Popping open the generic black carrying case of the Polaroid PL-one hundred ninety TTL flash is an unimpressive endeavor. Not that this stuff ever are in fact. The flash which slid easily out into my hand seemed unremarkable as nicely; an LCD display and a collection of buttons under. The lens had the standard built-in bounce card and diffuser. But when I slid the sizeable flash onto the recent shoe of DSLR, the un-remarkability ended. In use, the PL-one hundred ninety TTL was much more spectacular.
Equipped with an 18-180mm zoom, swivel/bounce head, TTL, and wi-fi distant functionality, and it began to look fairly corresponding to the excessive-finish flashes obtainable from Canon and Nikon (although a lot, a lot inexpensive).
Note: the Polaroid PL-one hundred ninety TTL flash is out there for each Nikon (PL-190N) and Canon (PL-190C).
Brand comparability
As a largely Canon shooter, I’ve all the time been a bit disenchanted by my model’s flashes. Designed to be so intently built-in into the working system of the digital camera, they will produce nice outcomes. But making swift modifications to settings, energy, and TTL exposures could be a sluggish, button-pushing, menu-looking course of. Then, in fact, there’s the price of the Canon flashes. The larger finish can run near $ 500, which is nearly 5 occasions the price of the Polaroid PL-one hundred ninety TTL flash, which I held in my hand.
On-digital camera, the PL-one hundred ninety TTL is as giant as Canon or Nikon’s excessive-finish flashes. And it’s nearly as highly effective.
In half because of the fiddly nature of Canon flashes, I’ve typically defaulted to utilizing primary, cheap, guide management lights. Plus I should buy two, three, and even 4 for the worth of a Canon 600EX. So I was enthusiastic about this new providing. The specs of the Polaroid PL-one hundred ninety TTL flash are just like that of Canon’s excessive-finish ones (the Speedlite 600EX II-RT), although maybe not fairly as succesful, and as a 3rd social gathering providing, the mixing with my commonplace working system just isn’t fairly as clean. This flash is able to TTL, but in addition simply adjustable via guide energy settings. Basically, the flash appeared like an ideal compromise, and far more reasonably priced.
Using the flash
In utilizing the flash, that pleasure continued. Frankly, I love this factor and didn’t need to return the demo I’d acquired on mortgage from Polaroid.
The controls on the again are easy, a pleasing change from the varied wheels and menus required to Canon’s 580ex. It’s highly effective too, lighting up distant objects even beneath pretty brilliant circumstances. The zoom functionality, which was automated, to correspond with the focal size of the digital camera’s lens reached to just about 200mm, throwing a light-weight cone that labored properly with my 70-200mm (considered one of my favourite lenses).
Straight flash, is usually direct and shiny, principally missing shadows and textures. (True of any digital camera when used on-digital camera.)
Using the constructed-in diffuser, you lose about two stops of sunshine (this is identical flash energy and digital camera settings because the earlier, straight-flash shot). The mild does soften considerably however continues to be direct and harsh.
This picture exhibits the identical digital camera setting and flash energy because the earlier two photographs however is utilizing simply the bounce card with the flash aimed straight up. It creates a softer, prime-mild look, although you lose about three or 4 stops of sunshine.
Here, I elevated the flash energy three stops and used the bounce card with the flash aiming up. The result’s brighter however retains the softness and directionality of a prime mild.
TTL and Manual Settings
Since the TTL performance labored nicely with my digital camera, I might reap the benefits of that one shot then shortly change over to full guide performance the subsequent. I might zoom manually as nicely, permitting me to focus the beam narrowly whereas capturing with a large angle lens on the digital camera, highlighting a single portion of a a lot bigger body.
Off-digital camera the Polaroid PL-one hundred ninety TTL flash was straightforward to make use of. Manual settings are straightforward to regulate, offering an incredible deal flexibility when creating the right publicity.
Another off-digital camera picture. When used with the bounce card and positioned shut the topic, the sunshine was surprisingly mushy.
Now I need to word, that since I was primarily within the primary performance and usefulness of this flash, I tried it solely briefly off-digital camera, making a couple of pictures of flowers. Off-digital camera, I used the guide settings. As I famous earlier, the straightforward adjustment of energy makes this a breeze. With a simple radio trigger on board, I was set to go. The Polaroid PL-one hundred ninety TTL flash does have wi-fi slave functionality and though I didn’t check this, given the graceful operation of the flash typically, I’m positive this too would work nicely.
With a M/two hundredth sec flash sync velocity the PL-one hundred ninety TTL is definitely able to photographs like this. Fast shifting topics like flying birds retain sharpness, with little movement blur.
Summary
In brief, I assume the Polaroid PL-one hundred ninety TTL flash is a superb lighting software. It labored flawlessly within the brutal chilly of an Alaska winter day when I performed with it outside, and it has straightforward to make use of controls with some useful digital camera integration. In reality, I favored its simplicity and ease of use a lot that as my Canon 580ex ages, this Polaroid flash stands out as the alternative. With a $ 109 price ticket (at main on-line retailers) I should buy 4 with change for the worth of 1 Canon 600ex. Guess meaning I can quadruple my artistic lighting choices…now, the place did I depart my bank card?
Shop for the Polaroid PL-one hundred ninety TTL flash on Amazon.com (Nikon PL-190N or Canon PL-190C ) or B&T Photo (Nikon PL-190N or Canon PL-190C ) .
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