter.
Key Specifications
- Max Guide Number: 148ft at ISO 100
- Bounce and Swivel: -8°- 150° and 180° – 180°
- Wireless Master/Slave: Master/Slave IR/IF
- Zoom Range: 24 – 105mm
- Batteries: 4 x AAA
- Dimensions: 2.38 x 4.5 x 3.5 inches
- Weight: 11.2 ounces
Final Thought
As a Sony camera owner, you’re spoilt for choice about the flashguns you can use. We have listed some of the Sony camera-compatible flashguns, but there are many more.
Keep in mind the accessories illustrated above can also work with other brands such as Fujifilm.
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