Often referred to as ‘the most available light’, a decent flashgun is an amazingly versatile piece of kit. Supremely portable, a flashgun can make a huge difference to the quality of lighting in almost any scenario, from night-time shots and gloomy interiors to portraits on a bright sunny day. Indeed, filling in the shadows under direct sunlight is one of the things that flashguns do best.
With i-TTL (intelligent Through The Lens) flash metering, dedicated flashguns can team up with your camera to enable correct exposures in all sorts of shooting conditions. The system works by using brief pulses of light, fired by the flashgun prior to the actual exposure. This is reflected from the subject and passes through the lens, after which it’s measured by the camera’s metering system. The camera then communicates the correct setting back to the flashgun, and the duration of the main flash during the exposure is adjusted.
All of the flashguns we’re featuring have bounce and swivel heads. These enable you to bounce the light output off walls and ceilings, instead of firing directly at the subject. The trade-off is that the light has to travel rather further, and some intensity is lost when bouncing, so greater maximum power ratings become preferable. Let’s shed light on your options…
The contenders
Hähnel Modus 360RT £179/$200
Nissin Di700A + Air 1 £179/$249
Godox Ving V860III £190/$229
Nikon Speedlight SB-500 £239/$247
Nissin i60A £249/$299
Hähnel Modus 600RT Mk II WK £299/$329
Nikon Speedlight SB-700 £309/$327
Nikon Speedlight SB-5000 £599/$597
Hähnel Modus 360RT
£179/$200
This downsized delight inherits the DNA and features of the fully grown 600RT Mk II. It’s a good option if you like to travel light
Feature-rich flashguns tend to be big, hefty affairs that make for a somewhat top-heavy combination in the hotshoe of relatively slim mirrorless cameras. The Modus 360RT redresses the balance with its compact, light build. Even so, there’s a lot shoehorned into its diminutive frame, including RF and infrared wireless commander/remote modes, programmable stroboscopic modes and Auto FP sync, all powered by a high-capacity lithium-ion battery pack.
While the larger and pricier Hähnel Modus 600RT Mk II (page 103) has a conventional red AF-assist lamp, the 360RT substitutes this with a secondary LED lamp. That’s good news if you’re using a Z-system camera, which can’t use red AF-assist lamps anyway. As well as providing AF-assist, you can also use the LED as a modelling lamp and even in its own right for close-up stills and video, with a range of power levels on tap.
For bounce and swivel, you get -7 to 90 degrees vertical movement. Horizontal swivel is more limited, with 90 degrees to
