I just returned from a hiking trip at the Sea Lion Point Trail at the Lobos State Reserve. My hiking experience was fantastic. However, I can’t say the same about the nocturnal moments and scenes that I captured with my Sony A6000. The built-in flash didn’t come through for me!
The Sony A6000 takes decent photos in low light as it has a built-in flash. However, it’s small and can’t project enough light on an object when you’re shooting in the dark. If I get too close to an object, the picture appears blurry, and if I am too far, it looks somewhat dim.
With my next trip to the Yosemite coming up in a month or so, I didn’t want to put my photography plans in jeopardy. So, I did a bit of research and found a powerful flash to complement the one that’s built-in my A6000 camera.
I consider it the best mirrorless camera, but to give my review a balanced perspective, I will provide you a couple of decent options.
Our Top Pick
My top pick is the Voking V750, with a universal flash that is compatible with the Sony A6000. It arrives with many advanced features, including wireless control and stroboscopic mode.
Product Reviews
Voking VK750 Universal Flash
The Voking VK750 universal flash is the best flash for the Sony A6000 in many ways. Though heavier than the Sony HVLF20M, it comes with a large LCD screen display and wireless multi-flash control.
Key Features
- 1/300 to 1/20000s flash duration
- Guide Number: 58
- 0 to 270-degree horizontal rotation angle
- 70 to 90-degree vertical rotation angle
- M/MULTL/S1/S2 flash mode
- External charging port
What I Like
With a higher guide number (58), the VK750 provides excellent lighting when shooting an object. It is at least six times brighter than the built-in flash in a camera. Don’t worry about excess light as it comes with bounce shooting feature that diffuses it.
Thanks to its large LCD screen, this device lets you access controls and set the functions correctly. You can direct this versatile flash anywhere as it has vertical and horizontal rotation capabilities.
VK750 also has a universal shoe mount flash that fits snuggly into Nikon, Panasonic, Pantax, Fuji, Canon, and other Sony digital cameras. What really stands out for me, though, is that I can use its wireless capability to control other flashes within a radius of 10-15 meters.
The stroboscopic mode and other extra features on this flash give users room for imagination, so you can get creative with your shoots.
What I Don’t Like
The main shortcoming of this flash is that it feels a bit lose when mounted onto the camera. It is also quite bulky and weighs a lot.
Pros
- Dust and water resistance function
- Compatible with other cameras
- Large LCD for better control
- Speedlight, protecting bag, and hot shoe stand
Cons
- Feels loose on the Sony A6000
- Heavy to carry around
The Voking VK750 is compatible with the Sony A6000. It is powerfully bright, and it comes with multiple features to control the lighting.
Overall Rating: 9.8/10
GODOX TT350S Wireless Flash
The GODOX TT350S wireless digital flash easily rivals the best flash for Sony A6000. Though it has a lower guide number, it makes up for this with extra features and excellent wireless control.
Key Features
- First and second curtain synchronization
- Multi-flash capability
- Wireless control
- Power saving mode
- Overheat protection
- LCD screen
What I Like
The GODOX TT350S is incredibly versatile in spite of the lower GN rating. It is easily compatible with the camera as well as other flash heads.
Since it is wireless, this flash lets you connect easily with other compatible devices. It can wirelessly transmit to 16 channels up to distances of 100 meters (328 feet), which is much higher than the standard 15 meters (about 50 feet). It is also compatible with other flash heads both as a slave and a master. It can control up to three slave groups.
You can access every setting and feature on this flash via a compact LCD screen. The control panel only has four buttons that are easy to access. When shooting, you can use the manual flash or TTL auto-flash. It takes about 0.1-2.2 seconds for this flash to recycle, so you can shoot as fast as you wish.
What I Don’t Like
Like most universal flash heads, the GODOX TT350S does not perfectly fit the host’s hot shoe. It is also quite fragile, but lighter and smaller than the Voking V750.
Pros
- Simple control panel
- Powerful wireless transmission
- Excellent battery life
- Quick recycle time
- Dual exposure
Cons
- Fragile construction
- Wobbles a bit
The wide array of features available on this flash makes it suitable for everyday use. Remember to take good care of it if you want it to last.
Overall Rating: 9.6/10
Meike MK-930 Manual Flash
One aspect that stands out about the Meike MK-930 is its compact build. None the less, it hosts a wide range of features that bring out the best in the Sony A6000.
Key Features
- Guide Number: 58
- Vertical rotation angle: 0 to 90-degrees
- Horizontal rotation angle: 0 to 270-degrees
- Wireless trigger sensor
- LCD screen
- Eight-mode multi-flashlight application
- Front curtain synchronous
What I Like
The most impressive thing about the Meike MK-930 is its excellent flash control capability. There are eight levels of flash output control, which makes it easy for you to leverage the most out of this flash’s GN rating of 58 meters (190 feet). This, coupled with color temperate of 5600K, makes for high-quality pictures.
Another impressive aspect of this flash is its excellent power consumption rate. It runs on four AA batteries that can deliver up to 150 flash heads. When its power runs low, you can connect it to a secondary power supply via an external charging port.
Other notable features include wireless control connectivity of up to 30 meters indoors (about 100 feet) and 15 meters outdoors (around 50 feet), auto-zoom, and flexible vertical and horizontal rotation.
What I Don’t Like
The most frustrating thing about this camera is that it takes longer than average to recycle. I had to wait for up to four seconds before I could take another shot, and it felt like forever.
Pros
- Excellent lighting
- Versatile flash control
- Excellent power utility
- Strong wireless control
- Overheating protection
Cons
- Heavy and bulky
- Slow recycle time
The Meike MK-930 is excellent for photographers looking for better lighting control. It has a high GN rating and boasts an eight-mode multi-flash application.
Overall Rating: 9.4/10
Neewer TTL GN36 Wireless Flash
The Neewer TTL GN36 flash is lower on the GN factor, but it is just as powerful and versatile as the top flash on the list. It supports wireless transmission and is easily compatible with many other flash heads.
Key Features
- Guide Number: 36
- 4G wireless transmission
- Slave and master modes
- Power saving mode
- Optical transmission
- Dot-matrix LCD screen
- Recycle time: 0.1-2.2 seconds
What I Like
This flash’s GN rating may be lower than Voking’s, but it still gets the job done. What’s more, is that you can connect this camera to multiple other flash heads as a master or slave.
It can transmit signals at 2.4GHz up to a range of 30 meters (almost 100 feet). Using its wireless transmission, you can run on up to 16 channels and control other flash heads on three slave groups.
I also find it easy to direct this flash in any direction as it can rotate both vertically and horizontally. It has a fast auto-focus assist beam that helps zone in on the subject without blurring, too.
What I Don’t Like
Like most universal flash heads, the Neewer TTL GN36 flash may feel a bit loose on the Sony A6000. It is also prone to overheating when used for extended periods.
Pros
- Easily compatible
- Master and slave modes
- Compact dot-matrix LCD screen
- Simple control panel
- Powerful wireless transmission range
- Quick recycle time
Cons
- Prone to overheating
- Wobbles a bit
The Naweer TTL GN36 is an excellent flash for professionals. However, you should be mindful of how much you use it and always check for overheating.
Overall Rating: 9.2/10
Sony HVLF20M Flash
The Sony HVLFM20 flash is slim, compact, and easy to use. It is rated as GN20, which means that it is two to three times better than the inbuilt camera. It also carries many useful features.
Key Features
- Bounce shooting
- Automatic power
- Wireless control
- Auto White Balance Adjustment (AWB)
- Advanced Distance Integration (ADI)
What I Like
This flash from Sony is ideal for the Sony A6000. It is small, slim, and light for easy portability. It is also up to three times brighter than the camera’s inbuilt flash. Additionally, users get greater control over lighting using the bounce flash and Advanced Distance Integration (ADI) features. The Auto White Balancing (AWB) feature also helps improve the picture’s overall quality.
What I Don’t Like
The greatest shortcoming of this flash is the lack of an LCD screen display. It is also not as bright as other flash heads on the list.
Pros
- Easy to use
- Excellent lighting control
- Features that improve image clarity
- Wireless control
- Light and perfectly compatible
Cons
- No LCD screen
- Low GN rating
This flash will provide three times the light of Sony’s inbuilt camera. It is the ideal choice in terms of quality and functionality.
Overall Rating: 9.0/10
Sony A6000 Flash Buying Guide – Four Key Factors to Consider
Numerous flash heads are compatible with the Sony A6000. Many will get the job done, but it all depends on their features. Here are factors to look out for when looking for the best flash for Sony A6000:
Brightness
The reason why many people need an external flash for the A6000 camera is that the inbuilt flash is not bright or versatile enough. Ideally, a camera’s flash should have a minimum Guide Number rating of 20. Some flash heads have GN ratings of up to 50 meters/164 feet.
In addition to being bright, the flash should also be able to regulate the brightness’ intensity through features such as bounce shooting to prevent glares.
Picture Quality
A good flash should improve picture quality. Brightness plays a big role in this. Other features that contribute to better pictures are Auto White Balancing (for balancing varying color temperatures) and Advanced Distance Integration (for regulating brightness based on distance from the object).
Some flash heads also come with extra creativity features such as a stroboscopic mode.
Remember, however, that picture quality mostly depends on your skills as a photographer.
Compatibility
Ideally, the flash you buy should be compatible with your Sony A6000. However, it would also help if the flash was compatible with other camera models and other devices such as a PC. Likewise, wireless control is nice in case you need to use it with other multiple flash heads simultaneously. Finally, the flash should come with both slave and master modes.
Recycling Time
Two seconds may seem like an eternity while waiting for your flash to recycle. You should go for a flash with a fast recycling time in case you want to shoot rapid back-to-back photos. You want a flash with a recycling time of 0.1 – 1 second. The flash should also be capable of taking the strain so that it doesn’t overheat while you are working.
Final Thoughts
Though released in 2015, the Sony A6000 is an excellent mirrorless camera that is holding up really well. It can easily rival many recent models when you equip it with an external flash.
I have tried out a wide variety of flash heads that are compatible with my Sony A6000, and I can confidently say that these five are the best. However, I recommend the Voking VK-750 as it is better than the other flash heads in several aspects. It is very bright and provides excellent flash control. In addition, many of its in-built features are automated. Overall, it can improve the quality of your pictures in low-light conditions.
You are also welcome to make your assessment of compatible flash heads – remember to follow the buying guide.
