Sony HVL-F42AM High Power Digital Flash for Sony Alpha DSLR Cameras

This flash has really improved my indoor photos. I have been using the built in flash on my Sony A100, but this high powered flash gives me more control of the lighting. I like that I can adjust the flash to bounce the flash around where I want it. This is a needed tool for beginning photographers who need good quality indoor photos. Good quality for the price.

I've owned the F42AM flash for about 3 months now and am very pleased. I think it is the most powerful flash out there for the Sony mount for under $300. It 'zooms' the flash focus in conjunction with your camera lens zoom, has a click out wide angle dispersion filter so it works with wide angle lenses, does bounce/angle/rotate orientation, and its wireless capability is not equaled at this price. In auto mode snapshots are consistently right on. Manual or custom control settings are simple and easy. When in off-camera wireless mode using bounce mode with a diffuser it is almost like having a room full of studio lights. I know its big brother has even more power and features that the pros need, but for advanced amateurs or beginner pros this flash can't be beat.

This is well worth the money .This flash is a huge improvement over the HVL-F36AM it recycles really fast no wait. I can light up a 25 foot room with one of these.Try putting a gary fong or Stoffen diffuser on this it will even your light out and spread it around the room. Bare bulb only fires straight forward only filling the forward portion of the room .On some of these reviews when they say this is a weak flash are uninformed and unaware of their equipments potential.If you buy any flash and use only the bare flash it will not fill a room it will fire straight forward the way it was intended to do using only a bare bulb.Anyhow put a diffuser on it a stoofen or gary fong or a tupperware bowl . The wireless is really reliable fires from behind a wall ,behind the camera and wherever it is. In WL mode it don't have to be in line sight with the camera and it is very reliable .(Hint for newbies put the flash on the camera power on camera. Turn on flash head .Select menu on camera go to flash select wireless.Remove flash head from camera then flip camera flash up you are now in wireless mode) I use two of these and they do everthing I need them to do and then some .I use only one with a 60" soft white umbrella and get everything I need from that. I will use two on large groups of people 8 or more good bang for the buck... well worth the money I would buy again if needed but I have two of them...Highly recomended You can get a hvl-56AM or Hvl-58AM which are more powerful but the 56 is discontinued and don't support white balance mode and the 58 is very expensive but worth every penny...The TTL is very nice also ...I chose this over the Sigma after long researching since I get mixed reviews from people using sigmas saying some work great and some don't I just wanted it to do what it is supposed to do with no hassels and this is why I chose these flashes and glad I did. I also just ordered the HVL-F58AM I will have two 42's and a 58...I will update later..

The performance of this unit is OK for a middle-size room.
Had been a Minolta user from the SLR film day and familiar with this special flash mount, but now (maybe due to my worse eyesight?) sometimes I found myself struggled trying to put this flash unit on my A300 (!) while I put the Nikon SB600 flash on my D50 much faster, surprised ?!
The unit looks pretty and lightweight, and amazon price is amazing (199.00 vs 299.00)compared to others on the net.
I stick to Amazon from now on. Thanks, Amazon !

This light does what I expected. It Does not light up an arena but it does light up a room. It has features that I need and it came at one third the cost of most other retailer.
Great match for my Sony A350