Hink: Spacefish - new flash

Sebastian

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Sebastian
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Just go and see it:

http://www.hinkpro.com/

Innovative? I think so!
Practical? Time will tell. I'm meeting the makers in October, they want me to test one :)

Seb
 
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Looks very modern

Cant see a price on the web site ?
 
Innovative, yes. But they've leaked enough information/pictures that I know I won't be buying one. Maybe if they market the flash as a "loss leader."

The best thing about it is the flex stalk for on camera use, but it has no TTL...
 
I wish them luck with it, but my guess is that it will end up like Strobeam, with a very short life...

There has been an enormous amount of hype about this new flash, but from the limited info now available it just looks like any other hotshoe flash but with a bendy stalk. And if it really is something special it will be copied by the Chinese anyway.
 
I don't know if I'm missing something but I just can't see the benefit of the stalk. It'll be like having a desklamp stuck on top of your camera. It cetainly doesn't look practical. There is a reason that flashes haven't had a major redesign for 40 years....it's because they work.

I can currently direct my flash pretty much any way I want to and it's a lot more compact than this spacefish.

I fully expect this company to be gone with massive debts within 12 months.
 
I would think the flexible stalk thing will be invaluable for certain product photography. I would like to try one for this purpose and can see a massive benefit for very fine tuning shadows and specular highlights etc, with two or three of these. i use three or four Yongnou 56011's at the moment but I will get one of these asap if they are not silly money.
For what I do, these look like a great idea, and look like they will save a great deal of faffing around for precise product lighting.
Of course it will need an off camera base thingamysnozzle.
 
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I would think the flexible stalk thing will be invaluable for certain product photography. I would like to try one for this purpose and can see a massive benefit for very fine tuning shadows and specular highlights etc, with two or three of these. i use three or four Yongnou 56011's at the moment but I will get one of these asap if they are not silly money.
For what I do, these look like a great idea, and look like they will save a great deal of faffing around for precise product lighting.
Of course it will need an off camera base thingamysnozzle.
I can see it being useful for macro to lean the head out to the end of the lens, or for really fine tuning bounce flash (but a flag/bounce card looks problematic). Not that there aren't "better" macro soultions out there already, nor too many bounce situations where it would help...for anything off camera I don't really see it...
IMHO, because it is so "proprietary" and "add-on dependent" it's doomed...unless it's as cheap, or cheaper than "generic" 3rd party flashes. It doesn't sound like that's going to be the case.
 
Anyone know how much they cost yet,I would love to have a play with a couple.
 
So what we're looking at, is a flash with a semi riggid shaft with a non alkaline battery installed, all in a polycarbonate casing (which reminds me of Portaflash heads). It's not drawing me in at the moment, I would like to see some numbers and a bit more info than what looks like a Kick starter project if that makes sense. Considering you can buy a TTL flex cable shaft which can hold a speedlite above the subject (i.e. Macro) for around £20 notes I don't really feel drawn into it to be honest!
I suppose it's ok for people who like the War of the Worlds alien ships :D
 
Seems they're not very powerful and expensive too. I'm backing the 'go out of business' bandwagon.
 
Some more specs.

''Specifications

•Remote Functionality – Yes

•Guide Number - GN 62, feet at ISO 100 at the 35mm setting.

•Flash Exposure Control – Manual Controls – Hink creative lighting Modes

•Lens Coverage - 12mm – 180mm (without filter)

Other available functions

•Test Firing

•Monitor Pre-flashes

•Built in Modeling Light (LED High power)

•Minimum Recycling Time •0.8sec. (approx.)

•Power ON/OFF – Press the power button for approx. 0.3 sec. to turn the Spacefish on or off.

•Required Power Source – Built in 3000mah 3.7v Li-Po Battery

•Charging – Micro USB charging cable and USB plug supplied with unit when purchased.

•Optional Power Supply – Via Mod-FAS Micro connection.

•Flash-ready Indicator – Test Button illuminates – ready to flash.

•Custom Setting

•AF-Assist Illumination

•Auxiliary ready-light

•Wireless Flash Modes – Wireless Radio via Mod-FAS (available 2014)

•S1 mode

•S2 mode(ignores red-eye reduction flash)

•Supplied Accessories ◦SpaceDock cold shoe (SDC-001) ◦Diffuser filter

*Supplied accessories may differ depending on country or area.

If you guys have any questions, please just let us know.

You will be able to get your hands on one (or several) very soon!''

The Li-po battery is nice.
 
Some more specs.
...
•Guide Number - GN 62, feet at ISO 100 at the 35mm setting.
.

That's a GN of 19 in metres (how most other modern flashes report power)
The Canon 580 ex II (about your standard high powered flash) has a GN of 36m at 35mm (118 in ft), about a stop less powerful.

The slip in filters look 'practical' but how many would you buy? and for how much? add to that non-replaceable batteries and it's a bit more gimmick than useful.

A standard flashgun with an articulating head might have had some merit, add in a modelling light and it looks like it'll appeal to product / macro shooters. Add in the rest of the bumph and it's trying too hard and making too many compromises.
 
Guide numbers go in steps of square roots Phil, so it's almost exactly two stops less than a 580EX, more like the 270EX. Minimum recycle time 0.8 secs? What about the maximum?

It's sleight of hand like this that just arouses suspicion. The overtones of 'Three-Legged Thing' tripods style marketing are hard to ignore, and seems to be attracting attention, but the saving grace there is that 3LT tripods are actually pretty good.
 
Guide numbers go in steps of square roots Phil, so it's almost exactly two stops less than a 580EX, more like the 270EX. Minimum recycle time 0.8 secs? What about the maximum?

It's sleight of hand like this that just arouses suspicion. The overtones of 'Three-Legged Thing' tripods style marketing are hard to ignore, and seems to be attracting attention, but the saving grace there is that 3LT tripods are actually pretty good.

Just when I think I've worked stuff like this out. :thinking:

I keep forgetting how that inverse square law thingy keeps sneaking itself in. I did it yesterday shooting the stepson in his student cell with my iphone, I should have got him further from the window :bonk:.
 
I tried to order one of these the other night but there was no way of doing so on the website. Where can I get hold of one from???

I did read that the first 500 were beong sold at £99.00 and after that they wouod be sold at £180.00, is this the case still???


Steve
 
I tried to order one of these the other night but there was no way of doing so on the website. Where can I get hold of one from???

I did read that the first 500 were beong sold at £99.00 and after that they wouod be sold at £180.00, is this the case still???


Steve

https://www.facebook.com/hinkpro/po...5392&reply_comment_id=825481&total_comments=4

Doesn't say where though...

I hate when you have to go digging across a few sources for really basic information.
 
What a disaster launch:cuckoo:

I think I'll stick to my yn560 11's on those bendy little tripods and stuff.
 
Whether it's a good idea or not, and whether it will sell or not doesn't seem to me to be the real question.

I think that the real question is "Does it actually exist?". So far, there is absolutely no evidence that it does.
 
Bendy. Nuff said. (apparently...)

BTW I wouldn't like to be a competition winner and see my photo displayed in an 8-bit PNG collage like that. :D
 
read somewhere about the first 500? getting at half price, reckon this is vaporware crowd funding attempt - in the words of the den, im out, there again I was never in.

Mike
Well yes, this is a crowd funding project, trying to raise cash from optimists who are then rewarded with a special deal - nothing wrong with that per se but few crowd funding attempts are successful.

My own concern is that there is a risk that people who pay up front may end up with nothing. If I was in the market for this type of product I would want to be very sure that it actually existed before parting with any money - and at the moment there doesn't seem to be any evidence that it does exist. Computer-generated renderings that look like photos won't fool many photographers.
 
Well yes, this is a crowd funding project, trying to raise cash from optimists who are then rewarded with a special deal - nothing wrong with that per se but few crowd funding attempts are successful.

My own concern is that there is a risk that people who pay up front may end up with nothing. If I was in the market for this type of product I would want to be very sure that it actually existed before parting with any money - and at the moment there doesn't seem to be any evidence that it does exist. Computer-generated renderings that look like photos won't fool many photographers.

Seems to be fooling some droolers :)

Mike
 
I can't see this being a success myself, from what I've read (and I may have missed something) it looks like a medium power manual flash? in a fancy case with an led bunged in for the best part of £200.... errrr not for me thanks, not even at the special offer price.
 
I would be worried about how long the non removable battery is going to last, but I am not... because by the looks of the design the hotshoe mount is going to be broken long before that happens, I am already careful with flashguns I don't want to move to having to be extra careful with that one.. spec does not look that much for the money, 6 months after release(if it does) you will be getting clones for £22.49 delivered.
 

What a very annoying website......

Also, 3 1/2 mins into the Kickstarter video and all I've learnt is that they are really hip and alternative and that they like Autodesk. I switched off before I found out what was so good about the flash.

But, basically, do you think they have seen this? http://www.theunderwatercameracompany.com/inonz240.html# It's like the exact same thing. But better. And waterproof. And exists.
 
I don't see the point, you can have a ETTL flash in one hand or on a mount anyway
also I found their website REALLY annoying so I haven't delved into it.

I'm missing on what this does that I can't with my canon speedlite, IR remoted ETTL in one hand with a diffuser on it.

a few years ago I saw a website showing how someone had mounted the speedlite into a helmet and included a brolly
at least this doesn't look as daft!
 
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