Off camera flash accessories

Dedicated flash modifiers such as diffusers, softboxes and shoot-through umbrellas, which all serve largely the same purpose: to diffuse and soften the light in order to reduce harsh shadows.

Sekonic L-308S light meter

£150 | www.sekonic.com

Built-in camera metering systems are extremely accurate and can be used to meter for the ambient light behind your subject to ensure the background is perfectly exposed. That said, having a decent lightmeter can help you out in a number of additional ways. The main benefit to using one with off-camera flash is that it enables you to quickly and accurately calculate the correct settings to use. Having one to hand removes all of the initial guesswork, speeds the whole process up and enables you to get consistently balanced exposures. The Sekonic L-308S is an easy-to-use entry-level lightmeter that offers the full range of functionality, from measuring ambient light to calculating the correct flash settings. If you want to build your off-camera flash skills then learning how to use a lightmeter will definitely help, and the L-308S is a very good lightmeter to begin the process with.

Lastolite 8-in 1 Umbrella kit & Stand

£120 | www.manfrotto.co.uk/lastolite

Shoot-through umbrellas are popular with professional portrait photographers as they dramatically soften the otherwise harsh, directional light of an unmodified flashgun. The key selling point of the Lastolite 8-in-1 umbrella kit is its versatility; supplied with a range of accessories, it can be adapted in a number of ways to make it much more than just a standard shoot-through. The white umbrella comes with three detachable linings: a black outer lining with a detachable square door (that allows it to be used as a square shoot-through); a silver inner lining that provides added contrast to give your images a more commercial look; and a white cover that effectively turns the umbrella into a softbox. Combined with a regular speedlight the 8-in-1 can be used in all sorts of ways to provide soft, even light that makes it invaluable when shooting portraits.

Manfrotto 1051BAC Mini Compact Light Stand

£60 | www.manfrotto.co.uk

If you’re going to position your flashgun off-camera then a light stand is a solid investment – especially when you don’t have an assistant to hand. The Manfrotto 1051BAC is a lightweight light stand that’s ideal for holding a flashgun in place. Comprised of four sections with three twist-lock risers, the stand extends to 2.1m in height with a 70cm footprint for stability. 
It’s designed to support up to 5kg in weight, which should be ample to hold a flashgun and a small softbox in place. For added protection each section is air-cushioned too, preventing any accidental jolts to your kit when the locks are loosened under weight. The top of the stand is finished with a standard w/3/8in thread for attaching brackets and mounts, and a removable 1/4-2in thread is also supplied. Weighing 1kg, the Manfrotto 1051BAC folds down to just 75cm in length, making it easy to carry in between uses.

Interfit Strobies Speedlite Softbox 60x60cm

£90 | interfitphotographic.com

While shoot-through umbrellas are a popular choice, they are often guilty of spilling light beyond where it’s required. This is where a softbox can help. While the diffused light is still spread out quite widely, the shape of a softbox makes it slightly easier to direct the light more accurately towards your subject, keeping spilled light to a minimum. The Interfit Strobies Speedlite Softbox is purpose-built for portable flashguns and it can be folded down and stored inside a supplied carry bag for easy portability. The interior of the softbox is silver lined and comes with two white diffusion panels, enabling you to create soft diffused light at all times. Flashguns are held in place via a clamping mechanism that opens up to 80mm in width and 50mm in height. This clamp is attached to a tiltable bracket for extra flexibility, which in turn can be attached directly to a standard 5/8in lighting stand.

ProFoto B2 250 AirTTL To-Go Kit

£1,495 | profoto.com

The Profoto B2 bridges the gap between a regular speedlight and a studio flash head in that it’s both powerful and portable – ideal for aspiring wedding or event photographers. With some 250Ws of power (about the same as six Nikon SB-910 speedlites combined) the B2 is fully compatible with Nikon and Canon TTL flash metering systems and can also be used in Manual should you want to set your own output values. The B2 supports high-speed sync, allowing you to shoot at shutter speeds well beyond your camera’s maximum flash-sync speed. To go wireless you’ll also need a compatible Profoto Air Remote TTL transmitter unit, as these don’t come with the To-Go kit. They are available for Canon (Air Remote TTL-C) and Nikon (Air Remote TTL-N) cameras at about £320. There’s a generic Air Remote (£225) transmitter for other camera makes, but this does not support TTL.

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Wireless flash triggers

The best option for allowing your camera and the off-camera flash to talk to each other.

Hähnel Captur Remote

£60 | www.hahnel.ie

The Hähnel Captur Remote is a budget wireless trigger kit that comes with both a transmitter and a receiver. The set is available in bespoke editions for Nikon, Canon, Sony, Pentax, Olympus, Panasonic and Fujifilm cameras. While overall functionality is very basic, the triggers are reliable. The top of the transmitter unit also features an additional hotshoe so you canconnect an extra flashgun directly to your camera. The Captur Remote doesn’t support TTL so you will have to set your own flash output levels in Manual mode. The Capture Remote can also be used to activate the shutter remotely. Extra receivers are about £40 a pop.

Key specs:

• Signal type: Radio
• Wireless range: 100m
• Manual/TTL flash    : Manual only
• Remote flash settings control: No
• High-speed sync: No
• Power: 2x AA batteries

Pocket Wizard PlusX Transceiver Twin Kit

£140 | www.pocketwizard.com

This is PocketWizard’s entry-level flash triggering system, but is still built to a high standard. It doesn’t support TTL, so you will need to set your flash power manually. And while it can sync to 1/250sec it does not support high-speed sync. The twin-dial controls mean the PlusX is very easy to use. While the transmitter unit slots into your camera hotshoe, the receiver unit needs to be attached to a flash via a flash sync cable. This is supplied alongside a PC cable for your camera enabling the PlusX kit to be used as a remote shutter control. A green/yellow/red LED light indicates battery life, and informs you when the PlusX is ready to fire.

Key specs:

• Signal type: Radio
• Wireless range: 500m
• Manual/TTL flash: Manual only
• Remote flash settings control: No
• High-speed sync: No
• Power: 2x AA batteries

Phottix Odin II Transmitter / Odin II Receiver

£160 / £125 | www.phottix.com

Currently available for Nikon, Canon and Sony cameras, the Odin II Transmitter is Phottix’s flagship wireless device. It has full TTL compatibility and can run connected flashes in Manual mode. High-speed sync is supported up to 1/8,000sec, as is second curtain sync with compatible Nikon and Sony cameras. It benefits from a bright LED and full remote control over connected flashes. You can use the buttons to control flash compensation values for flashes connected in TTL mode, or to adjust the power output of connected flashes that have been set to Manual. You can even control the zoom head on connected flashes.

Key specs:

• Signal type: Radio
• Wireless range: 100m
• Manual/TTL flash    : Manual and TTL
• Remote flash settings control: Yes
• High-speed sync: Yes
• Power: 2x AA batteries

Pocket Wizard MiniTT1 Transmitter / FlexTT5 Receiver

£160 / £180 | www.pocketwizard.com

Available for Nikon and Canon DSLRs, PocketWizard’s MiniTT1 is optimised to work with either Nikon’s i-TTL technology or Canon’s E-TTL system. Alongside full TTL functionality you can trigger Nikon and Canon flashes that have been set to Manual mode (or a combination of TTL and Manual). The MiniTT1 also allows you to shoot with off-camera flash in bright sun at shutter speeds up to 1/8,000sec. The MiniTT1 slots directly into your camera’s hotshoe and has a secondary hotshoe so you can attach an extra flash above the MiniTT1. To take advantage of the MiniTT1’s features you will need to pair it with a PocketWizard FlexTT5 receiver (£180).

Key specs:

• Signal type: Radio
• Wireless range: 240m TTL, 365m Manual
• Manual/TTL flash: Manual and TTL
• Remote flash settings control: Yes
• High-speed sync: Yes
• Power: CR2450 3V battery

Nissin Di700A and Commander Air 1 transmitter

£200 | www.nissindigital.com

The Nissin Di700A and Commander Air 1 transmitter kit is available for Nikon, Canon and Sony cameras and bundles the Di700A flashgun with a Commander Air 1 transmitter. The Di700A flashgun has a power rating of GN48 and a 24-200mm flash head zoom. More important it has all its wireless receiving technology built-in, meaning there’s no need to attach a receiver unit when using it with the Commander Air 1 transmitter. You also get full TTL and Manual flash control, plus High-Speed Sync functionality up to 1/8,000sec. While the operating range is a bit behind the competition, the package otherwise is great value.

Key specs:

• Signal type: Radio
• Wireless range: 30m
• Manual/TTL flash: Manual and TTL
• Remote flash settings control: Yes
• High-speed sync: Yes
• Power: 4x AA batteries/ 2x AAA batteries

Cactus V6 Wireless Flash Transceiver

£50 | www.cactus-image.com

The Cactus V6 comes preinstalled with flash power-output profiles for over 30 flashguns. This means Canon, Nikon, Fujifilm, Olympus and Panasonic cameras can be used to fire Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic or Pentax-fit flashes. For those on a budget, you can seek out cheaper flash units from third-party manufacturers and use the V6 to connect them wirelessly to your camera. Users who own both a CSC and a DSLR can use their DSLR flashguns with their CSC, potentially saving hundreds on buying bespoke flashguns for each camera type. One V6 transceiver costs £50, and you’ll need two to get up and running.

Key specs:

• Signal type: Radio
• Wireless range: 100m
• Manual/TTL flash: Manual only
• Remote flash settings control: Yes
• High-speed sync: Yes
• Power: 2x AA batteries