Sony HVL-F42AM flash quick review
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| Contents of box, velcro on flash head not included. |
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| LCD lit up, showing available settings |
Specifications and general information.
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Sony HVL-F42AM Discontinued in 2011.
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Owner’s manual |
Sony ESupport for HVL-F42AM Go here and click on the ‘manuals, specs and warranty’ tab.
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Price
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MSRP $299
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Tested on
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Sony A580, Sony A900.
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In the box
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Flash, stand, vinyl pouch and instructions.
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Build quality
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Very good all around.
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Weather sealing?
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No.
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Hotshoe style
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Sony proprietary type
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Guide number
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42 (138′) ISO 100, @105mm zoom position, and 35 (112′) at 50mm zoom.
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Guide number accuracy
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Maximum output seems similar to other models with same rating.
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| Stated color temperature |
Not stated.
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LCD monitor
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No LCD, but has panel with illuminated settings. 2″ x 1.2″ (53mm x 30mm). Has battery indicator, zoom length with wide panel down indicator, power levels, HSS, wireless channels, and auto levels.
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Lights and switches
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On-off slider, test/charge button, select buttons for mode, HSS, level and zoom.
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Power source
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4 AA, 1.5V
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| Recycle time |
About 3 sec at 1/1. Half-power (1/2) recharge is almost instantaneous for a couple of pops, then it slows down.
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Flash duration rating
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No info.
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Power saving function
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Yes, 30sec, 3min, 30min and none. Wireless flash mode power save can be set to 60min or none.
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Adjustable power levels
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Six full levels only; Auto, 1/1, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/16, and 1/32.
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Wide angle diffuser type
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Built-in, pulls out and down, covers 16mm, (11mm APS-C) and shows on display when attached (Wide).
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Bounce card or reflector plate
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Not included.
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Bounce positions
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45°, 60°, 75°, and 90°.
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Swivel positions
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Left, 30°, 45°, 60°, 75°, 90°, – right, 30°, 45°, 60°, 75°, 90°, 120°, 150°, 180°.
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Zoom positions
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Auto, wide (16mm), 24mm, 28mm, 35mm, 50mm, 70mm, 105mm.
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Zoom type
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Internal, and fully automatic in auto mode.
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Auto format zoom
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Yes, the flash knows what focal length the lens is at, either full frame or APS-C format.
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AF assist beam
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Yes, red, works properly.
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Custom functions
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Five settings may be changed. Wireless CH1/CH2. Time to power save-30sec, 3min, 30min, none. Time to power save when using wireless flash; 60min/none. Recording modes in which manual flash may be set. Brightness setting of the display, bright/dark.
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Connections
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None.
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White balance info
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Yes.
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Modeling flash
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No.
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Multi-flash emission
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No.
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| High speed sync |
Yes, to 1/4000.
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Wireless ability
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Yes.
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Sony ADI support
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Yes.
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Red eye reduction
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Not supported by Sony.
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Dimensions
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3.0″W x 6.4H x 2.4D 76mm x 162mm x 62mm Maximum length 6.4″ (162mm) including shoe mount. Length and depth measured with flash flat.
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Weight
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11.8oz (335g) without batteries, 15.5oz (439g) with batteries.
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| Operating temp |
0°-40°C, 32°-104°F
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| Quirks |
Will work with Radiopoppers™ triggers with Sony cable adapter or other connection, but needs to be mounted on camera first, with both (camera and flash) turned off, then both turned on, then flash is taken off camera and attached to receiver.
If power save turns power off, you must do this again. Advice; turn off power save when using radio flash triggers.
Flash will fire even if it isn’t charged sufficiently, so check the charge indicator before shooting, otherwise you may wind up with the wrong exposure. It does this so you won’t miss a shot waiting for the flash to fully charge.
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Notes
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Can be custom set for full manual use in all recording modes, even “auto.”
Flash is automatically turned off when camera power is turned off, then back on if flash is still switched on.
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Good for
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everything, it’s easy to use, and great for beginners.
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Not good for
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No real negatives.
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Recommended?
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Highly recommended, but not available new. Replaced with HVL-F43AM in early 2011.
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