Which third-party flashes can be remotely power-controlled by an Olympus camera?
Asked 3/5/2014
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I use an Olympus OM-D E-M1 and want off-camera flash units whose power can be adjusted remotely from the camera or a compatible commander flash. I know Olympus supports optical RC control with certain Olympus flashes, and I’m specifically asking whether any third-party flashes support that same kind of remote control—not just basic optical triggering.
I’m fine using the built-in flash as the controller. I’m looking for either:
- third-party flashes that work with Olympus’s RC optical system and allow TTL/power control from the camera, or
- alternatives where the flashes are controlled remotely from an on-camera controller, even if that means manual-only power control.
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
12y ago
2 Answers
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There are several from Metz that will work with the Olympus RC flash system,including the Metz mecablitz 52 AF-1 and 58 AF-2. (I don't think that the lower-cost 44 AF-1 is compatible — it can only be used as a "dumb" slave, even though the same model works in TTL mode with other brands.) These are both very nice made-in-Germany models with a lot of power and features.
I don't think any of the other third-party-TTL suspects include Olympus. Sigma definitely doesn't.
That's for TTL control from the body. If you are willing to open up to units which require manual setting of power but allow that from the controller attached to the camera, your options open up a bit. Look into the Cheetah Light V850 or the (upcoming) Cactus RF60 with integrated radio control. The latter is a bit more flexible, and in fact works with a trigger set which will work with a wide range of flashes. The former is bit cheaper, and in fact can be even cheaper still if U.S. based service and customer support is not important to you, because you can also buy it as the Neewer TT850 for about $25 less. Depending on where you're located, the Godox V850 branding may be worth pricing out too.
Originally by user1943. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user1943
12y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes—some Metz flashes support Olympus’s RC optical flash system, so they can be remotely controlled from a compatible Olympus body/flash setup. Models mentioned as compatible include the Metz mecablitz 52 AF-1 and 58 AF-2. These are the clearest third-party options in the answers for Olympus-style remote TTL/power control.
By contrast, the Metz 44 AF-1 was noted as not supporting Olympus RC remote control; it can act only as a simple optical slave in this context. Sigma was also specifically called out as not supporting Olympus RC.
If you don’t need Olympus optical TTL/RC specifically, your choices broaden. Some flashes can be controlled remotely via their own radio systems, but typically with manual power control rather than Olympus RC TTL. Examples mentioned were the Cheetah Light V850 and Cactus RF60.
So the short answer is: for Olympus-compatible remote optical control, look at certain Metz models; for non-RC radio-based remote manual control, there are additional alternatives.
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