Flash for G9

OK, so I have a G9 and have done 3 weddings with the Panasonic DMW FL580LE flash.

I have an issue where the flash massively over exposes every so often - I am guessing the connection to the camera is not as secure as it should be.

I have two of the flashes and they both do it and have done on GH5 and GH4 as well. It is not a major issue as it only happens every now and then but has got me thinking what do others use for flash on their G9 ?

What else is out there for occasional fill in flash at weddings and the like ?

I use a Metz 44 with my G9, and though I haven't used it extensively, hasn't exhibited any sort of over-exposure that I've noticed.

Cheers,

Paul

John99 wrote:

OK, so I have a G9 and have done 3 weddings with the Panasonic DMW FL580LE flash.

I have an issue where the flash massively over exposes every so often - I am guessing the connection to the camera is not as secure as it should be.

I have two of the flashes and they both do it and have done on GH5 and GH4 as well. It is not a major issue as it only happens every now and then but has got me thinking what do others use for flash on their G9 ?

What else is out there for occasional fill in flash at weddings and the like ?

Godox TT685O for decent power.

Godox TT350O for very small size.

John99 wrote:

OK, so I have a G9 and have done 3 weddings with the Panasonic DMW FL580LE flash.

I have an issue where the flash massively over exposes every so often - I am guessing the connection to the camera is not as secure as it should be.

I have two of the flashes and they both do it and have done on GH5 and GH4 as well. It is not a major issue as it only happens every now and then but has got me thinking what do others use for flash on their G9 ?

What else is out there for occasional fill in flash at weddings and the like ?

I shoot corporate events professionally. Nowadays, I use Flashpoint Zoom Minis (Godox TT350) in TTL mode on my cameras and Flashpoint Zoom Li-on R2s (Godox V860II) in manual mode on stands. The Zoom Li-on R2s replace a pair of manual-only Neewer TT850s (Godox V850), and I got the TTL versions "just in case" and because they were on sale, but I haven't used them in TTL mode yet. My Zoom Minis give me fairly consistent exposures, without any of the unexpected gross under-/over exposure surprises I occasionally got from my Panasonic FL360Ls. I'm using the Minis on a pair of GX8s and a GX85.

I really love the Mini/TT350 as a small general purpose flash, but what sets it apart is the built-in radio trigger, which lets me control & trigger my off-camera flashes without any additional doo-dads. The whole system works really well.

Caveat emptor: I use these almost exclusively indoors, so I don't know how well HSS works, and I've read about some HSS issues on these forums. Also, my Flashpoint R2 triggers (my backup triggers in case radio interference overwhelms the Mini's low-power radio), did not work properly with my three GX7s. Since I replaced the GX7s with GX8s and a GX85, all's well. The Godox/Flashpoint trigger system is not compatible with all Pan/Oly bodies, but since the G9 is a current model, I'd expect no issues.

Another vote for the Godox TT350o. Have one for my EM1 and size is perfect. TTL is spot on 👍

Godox TT685O with X1O and Meike MK320. Though 685O is a bit heavy.

Have you checked that the lock levers on your FL580s are actually pushing the locking pin out?  That would be the most likely culprit for a loose connection: that or not seated the speedlight far enough forward into the hotshoe for the locking pin to engage in the locking hole on the hotshoe.

Agreed, though: firing at full power indicates the TTL pins aren't making contact.

CaineBCN wrote:

I use the Neewer TT560 without any problems.

aka the Godox TT560, as far as I can tell.   But manual-only flashes can be a pain if you're event-shooting.

I'm a Godox TT350-O (on-camera) or off-camera TT685-C (w/XPro-O) shooter.

Godox makes six speedlights. There are three models, with two versions each: the AA powered (TT) version or the rechargeable li-on battery packed (V) version.  The V versions do not have external battery pack ports, given that the packs have roughly 2.5x the capacity of a set of AAs (they also slightly speed up full-power recycle by about 0.25s). The three models are:

• TT350-O ($85)  / V350-O ($160)  (new model; only the Sony version is released, but all the other ones are available for pre-order on Adorama).  Mini speedlight. 2xAA powered. So, lower power, only 270º swivel, no recycle beep, no sync port, no battery pack port. But perfect size/weight to balance on a mirrorless body. And can be TTL/HSS radio master.
• TT600 ($65) / V850 II ($140). single-pin manual-only flash. No firmware upgrade capability. But can be an HSS radio slave. Can only communicate flash power settings as a radio master (no TTL, no HSS), because of the single-pin foot.
• TT685 ($110) / V860II ($180). TTL/HSS radio master and slave. Also "smart" optical master/slave if it's the Canon, Nikon, or Sony version. 

All of them have a built in radio transceiver in the X system, which is why we like them so much. But for on-camera usage, there might be issues with AF-assist and TTL accuracy/consistency, as well as the stiffness of the head rotation adding torque on the camera hotshoe. Also, all the Godox speedlight still use a twist-lock, not a lock lever.

The biggest reasons to go with Godox are that they also make TTL/HSS bare bulb flashes (AD200, AD360II) and battery powered studio strobes (AD600, AD600M, AD600 Pro) in the same radio triggering system; and these lights are somewhat modular: the AD200 has an interchangeable head (fresnel, bare bulb, LED), and two can be mounted in a dual-bracket with LED modeling lights; the AD600 can, with accessories, be separated into a pack and head or used on AC power.

And the Godox radio triggers that are built into all the lights can autoswitch and perform TTL/HSS between the five supported systems: Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fuji, and MFT.

Thanks for the comments people.  I will look at the options mentioned.