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QFlash T2 Review
Specs
Flash Type – Bare bulb
Guide Number – 160
Power Settings – (Full Power) 1/1, 1/1-, 1/2+, 1/2, 1/2-, 1/4+, 1/4, 1/4-, 1/8+, 1/8, 1/8-, 1/16+, 1/16, 1/16-, 1/32+, 1/32, 1/32-, 1/64+, 1/64
Power – Quantum Turbo Battery (Can use other battery packs such as the Lumedyne’s)
Dimensions of flash alone – 3.2 x 3.5 x 6.5 inches (8 x 9 x 16.5 cm)
Dimensions of reflector – 4.7 inches (12 cm.) diameter
First Impressions
This thing is big!! I’ve seen pictures and videos of the flash but I didn’t realise how much bigger than an SB-25 this thing was. When you have the reflector part pointing up on the Q, it’s the same size in length as when an SB is flat. The reflector also makes it hard to fit in bags really, so unless you have a very deep the dish is going to be sticking out quite a bit. However despite its overall the size, the Q doesn’t really weigh much more than an SB, mainly as the Q needs separate battery pack to charge it. Overall first impressions very good.
Controls
All the controls on the flash are set on the back using buttons and the settings also appear on the LCD display on the back (similar to the SB’s) the layout on the bag is very easy to figure out, due to the wording underneath the buttons as well. To change the modes press the MODE button, then use the up and down arrows to search through, then to set that mode press the SET button. Straight forward. Once you get the hang of scroll through all the settings are done it that way as well, just by setting and scrolling.
Manual Mode
Strobo Mode
To test fire the flash just press the lighting bolt looking picture on one of the buttons, which will then test the flash. Another good little feature can be found under the OPTION button. Press that and it gives you some more settings for you to choose from, those options are whether you want your distances on the flash in FEET or METERS. If you have the reflector set on WIDE, NORMAL or DIFFSUED. One more option which I find useful is the flash beeping to tell you when it’s ready, very similar to that on studio flashes.
Option Menu
Power
To power the QFlash you need to have a HV battery pack. Quantum does make their own for the QFlash, which is the Turbo Battery. There are two sorts of Turbo battery, the normal one which just powers one QFlash or the Turbo 2x2 which had a quicker recycle time and can also power to QFlashes at once. Another thing to bare in mind if thinking about getting a Q is that other brands such as Lumedyne make HV battery packs, which could be a plus if you already have a Lumedyne set up and don’t want to buy another battery. The Lumedyne batteries I found are a little bit cheaper than the Quantum ones, but it’s down to personal preference which sort of battery you want.
Performance
When I first fired that test button……wow this thing has some power! The light spread as well from this flash is amazing, and it keeps a very even spread as well. When compared to a SB in terms of like for like power as well as spread the QFlash wins, as for the SB to cover the same sort of distance it has to be zoomed in quite a bit, therefore the SB loses the spread.
Another performance feature the QFlash has over most other flashes is the STROBO mode. When selected in STROBO mode you can make the flash fire a number of times per second. By doing this you can select the frequency of the flashes, number of flashes and the power output of the flashes. When you fire the flash in STROBO mode, once selected the output etc, you are able to capture a moving object many times on a single exposure (as long as you set your camera to a long exposure)
Overall
If you’re looking for a bare bulb flash that has some power then the QFlash is the way to go. It may be a costly flash, but it’s worth every penny especially with the light spread you get plus the quality of light and just everything else this flash can do!
Hope this helps some people out and I'll try to answer any questions
Specs
Flash Type – Bare bulb
Guide Number – 160
Power Settings – (Full Power) 1/1, 1/1-, 1/2+, 1/2, 1/2-, 1/4+, 1/4, 1/4-, 1/8+, 1/8, 1/8-, 1/16+, 1/16, 1/16-, 1/32+, 1/32, 1/32-, 1/64+, 1/64
Power – Quantum Turbo Battery (Can use other battery packs such as the Lumedyne’s)
Dimensions of flash alone – 3.2 x 3.5 x 6.5 inches (8 x 9 x 16.5 cm)
Dimensions of reflector – 4.7 inches (12 cm.) diameter
First Impressions
This thing is big!! I’ve seen pictures and videos of the flash but I didn’t realise how much bigger than an SB-25 this thing was. When you have the reflector part pointing up on the Q, it’s the same size in length as when an SB is flat. The reflector also makes it hard to fit in bags really, so unless you have a very deep the dish is going to be sticking out quite a bit. However despite its overall the size, the Q doesn’t really weigh much more than an SB, mainly as the Q needs separate battery pack to charge it. Overall first impressions very good.
Controls
All the controls on the flash are set on the back using buttons and the settings also appear on the LCD display on the back (similar to the SB’s) the layout on the bag is very easy to figure out, due to the wording underneath the buttons as well. To change the modes press the MODE button, then use the up and down arrows to search through, then to set that mode press the SET button. Straight forward. Once you get the hang of scroll through all the settings are done it that way as well, just by setting and scrolling.
Manual Mode
Strobo Mode
To test fire the flash just press the lighting bolt looking picture on one of the buttons, which will then test the flash. Another good little feature can be found under the OPTION button. Press that and it gives you some more settings for you to choose from, those options are whether you want your distances on the flash in FEET or METERS. If you have the reflector set on WIDE, NORMAL or DIFFSUED. One more option which I find useful is the flash beeping to tell you when it’s ready, very similar to that on studio flashes.
Option Menu
Power
To power the QFlash you need to have a HV battery pack. Quantum does make their own for the QFlash, which is the Turbo Battery. There are two sorts of Turbo battery, the normal one which just powers one QFlash or the Turbo 2x2 which had a quicker recycle time and can also power to QFlashes at once. Another thing to bare in mind if thinking about getting a Q is that other brands such as Lumedyne make HV battery packs, which could be a plus if you already have a Lumedyne set up and don’t want to buy another battery. The Lumedyne batteries I found are a little bit cheaper than the Quantum ones, but it’s down to personal preference which sort of battery you want.
Performance
When I first fired that test button……wow this thing has some power! The light spread as well from this flash is amazing, and it keeps a very even spread as well. When compared to a SB in terms of like for like power as well as spread the QFlash wins, as for the SB to cover the same sort of distance it has to be zoomed in quite a bit, therefore the SB loses the spread.
Another performance feature the QFlash has over most other flashes is the STROBO mode. When selected in STROBO mode you can make the flash fire a number of times per second. By doing this you can select the frequency of the flashes, number of flashes and the power output of the flashes. When you fire the flash in STROBO mode, once selected the output etc, you are able to capture a moving object many times on a single exposure (as long as you set your camera to a long exposure)
Overall
If you’re looking for a bare bulb flash that has some power then the QFlash is the way to go. It may be a costly flash, but it’s worth every penny especially with the light spread you get plus the quality of light and just everything else this flash can do!
Hope this helps some people out and I'll try to answer any questions
