Vello announced a new Off-Camera TTL Flash Cord for Sony Cameras with Multi Interface Shoe. You can buy it now for $29 at BHphoto (Click here). Here is the description:
The 3′ Vello Off-Camera TTL Flash Cord provides creative photographers with the ability to remotely fire Sony flashes with ADI / P-TTL capabilities and the Multi Interface Shoe. Removing the flash from the camera’s hot shoe allows the photographer to create unique and dramatic lighting styles that are not possible with a traditional shoe-mounted strobe. This coiled cord measures 3′, which is enough distance to accommodate hand-held lighting styles, or when keeping the flash mounted on a compact flash bracket. Also, off-camera lighting reduces the harsh shadows commonly encountered with direct on-camera flashes and gives your photographs a more natural look.
One side of the TTL cable fits directly into the camera’s hot shoe to ensure that all of the camera’s exposure data is maintained. The other side can be attached to any stand, tripod, or device with a standard 1/4″-20 threaded stud or flash shoe mount and the shoe has a locking knob to ensure your equipment is secure.
22 Responses
Finally after three years we get a smart off camera cable.
I don’t understand why everybody uses four plastic toes instead of full sleds (metal or plastic). Third parties missing big opportunity to drastically improve the Sony MIS disaster.
maybe it relates to the more compact camera mis shoe?
but yes its good we finaly get this option, amusingly not from sony ofcourse
Don’t get me wrong, but this will be another small gadget, which seemed like a good idea when you bought them, but ended up in the drawer/box among other things you never use. These were relevant before there were radio frequency TTL flashes available, used handheld or on bracket. But once you try RF system, this will seem like an inconvenient and annoying cludge that only gets in the way. Yes, the RF TTL choices for Sony are not too wide, especially with MIS shoe, but there is Nissin Air and there are options which can be used on MIS->iISO adapter. Just save yourself 30$ today and get one of those instead, because if you are into off-camera TTL lighting, you will get one of those eventually anyway. They are so much more versatile, you can use flash handheld, you can put it on stand, you can put it on ground, you can use multiple flashes, you can do a lot of things which you cannot with this.
Only practical use for this that I still might consider to be relevant is on macro rig really.
There’re no RF or even IR transmitters that support sony’s TTL. If this cord works, it will be very popular. Right now, the only solution for the off camera flash on Sony A7 (without an extra flash as a commander) is a 3 piece cord/adapter system that costs ~$200…
There is Nissin Di700A, which does wireless TTL on Sony. There is Phottix Odin which also does TTL on Sony (well, kind of, it has issues on newer cameras and requires iISO->MIS adapter). Odin II was pre-announced 2 years ago, which will support Sony TTL and have MIS shoe, but it is not yet available. There is Mitros+, but that would require 2 flashes, one as a commander.
Good to know that the 3rd party manufactures are coming with the solutions. I was complaining about the native Sony flashes. It’s amazing that for such an advance camera system, the native lighting accessories are rudementary at best
Sony is not the only one. Up til yesterday, Nikon did not have a native wireless TTL option either (they had plenty of third party support though).
Hopefully Sony will work on this, now that both of the big two have it and Sony expressed (in an interview couple months ago) that their short term focus will be on wedding and event photographers…
“Up til yesterday, Nikon did not have a native wireless TTL option either (they had plenty of third party support though).”
Wtf are you talking about?
I can just imagine the amount of misinformation on SAR.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/410490-USA/Nikon_4794_SU_800_Wireless_Speedlight_Commander.html
It’s infrared, not radio. Requiees line of sight. I should have expressed myself more clearly.
And this is what happens when you’re being vague.
Hope this is a lesson for you.
If you are on a limited budget, this is $30 vs. $300.
And I hope it is a lesson to you.
Nikon realeased a full wireless radio flash support that every Sony fanbois are crying about for years and all that we got is a freaking cord? A CORD? SERIOUSLEE?
I have an A7 camera and no flash at the moment at all. This looked like a good solution for me, but I have some questions, if you could help me.
I understand that TTL enables thought the lens metering (feel free to correct me) but my question is what flash unit can I use with this? Does it have to be Sony units as explained in the blurb or can third party or legacy units be paired with it.
If so this would make a good budget solution. Thanks
There are third party solution for your A7. Like Nissin i40 or Di700A.
Any flash which would work in TTL when mounted on camera should work with the cord. This is just an extension cord, with no smarts in it.
Let’s just hope that at some stage, Yongnuo will wake up and seize the Sony opportunity. Meanwhile off camera flash with their transmitter / flash combinations for Nikon works like a charm on my Sony A7II – albeit manually – as they have with my Nikon gear. Manual Yongnuo outperformed line of sight Nikon I-TTL any day in my setup. In my book TTL is a nice to have that I can do without. HSS would be another story…
I like it. I have the Minolta one always in my bag and use it relative often. It needs no additional batterie, no complicated setup, no extra signal, I can use all flash modes the camera offers and works 100% reliable. And yes, there are good reasons for wireless solutions but this wired one is also reasonable.
It’s about time. I’ve been using an old Minolta era cable to do the job, but on my A77ii that means using two adapters, one on the camera and another on the cable, to be able to use a new Sony flash. I prefer a wired setup rather than wireless for macro work – when the flash is just on a bracket it makes more sense.
Have an A7s and a movcam cage and this looks just like what I’ve been trying to find to use the XLRK2M…
Grrr scrub that. It’s MIS to TTL. Search continues…
I can see where that might be viable for wedding and event photographers wanting to get the flash off camera with an L bracket as true separation with wireless is unwieldy in that fast paced environment. Others, not so much – save your money for RF wireless flexibility – either manual or TTL. Unfortunately, Sony RF TTL is severely lacking, essentially Nissin Air but hostage to their proprietary (and currently single) flash, and the Phottix Odin but the Sony version is perpetually out of stock while Canon and Nikon versions readily available. Frankly, Phottix being first with over a year head start to Nissin, effectively squandered the market with non-supply. Others like Yonguno, Pocket Wizard, etc. offer RF TTL but not for Sony. Most will work in manual mode for Sony as it is only dependent on the fire button signal, but it is cheaper to get a manual RF transceiver.
Much was said about the Nikon SB5000 introduced yesterday, but it has one HUGE flaw. While there are rare exceptions, most strobist want off camera to be off camera where have the capability to work the light. It is almost an abomination to have it on-camera. Missing in the Nikon RF TTL system is the equivalent to the SU-800 in their IR TTL system – which is controller only, no flash capability – for placement on the camera to act as master. When I had Nikon, I used the next alternative – camera set as master with pop-up flash (power set to -3 as ‘off’ was not and option). It became my backup system when I went to RF TTL. The central question is, lacking a dedicated transmitter, why would you want to use an SB5000 as an on camera master and setting its flash power down to minimal with slaves trying to offset. Seems like a terrible waste of resources putting that powerful a flash on camera..