I was just asked about hot-shoe flash options for Sony Alpha Series cameras and an obit for the inventor of synchronized flash ran in the NYTimes. While best known for inventing drywall anchors, Artur Fischer wanted to take pictures of his newborn daughter, and didn’t want to light powder in front of her, which she’d inevitably blink at:
At the time, you could only use a powder flash for interior shots, which you had to ignite with a cord,” he told the magazine Der Spiegel in 2015. “It was dangerous, and the picture quality was poor because the subject usually blinked at the flash.
First patented in 1947, Artur Fischer’s synchronized mechanism triggered a flash when the shutter was released. The device was bought by Agfa, and you’re using an iteration of it now in or on your camera.
Imagine what this was like for a selfie! You’d burn your face off….anyway, back to the question; yes, of course there are flash options for Sony Cameras. Also note, as Sony Artisan Brian Smith told us last week, the a6300 sees in the dark and he’s shot with the G Master lenses in natural light only.
Hot-Shoe Flashes
Sony Alpha Series cameras use a multi-interface hot shoe, which allows their cameras to pair with many still and video production accessories. Four flashes fit directly into the multi-interface shoe: HVL-F20M, HVL-F32M, HVL-F43M and HVL-F60M. Of those the Sony HVL-F32M TTL Flash is the “just right” size and costs $248 from Amazon or B&H.
I don’t shoot with flash for my street photos, but know if I did, there are plenty of choices; including the popular and tiny Nissin i40S.
And thanks Artur for the flash AND wall anchors. My friend Calvin Lee gets his party portraits with the Sony HVL-F32M.
…My daily shooter is Sony A1 with a vertical grip and various Sony lenses attached like the FE 20mm F1.8. Find more gear recommendations in our shop. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.