Product Reviews

I bought this to go with an A77ii to replace a older flash with the fragile AutoLock shoe that's I'd used with my A700. First time I came to use this in anger it was a good job that I took my old flashgun and a shoe adaptor too. This version suffers a serious overheating problem and cannot be used for a slow steady succession of portrait shots. For all it can do, it can't keep up with a couple of firing every couple of minutes. Very expensive for something that never worked as it should, seriously disappointing

Exposure is on point every single time. The integrated system even recognizes the diffuser and adjust accordingly. I shhot all my weddings and event with just one unit on each camera and get absolutely great results every time. Great buy and does what was promised

The locking mechanism releases un-expectedly causing the speedlight to fall off the camera. Weak construction for the price point. Love Sony but the speedlights need some work.

This has been great and really helped me when I have required on-camera flash. How the heck do I get it off camera with a TTL cord? It's like it's a secret or something! Is there not a simple cord that attached from the flash to the camera like virtually EVERY other flash in existence? I just want to get it on a bracket or something!

The locking mechanism is a cheap and over time will fail ( a problem which happen to my other photographer friends ) and let’s the flash unlock from the camera and slip from the hot seat.

Bought two years ago for pro use. The mount lock has failed Not robust enough. Repair appears not be possible in the UK according to website. Therefore now an expensive piece of junk

Overheating apparently is a problem, I see it everywhere. But I did not experience it yet and do use this flash for high-end weddings. Now I found out the crazy fact. For the first time I was using Energizer Ultimate Lithium, supposedly the best batteries in the market and unfortunately I bought 50 pieces. I was very surprised how often the unit was overheated. Never happened with cheap batteries!!! Might be good tip for others. Overal the flash is well build and I use pretty often that build-in LED light.

I was delighted to use this product. Former Nikon user and switched to Sony about 6 months ago.As an experienced on-off camera flash unit user, I purchased thid for nighttime event. It was excellent. A ton of power, quick recycle and fantastically easy to use.

I bought F60M flash month ago together with Sony A7 III. That was significant change in my photography equipment: I shifted from my old Nikon 200 with SB800 to Sony A7 III with F60M. External flash is very important for me, because about 80% of my photos done in low light conditions. I understand that it is not correct to compare old system with new products, but it may be reasonable in respect of the flashes. Sony F60M is a great product with impressive characteristics. I would like to stress attention on the high level of the communication with camera and parameter optimization. The uniform illumination of the area is a obvious achievement of the manufacturer. Probably, only disadvantage is a rather large weight of the flash.

Flash started to wobble about a year after I bought it due to a broken piece of plastic in the shoe. I'd chalk this up to rough use, but I've got Nikon flashes that have withstood upwards of 200 weddings without any issues. In conversations with multiple other Sony users they've had the same issue, resulting in an expensive repair each time. I replaced it with a F60RM and my only real design issue with the 60M has been corrected. They've added a simple plus and minus button for flash power which is a huge help. I'd recommend the F60RM over this unit even though it's currently slightly more expensive.

It is a great flash but not very reliable it will over heat so fast and not in direct son. I love the power and menu. I would not take it on a paying job. It is like an old girl friend you lover her but she might cheat on you at any point and time. Should not be that way cause of the price

I've only had this a week or so and just as with my other new Sony gear I'm very impressed. I'm on a steep learning curve at the moment but I've already had some impressive results....and a few not so, which were my fault not the equipment's !

This is the second of these that I have purchased and use it professionally in my work which means it could be in action 6 days a week when things are busy. It is a good, solid, usually reliable piece of kit. It does have a bit of weight to go with it, something to consider when you're carrying it around.

Powerful, flexible flash that works seamlessly with A7R

Recent aquisition to go with a used Sony A99v - Brilliant on it's own but also enables all the previous functions of my older Minolta wireless flashes to be utilized. I'm a VERY happy bunny ;-)

I have been using the HVL-F60M flashgun for portraits, weddings and events and it has proved to be even better than my Nikon SB900. The electronic contacts in the foot are numerous and not readily visible and to keep them clean I advise ALWAYS replacing the foot cap when the gun is not in use. My first cap came off too easily and I had to order replacements

This is a very good product the flash is bright and with the video light that helps me to use on ring shots.

Been using in a pro capacity for a while now - however, the flash to camera locking mechanism stopped locking, making the flash virtually unusable in my line of work. Apart from that the product is outstanding.

I couldn't not say something. I am glad it isn't just me. This flash was a waste of money. Besides the overheating problem which is ridiculous all the proprietary attachments that don't couple well to remotes make this a bad investment. I love my Sony 99, love my Zeiss lens , but get a different flash system.

Unfortunately this otherwise nice flash overheats constantly which makes it totally unreliable on jobs. Waiting 5-10 minutes during an hour long shoot for the flash to work again is a real job killer and embarrassing too. If it was more reliable I would highly recommend this flash but the overheating IS an issue.

This flash is well constructed, powerful, feels good and is easy to use even though it has many features. I also have the F56 and F20 and using the three together in a wireless setup is simple. There has been much written about overheating of this unit but unless you are a Pro-Photographer taking 50 flash shots in a short time frame, it just isn't a problem. I am a very keen amateur and highly recommend the F60M. Buy it!

I read the reviews before purchasing the Flash 60, I found it very useful, in my courses, I'm studying Portrait and Wedding photography. This is my first external flash. I purchased another set of 4AA's for backup, from what I read it might get hot, swap the batteries and a work around. I enjoy sony products. I'm the only one in courses, possibly thew whole program using sony. A instructor picked it up and raved... The flash is complicated-and this is my first, but I printed the manual, 4 pages per sheet, zoomed, and duplexed. Read your manual...

The HVLF60 its a great product. Really it is. As the old HVL43, but with the new hotshoe comes the problems for me: how can I use some remote in my HVL60 flash? Try some but doesn't work. The new connectors doesn't allow to transmit the shoot form the a99 to the flash through remote accessories. Can I use the wireless function between the camera and flash without accessories?

I was one of the first adopter of the Sony A99 and the Flash HVLF60M back in 2012. Both products have potential, but both products were defective on the first day I received them. My Sony A99 produced blurry images and I had to sent it in for repair. The HVLF60M is no better, perhaps the worst flash I have ever used. On the first day, the flash had problems with overheating with about 20 shots on 1/4 to 1 power ratio. As a photographer, I cannot have down times like this in a shoot. Second, at a corporate event, the flash over heated outdoors with only 5 shots because the weather was hot that day and affected the flash. Last year, the flash malfunctioned while I was In New York in Time Square during New Years Eve. The weather was freezing cold and the flash simply "quit" on me without being used much while my Nikon and Canon peers kept on shooting. This year, I was at a wedding reception, the flash begin to randomly fire without being used while on manual mode. On manual mode, the flash would fire while I was zooming with my lens and flash would go off multiple times. As a result, my flash overheated and I missed numerous shots and I had to take out the battery for the flash to cool off. The process to cool the flash is unique in itself because you have to take out the batteries, leave the unit off for about 3 minutes, dismount the unit off the camera, and leave the battery door open for heat ventilation. The flash requires multiple resets before I get one good reset for me to resume shooting. By the time the flash came back online, I have missed many shots and, sometimes, the event was simple "over." I felt embarrassed many times and I had to explain to my "other" peers. I just don't understand why a such a great product has such faults and unreliability. I take care all of my equipment and this flash is simply the worse ever. Just recently, the flash got worse, the unit became less responsive on manual mode and the flash would fire randomly and overheat as a result. I have tried the flash on my RX100II, Sony A99, and Sony A77. The results were the same. The flash just would not function at all. Furthermore, the flash would fire randomly by itself on manual mode. The flash is only usable on auto mode, which is unacceptable because there are many situations the AI would not be able to judge correctly and being on "Auto" mode would limit the latitude of my shots. The flash has been notorious with overheating since its release and numerous photography forums have documented the problem. Over time, the defects of this flash will get worse and render you unit unbearable. The bottom line, DO NOT PURCHASE this flash if you shoot a lot and depend on it for indoor work. I have upgraded and used Sony equipments for years (Sony A100, Sony A700, Sony A99, CZ24-70, HVLF40, and VGC99AM) The HVLF60M is simply the worst flash and Sony product I have ever used. I am very upset from the whole experience because I am forced to "buy" another unit due to defects of this flash. I am not fault at all; instead, I am being punished for buying the Flagship flash along with the Flagship camera and the Flagship lens. If you are to buy the unit, buy the 4 year warranty as well and exchange for a new one every year because you are going to need it. The HVLF60M is a shame.

Great design flash. But it does not work as it should be! Just like everyone else said. My HVL-60M easily got overheat very fast. I am a Sony DSLR fan and have owned A900, A850, A99. But this flash get overheat after 15-20 shots. It is not normal at all for a top of the line Sony flash. I don't know what to do with it? Very disappointed!

The HVL-F60M won't even stand up to occasional firing let alone any rapid fire use. Each time I have used this flash it has failed me after about twenty shots in both direct and bounce modes. I definitely should have read the reviews before I fell for this one. The camera used is a A7R and I have used alkaline and rechargeable batteries. Both failures occurred in temperature controlled rooms 75 degrees in both. I miss my Canon gear badly right now.

I moved up from an A77 to A99 and felt the newer F60M would be a good partner, I wasn't wrong it's a superb combination!

The price almost put me of, but after using it for ten minutes I realised that this no basic flash, compared to my old flash for my film camera, this one is like star trek technology, the built in light for video, the ability to swivel from side to side, the power off when you turn the camera off, are all in the plus column for me, the only down side is the lack of battery left indicator with power percentage.

Using this flash HVLF60M with the wonderful Sony A99. The unit is very well integrated with the camera, a winning team - in theory. In practice, the unit "thinks" it overheats after about 20-25 shots and shuts down. Neither the flash nor the batteries feel hot, so it seems to be a software glitch or a poor sensor... Bouncing the light seems to make it worse. Once it shuts down it is dead for 5-10 minutes. When I expect to make series of photos, I now use a METZ Mecablitz 58 AF2, which by the way is a lot cheaper, but doesn't have the advanced integration with the A99 of the Sony HVLF60M. For multiple flash arrangements, I also use 2 of the the Sony HVLF43M's which don't have the overheat problem. So in short, the HVLF60M is a great flash in theory, but it doesn't work when it counts. And Sony doesn't seem to be doing anything about it.

worst $550 I ever spent in my Life.. First I would Love to talk to the brilliant person in R&D that decided to remove ability to bounce off side walls..It is such a normal feature of even the lowest price flash out there that you expect it to be on High end unit...Sure nice video light if you are to cheep to buy the proper one for video.. But i almost never point flash direct at subject unless I have absolutely no way to bounce it back. Bounce is an expected feature... Sure i can tilt head left or right.. Um.... still pointing direct at subject.. overall control of power of Light is same as any standard Flash. I don't rant often, but this is like buying a car with no steering wheel. I have to go off Camera to bounce flash. Not Good Sony....

There is no way to use this. In even common situations you are overheated before you can get the job done. I have used other flashes all day without even one incident. 200 shots in a row. This one even at lower power overheats in just 40 shots. This is of course of known by Sony. Before they even tell you how to use the mode, they tell you what the overheat symbol is. The cost on this is stunning. It is not radio wireless, just normal flash wireless. 60 dollar flashes do the same thing this does without overheating. Standard hotshoe? uh no. This only works in an adapter, or on the A99. Nothing standard about the very odd, weak and flimsy copper pins on the front of the show. This will not be a flash to last. This is simply not something that is going to cut it. Again, Sony. Just hang in there. Your innovations are great. Just take a breath. 1. Build quality, 2. Usability 3. Features. keep that in that order and you can own this industry. Your cameras have doubled in usability each build. Just apply that to more than theory.

Got this as part of the A99 grip/flash package. Very nice build and feature but... it does overheat, as countless people have pointed out. I don't care what no-sayers and Sony says: I was shooting an event recently and after 12-15 shots (spaced about 10-20 secs apart) the flash overheats and you're dead in the water for good 5 minutes or so. Very frustrating. There is no way I would be able to rely on this as a professional - Sony - acknowledge the problem please and issue a resolution, this is unacceptable for such an expensive unit. Oh, and this think is very power hungry, I get about 100 shots before it's done...

I am a professional Photographer, using the Sony A77 Camera. I just sent in a HVL F58 into Sony for repairs, and was informed that Sony did not repair the Flash, and I was offered an exchange price on the HVL F60 flash. when I received it I Googled HVL F60 to see if their were any advanced Ideas about the use of the flash. I was totally surprised by the numerous comments about the flash over heating and shutting down after as few as 20 full power flashes in a normal time period. I tested my flash and had the same problem with less then 25 exposures with the flash shutting down, (As a professional I would shoot as many as 400 images in a 2 hour period) trying to get the problem resolved I spent many hours and numerous useless transfers and disconnects trying to return the flash and getting a refund From Sony. This is the worst service that I have ever received in my 20 years as a professional photographer. This is very sad as the HVL F58 did not have that problem, and the Sony A77 is a spectacular camera. I resolved my refund problem with Sony and was able to find two new HVL F58 flash's at a Denver camera store. These were the last two they still had in stock. I hope that Sony will take these problem seriously before professional's quit buying their camera's due to the flash problem.

I ordered my flash from Sony and had an event to cover that night. To my expectations, I thought I'd be good for the night... not at all, I started taking shots and after 10 or so minutes, it stopped completely. My unit wasn't responding correctly. I figured, it might have been some setting I started messing with.. turned out after finding these reviews.. it was common.. luckily I live near a Camera Repair Center.. lets just say they FINALLY gave me what i paid for. I went to Southern Photo in North Miami Beach, found them on Yelp and this flash has been worth the investment! DEFINITELY recommend them PLUS I got an additional warranty on my flash. SUPER happy on the outcome! I get way more shots and definitely get to enjoy it.

The F60 flash is the successor to the F58, using Sony's new version of the "standard" ISO flash shoe (a questionable change that I won't go into other than to note that the shoe seems a bit delicate in design). It carries over the very flexible and unique flash head movements from the F58, and improves on the previous flash's menu system with a new system that is easier to access and understand. It adds a video light that is useless for me. The big problem with the flash is that it overheats far too quickly. This problem did not exist with the F58 flash. It does not take much to overheat the flash, which can occur in normal shooting situations that would not tax the F58. The flash isn't even warm when the overheat symbol gives the bad news. You can sometimes clear the thermal warning by turning the flash off and on. If that fails, try opening the door to the battery compartment, let the batteries slide partway out, then put them back in and close the door. This usually works, but it does interrupt your photo shoot. Also, the thermal protection circuit may re-engage fairly quickly depending on your situation. I saw Katie's June 14, 2013 reply, from Sony Electronics, to an earlier criticism of the overheating problem, and it is laughable. As another reviewer noted, there is no information about this on Sony's support website. It's a problem that should not exist in the first place. Whatever workaround may be possible means you have to take time away from photographing. This is not acceptable if you are shooting a wedding, Bar Mitzvah, portrait session or other event. The problem is a clear design flaw in the flash and Sony should be far more responsive to what is a frequent and common complaint. Just read all the reviews.

This flash unit has become a good and reliable friend to my A99. I have become a big fan of the high speed shutter synchronization for daytime fill flash, especially with portraiture. The guide number 60 flash has enough "oomph" to fill a dimly lit college basketball court. The HVL-F60M is a pleasant addition to my existing collection of three HVL-43AM's (guide number 43). I plan to continue my experimentation with wireless ratio flash techniques with the added fire power as the controller on top of the A99. I would recommend a second back-up unit for anyone that typically experience fast paced, intensive shoots, such as weddings. Personally as a non-professional photographer, I like the fact that the SONY flash units appear to be proactively "wired" to avoid premature unit failure due to overly aggressive usage.

I purchased recently the HVL-F60m flash for my A77. I already have the F43 flash, but I was attracted to buy the F60 because of its higher range and video light. Like most of the reviews, this flash heats quickly and even though I checked on Sony support website, there is no tips on how to prevent this issue. 10mins to wait for cooling down, is probably a bit slow, so not convenient for event shooting

Despite all the good aspects and features, it is all moot due to the significant thermal design flaw. Either this flash was not designed to disperse any amount of heat or the heat sensor is much too sensitive (perhaps both). I own two of these flashes and they both exhibit the same problem. After a low number of shots (approx 20), this flash shuts down and will not operate for another 5 to 10 minutes. When I say 20 shots, I don't mean 20 fires in under a minute, I've experienced this when the shots were spread out over 5 minutes of shooting! I've never experienced this with any flash from Canon. Unless Sony issues a fix (highly unlikely) or at least admits there is a problem worth looking into, stay away from this junk (unless you only need to take a couple of shots an hour).

I am not to happy about this flash it has a major defect an over heats even when on 1/2 power shooting with higher ISO it can not keep up with my older HVL-43am flash Sony needs to do something quick about this problem! So frustrated with Sony...

if you're stuck in sony/minolta hot shoe land, don't expect this to work with your radio triggers...why sony continues to antagonize their customers is beyond me...i had to send it back

The two big differences between this, and the HVL-f58 are the new foot, and the led video light. The new foot isn't exactly the ISO standard. It has some material removed, making it an odd shape, and seems delicate when mounting to stands. Extreme caution should be used when using clamp type cold shoes. Also, the fit isn't quite right and subsequently it doesn't seem to work with some radio triggers. Of course, there are no TTL radio triggers that currently mount natively to the foot. The video light basically looks like an led flashlight on subjects, so you'd have to be pretty desperate (or want the Blair Witch look) to actually use it. It's placed on the underside of the flash head, and the flash is disabled when the light is turned on, which makes it useless as a modeling/focus assist light. The HSS is limited to when the flash is pointed forward, bounce flash is limited to 1/200. While I sort of understand this, why not let the photographer decide when the flash isn't powerful enough? The control and grouping is nice, but as noted elsewhere, it takes a solid 1/2 second for the flash to actually fire when using optical wireless, which can be a real problem when shooting things that move. Why this, and the camera aren't wifi is beyond me. The flash cost as much as a laptop, and it seems like such an obvious place to take advantage of that technology. Even bluetooth would work if the concern is power consumption. I'm probably just dreaming here, but that level of control would take this from an expensive, nice flash, to something more competitive for the end user.

This flash unit overheats constantly. I have almost every other Sony flash and they never overheat. I hope they get the bugs worked out of it.

The LED light built in is very intense and can be adjusted to as bright or dark as you need. Great for those who don't want to add more equipment to their camera and you can easily go from video to photos in the press of a button. The TTL function works perfect. Takes all the guess work out of trying to adjust the lighting. The best part is taking the flash off the camera and placing it on a tripod or table and shoot wireless without having to use a pocket wizard. This flash is a huge step up from the generic flash I bought several years ago and even more of a leap from the stock flash. There are so many features that I haven't even scratched the surface yet. I just set it to wireless and TTL. Place the flash where I want there to be light and then start shooting. It's so simple and fun to use. The only con I have is that the cheap plastic breaks easily. Right out of the box, my hot shoe locking lever was broke and I could hear little pieces of the plastic from the lever bouncing around in the flash. I haven't exchanged it for a new one, but the flash is heavy and tries to slide itself free once in a while, so this may be a big problem if that heavy flash comes falling off.