Photography News Issue 30

98 First tests

Photography News Issue 30 absolutephoto.com

Interfit Strobies Pro-Flash TLi-N TTL speedlight £229

Specs

Compatible cameras (stated) Nikon D810, D800, D700, D750 D7100, D7000, D5200, D5100, D5000, D500, D300, D300S, D3200, D3100, D200, D70S (Canon version: 5D Mark III, 5D Mark II, 6D, 7D, 60D, 50D, 40D, 30D, 650D, 600D, 550D, 450D, 400D Digital, 1100D, 1000D) Compatible speedlights SB-900, SB-910 (Canon version: 600EX-RT, 580EXII) Guide number 58m (100 ISO at 105mm setting) Recycle time 1.5sec (full power) Colour temperature 5600K TTL function Yes Power levels (manual) 1/1 to 1/128 Power range 8 stops Power increments ⅓ stop Beam coverage 24 to 105mm (plus 14mm wide angle panel) Manual zoom Yes Flash exposure lock Yes Sync modes 1st Curtain, 2nd Curtain, high speed sync (up to 1/8000sec) Flash duration 1/300 to 1/20,000sec Stroboscopic mode Yes, up to 100 flashes at 100Hz Wireless flash functions Master, slave (S1/S2), Off Wireless groups/channels 3 groups/4 channels Max wireless range 15m indoors/10m outdoors Modelling flash Yes AF assist beam Yes (automatic) Triggering options Hotshoe, wireless control port, optical slave cell, 2.5mm sync port Flash ready indicator

A good speedlight is an important part of any photographer’s kit, giving you far greater lighting options than the pop-up unit on your camera can supply, and with greater versatility andportability thanmost studioheads. Even if you have a speedlight that’s only a few years old, it’s worth looking at the latest to see what else they can offer. For instance, here’s the Interfit Strobies Pro-Flash TLi, a speedlight which comes in Nikon (TLi-N) and Canon (TLi-C) fits with identical specifications. I tested the former on a Nikon D810 DSLR. The headline features are wireless TTL shooting (e-TTL on Canon, and iTTL onNikon), high-speed sync (HSS) and the use of a newLi-Ionpower pack, rather than the AA cells usually found in suchmodels. The new power pack gives the flash plenty of oomph (it has a guide number of58atISO100andatthe105mmzoom setting), but perhaps more impressive are the recycle times and the number of flashes you can expect per charge. The recycle time is only 1.5sec at its full power setting, which is plenty faster than Nikon’s SB-910 stated 2.3sec. And the battery life is certainly excellent too; it’s rated at 650 full-power flashes on a single charge and that was born out during the test. It showed no sign of running out of juice at well over 800 shots, and althoughmany of these were lower power settings, it means you can go all day without worry – in fact, it outlasted the D810. That makes it a lot more capable than anything running on AAs alone. The only downside is that, while you can easily grab an emergency fist-

full of AAs fromany convenience store, the power pack needs to be plugged in for full recharge. Therefore, you might want to budget for an additional cell (the Pro-Flash TLi STR246 will set you back around £45); I’d invest in one, even if the battery’s staying power makes running out of juice unlikely. Price-wise there are certainly cheaper guns out there with similar specifications, but as a product designed to compete with the flagship speedlights, the TLi does its job well at a very competitive cost; it’s around £100 cheaper than Nikon’s SB-910, and doesn’t lack sturdiness. The unit is big, solid, and at 540g, it’s no featherweight. It felt about right when mounted on the 980g Nikon D810, but if you’re planning for it to ride on a smaller body then it will likely feel a bit top heavy. That said, of course the flash will often be used off-camera, where the weight isn’t an issue (apart from in your kitbag), and it didn’t show any signs of toppling on a stand. The flash head has a very positive feel, which actually verges on stiff. It turns smoothly throughout its +/- 180° rotation and -7° to 90° tilt and by the end of a week’s intensive use, showed no slackening. The locking ring is also well designed (you’d think that was to be expected, but many are too small and close to the body to be comfortable), and the included stand adds a solid footing. The only frustrating thing – and the TLi isn’t alone in this – is that the catchlight panel and wide-angle diffuser need to be hooked out with a fingernail, which is occasionally fiddly and can’t be operated in gloves. The

diffuser doesn’t cover the whole flash head either, and while it added spread, it didn’t cover the frame without vignetting at 14mm. Unlikemany speedlights, the button layout on the TLi is easy to navigate, and because the unit is large, there’s plenty of room between each input. Operation is straightforward and switching frommanual toTTLormulti (stroboscopic), is as simple as repeated presses of the mode button. The Select Dial and Set button then adjust the options, likemanual power (1/1 to 1/128 in 1/3 steps), or the number and speed of flashes. Setting up the wireless triggering is just as easy; you hold the Wireless button until an icon flashes, then use the dial to set it to Master, Slave, S1 or S2; the group and channel can also be set at this point. Just like Nikon’s Creative Lighting System, which I’ve used a lot, the TLi flash uses optical triggering; it’s controlled with a pre-flash (from the either your pop-up in Commander

mode, a compatible speedlight, or the TLi in Master mode). Most of the time this works fine, but it can’t compete with a radio trigger in terms of range, and it requires line-of-sight, so the Optic Control Sensor (the big red bit at the front) has to pick up the preflash. Rangeisactuallyhigherindoors,and works up to around 15m, while outside itmaxesoutat10m.Thiscanmeanahit- andmiss experience (though it’smostly hits), but understand the system’s limitations and it’s sound. For radio triggering there’s the transmitter and receiver for Strobies Pro-Flash at £40 (a receiver is £15), but TTL is then off the menu. Metering is good however, and exposures were consistently on (or very near) the money. The HSS mode is very easy to use and works excellently. HSS is vital when you need to work at shutter speeds over the camera’s sync speed (usually from 1/160sec to 1/320sec). To activate it on compatible Nikon cameras simply go into the shooting menu and set the Flash Sync Speed to one of the Auto FP options (on the Canon version there’s a button on the flash). Then it just works, on or off camera – a flash symbol with anHnext to it on the LCD telling you you’re good to go. In HSS mode (which goes to a maximum 1/8000sec) the flash output is reduced, but shooting at 1/2000sec at f/4 (ISO 125), I got perfectly good illumination at around 2ft from the flash – however, there’s no distance scale on the LCD. KS The Pro-Flash TLi is a very well-appointed speedlight that integrates perfectly with Nikon’s Creative Lighting System and the flashguns that support it. That triggering system isn’t perfect in terms of range and coverage, but used within its limitations, it’s very good. The build of the flash is also to be commended, and it’s extremely easy to use. Pros Affordable, powerful, high- quality lighting and lots of options Cons Not the cheapest out there, no distance scale Verdict

High Speed Sync

Regular sync speed

Yes (light and beep) Auto power dump Yes Vertical rotation -7° to +90° Horizontal rotation +/-180° Power supply

11.1V/2000mAh Li-Ion battery (Pro-Flash TLi Battery – STR246) Power Saving Yes (auto 90secs, 60mins in slave) Flashed per charge

650 (full power) Recharge time 3 hours Dimensions 64x76x190mm Weight (with battery) 540kg Contact interfitphotographic.com

Above Using the regular sync speed (1/250sec) I picked up blur as Rocky moved his head in these shots, but in High Speed Sync mode (with the shutter speed at 1/500sec) there’s less chance of getting any, although the flash range does drop so the flash often needs to be moved closer.