Sony HVLF20M, MI Shoe External Flash for Alpha SLT/NEX (Black)

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I have not had the issue with the hinge switch that others have mentioned. I am pleased with this flash and think it is easy to operate and performs admirably. Most other flashes I was looking at were more complex than a casual shooter would need and this flash is not to bulky for my a6000.

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This external flash provides much more light and coverage than the built-in flash on my Sony A6000. It has a switch to bounce the flash off the ceiling to disperse the light over a larger area and more evenly distributed than a direct flash. I goes to sleep when the camera goes to sleep which conserves its batteries. It has an LED for the status of the battery and an LED which shows when the flash has been recycled. If it used AA instead of AAA batteries I would give it 4 stars. The flash is rated between 90 and 150 flashes. Its not heavy, and doesnt seem to add weight to the camera.

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Got it for low profile and it’s a surprisingly good little flash, unfortunately when I got it, it wouldn’t turn on, just turn read and then off, and just as I was about to return it, I noticed that every time I turned it on and off again you could hear it try to charge up. Just kept turning it on and off, until it stayed on if you have the same problem. Edit: it’s been a few weeks and my flash kicked the bucket, very disappointed as I now have to go through the warranty process.

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Based on other comments I was prepared not to order this unit. Because of Sonys highly proprietary construction of the FDR-AX100 camera, owners are highly restricted in the choice of accessories. In all of Sonys catalog of flash units, this unit is the only one that will function on the cameras proprietary hot shoe. After testing it on the camera, it functions better than as described by other reviewers, despite its quirky way of shutting on and off. It is more powerful than I imagined and should operate well under the restrictions imposed by thermal overload during rapid fire operations.

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Nice flat flash that you can take along in your pocket. It worked great with my SONY NEX-6. I gave it 4 stars because of the on off mechanism. I really would have preferred a normal switch. The thing turns on when you pivot the main part up. Although it seems like a cool idea, the thing I liked most about this unit was that it was compact and flat. But the OFF position requires that the hot shoe mount be 90 degrees from the main flash body. So to keep the thing off, you ruin its beautiful compact flatness!!! On the plus side, the few times the shoe pivoted in my pocket (thereby turning on), it didnt seem to drain the battery. Maybe keeping it flat (and permanently on) wont leave you flash less. Im just guessing - will have to test this theory.

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PROS: Small lightweight easy to use unit. CONS: Everything else. Flash body does turn with lockwheel fully turned down. Takes too long to recharge for next shot. Pricey Sony flash. I wanted a lightweight simple flash and was willing to pay extra for Sony preformance quality. This unit is good if you only take a shot every 12 to 30 seconds.

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Bought for my Sony A 7ii which doesnt have built in flash. This flash does a nice job when you need some direct, fill, or bounce flash for your subject. I have other, larger flash units but they can be cumbersome. This unit is very low profile. Just pop it up when you need it. Bit pricey for its size but hey, its Sony.

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This (very) small flash adds almost no weight or bulk to the NEX line of cameras, and its twice as powerful as the built in flash. For those of us who want to travel light and compact, this is a very good choice. Used as direct flash it has TTL metering. Used as a bounce flash you need to bump up flash exposure compensation and use ISO 400 to 800, but it does a very nice job at distances up to 12-14 feet (3 meters) with those minor changes. For further distances youll have to use direct flash, but theres a "tele" setting on the flash which supposedly will focus its light on a narrower but slightly more distant target.

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I am very happy to have a small flash like this for my Sony NEX 7 paired with Sony ADPAMA shoe adapter. By using 2 AAA batteries to power this flash, you can bring extra batteries for events, which is a good thing. If you cover events, this is a highly recommended accessory. Not too powerful, but can definitely light up group photos. Attached are photos to showing a mug for size reference when attached to a Sony NEX 7 with 50 mm prime lens.

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Works pretty good, but! Don’t leave the batteries in when storing it and don’t flip the holder/clip straight before mounting on the camera. I had 5 seriously overexposed test shots. The only way to fix was to remove the batteries on flash and the camera, and reinsert them both. That fixed the problem. It could have been static, or an extra charge on the flash, that caused an over exposure. The intelligent hot shoe works well, and I use the camera on the P mode mostly. I mostly do events, and people won’t pose for very long.

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