Sony HVL-F36AM High-Power Digital Camera Flash for Sony Alpha Digital SLR Camera
by Sony
Our Price: $275.00
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Category: Digital Camera
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Digital Photo Product Details
Manufacturer: SonyRelease Date: 2006-08-01
Model: HVLF36AM
Product features:
- Approximate Guide Number At ISO 100: 36 Meters/118 Feet
- Flash Head Zooms Automatically To Match The Shooting
- Color Temperature: Approximately 5700K
- Uses 4 "AA" Batteries (not Included)
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Sony HVL-F36AM High-Power Digital Camera Flash for Sony Alpha Digital SLR Camera
Customer Review: Sony made a blunder in not continuing the Minolta 2500 D Flash
Summary: 3 Stars
One of the luxuries of owning a Minolta SLR (single-lens reflex) was the Minolta flash system: Minolta flashes work beautifully. The Sony Alpha DSLR's are a continuation of Konica Minolta designs (Konica Minolta sold their SLR camera technology to Sony in January 2006, and Sony Alpha cameras use the Minolta lens mount). Minolta lenses fit Sony Alpha cameras, and couple correctly to their electronic controls.
The Sony HVL-F36 AM flash is almost identical to the Konica Minolta 3600 HS flash. It's a good unit (but the battery door is difficult to open; I returned my first unit, thinking it was jammed shut. It needs force to open, which is not a good design). However, its price of around $200 will probably deter most Sony Alpha DSLR owners.
The Minolta flash unit Sony SHOULD have continued producing is the Minolta 2500 D Program Flash, an excellent simpler and less expensive ($110) flash providing ADI operation (Automatic Distance Integration, which in my experience always gives perfectly exposed pictures), an excellent focus-assist light which lights up for a fraction of a second (which I have used to make perfectly focussed photographs of subjects I couldn't even see in the dark, such as wildlife at night! It's an amazing experience). The Minolta 2500 D Program Flash is lightweight, inexpensive, extremely well made, always takes perfect pictures, and is more than adequate for at least 90 percent of home photography.
The main feature missing in the 2500 D flash unit is the zoom head (for 24 mm to 85 mm focal lengths) found in the Sony HVL-F36 and Minolta 3600HS flash units, but this isn't a major handicap. Owning both units, I actually use the 2500 D flash more often.
Competition: Sigma now offers an updated flash unit, the Sigma EF 530 DG ST, which has been updated to give an auto zoom range of 24 - 105mm (the earlier Sigma EF 500 DG ST only covered 28mm at wide angle), and provides ADI (Automatic Distance Integration) in the Sony/Minolta version. Sunpak offers the more modest Sunpak PZ40x II with an auto zoom range of 24 - 80mm and weaker light output.
Canon is probably the industry leader in digital cameras including digital SLR's, which Canon has been making for at least seven years compared with Sony's recent entry into this field, and one result is that Canon buyers have a far better choice of flash units than Sony offers. Canon owners can also choose flashes made by Sigma and Sunpak, but these makers have updated few of their flashes (for Minolta) to work with Sony Alpha cameras. The Canon 430 EX Speedlite costing $240 outclasses the Sony HVL-F36 AM, and in several respects even outperforms the Sony HVL-F56 AM (price $310). Canon buyers also have a choice of more modestly-priced Canon flash units down to $120, but Sony offers none.
In my opinion, Sony would be well advised to put the Minolta 2500 D Program Flash back into their line, as a very high-quality $110 flash unit, if they want to compete with Nikon and Canon.
More Sony HVL-F36AM High-Power Digital Camera Flash for Sony Alpha Digital SLR Camera reviews:
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Description of Sony HVL-F36AM High-Power Digital Camera Flash for Sony Alpha Digital SLR Camera
Sony HVL-F36AM High-Power Digital Camera Flash for Sony Alpha Digital SLR CameraDigital Camera Accessories
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