It seems that the waiting is almost over for the Nissin i40 flash. The company just added the Fujifilm version to their compatibility chart here. Also, Fuji-X users can download and read the manual here (select the German or Chinese manual here).
The anonymous souce, who passed me the link (thanks) also said that the Nissin i40 will start shipping as soon as next week. However, the source didn’t specify in which country. I don’t think it will be already shipping to USA and Europe next week.
Also the site Dicahub (translation) got information about the Nissin i40, see the screenshot from Dicahab down below. They say that it should be released in Japan by the end of November. Black dot: confirmed to be compatibility. Gray dot: to be confirmed.
image courtesy: Dicahub
i40 for Fujifilm (black text) scheduled to be released at the end of November. (red text) Nissin i40 for Fujifilm is scheduled to be released. (white text)
For now, BHphoto is still marking the Nissin i40 as available at the end of December
28 Responses
Great! This is now the first flash with TTL for Fuji, isn’t it? I never used an external Flash, so I don’t have any knowledge about TTL in general. How does this work? I heard the camera would take first a picture just to measure the brightness of the subject with flash and then take the compensated picture. But how can this be done without firmware update for the camera?
Any further information or let-me-google-that-for-you-links are highly appreciated, thank you. 😉
No, there’s the EF-42, along with other Fuji flashes.
Ok, sorry. I was confused with wireless TTL, which is still not possible with Fuji cameras.
It doesn’t require to take a first picture. The flash fires for light measurement and again for the actual picture to be taken.
Fuji cameras do it already.
Unfortunately everything as expected:
No wireless TTL
No High Speed Synchronization
Fuji do something, you are the only one with so much limited system of flashes!
Since the Canon i40 is HSS capable it will only depend on the camera to support it… so all hope is not lost to the HSS cravers.
Taking Nikon’s flash modes as an example, you need the camera to accept FP mode but is up to the flash to perform HSS (with Nikon flashes you need to choose TTL/BL in the flash’s own LCD).
You’re right about HSS but if you look at X-T1 user manual you see that you can have a flash on the camera working in commander mode to activate other flashes, so wireless TTL is not completely out – but it must be tested (but it seems the one on the hot-shoe has to fire as well).
Sorry mate, you are wrong on high speed syncro. If you read at page 10 of the manual you’ll see that any f/stop and shutter speed combination on the camera is allowed.
If it works it will only be when using the camera in manual mode.
i’m going to wait for speedlites that support the upcoming hss feature.
Well, at least the have the AF assist light enabled. Interested to see how that will turn out.
I seriously doubt that AF assist, if i40 really have one, will be anything but a bright white LED flashlight.
the i40 have af assist light and it works pretty well (used on nikon camera). Unfortunately, it can’t be turned off, so if you don’t like to disturb your subjects you have to cover it with tape
People keep hoping for a “red grid” type AF light they used to see on DSLR mounted flashes… ain’t gonna happen any time soon on MILC, even with magical “PDAF pixels”.
Af assists lights do not work for ANY Brand Manufacturer mirrorless cameras ever. They only operate with Dslrs that use on mirror Phase AF system. This is across the board for any manufacturer.
Please forgive my ignorance, but I don’t understand why the flash system is a big deal. I’m admitting that I don’t know that much about lighting. Currently I use a canon 580 EX II and set it up manually in use with my X100S and it seems to work fine. Am I doing it all wrong somehow? What advantages would a dedicated Fuji flash system bring that I can’t already experience with my canon 580 EX II?
Again, I apologize for my ignorance I just don’t know that much about lighting. I typically do street, landscape and architecture photography with the occasional portrait session. Any insight is greatly appreciated!!
Compared to your Canon-on-Fuji-solution, it’ll add TTL for instance.
Yet, I wouldn’t call it “system”. There is much more homework to be done for Fuji until I’d call it system. Neverthelees, I really appreciate the (small) step that the i40 takes the use of flashes with Fuji-X forward.
I now use all of my Nikon Speedlights, shooting manually of course, and triggering with radios and for 90% of my shoots that is just fine, but there are situations, when TTL is needed in rapidly changing lighting conditions.
Manual flash is not a problem, you can use pretty much anything on anything. Manual is perfect (in fact better) in a studio, or for portraiture in most cases. However, TTL is invaluable when doing events photography using external flashes, especially the kind of stuff I do. The lack of remote radio controlled TTL capability is one reason I can’t switch to Fuji entirely, though I’m buying the x100T for a travel/secondary body.
Slow sync speed is another major issue. For some type of shots you simply need higher shutter speed, or you need more control over ligthing ratios where mixing in flash with ambient/available light. Lot of people are demanding HSS and in some rare cases it might be useful, but the slow 1/180 sync speed is a bigger problem. 250/320 sync speed would be nice. (Olympus, Nikon does it).
In short, Fuji should come up with a kick-ass flash system. Or rebrand the GODOX V series and work with them in implementing TTL. That’s a pretty neat system, li-ion battery, fast recycle time, very good trigger system that is also compatible with their studio lights – that would be awesome.
Question: On page 10 of the manual it says: when put in M (manual) Any shutter speed / f-stop combination can be set.
Does this mean it can be set to 1/4000th of a second or just ‘can be set tot 1/180th?’ As this is the maximum sync speed.
I would like to read it as it has HSS ability.
Could somebody (Fujirumours?) confirm this flash can indeed be set to 1/4000th?
The speed is set in the camera not the flash.
If the camera allows HSS and the flash is prepared to produce the necessary bursts speed can be as short as the maximum of the camera. It seems that’s not the case of X Sys at moment.
Too bad it doesn’t have radio controlled trigger functionality.
Flashes still need to be in line of sight of the master.
I am afraid I have to pass until a proper flash system for Fuji arrives on the market that does have this functionality.
…but how long are we going to have to wait for a radio controlled dedicated flash!
I’ll definitely get one and sell my EF-42.
I prefer much more the i40’s dedicated dials (as I do with the X-T1). And that it’s smaller.
Using also Nikon’s CLS, I still have more features on my Fuji-X wishlist of course.
Hello,
FUJI’s planned December firmware will NOT bring HSS to XT1. This is another update planned for Jan/Feb in 2015. However, the flash unit is prepared for this particular feature.
Well we will soon find out then, if I have always been correct in that Flash Hsync has nothing to do with i40 (which of course can can Fast Sync on all the other platforms) but it is a Fuji problem that cannot be fixed by firmwares and require brand new design. I believe and have always maintained that we will be stuck on 1/180 Flash Xsync on XT1 and all the other Fuji x with exception of X100 series,a and X20/30… I don’t think it is physically possible irrespective of what flash manufacturers would do. Which is a shame, since we are getting 1/32000 on XT1 in December. Would be nice to fill in flash in midday sun, for a change, without having to buy X100.
1. HSS is a flash feature, not camera’s. So yes, it is physically possible with just about any camera.
2. HSS is not a holy grail of flash features, by any means. Especially if your goal is to provide a fill flash at high noon.
3. High speed X-sync is your friend. Leaf shutter is your friend. HSS is…. well, more like a prostatic leg.