An IndieGoGo project called FlashQ seeks to make wireless flash triggers small in size and stylish to look at. The FlashQ is a 2.4Ghz wireless trigger and receiver system that mounts to a camera’s hotshoe and a flash’s hotshoe adapter. The compact device is aimed at owners of mirrorless cameras and other small camera bodies.
Recent Videos
The FlashQ has two buttons and a single tricolor LED to control all of its functionality, and uses automatic channel selection to quickly pair up to eight receivers at a time, allowing for multiple flash solutions. There’s even a output connector that allows the device to trigger a flash or even a strobe pack over PC connector.
Thanks to the use of radio spectrum instead of infrared (as is the standard on many manufacturer specific wireless flash systems) the devices don't require line-of-sight to trigger properly. There are limits though - the FlashQ doesn't support TTL functionality and sync speed is limited to 1/250 sec.
For a $39 pledge backers will receive one transmitter and one receiver in a choice of colors, $55 gets one transmitter and two receivers and a $125 option is available whereby the company will inscribe the device with the customer’s signature.
As of this writing the project has received nearly 90% of its funding goal of $25,000. Check out FlashQ's IndieGoGo page to learn more.
Just received my device. Nicely designed but does not work on the Fujifilm X-Pro1. Flash control is blanked out on menu when attached. Also does not fire with supplied sync cable.
Old comment, but I'll reply anyway. This IS wireless. Just without TTL. It's less expensive than most wireless triggers and it's small, so I think it can be useful as either a small device to carry around for those who don't care for TTL or a backup to leave in the camera bag in case you forget your main wireless trigger.
I pledged 55$ Looks interesting enough! Small size is definitely a bonus here. It also looks like battery life is 100k fires. That sounds over reaching, maybe, but if its 1-2k I will be happy. :-)
Now I hope they will make a future TTL version. That would be awesome. Probably very complicated cause of all the brands, and because many prefer to shoot manual when off camera.
My only complaint about these triggers is that the cold "foot" of the receiver is very loose and will not stay put in a typical flash stand bracket that comes with your flash. You pretty much have to use the 3/8 thread to mount it on something.
The transmitter is not a problems because my camera hot shoe has little spring arms that help engage the foot and the transmitter foot also has a spring loaded "ground" that engages the side of the hotshoe.
Rats! Struck out again. U must go thru paypal. I will never again - very bad past experience. Wanted the "1st ever ordered" monogramed kit. Oh well ---- I'll survive.
Too bad they don't make these USB rechargeable. There are so many players in this market that there is surely room for one more. I don't know how they'll compete against the Chinese stuff that's out there already though.
My experience with inexpensively made consumer products from China is that the soldered internal rechargeable batteries are unreliable. They crap out within months and turns the device into a pretty paperweight. A pity when the rest of the product is well designed and constructed. Being able to insert fresh batteries from a known source is so much better.
This is the epitome of form mattering more than function.
When you can get more functionality from kits already available on the market for less money and that use decent sized, readily available batteries (AAA) it says that people care about the looks of the thing more than the practicality.
You can get a wireless flash trigger on Amazon (2 triggers and 1 transmitter) for $20. These work great on my Canon. However, the FlashQ pics suggest they work with the GF1, which these $20 units on Amazon have trouble with firing consistantly. If you only shoot with one, it's not much of a problem, but if you have multiple flash units and you need both firing, it's a pain. Maybe it's not a bad deal.
errr.. cool concept, but, no to kickstarter. most of them fail and for the successful ones, the originators sell off to the highest bidder, keeping all the profits (e.g. Oculus) and leaving the backers with half-@$$ dev products.
let me know when there is a product that i can buy.
Speaking from personal experience or do you have some data to back up that claim? Personally, I've participated in half a dozen successful Kickstarts, but I go for more reasonable projects and not stuff that's more far out like Oculus. My Meenova microUSB OTG reader, the Clearshot card sized phone stand, and even Tim Schaffer's new game all seemed to have far better prospects from the start.
I was actually skeptic of Pebble, one of their bigger success stories, because of the complexity of project. Any time you're investing in software PLUS hardware development you're putting a lot of faith on campaign. I actually didn't jump on the Pebble, almost bought one later tho. Bug A Salt (salt gun for insects) and MrSpeakers Alpha Dogs were other successful campaigns I kept my eye on.
The thing that a lot of those have in common is that they were either for very simple very mechanical products (Bug A Salt, Clearshot, Meenova, even the Alpha Dogs), or they had a relatively small team behind them with a proven track record (Tim Schaefer). MrSpeakers already had a successful business modifying planar magnetic headphones by hand, the campaign was simply to get funds for 3D printing more precise and better engineered cups.
I'd say there's a lot of highly successful campaigns that resulted in a clever and original product. I don't have any numbers on the overall success rate, I think people definitely get sucked in by the hype surrounding more ambitious campaigns tho. Things like Pebble and Oculus are a 50/50 shot at best IMO. Pebble itself might not even survive the Android Wear onslaught.
Oh and on topic, this seems like a reasonable campaign tho I'd have to take a closer look. The other thing people don't pay attention to is how much engineering and prototyping has been done before the campaign. A lot of campaigns are started on dreams and ideas, I wouldn't bother with that. If the people behind the product already have working prototypes or designs and just need help with manufacturing, that's a different story.
Most of the ones I've invested in fall in the latter category (ClearShot, Pressy, etc). There were Oculus prototypes out there but c'mon, it was obvious that thing had a long way to go.
Oh yeah, forgot to mention Pressy on the first post, another very mechanical doodad. Haven't received it yet but they're on track for shipping this month, one more relatively simple product that just needed manufacturing funds.
That's not been my experience with crowd-sourcing at all Jogger. 95% positive experiences here. Which is actually possibly higher than my positive experiences with established companies ...
Looks like it would be a pita battery wise. I like my AA powered receivers. They also hold the flash very nice and securely on a light stand/tripod... not sure these would do the same.
Nice concept but for me it looks like the downsides outweigh the very slight size benefit.
What did she actually say? Her English is so hard to understand that it nearly made me stop looking at the video.
Although the idea by itself is nice. Its never a good idea to hold a camera in one hand while holding a flash in the other. You'll loose a lot of stability even though the flash freezes your movement.
Also not of much use to those photographers that don't understand how to operate a flash in manual mode. Many will get horrible results by using these simple wireless hotshoes as their flash will overpower the subject they want to photograph.
For those that know how to use this little cube its a nicely designed simple wireless flash trigger.
Still I would like to have seen a quarter inch screwhole in the receiver so I could attach the flash to a studio lightpole, or monopod.
Edit: I see now that an 1/4 inch screwhole adapter is available, but is it seperate, or do you get it standard with the kit?
I think you should temper your tone a bit Mr Peevee!!
I was never trying to be rude. I am not a native English speaker myself, to then understand what she is trying to say in English might be just a littlebit harder if English is not your mother tongue.
Now WHO is the redneck here? Certainly NOT me American dominator!
hey now, the people in Redneckistan have a long and celebrated history of understanding all accents... it's the city folk who can't seem to understand the thick hill folk dialects
@Zeischen, Who do you think that buy most of these little point and shoot camera's? How many of those people do you think are skilled enough to understand that this device is limited to manual flash only?
I think you are overestimating the skills of the people that buy these point en shoot camera's.
I hope for you that I am wrong, but only time will learn if they target the right audience. In the end its nothing more then a simple radio trigger.
This little trigger is only easy to use for those people that know what they are doing.
You can actually use this on every camera but not on "little point and shoot cameras" as they don't have a hotshoe. Have a little more faith in all those unskilled photographers out there, they could maybe figure it out after some shots...
I think is quite cool! But i am quite happy with inexpensive/Yongnuo triggers without TTL. The usual scenarios where i shot with several flashes don't require TTL. Actually i don't use TTL at all because of too many underexposures.
The Yongnuo with TTL also allows you to change all flash settings from the camera ... which is more important than the TTL function. Simple triggers require you to go to each flash and fiddle around with them.
Lomography's LomoChrome '92 is designed to mimic the look of classic drugstore film that used to fill family photo albums. As we discovered, to shoot with it is to embrace the unexpected, from strange color shifts to odd textures and oversized grain.
The LowePro PhotoSport Outdoor is a camera pack for photographers who also need a well-designed daypack for hiking and other outdoor use. If that sounds like you, the PhotoSport Outdoor may be a great choice, but as with any hybrid product, there are a few tradeoffs.
The Sony a7C II refreshes the compact full-frame with a 33MP sensor, the addition of a front control dial, a dedicated 'AI' processor, 10-bit 4K/60p video and more. It's a definite improvement, but it helps if you value its compact form.
Why is the Peak Design Everyday Backpack so widely used? A snazzy design? Exceptional utility? A combination of both? After testing one, it's clear why this bag deserves every accolade it's received.
The new Wacom One 12 pen display, now in its second generation, offers photographers an affordable option to the mouse or trackpad, making processing images easy and efficient by editing directly on the screen.
If you want a compact camera that produces great quality photos without the hassle of changing lenses, there are plenty of choices available for every budget. Read on to find out which portable enthusiast compacts are our favorites.
What's the best camera for travel? Good travel cameras should be small, versatile, and offer good image quality. In this buying guide we've rounded-up several great cameras for travel and recommended the best.
What’s the best camera for around $2000? This price point gives you access to some of the most all-round capable cameras available. Excellent image quality, powerful autofocus and great looking video are the least you can expect. We've picked the models that really stand out.
Above $2500 cameras tend to become increasingly specialized, making it difficult to select a 'best' option. We case our eye over the options costing more than $2500 but less than $4000, to find the best all-rounder.
Lomography's LomoChrome '92 is designed to mimic the look of classic drugstore film that used to fill family photo albums. As we discovered, to shoot with it is to embrace the unexpected, from strange color shifts to odd textures and oversized grain.
Sony's gridline update adds up to four customizable grids to which users can add color codes and apply transparency masks. It also raises questions about the future of cameras and what it means for feature updates.
At last, people who don’t want to pay a premium for Apple’s Pro models can capture high-resolution 24MP and 48MP photos using the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus. Is the lack of a dedicated telephoto lens or the ability to capture Raw images worth the savings for photographers?
Kodak's Super 8 Camera is a hybrid of old and new: it shoots movies using Super 8 motion picture film but incorporates digital elements like a flip-out LCD screen and audio capture. Eight years after we first saw the camera at CES 2016, Kodak is finally bringing it to market.
In this supplement to his recently completed 10-part series on landscape photography, photographer Erez Marom explores how the compositional skills developed for capturing landscapes can be extended to other areas of photography.
If you want a compact camera that produces great quality photos without the hassle of changing lenses, there are plenty of choices available for every budget. Read on to find out which portable enthusiast compacts are our favorites.
Sony, the Associated Press and 'Photo Mechanic' maker Camera Bits have run a month-long field-test to evaluate capture authentication and a subsequent workflow.
A color-accurate monitor is an essential piece of the digital creator's toolkit. In this guide, we'll go over everything you need to know about how color calibration actually works so you can understand the process and improve your workflow.
What's the best camera for travel? Good travel cameras should be small, versatile, and offer good image quality. In this buying guide we've rounded-up several great cameras for travel and recommended the best.
It's that time of year again: When people get up way too early to rush out to big box stores and climb over each other to buy $99 TVs. We've saved you the trip, highlighting the best photo-related deals that can be ordered from the comfort of your own home.
The LowePro PhotoSport Outdoor is a camera pack for photographers who also need a well-designed daypack for hiking and other outdoor use. If that sounds like you, the PhotoSport Outdoor may be a great choice, but as with any hybrid product, there are a few tradeoffs.
Sigma's latest 70-200mm F2.8 offering promises to blend solid build, reasonably light weight and impressive image quality into a relatively affordable package. See how it stacks up in our initial impressions.
The Sony a9 III is heralded as a revolutionary camera, but is all the hype warranted? DPReview's Richard Butler and Dale Baskin break down what's actually new and worth paying attention to.
What’s the best camera for around $2000? This price point gives you access to some of the most all-round capable cameras available. Excellent image quality, powerful autofocus and great looking video are the least you can expect. We've picked the models that really stand out.
DJI's Air 3 and Mini 4 Pro are two of the most popular drones on the market, but there are important differences between the two. In this article, we'll help figure out which of these two popular drones is right for you.
The Sony a7C II refreshes the compact full-frame with a 33MP sensor, the addition of a front control dial, a dedicated 'AI' processor, 10-bit 4K/60p video and more. It's a definite improvement, but it helps if you value its compact form.
Above $2500 cameras tend to become increasingly specialized, making it difficult to select a 'best' option. We case our eye over the options costing more than $2500 but less than $4000, to find the best all-rounder.
The iPhone 15 Pro allows users to capture 48MP photos in HEIF or JPEG format in addition to Raw files, while new lens coatings claim to cut down lens flare. How do the cameras in Apple's latest flagship look in everyday circumstances? Check out our gallery to find out.
Global shutters, that can read all their pixels at exactly the same moment have been the valued by videographers for some time, but this approach has benefits for photographers, too.
We had an opportunity to shoot a pre-production a9 III camera with global shutter following Sony's announcement this week. This gallery includes images captured with the new 300mm F2.8 GM OSS telephoto lens and some high-speed flash photos.
The Sony a9 III is a ground-breaking full-frame mirrorless camera that brings global shutter to deliver unforeseen high-speed capture, flash sync and capabilities not seen before. We delve a little further into the a9III to find out what makes it tick.
The "Big Four" Fashion Weeks – New York, London, Milan and Paris - have wrapped for 2023 but it's never too early to start planning for next season. If shooting Fashion Week is on your bucket list, read on. We'll tell you what opportunities are available for photographers and provide some tips to get you started.
Sony has announced the a9 III: the first full-frame camera to use a global shutter sensor. This gives it the ability to shoot at up to 120 fps with flash sync up to 1/80,000 sec and zero rolling shutter.
What’s the best camera for around $1500? These midrange cameras should have capable autofocus systems, lots of direct controls and the latest sensors offering great image quality. We recommend our favorite options.
Comments