My Very Own Review on Sony Wireless Ratio Flash System - Part II

I did my very own review on Sony Wireless Flash Ratio system way back in 2008. Sony's flash HVL F58am, when couple with a right camera body,  could be a commander for Sony's Wireless Flash Ratio system. I was amazed by the this powerful function that Sony is offering, but this function is very much ignore by many Sony Alpha owners. This is understandable as Sony's WL flash ratio functions is not easy to master: It is not well explained in the user manual of HVL F58am itself, is only available in limited Sony's huge line of DSLRs, one need two flashes to enable him/her to enjoy the function and there aren't much article that can be referred to explain more on Sony's WL flash ratio system.

The cameras that are compatible with F58am's WL flash ratio functions are Sony DSLR Alpha A700, Sony DSLR Alpha A850 and Alpha A900. I am glad to know that Sony's new SLT camera A77 offers this WL flash ratio function. Another good news is that Sony's latest flash, the "mini cobra", HVL F43am could tag itself and ready to perform into Sony's wireless flash ratio system.

My first review was done based on auto modes for the camera and flashes, i.e. P-mode for the camera, and TTL mode for the flashes. However, there are other combination of settings that can be done for this flash ratio system. One of the possibilities would be what if one of the flashes in the group is set to manual mode, would the flash will be ratio'd out? I will show the result afterwards.

The Preparation

I am using my workhorse, the Sony DSLR Alpha A700 to perform the test. I have one Sony flash HVL F58am and one Sony flash HVL F42am. Hence, I could only carry out a two group ratio flash test, which is [CTRL] and [RMT]. The "model" chosen for the test for this time is the famous Beethoven !

Please welcome, Mr Beethoven !

 Is he Mr Beethoven??

Anyway, let's call him Mr B then.

Mr B is chosen since he could maintain his pose for a very long time, he never charge me a cent for this test out and the most important thing is: he works overtime with no extra charges.

I temporary convert a bed-room of my house into a small studio as shown:

The HVL F58am and the camera is mounted on tripod, about 1.5m away from Mr B, meanwhile the F42am is mounted on the light stand, about 1.5m away from Mr B, and the flash head is pointed at the side of Mr B. Hence, the axis of the F42am is 90 degree perpendicular to the camera axis. The height of the camera and the flash F42am is adjusted so that the camera axis and the flash axis is on the same plane. Flash F42am is placed such this way so the flash could create a side lighting to illuminate the left face of Mr B, and create deep shadow to his right face. Any on-camera fill then can be easily spotted and the comparison between illumination ratio can be roughly judge. Light meter is no use in this test because of the pre-flash communication pulse between the commander F58am and off camera F42am.

The General Settings

The shutter speed of the camera will be set to its highest sync speed, which for A700 is 1/200th of a second. The aperture is f/11 and the is ISO 200. With this setting, the ambient would have no chance to deter the final result of my testing.

Ambient : 1.6s, f/8, ISO 200, WB: Auto

The other settings of my camera are: white balance: auto, DRO : off , metering mode: center-weighted and in-camera flash compensation : 0. Lens used is CZ24-70, zoom at 70mm.

The HVL F58am is set to [CTRL] and the F42am is set to WL. Since I have only one F58am, and one F42am, hence I could only do a 2 group flash ratio function (Group 1 is F58am on camera and Group 2 [RMT] is F42am, off camera).

Test Result

So, what does flash ratio 1:1:1 means ? And what does ratio 1:4:1 means ? We will see the result in a short while. At the mean time,  two photos was taken as control shots: direct flash in ADI mode and off camera flash shot with TTL mode.

 Control shot: direct flash, ADI mode.

Control shot: off camera flash, TTL mode.

Test No 1: All flashes in TTL mode

Apart from the camera is on Manual mode, all flashes, the on-camera F58am and off-camera F42am, are in TTL mode.

First Combination, flash ratio : [CRTL]:[RMT]:[RMT2] = 1:1:1

(Please ignore the [RMT2] setting. Same as follows.)

As expected, the flash intensity of the on-camera and off camera flash is equal. (They aren't much different contrast on the face of Mr B.)

Flash ratio : [CRTL]:[RMT]:[RMT2] = 1:2:1

The off camera flash's intensity is 2 times brighter than the on-camera flash. Hence, there is some contrast on the face of Mr B.

Flash ratio : [CRTL]:[RMT]:[RMT2] = 1:4:1

Off camera flash's intensity is 4 times brighter than the on-camera flash. The contrast is more significant on the face.

Flash ratio : [CRTL]:[RMT]:[RMT2] = 1:8:1

The off camera flash intensity is 8 times brighter than the on camera flash.

And lastly, Flash ratio : [CRTL]:[RMT]:[RMT2] = 1:16:1

The off camera flash is 16 times brighter than the on camera flash.

This is consistent with the test result I did back in 2008 where the flashes and the camera were set in auto mode (P-mode for camera, TTL mode for the cameras.)

Test No 2:  On-camera flash (F58am) in manual mode, set at level 1/32, off camera flash F42am (at TTL mode)

For this test, the Commander flash of F58am is at manual mode with ratio command being key in, and the off camera F42am is at TTL mode. What would be the result for such combination ? Would the flash intensity of the off-camera flash be ratio'd as well based on pre-set power level of the commander? Let's see the result.


The F58am is set to level 1/32, the lowest power available on the flash. 

A Control shot with on - camera flash F58am power level at 1/32. Off-camera flash off.

Flash ratio : [CRTL]:[RMT]:[RMT2] = 1:1:1

The flash intensity for F42am is equal with the on-camera flash F58am. There is no much contrast ratio on the face of Mr B.

Flash ratio : [CRTL]:[RMT]:[RMT2] = 1:2:1

The off camera flash intensity is 2 times stronger than the on-camera flash when comparing the flash lighting on Mr Beethoven's face. Notice that the lighting on the left side of Mr Beethoven's face is constant when comparing this photo with the one above.

Flash ratio : [CRTL]:[RMT]:[RMT2] = 1:4:1

Off camera flash intensity is, by theory, 4 times stronger than on-camera F58am

Flash ratio : [CRTL]:[RMT]:[RMT2] = 1:8:1

The off camera flash intensity is 8 time stronger than the on-camera F58am.

Flash ratio : [CRTL]:[RMT]:[RMT2] = 1:16:1

The off camera flash F42am flash intensity is 16 times brighter than on-camera F58am. And I could hear the sound of F42am charging up. The sign of the F42am is fired at high power.

From the test result, even with the on-board flash F58am is set to manual, the F42am flash output will be ratio'd accordingly based on flash level of 1/32 of the F58am.

What if when the off camera flash is set to manual, and on camera is set to TTL mode ? This is what I am going to show on next testing.

Test No 3:  On-camera flash (F58am) in TTL mode, off camera flash F42am set at manual mode, level 1/8

For this test, the off camera flash, the F42am is at manual mode, the level is set at 1/8, and the on-camera flash commander, the F58am, is at TTL mode.  I would expect the result would be the similar to Test No. 2 with the reversed effect. Here are the outcomes:

Exif : 1/200s, f/11, ISO200

Exif : 1/200s, f/11, ISO200

Exif : 1/200s, f/11, ISO200

Exif : 1/200s, f/11, ISO200

Exif : 1/200s, f/11, ISO200

Well, a picture says a thousand words, and Mr B tells a lot while doing this test. The result is expected where the intensity of the off camera flash is constant (since it's on manual with fix level at 1/8) and the on-camera flash output power is reduced accordingly.

This is different from Test No 2, where the flash output for on-camera F58am is constant (set at manual mode, level 1/32), but the off camera flash output power is increased accordingly.

So, what if all the flashes are set at manual mode ? Will the off camera flash be triggered and the on-camera flash would provide on-axis fill ?

Test No 4:  On-camera flash (F58am) in manual mode , off camera flash F42am set at manual mode


For this test, I would like to see if when all flashes are in manual mode, would the on-camera F58am be used as an on-axis fill flash ? Would the on-camera F58am "downgrade" to a commander only when at manual mode ? 

The on-camera F58am is at level 1/32, and the off camera flash F42am's level is changed accordingly.

As expected, manual setting for the flashes are possible, and on-camera fill flash flash can be done. This is particularly useful when a ring flash adapter is used or when an on-axis flash is needed to provide a on-camera fill effect. The F58am on-camera commander could be as the commander for the off-camera flashes as well as acting as an on-axis fill.

Manual settings for the flashes are possible, but would the in-flash power ratio effect the manual output of the flashes? In other word, will the flash be ratio'd accordingly even both flashes are in manual mode? The next test will answer these questions. 


Test No 5:  On-camera flash (F58am) in manual mode (level 1/16), off camera flash F42am set at manual mode (level 1/4) with different in-flash ratio settings

All flashes, the on-camera commander, F58am, and the off camera, F42am, are at manual mode. F58am is at level 1/16 and F42am is at level 1/4. Such combinations is chosen so the "base ratio" would be a constant between two flashes. Hence, if the ratio function kick in, the effect could be compared. However, since everything is in manual, I wouldn't expect to see the flash output will be ratio'd out. 

Well, it's expected that manual modes will overwrite the TTL function and the in-flash ratio setting will not affect the output of the flashes, provided the camera is on manual mode as well. This would not happen on auto modes of my camera (P, A and S modes).

And here is the comparison chart of different WL flash ratio output:

(Click for larger view.)

Sony's wireless ratio flash system is a very interesting function that offer limited controls over the flash output ratios when using Sony wireless flash system. Although the flashes' couldn't be adjusted in the commander under manual mode, but by adjusting the flashes' intensity of the off camera flashes under TTL mode, the outcome would be quite similar with that of manually adjusted one. This is particularly useful for a multiple flashes set up shoot in a control situation, such as in-door shooting; the ambient consistency would not effect the TTL system of the camera, hence the flash power could be "adjusted" accordingly.


Next, I will carry out more test on Sony wireless flash ratio system, and hopefully, if God permits, I shall carry out a three group flash ratio test out with a F43am. :D

My Own Review on Sony Latest Lens : The 50mm F1.8 DT (Part II)

After not a very pleasant "first encounter" of this 50mm lens, and not long after this, I got a call from a friend who is a mother to be in next few months. She called :"I want a lens ar, that can shoot with back ground blur blur one so I can take my baby photos lar, like you. And not very expensive one. But hor, I heard ar, this Sony DSLR ar, the lenses are very expensive one wor~~ How ar?" In other words, she wants a portrait lens with big aperture one.

I told her:"You are lucky. Sony just launched a considerbly cheap portrait lens, and it meets all the requirement you want. I can help you to find one as this lens is currently like a hot cake now (at the time of this post been typed lar.)"

So, after my not so pleasant first encounter, why I still recommend her this lens ? Because this is the lens that suit her requirement. Simple as that, period.

Then I paid a visit to the Sonystyle shop in The Curve, Damansara. When I asked a staff there about this SAL50F1.8 DT lens, he looked at me like I speak alien language to him. Being a good service salesperson in the shop, he went into the counter and bring out an Alpha catalogue and politely asked me which lens I want. I told him, this lens is just launched 2 weeks ago, and you can't see it in the catalogue. He looked confused and not understand what I am talking about. Finally, he went and asked his supervisor about my lens, and the answer I got is :"We don't have stock, but we can order for your from KLCC, and it'll take some days lar." He replied with a super white teeth good enough to become the model for Darlie.

Well, this is the 3rd time I go to Sonystyle, The Curve and everytime I wish to get something they say no stock one. WTF.

I'm not sure about others, but If I were the salesperson, I would advise the buyer to pay a visit to KLCC to get what he/she wants, since travelling from Damansara to KLCC wouldn't take much time, right ?

Anyway, I refused to place an order, and went to KLCC instead.

Then, I got the lens, and hence I had a small little time with this lens for me to do some extra test shots as my very own review of SAL50F1.8 DT.


The box is pretty standard and small. Believe it or not, it's the last unit in KLCC when I got it for my friend!

In the box come with the lens, real and front lens cap, instruction manuals in many many languages and a warranty card. The lens design is nice to my own standard. There is an AF-MF button, and the focusing distance (in metre and feet) scale printed on the focusing ring. When focus, the lens does not elongate. It's a SAM lens. SAM is the short form for Smooth Autofocus Motor, which means that this lens has a motor inside to assist on focusing.

The mount is a plastic mount, which is a bit cheapy for me. Take note that the real glass is actually protrude out from the lens barrier. Hence, it can't be mounted on a teleconverter to get the extra focal length.

The front glass is actually built further deep into the lens. This explain why this lens does not need a lens hood. 49mm diameter lens mouth: we got problem finding a filter for this lens...... (too bad I just sold 2 of mine!)


And the lens is made in China! Well, there is a difficult task for me not to find anything around me that isn't made in China nowadays......

Since I have basically one night to do some simple test out of this lens, I did the wide open MFD sharpness test. With in-camera setting of sharpness set at 0, I took a shot of a stamp as shown here:

Straight out from camera, resize and watermarked. Not really on MFD at 0.34m as stated on the lens, but about 0.40m focusing distance to get this shot. It hunts a bit to get the focus lock, but with noisy SAM put on work, finding a suitable point to focus is not a problem for this lens.

Blow up of the stamp part. Well, sharpness wise, I think there is some rooms for improvement. Of course, this shot was done at F1.8.

Since this is a big aperture lens, so how's the bokeh part ? I'm not sure how to see if the bokeh is creamy or not, but I did these two shots just for fun: Meet Lego Spaceman : Yellowson !


Ok what... right ? Oh, these two shots are not crop shots. With about 1:4 magnification from this lens, shooting Yellowson in real life shouldn't be a problem. LOL.

Now come the flare part. I'm not sure if the way I test the lens flare is correct or not. What I did is placing a flash with a softbox just make like sun-light, and I point my lens towards the "sun".

So, first shot :

Hmm.... the flare control is quite impressive. There is a slightly ghosting on top of that pic, but not noticeable. This is very good already to my standard lar. Then I took another shot again with this time including the "sun" in the pic :

Ooooo.... pretty impressive I would say. The flare from the "sun" is basically not visible in the pic ! That why this lens doesn't come with a hood, because it doesn't need one.

Let's compare a lens that is so famous and everyone thinks it's a super good "God" lens that bears a blue label on it one and see how the flare control. Same focal length, shutter speed and aperture:

OMG !!!

!!!!!

What lens is that ? Hmm.. I shall remain silent. LOL. Well, good also what, at least there is artistic touch about it, no ? LOL

And finally, how heavy is this lens ? Very light :


So light that when mounted on my camera like nothing on it ! LOL

But it's still heavier than my spacemen collection. LOL.

So, here are my very own personal conclusion about this lens:
1) It's a prime for sure.
2) Price wise, I do feel it should be sold cheaper than the current RM 599.00 RRP. But it's still lot cheaper than SAL50F1.4.
3) Plastic built. Very cheap feel....
4) It's a F1.8 lens, so, it's a fast lens and a great portrait lens.
5) Focusing is fast, but SAM is damn noisy.
6) It's light weight ! A very great travel lens. (No law says 50mm can't be a travel lens.)
7) It's quite sharp. If in-camera sharpness +3, the result is very sharp !
8) I don't know if this is a good replacement for 50mm F1.7, but if I have a 50mm F1.7, do I need a plastic SAL50F1.8 DT lens?

And I end my review with a sample shot at KLCC when I got this lens from the store:

Well, as I said, this lens is a portrait lens, and it does what it does. :)

Did I mentioned that this isn't my lens ?

My first review here.

My Own Review on Sony Latest Lens : The 50mm F1.8 DT

Edit:

After much reading, I found out the purple thingy in the picture is not purple fringing, but it's call LCA (Lateral Chromatic Aberration). Well, some most people think it's ok and almost all lens has this LCA when at wide open.

Anyway, this is just my personal first impression of this lens. I wish to wait for a while and browse through the true work life sample picture taken from this lens, then only will decide if I wish to own it.

Edit 2:

Read my 2nd review here.
_________________

After much a long waiting, finally Sony release its latest lens into the A-mount family: the 50mm F1.8 DT lens. This is a good news to the A-mounters out there as we have another choice of cheaper prime lenses. Selling at RM 599 RRP, and the expected street price would be on RM 480 plus minus, could this lens worth the money we pay off ?

Albert had done a very detail review on this lens, and I wouldn't talk much of the technical stuff. The very first impression when the sale person of the Sony Centre shop handed me the lens is : cool and nicely design. When I first hold the lens on my hand, I shouted: Wow, so light !! Its weight is so low like I am holding a piece of paper.

The mount is plastic, the body is plastic build, and it has a SAM motor build in, and a AF-MF switch button. And I think the glass elements are made of plastic as well.

Mounting this lens onto an A700 does look handsome.

I've taken some shot with it, but not many. The focusing is fast with SAM, but noisy. The sound is just like the gear without lubricant cranking each other and I worry after some serious focusing turning, this lens will crack into pieces.


Actually, I do not know how to examine if the bokeh produce by this kind of big hole lens is good or not. The quality of the bokeh is beyond my understanding, and I was told that this lens produce "softer" bokeh if compare to the 50mm F1.4.

Well, for my personal taste, I think the bokeh is acceptable.

The shortest focusing distance is 0.34cm from the plane of camera censor. Hence, the shortest focusing distance from the surface of the lens is shorter than that, i.e. about 0.30 cm. Impressively short distance, and this is good for shooting kids. :D

So, overall, this lens is quite nice to own, but not until I see this pic, taken with this new 50mm lens:

Yup, that's the new Sony DSLR A330 on my hand. Carefully chimping into the photo at the "10.2 Mega Pixels" wording, shocked me. Blowing up this part for 100% viewing :

The "10.2 mega pixels" wording is basically in purple colour ! That's the LCA of that lens !!! The last time I had such purple edge picture is a photo I took using my old Sony DSC H1 camera. I wouldn't expect to see this purple edging LCA on a lens that cost RM 599 !!

Very disappointed. I was about to buy this lens on the spot but the plastic build, noisy SAM motor and super light weight had put me on hold for a second thought. With further investigation on the test shots done by this lens, I would hold my horses.

So, is this lens better than the Minolta 50mm F1.7 ? Well, if I have a 50mm F1.7, I wouldn't "downgrade" myself to have this plastic lens. At least the 50mm F1.7 is a full frame lens, and it is made of glass with metal casing.

Finally, is this lens value for money ? No, I won't buy it. The lens does not worth that much. It should be cheaper. Or maybe the lens should not couple with the SAM motor and be sold in a lower price? Then I might consider to get one.

Look like my search for a prime 50mm lens has not come to an end yet.....