Wireless flash for GH4 / GH5... is internal radio compatible with any other units?

Mark Schubb wrote:

I have a Panasonic FL360L flash that works well with the camera's internal wireless flash radio signal, but after a few hours of online searching, it seems as if Panasonic's internal radio signal will not communicate with any other brand of speedlights, monolights or trigger receivers. (Except for twin-like Olympus flashes.)

Radio signals are pretty straightforward, so this just seems odd to me... am I missing something??? Do I really have to buy a transmitter for the hot shoe to communicate with any other kinds of strobes or speedlights?

Thanks in advance for an wisdom or advice!

The Olympus/Panasonic "wireless" control of flash is not radio, it is light pulses from the master flash on the camera doing the control of the RC compatible slaves. It is unique. Some brands of flashes reverse engineered copies of the logic.

In difficult situations as in outdoors or slave flash around corner, it fails.

Best then to investigate Godox (sold by Adorama as Flashpoint) as they have a true radio controlled system.

Regards..... Guy

Thanks, Guy.  Very helpful.

Now that you've clarified, I am embarrassed to say that I already learned this after I bought the flash a couple of years back, but just completely forgot!   My brain wants to translate "RC" as "radio control" when Panasonic means "remote control."

Mark Schubb wrote:

Thanks, Guy. Very helpful.

Now that you've clarified, I am embarrassed to say that I already learned this after I bought the flash a couple of years back, but just completely forgot! My brain wants to translate "RC" as "radio control" when Panasonic means "remote control."

Indeed, confusing or at best, misleading.

They should have named it IR control as that is what it uses. The slaves respond to IR signals from the master flash. The master flash can have an IR passing filter over it to stop interference from the final trigger flash.

Regards...... Guy