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Best Flash for Sony A7III [2024 Review]

In: 
Published: 06/11/2023

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While the Sony A7III has pro-level features and high image quality, shooting low light can be tricky. When photographing vast interiors, you also need a powerful flash that can trigger multiple lighting setups. Below are options for the best flash for Sony A7III to enhance the exposure of real estate photos.

Our Top Flash for Sony A7III Reviews

The Sony HVL-F45 RM Compact Wireless Radio Flash is the best external flash for Sony A7III because of its powerful flash duration, wireless radio control, and fast recycling time for wireless support or use as a master unit.

An external flash is an essential tool for professional real estate photographers using a Sony camera. It provides you with better control over the lighting and exposure of objects in low-light situations. External flashes on the market vary in price and quality, so I reviewed the best flash for Sony A7III.

Sony HVL-F45 RM Compact Wireless Radio Flash

Powerful and compact, the Sony HVL-F45 RM Compact Wireless Radio Flash is the best external flash for Sony A7III. It has a variety of features that can significantly enhance your photographs in low-light situations.

With a guide number of 45, this camera flash has a more powerful flash output than the Sony F32M's 35 GN. Even with wireless radio control, its recycling time of 2.5 seconds can provide up to 210 bursts of power output for poor lighting conditions.

This Sony flash head has a radio wireless communication of 15 units in up to 5 groups. Compared to conventional light-based remote trigger flash systems, radio-controlled systems provide several advantages. In effect, this flash head enhances the shooting experience to give you more creative freedom for your Sony camera. 

Among its key features include quick navigation and customizable settings that allow you to change the shooting settings directly. This lets you access various settings, including lighting compensation, power levels, and control wheel so that you can assign your favorite features for more efficient shooting.

This flash offers radio wireless communication, fully supporting Sony's existing wireless flash commander, making it the best flash for wireless control. As a result, this flash system enables full remote control even without relying on line-of-sight. With the support of the automatic white balance adjustment, you can set high apertures to maintain proper illumination.

The box includes a mini stand, carrying case, and connector protect cap. However, if you're a fan of lithium-ion batteries, you need to invest in double-A batteries to use this flash head with your Sony A7III, and you can't charge the batteries via USB-C. 

Sony HVL-F32M External Flash

The Sony HVL-F32M External Flash is another very high-powered speedlight for Sony A7III. With advanced flash features, powerful light output even at zoom range, and a dedicated remote control, this is the best flash for Sony that can streamline your real estate photoshoots.

This camera flash has a 90-degree tilting head going upwards and an 8-degree downwards tilt, resulting in the flexible multi-flashing. If you're mostly using the external flash in controlled environments, the lack of tilt is not much of an issue since you could easily rotate the stand the flash is mounted on.

Among its advanced features are the second curtain sync setting and the high speed synchronization. This powerful output of the TTL mode allows you to shoot in dimly-lit interiors even if you're using slow shutter speeds, poor lighting conditions, and lower ISO values. 

With a minimum of 0.1 seconds duration, this Sony flash has a faster recycling time than the Sony F45RM. However, if your batteries are old, you may end up waiting up to 5 seconds. It may not be a huge deal when using a Sony camera to shoot real estate photos since your main subject isn't moving.

While it's missing some of the wireless features that stood out on the HVL-F45RM, this compact flash at a lower price point makes it an excellent option for photographers looking for a more affordable flash.

Finally, the moisture and dust-resistant design of this Sony A7III external flash is especially great when shooting outdoor spaces. The speedlite flash won't get damaged if it's out in a bit of rain, and the LCD panel will still work fine. 

Sony HVL-F28RM External Flash

Small yet robust, the Sony HVL-F28RM External Flash offers advanced features and precise control. It boasts a solid wide-angle diffuser panel needed for professional real estate photography.

Similar to the other flash devices camera flashes, this Sony external flash provides reliable wireless communication over longer distances, even with obstacles in the way or bright sunlight. You can set this compact TTL auto flash as a commander or a dedicated remote control to control up to 15 camera flashes and receiver units in five groups. 

One of its key features is a flash time of 1/625 second which can help you take better real estate images. Even if you forget to use high-speed sync, you get precice control over the powerful output of the flash to automatically freeze movement in a dark room. However, you need a high flash output to sustain the duration.

A built-in 2.4 GHz radio transceiver allows photographers to create portable lighting setups quickly. Unlike the TTL/manual flash system of the Sony F32M, which can only reach up to 16.4 feet, the wireless radio control of the Sony F28RM can impressively operate up to 114.8 feet.

The HVL-F28RM also includes the same high-speed sync and other Sony external flash features as the HVL-45RM and HVL-60RM. This flash also has a 0 to 120-degree tilting head for flexible bounce control.

The downside is that it has a slower recycle time than the other Sony external flash heads, although this should still be enough for static subjects like interiors and exteriors.

Godox V1 Flash for Sony

The Godox V1 Flash for Sony is one of the best flash for Sony that is non-OEM flash. This lightning-quick external flash is excellent for various shooting situations and compatible with Sony cameras like the Sony A7III and A7RIII.

This flexible on-camera flash has a distinguishable round head which provides soft and smooth light effects despite poor lighting conditions. You can use it either as the main flash or slave flash unit while operating in manual flash mode or as a TTL flash.

The front of the round Fresnel flash head features a magnetic rim that supports a range of round light modifiers in the Godox kit. This includes a dome diffuser, a diffuser plate, and a four-wing reflector for different lighting effects.

This round-headed TTL flash for Sony A7III has a wireless transmission flash system of up to 328 feet, which is 214 feet broader than the Sony F28RM. Using this Sony flash enables you to get quality light effects that are smooth at a distance, even while using a high-speed sync function to use faster shutter speeds.

The rechargeable lithium-ion battery life can deliver 7.2/2600mAh of power, providing longer life and a snappy recycling time. This off-camera head can shoot 480 full flashes per charge with a recycle time of 1.5 seconds. However, combining the heavy weight of Sony cameras and batteries makes this studio flash for Sony A7III somewhat heavy.

It offers a duration of 1/300 to 1/20000 seconds for precise control. In effect, the light output can go from off to full power in seconds. This streamlines your setup workflow if you're working on groups of external flashes.

Godox VING V860IIS TTL Li-Ion Flash

Another best flash for Sony is the Godox VING V860IIS. It has a healthy power output of 190 feet, even at ISO 100-400 for exposure bracketing and low light situations.

The highlight for this flash is the Front/Rear Curtain Sync which offers users a trailing smear effect in images. When used with full-frame sony cameras, its flash coverage reaches 20 to 200mm, much broader than the 28 to 105mm flash coverage of the Godox V1.

Being a stroboscope flash system, this lets you choose the number of flashes to fire continuously in a single long exposure.

This off-camera flash for Sony A7III has an impressive coverage range of up to 328 feet, thanks to the built-in 2.4GHz wireless radio flash system. It can work with 32 channels under a 1.5-second recycling time and 650 power pops on a single charge.

The Godox V860II-S supports all TTL functions, including both the manual and auto flash TTL. This speedlite flash for A7III also provides additional functions, such as flash exposure compensation, which means you won't have to worry about the exposure settings even when you're in auto mode.

What's more, it has a flash duration of 1/300s to 1/20000s and adjustable color temperature. This enables you to freeze fast-moving subjects. However, you would have to work at lower powers in most shooting scenarios.

Profoto A1X Off-Camera Flash Kit for Sony

The Profoto A1X flash is a professional and premium flashlight that is only dedicated to the Sony camera. It boasts the title of the world’s smallest studio light, and it is effortless to use with superfast recycling and a long-lasting battery life.

Compared to the Sony F45RM, which wirelessly supports 15 units in 5 groups, the Profoto A1X can support up to 20 wireless channels. This enables Profoto's trigger to work on more lights and a stable color temperature for multi-flash shooting.

One of its key features is the ability to widen the zoom range from 24mm to 18mm and to 14mm. It also uses flash exposure compensation to brighten only certain areas of the frame, like when photographing a patio at night with the lights turned on.

This top-rated head for Sony cameras can cover full TTL functions in auto and manual modes. With this mobile light source, the TTL mode allows you to lock in the perfect exposure, giving you a far greater degree of control and a significantly faster workflow. Howevr, this budget flash for Sony A7III does have a weaker power output than the other flashes.

Neewer NW580 Wireless Flash

The Neewer NW580 Wireless Flash is another compact flash that doesn't compromise on features.

With a great brand reputation, this Neewer flash has a power-saving mode and power level of 60 GN at ISO 100 throughout the zoom range. Even if you only have two softboxes as additional lighting, you can do multi-flash photography, and the light power would be enough to suppress shadows in rooms.

With a 2.4 wireless remote control system, this speedlite flash can serve as a best flash unit to control other flash devices. In addition, you can use the remote trigger option to trigger the TTL function when you don't need the manual flash mode. It even has more wireless channels than the Sony F45RM.

The autofocus assist beam is another beneficial feature of this studio flash. This feature lets you project a beam of light to help the Sony A7III and A7RIII steady the autofocus function in dark shooting conditions.

This flash has a vertical rotation angle of -7 to 9 degrees and a horizontal rotation angle of up to 270 degrees, giving you excellent multi-flash shooting even when there's harsh sunlight. As a result, you can get a smooth, rotatable flash head that will make it convenient for shooting even if you have to position the flash at the corners.

However, its wireless operation can only reach up to 65 feet, which is half the coverage of the Sony and Godox power flashes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Use an External Speedlight?

Sony cameras don't have any in-built flashing system, and without the flashing system, it can be challenging to capture good photos in dim light. A flash compatible with the Sony A7III can bring the proper lighting for a better image quality.

Is TTL Feature Necessary?

TTL is a great feature as it automatically sets the flash power and zoom. This means you can take random shots in low-light without setting the flash manually for every shot. You can read more in my Sony A7III lens review guide.

What Is the Best Flash for a Beginner?

We recommend the Sony F45 RM and the Sony F32M as the best flash for Sony if you're a beginner real estate photographers with a Sony Alpha camera. Their compatibility and flash output guarantee seamless external lighting. If you prefer a third-party option, then the Godox V1 is a good alternative as a TTL flash.

Conclusion 

Whether an amateur or professional real estate photographer, investing in a good flash is necessary to guarantee center-to-corner exposure to your images. With the best flash for Sony, you can control lighting and illuminate any scene in a real estate property.

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