Next - A6000 and different flashes...

[AlSony]

Well, after a few pic in the open on bright sunny days, and being quite impressed with some results, I thought about indoors shooting and flashes. It's very seldom that I ever use a flash at all but I have two slightly older but almost brand new flashes for my Nikons - the SB600 and an SB400. I had been doing some reading and YouTubing and seen that some say you need adaptors while others say these flashes will go straight on and actually work, well at least the 600 will. It's true, it does.. I just had to try... I tried the SB400 first and it didn't even give it a look, which sort of dampened my enthusiasm, but then I did read somewhere that it in TTL mode all the time (not switchable) but then I tried the SB600 and it lit up first time. Although the photo was completely washed out with too much light, or whatever terminology you use here. With the next shot nothing happened, no flash, and again, so I took it off, but then I remember seeing it had be in Manual mode, so back on it went and I tapped the mode button and up came "M". Away we went again. It flashed every time. Miles too bright though, so I adjusted it all the way to 1/32 before it came good. But then whenever I pointed at a new subject it would vary, not enough light, too much. Pointing down a hallway gave the worst results, a huge difference from its original usage on the Nikon D600. I don't know much at all about flashes so I don't quite know what to do but I'd say at a guess, a Sony flash made for the range is in order here...

One thing I did notice, that scared me a little was that the A6000 LCD screen appeared to switch off and on a few times when the flash was moved or bumped,, sometimes not coming back on until I moved the flash a bit. This indicated to me, it may being electrically shorting or something is not right about this match up. So once I finished taking a few pics, I took it off - and here I am asking you guys about it...

Also, the lock switch on the SB600 cannot activate as there is nothing there for it to bite on and the fit of the SB600 is a bit loose and it does move a bit, so I am a bit unsure if this is a safe practice...

Here's a pic of the two together. Almost looks like an overkill but if it worked, I'd use it... (Please forgive the slight blurriness of the shot as I had to take this at a very low shutter speed and hand held,, because the SB400 proved almost useless here, although I never bought it for this type of shot)...

Al

[OldNoob]

Nice info, good to know.
and if you think that sb600 looks big,, i once had to use a HVL-F60M on my a6000 for a wedding.

[AlSony]

Nice info, good to know. and if you think that sb600 looks big,, i once had to use a HVL-F60M on my a6000 for a wedding.

Hahaha... Yeah - understood... Kind of looks cool on one hand and something that Paul Bunyan needs to take to, on the other hand, doesn't it..??

Actually, what does thatHVL-F60M perform like..?? I see they are not so cheap...

I know enough about flashes to make it embarrassing for me (VERY little)...

Al

[wilmeland]

One thing I did notice, that scared me a little was that the A6000 LCD screen appeared to switch off and on a few times when the flash was moved or bumped,, sometimes not coming back on until I moved the flash a bit. This indicated to me, it may being electrically shorting or something is not right about this match up. So once I finished taking a few pics, I took it off - and here I am asking you guys about it...

Al

You said movement around the area of the flash caused LCD to go off. I was thinking that theswitching off was maybe because of the EVF automatically switching on as it does when you move it to your eye?

[OldNoob]

The HVL-F60M yielded pleasing results with regard eliminating hard edged shadows and poorly lit situations.

[antony]

but then I remember seeing it had be in Manual mode, so back on it went and I tapped the mode button and up came "M". Away we went again. It flashed every time. Miles too bright though, so I adjusted it all the way to 1/32 before it came good.

Al,
Did you have "manual" on your Nikon flash or on your Sony camera?
It is good that Sony camera can now trigger other brand's of flash, however, to best of my knowledge, there's no any sort of TTL when using non-Sony flashes.
Which means, in order to give a good result (properly exposed), I will need to measure the output first (usually with a flash metre).

But then whenever I pointed at a new subject it would vary, not enough light, too much.

This sentence sounds to me that the camera does not know how much power flash is putting. This is the case of no TTL (of any sort/name).
If you really want to get into the beautiful world of flash, I would strongly suggest getting a good and fully compatible flash (same brand as your camera). Above problems can be solved (auto flash power adjustment via TTL) and lots more advanced features.

Pointing down a hallway gave the worst results, a huge difference from its original usage on the Nikon D600. I don't know much at all about flashes so I don't quite know what to do but I'd say at a guess, a Sony flash made for the range is in order here...

If you want an entire hallway well lit, this can be pretty challenge with a single off-camera flash.

Just my two cents.

[AlSony]

Hey thanks guys for those replies (Excellent photo there OldNooB. You should be proud of that one...). Sounds like you guys are on to it and I have lots to learn. I have only ever used the SB600 flash on my Nikon D600 on a few occasions in the past. So few to be honest that you can say that each photo I took with it has yet to justify the cost. It has probably cost me maybe up to $5 per shot if you work it back based on the flashes original cost - hahahaha...

Antony,, I 'did' have that manual (probably get another off the internet)... Yeah, each time I did some reading about different flashes on the A6000, they all said to use in manual mode and that it will not work well or at all in TTL, although in mine I did get it to trigger twice before going to manual, which did work well on the 6000, just overly bright... As for the screen going off - the SB600, being Nikon, has a locking lug on it which of course locks the flash in place on all Nikons - probably like other brands as well. The shoe of the A6000 is not long enough to properly accept the SB600 flash, so it kind of just sits there 3/4 of the way in but not snuggly enough, and is consequentially a bit loose. Each time I touched it or bumped it with my nut (head) while viewing the shot, the LED screen would go black and would not turn back on until I either moved the flash again or took it out. Even then it might default into a help screen or sometimes one of the quick setting screens as if you had just pressed the Fn button, so I was a little concerned that this could be upsetting the software (inducing glitches) but it never amounted to anything bad. At worst I simply switched the A6000 off then back on, then I decided to put the flash away.

Like you guys say - I'm probably well advised to get one of the Sony flashes made for the job.. I think I will do just that,, in due course,, as the pocket is a little empty at the moment. I just got ahold of a 55-210mm lens and have to pick it up Monday or Tuesday... I see that the 55-210mm lens, like the 15-50mm kit lens, is nothing outstanding but I have to try it. Somebody must be making money, as I found it for almost half the price of many other shops sell them for (brand new too). Ordered it online this morning. An HVL-F60M may have to go on the back-burner for a wee while. I also have to buy a new PC soon, so there's a couple of grand down the tubes. I want a good spec gaming PC and that's going to cost. I'm 58yrs old and love PC games - played almost all of the popular shooter games since day one, since the original Wolfenstein... I just want too much - hahahahaha...!!!

Actually, I went to a radio controlled yachts National Champs today and took both cameras and I just love some of the A6000 shots. It really can do a great job, even with a supposed average kit lens. With good strong sunlight and nice blue sky, the A6000 really sings. I wish I had the 55-210mm lens today though as I could have done with it. I forgot my bigger lens for the D600 and only had the 24-120mm, which takes a very nice photo,, but small 1 metre yachts 100 yds away on the lake is a little hard to zoom in on with either camera/lens...

Thanks for the replies guys - Dinners up,, must go...

Al