As Sony’s mirrorless line continues to push speed, the tech giant is launching a new accessory: The HVL-F60RM flash that can keep up with even a 10 fps burst speed. Announced on Thursday, February 22, the F60RM takes over as the company’s flagship flash with more power, more speed, and built-in wireless control. The announcement comes alongside a new cable that will allow Sony shooters to add the RX0 camera to the hot shoe slot for dual-camera shooting.
With a guide number of 60, the F60RM can cover a range from 20mm to 200mm, giving the flash compatibility with telephoto subjects. In keeping with the pro-level design, the flash can also keep up with burst speeds as fast as 10 fps for up to four seconds. Sony claims the recycle time is 1.7 seconds, which can be dropped down to 0.6 seconds using an external battery adapter. The battery life is good for between 150 and 220 flashes, depending on the battery type used inside the flash.
The flash can also be used to trigger additional F60RM units and other compatible Sony flashes, though only with certain camera bodies, which Sony hasn’t shared yet. The multiple flash capability allows for up to 15 flashes in five groups, controlled with a non-directional radio system that allows the units to talk to each other from a distance of up to 98 feet.
Sony says the flash was also designed with workflow in mind, giving dedicated controls to controlling the output and custom control settings. The flash can also save and then recall the TTL metering when in manual mode, allowing photographers to quickly see what the flash automatically metered for to make faster manual adjustments. Using a Quick Shift Bounce design, the flash can be tilted horizontally or vertically with a 90-degree left-right rotation, up 150 degrees and down by eight degrees.
The F60RM is resistant to dust and moisture while buying an additional rain guard helps protect the hot shoe connection.
Sony’s new flagship flash is expected to start shipping in April — for photographers that can afford the $600 list price.
Alongside the flash, Sony also launched a new release cable for the RX0 camera, expanding the small camera’s number of uses yet again with another accessory. Using the release cable, the RX0 can be mounted on a Sony Alpha mirrorless or Cyber Shot compact camera’s hot shoe slot. With the cable, shooting with one camera will trigger the smaller camera as well for simultaneous shooting. The cable is also expected to ship in April, with Sony setting a $50 list price.
