Olympus FL-600R Wireless Electronic Flash

Comments about Olympus FL-600R Wireless Electronic Flash:

Got the FL-600R for my Olympus OM-D E-M5 after watching a YouTube video that showed that the little FL-LM2 that comes with the camera can be used to trigger the FL-600R wirelessly off camera.

My 4 star rating might be more about me being a total flash newbie than a reflection of the capabilities of the flash. I'm pretty sure that I will be able to do what I want, but right now there is a steep learning curve (Guide Numbers anyone?)

Front LED flashes when used wirelessly off camera.

Comes with a little plastic foot that allows the flash to stand on a table or surface when used off camera.

Comments about Olympus FL-600R Wireless Electronic Flash:

To me, this is a must-have product for taking indoor pictures with the Olympus OMD EM-5. Yes, the EM-5 has great low-light ability, but well-lit photos are always better. It's smaller than Canon flashes I've used in the past, and fits the EM-5 pretty well--though it's still not exactly tiny. Results are great.

Comments about Olympus FL-600R Wireless Electronic Flash:

I use two of these for much of my professional shooting with my Olympus E-M5's. I simply shoot mostly at ISO 400 and use a Vivitar diffuser on the flash and get excellent ouput and range.

Recycle time is extremely fast, battery life is excellent (Since it uses 4 AA's), and I love the fact that it is so compact.

The only shortcomings I've encountered are the 'flip-lock' design which releases a bit too easily, and the lack of a dedicated compensation dial like the FL-50R has. The FL-600R does allow compensation on the flash, but you have to press the control dial to select compensation, then rotate the dial, and then press 'OK' -- three steps vs one on the FL-50R.

I would have rated it 5 Stars except for these minor deficiencies.

Regardless, it's an excellent and versatile flash.

Comments about Olympus FL-600R Wireless Electronic Flash:

Very nice flash - good size and has video light which is awesome so has two functions -
Use with my OMD-5 so a good size - not so large -
built quality is ok - but typical - menu system is nice.
Power output is ok - not quite as strong as larger once but ok

Comments about Olympus FL-600R Wireless Electronic Flash:

Overall, a good flash. Haven't used it enough to know exactly that everything about it is great but so far, it's been good. Very easy to use.

Comments about Olympus FL-600R Wireless Electronic Flash:

Most reviews you see for any olympus products revolve arount the EM5. I have the smaller E-PL5 and want you to know how this flash works with it. Is this flash a good size for this tiny camera? No. Does it look awkward because of its size? Yes.Is it overwhelming to carry with the pen? Sort of, its bigger than the camera itself. So am I keeping it? Absolutely!The E-PL5 is an awesome camera and this flash works seamlessly with it. On camera and on a tripod it will give you perfectly flashed pix every time. Take it off and slave it, you have a perfect placeable fill for your control flash. For the price, there is no other unit that is more perfectly integrated with the pen. The only drawback to this light is the size, and it is the smallest full feature flash you can get for the pen system. Olympus engineers listen!Take all the features you have in this flash, cut the battery use in half, slim the thickness and height by the same amount and you can have another killer addition to the olympus line.Until that time there is no better flash available for the pen system!

Comments about Olympus FL-600R Wireless Electronic Flash:

I have not used it much but when I have, it did the job of ourdoor fill light very well. The size of it fits perfectly with my OM-D E-M5 and hand/battery grip.

Comments about Olympus FL-600R Wireless Electronic Flash:

Yes, the reason I gave it 5 stars is because it simply does a darn good job, just as advertised. The Olympus wireless TTL system so far has been top notch, I am actually thinking of getting another pair for my EM-5!

It packs great punch for such a small flash.

Comments about Olympus FL-600R Wireless Electronic Flash:

Best put beyoond semi-transparent object, such as flower to produce a shine-through effect

Comments about Olympus FL-600R Wireless Electronic Flash:

This product replaced my FL36r. Same size and power but can be used by the camera to control other flashes.

Comments about Olympus FL-600R Wireless Electronic Flash:

This flash unit is versatile and a very good companion to my OM-D mirrorless camera. It syncs well in all modes and works well off camera.

Comments about Olympus FL-600R Wireless Electronic Flash:

I give this flash a 5 star rating as it is not that expensive and is very easy to use - nice menu system.Supports the OMD 5 commander mode - so you can control multible flashes from the Olympus OMD 5 for example - not having to go to each flash and make changes - only in optical mode -meaning that your flash or flashes have to see the camera onboard flash - so line of sight is required - but as this is not ment to be a true true Pro flash it is fine - The only small drawback is power output - it is not the brigtest flash out there but for most uses it is fine - it is not a Nikon SB910 but then it is not around $ plus - it is light and easy to use - takes 4 AA batteries - It has a video light so if you need a steady light you can turn that on - not many flashes have that :) so highly reccomended - especailly if you have the more advanced Oly Pen systems or the OMD 5 with the wireless triggering and that in TTL support if you want - else use Auto or manual - but to have say 2 flashes on light stands and be able to control the flashes from the camera or just have TTL on - super super -

Comments about Olympus FL-600R Wireless Electronic Flash:

The FL-600R is a perfect match for the Olympus OM-D E-M5. Its size and light output, as best I can judge, are comparable to the Oly FL-36/36R. However, the FL-600R holds 2 more batteries than the FL-36/36R (4 versus 2), which translates to significantly shorter recycle times, and it has an LED-based AF assist lamp, which unlike the AF assist lamp of the FL-36/36R, is compatible with the AF system of the E-M5. Flash output is very accurate and exposure can be adjusted in-camera (at least with the E-M5), via the flash unit itself, or both.I'm not into videography, but the LED lamp can be used for constant illumination in video recording mode (I haven't checked if it can be activated manually in still image mode). Paired with the 12-50mm lens, or any other macro lens, the FL-600R is outstanding for macro photography, either camera mounted or in RC mode. Speaking of which, the flash operates outstandingly well in RC mode.Construction quality of the FL-600R is good, comparable to, if not better than, the Nikon SB-800 flash, which I used before migrating from Nikon to the Micro Four Thirds system. No complaints, at least not yet.All-in-all, for its specs and price point, I consider the FL-600R to be an outstanding flash and can recommend it highly, and without reservations, to Oly E-M5 owners.

Comments about Olympus FL-600R Wireless Electronic Flash:

I bought this flash because, when I went looking for a second Olympus FL-36R flash, I found that model was out of production and replaced by this model. The FL-600R is similar to FL-36R but a little heavier because it takes four AA batteries rather than two. It has several improvements over the FL-36R: power can be adjusted in 1/3 stop increments rather than full-stop increments; better settings display; simpler and easier-to-use settings control interface; simpler and easier-to-use head swivel mechanism. It also has a very bright white LED that blinks to indicate the flash is ready when the unit is in slave mode. This is not so good because the LED is bright enough to disturb your subjects.

I use this unit with a Panasonic GH2 rather than with an Olympus camera. It works well with GH2 both on-camera and off. TTL flash exposure control works with the GH2.

Comments about Olympus FL-600R Wireless Electronic Flash:

Very good in wireless mode with RC Olympus features. Easy to use.

Comments about Olympus FL-600R Wireless Electronic Flash:

Pros:- great size and features. Perfect size for m43. Makes Nikon SB-910s etc look silly.- fast recycle time- tll, wireless, slave etcCons:- menu system is ok to understand - but if using in manual mode, a bit slow and cumbersome to get to the setting you want to change- video LED pulsates in a very distracting matter if in rc or slave mode (seemingly no way to turn off)- no sync port- flash seems to have difficulty triggered by cheaper wireless triggers (only a 1/3rd I've tried have worked reliably so far).Conclusion: great as an on camera/ttl cable flash. Poor for a remote flash, even though on paper looks fantastic feature wise.

Comments about Olympus FL-600R Wireless Electronic Flash:

It's been a long time coming for a flash like this for m43. It performs really well and isn't too big for the Pen series and the OM-D. Much better than the FL-36R and a fraction of the cost of the FL50R.

Comments about Olympus FL-600R Wireless Electronic Flash:

This flash is an excellent addition to my new OM-D camera. It's easy to attach and the locking mechanism secures it nicely. The added stand and carry case are nice. The stand makes it easy to do good product photography using it's easy wireless mode.

The LED continuous light is also very handy. It illuminates enough light for video to bring out just enough light in those low light situations.

I'm a very amateur photographer, so the simplicity in the functioning of the design makes it an even more enticing addition to the accessories family. So far I've had no drawbacks to the flash, so far so good! I would highly recommend this product, especially in addition to the OM-D.

Comments about Olympus FL-600R Wireless Electronic Flash:

I have a lot of lighting gear for my Nikon DSLR system and was looking for a small strobe that would work well with my Olympus EM5. I am comfortable using manual flash but wanted something that could also use TTL for when I was using it on the move. I also wanted to be able to have something capable of High speed sync (though I have to admit the usefulness with only one unit could be problematic as could having only infrared and no TTL radio trigger capability outside) and it needed to be able to be triggered off camera with TTL. This flash meets all those requirements in a nice compact package that is right at home on or off the EM5. It doesn't have the highest guide number but with the EM5's ability to shoot clean images at high ISO I would not hesitate to use 400 or 800 ISO to extend the reach of this little flash. The construction is quality and it worked like a champ. The menu system is simple and intuitive. It took about 5 minutes of reading to be up to speed. All in all a great small flash and highly reccomended. The only downside is the price as compared to a manual only unit, but unless you want to shoot in manual 100% of the time you will always pay a higher price for TTL and High Speed sync capable strobes.