5 Reasons this is my favorite on camera flash for Olympus and Panasonic Cameras 

Do you need the remote commander to use it off camera?

Bojan Bojovic - I understand, the basic rule is the better the battery the better the performance. That is the #1 reason the Godox v860II is so good, that lithium battery is amazing.

@@JosephEllisPhotographer Thanks. I am thinking about some good rechargeable batteries, maybe Eneloop will make this small flash faster than alkaline Varta.

That's awesome, congratulations on the new gear!

Yes they do, it was a nice addition to the XProO. I did talk about it in another video but I do find it's usefulness still very limited because you have to turn it on and off with a switch and the flashes themselves do not have that function. I would love an update to the v860IIO where it gets similar functionality to the strobes from Canon and Nikon where the AF assist light turns on to focus and off during the exposure.

On DSLR cameras there is a light but not on Olympus bodies unfortunately. There has been some talk that contrast detect AF causes it to be ineffective but it’s a feature sorely missing for low light AF although the EM1x AF does pretty great without it.

I had heard is a rumor about an Olympus version of the TT350 coming, should be an amazing little flash. Thanks for your insight on the flash auto zoom I haven't really noticed, I would guess mostly because I bounce my light at weddings about 90% of the time but good to know and hopefully we'll see an update in the near future.

Hi David, if it were me I would get the TT350 and/or I might get two of them and keep one for only those times when I really want to set up a shot and use off-camera light. Most of the time one TT350 is going to be great for fill light or even bounced as long as you're not shooting too quickly and/or you're not pushing it too hard. For those times when you want to do something off camera the second unit can be controlled by the first and give you that extra stop of power you might want. As far as AF assist, I turned mine off a long time ago. The cameras already work down to something like -2 or -3 EV and even poorly lit rooms have been no problem. Now if I'm in a really dark dark reception and the band/dj isn't giving me any light (hardly ever) then I might consider using the AF assist because it does work but it comes at the cost of being distracting. More often if I'm stuck I'll use a video light or even my phone's flash light to focus if needed. I hope that helps.

terry breedlove Well it’s rated to something like 300 feet (2.4Ghtz range)... should be as good or better than the Nikon system. If I were you I’d probably go with the TT685O and the X1TO trigger. You get TTL, radio and all in its about $150. Crazy good deal.

I will buy that thank you so much.

Michael Miller I’m sorry if I wasn’t clear, when using flash both the shutter and aperture will control the ambient light recorded. The flash may or may not hit the background depending on distance. Typically when using flash I will underexpose the ambient light by around -1 or -2 stops so that the flash will be the strongest source of light on my subject and I’ll still have some background light recorded. If you under expose the ambient say -3 or -4 stops then you’ll still get a nicely exposed subject but a very dark (black) background. I hope that helps.

Hi Danilo, Well first I just tested my EM5MKII with the TT350O and I can't seem to recreate the problem your having. My camera is working as expected using he manual flash powers on the TT350 and nothing is being overridden. Can you describe your settings more, what are your exposure, drive settings etc.? Maybe I can help. As far as the V860IIO, it works mostly the same way at the TT350 and yes, you should be able to use manual flash power at any time.

@@JosephEllisPhotographer First of all thanks for the quick reply. I was completely wrong and the TT350o works perfectly even manually: I had not considered that its GN is much higher than the small flash supplied with the camera. The 1/128 shots were very similar to those done in TTL mode at 0.0 of power and I never tried before to shoot at 1/1 in manual. What a big light comes out from this little flash. Sorry for my shallowness. At this point I take this opportunity and I ask you if you know what the fourth configuration parameter of the flash called c.Fn 43-off means? There is the bl-10, id-off, st-on and the last (43-off/on) that is not documented. Thanks for your patience.

Danilo Candiotti Can’t confirm this at the moment but I believe that has to do with the automatic zooming of the flash to match m43 focal lengths.

Joseph Ellis Yes, you’re right. Now all zoom values are in micro4/3 format. In automatic and manual mode. Thanks a lot for your support.

r111k The Godox flashes have a repeating light too but it's a a dim red one instead of white and I've never found it annoying. Two things though if you haven't already I’d check to see if the white light can be disabled via a custom function. Second if you do go with Godox you'll need two units, either two flashes or a commander unit + a flash to get radio triggering. Any of the flashes I mention in the video/descripton are great and if you go for a trigger get the brand new XProO version. Good luck!

Joseph Ellis Thanks for answering. I haven’t seen a way to turn off the FL600r flashing light but I’ll keep looking. I use a Pen F so I would like a small flash and small transmitter. But if you think the newer (larger) transmitter is better, I’ll check it out. Thanks again.

Darron Sharrock Well unfortunately there isn’t anything that will cover you all the time but my two favorite flash modifiers are the Rogue Flash Bender and the MagMod system. The Rogue is probably my most go to since it creates the largest and therefore softest on camera light. I hope that helps!

Right but you don't have TTL correct? I'm pretty sure Yongnuo doesn't have any flashes specifically for m4/3 like Godox although I do think the YN flashes for around $60 are a great value. TTL isn't a huge deal for some photographers (maybe you included) but I really like to have that as an option for weddings and events when things can be very fast paced. Also I pretty sure Yongnuo doesn't have a rechargable lithium battery either, whether or not that is important... YMMV.

Joseph Ellis right. At least mine are not TTL. They have some TTL ones for other brands though. I wish they had a model with an auto thyristor sensor circuit.

Joseph Ellis Does the lithium battery hold enough power for a wedding day? You need to charge it in the flash itself right?

Joseph Ellis agree with TTL being nice to have for fast events. I don't do weddings but I keep an old FL36r just in case. The Yongnuos are for more static subject matters for me, being full manual only.

To be honest I haven't tried it on a legacy body BUT I do know the legacy flashes work on the new bodies so I assume the TTL is basically the same and in that case I think it should work perfectly. Not 100% on that but if I were a betting man I'd say that it would work as advertised.

Happy to help - the flash comes with a plastic attachment that has a thread on the bottom which will work with any stand. Do keep in mind if you buy a Godox flash that you'll need to also get a Godox transmitter (Godox XProO) to make your flash work off camera. If you buy an Olympus flash you can use the flash built into the camera to trigger the Olympus off camera flash but it won't communicate via radio but rather via a pre-flash of light which limits it's reach and reliability. Good luck!

Joseph Ellis thanks for the advise, I found both on amazon for 125, so I think it’s a good deal for me

The max shutter speed for normal TTL is 1/250 which is a number set by the camera. 1/250 is actually the standard for most if not all professional cameras. Now to get around that limitation a lot of flashes including the Godox flashes have what is called 'high speed sync" which allows you to use shutter speeds beyond 1/250. This mode does come at a cost however of reduced power so it works great for fill light as I describe in the video but not so good if need a lot of power. I would imagine your Nissin also has high speed sync but I can't be sure, your're going to be looking for a little lightning bolt with an H next to it.. or check the manual :)

Check your Nissin manual for setting the flash in High Speed Sync mode. I think all modern Nissin models offer High Speed Sync.

matteo banfi Anything with ‘O’ in the name will work perfectly.

@@JosephEllisPhotographer thank you so much Joe, keep up the great work

I have CTO gels, a bounce card, a small soft-box and a shoot through umbrella which are always in my kit. I would say the umbrella is probably the hardest working modifier I have when it comes to portraits and I love how cheap, easy to carry and versatile it is at making great light.

Well first ETTR is definitely a tool many pros use and while it’s effectiveness varies based on the sensor/brand of camera you use for Olympus it’s a real benefit. Now as far as flash ETTR can work but it would be better handled by increasing your flash exposure compensation and not by using aperture/shutter/ISO. Try adding +.5 to +1 flash exposure comp and then bring down that overexposure in post and see what you think. I hope that helps and good luck!

Thank Joseph for your quick response. I was participating on an on-line webinar this after and I asked the same question and the leader basically basically put his hands over this face and said " professionals don't use this technique...only amateurs" . I think he didn't know how to respond to my question and this was the easy way out. Never-the-less, I didn't feel great. Keep creating great Olympus based content. I have learnt so much from your channel. Keep safe! Keith

Paul G I can’t say for sure on your Leica but I do know Godox ‘O’ flash units listed as compatible are for all Panasonic/OMD m4/3.

The "V" comes with li-ion battery and the "TT" uses AA battery

Mark Lynch I’m 90% sure that yes, a master can fire any Godox remote flash but I’m not using two systems so I’d to confirm that with them before purchasing.

Thanks very much.

Hi Rafael, OK so this is a tiny bit complicated. You have options... If you buy Godox then you'll need a Godox flash and a Godox transmitter or a second flash (used as a transmitter) to use that system off camera. It will give you TTL, high speed synch etc. but it's a proprietary system and it doesn't mix with Olympus flashes. Now if you buy an Olympus flash then you can use the RC system which is optical slave tech (not radio like Godox) and with that, you can use any Olympus flash including the built-in units to trigger an off-camera flash. The downside here is that optical triggering isn't as reliable as radio and needs line of sight between flashes to work. Lastly, if you buy the newest Olympus flash the FL-700WR then you have both Olympus RC (optical) tech and the new Olympus radio triggering but to use it you'll also need another flash or the Olympus trigger. Olympus radio is the most expensive option but it is weather sealed, reliable and also gives you a built-in LED light for AF assist. So to sum up you either go all Godox or all Olympus for your flashes and triggers. I hope that helps!

@@JosephEllisPhotographer Joseph many thanks

Do they have an Olympus model? I can’t seem to find it on BH?

It can be triggered by the FLLM3 but only via optical pre-flash which isn’t as functional or reliable as the radio system of Godox. My advice is to buy a second Godox flash to use as a trigger or buy the Godox XProO trigger.

Adam Soller Photography I use mine with my Rogue Flash bender and grids all the time without having it fall which is why I didn’t mention it. Sorry to hear about your trouble but that must be just above the weight limit for the tension which honestly surprises me.

@@JosephEllisPhotographer I know, I am so upset as I wanted to use the flash on camera but also to control my other AD200's. I am surprised no one mentioned this as so many are showing the Magmod grip on the video (I put a short RU-vid vide showing the problem. Could it be a faulty flash?

Adam Soller Photography Well mine is pretty stiff, I would think it could handle Magmod no problem so it might be worth trying another sample if it’s not possible much trouble. Or maybe you could see if anyone at Magmod knows anything about it?

Plimpton Sometimes but usually only if I plan to also use the same flash as a main light in other images and it’s already set up with a modifier. When you’re just using a strobe for fill it’s usually a lot less necessary to have it be soft since it’s not creating much (if any) shadow. This is assuming that it’s firing 1.5 to 2 stops under ambient and it’s hitting your subject close to on axis with the camera (as I usually do).

Joseph Ellis thank you for the quick reply and info. So when you're using it on camera, you're typically using it in ttl; exposing for the ambient and then adjusting exp comp to fit your needs?

Yes, that sounds right.

flipbooks by flipbook project When you buy a Godox flash you buy the version for your camera brand. In your case that would be the ‘c’ version like v860IIc or TT350c. I hope that helps!

Thanks for the heads up, sorry for the frustration, it does seem like an easy firmware fix. I guess I never really became aware of this because I almost never use direct flash on camera, 99% of the time I'm bouncing either with or without the Rogue Flash Bender. Do you use a lot of direct flash?

You’ll need either a transmitter or another Godox flash. If you have the budget I’d go for a second flash to be the transmitter since it can act as a commander and give you more lighting possibilities but the XProO transmitter is also very nice and it has a very easy to use interface. If you’re really stuck you can also use the TT350 with a camera’s built in flash by triggering via optical preflash however it’s not as easy, reliable or configurable as the normal radio based wireless system.

@@JosephEllisPhotographer Would I be able to use it off camera with my Oly FL-LM2 flash to set it off?

Owen Auer Yes but you’ll be losing all the great functionality of the Godox wireless system. You’ll be forced to use a manual flash power and you need to have line of sight between the flashes, but yes you can get it to fire.

I turn off the exposure preview because with many flash exposures I'm using the flash as the main light and underexposing the ambient by 1-3 stops. If I left the exposure preview on then I would be staring at a very dark image while trying to compose my image. I use the S-OVF function mapped to a Fn button so that I can quickly go between the two modes. I hope that helps!

Thanks for replying. I really appreciate it. I'm not sure I get what you mean. Would you do a video discussing this issue please???

Symz G OK you got it.. I’ll see what I can do

Joseph Ellis you are the man. Thank you. Can't wait for that one

Well to get full TTL and HSS yes you do but they are quite affordable, the one I like best is the Godox XProO at about $60US. You can use a built in optical sync to get the flash to fire off camera with for example the cameras built in flash but only in manual and without the reliability of radio. If you're thinking about getting a transmitter maybe even a better idea would be to pick up a second Godox flash all of which can also act as a transmitter and then you'll have more options overall than if you just had one light and a transmitter.

One more word to the wise... the interface for wireless control on the TT350O is a bit hard to use because the unit itself is so small. It's doable but not as easy or fast IMHO as the larger units which have more buttons and screen real estate. The XProO has an excellent design but again it's only a transmitter.

Just for clarification- Can I use my pop-up flash to optically trigger the Godox tt350o? If i do this the camera's auto exposure system will not function at all? I ask because I have been using an small optical slave to trigger my old Metz 45 CT-4 for tabletop images and it appears to work well- It must be the sensor built in to the Metz that is controlling the exposure? Does the godox tt350o have a similar sensor if TTL is not possible without the triggering device? Thanks

Yes you can use the pop up flash on your camera with the Godox and it will fire in slave mode. The cameras exposure system will continue to work but it will not control the amount of flash being output by the Godox so TTL would be a no go you'll have to adjust the flash power of the Godox manually. I'm not familiar with the Metz but in order for it to give you TTL it would have to be working with the Olympus protocol of optical pre-flash?

Thanks for your help. The Metz is no longer in the picture :(. Based on your information, it seems to make sense to purchase just the flash for now, use it on optical and buy another Godox later if I feel the need. Thanks again, this has really helped. Ray

My next order of business is to test HSS with my G9. Normal TTL works as well as with my Lumix flash.

HSS sync works fine with my G9 all the way up to 1/8000/sec. I assume YMMV with other bodies.

Hi Nicholas, unfortunately no the FL-LM3 can only communicate via optical preflash and not radio. The only flash made by Olympus that has radio is the FL700WR, which is fantastic, but a bit expensive compared to Godox etc.

@@JosephEllisPhotographer Ok, thanks so much for the response and thank you for your videos. They are helping me in so many ways.