An awesomely small and feature-packed flash head, the MeiKe MK320 is an affordable flash for both on and off camera uses. To summarise (in case you didn't want to read everything) the flash is: small, well constructed for the price however, it's not going to be weatherproof, has a quick charging USB port, many modes (i.e. TTL, S1, etc...), useful modelling lamps and an unreliable battery warning. There you go, if you want more detail then carry on scrolling, if not then I would recommend this flash to nearly everyone, with the main drawback being its lack of 'waterproofedness' - which easily fixed with a plastic bag being thrown over it!
Personally, I will be using this head (along with a second one) for macro photography. In the image that you can see below they are mounted on a macro flash bracket and a D810 with Sigma 150mm F/2.8 OS. This post will be about my impressions of the flash as I've only had a couple of weeks to play with it, however I will cover the flash fully in a later post and the set-up as a whole in a another review too.
Personally, I will be using this head (along with a second one) for macro photography. In the image that you can see below they are mounted on a macro flash bracket and a D810 with Sigma 150mm F/2.8 OS. This post will be about my impressions of the flash as I've only had a couple of weeks to play with it, however I will cover the flash fully in a later post and the set-up as a whole in a another review too.
Out of Box Impressions
When you first open the box you are greeted by the flash and diffuser which are in a well padded foam. Once you remove this you'll find a few booklets about MeiKe and their products, a cloth, a small bag and a foot for the flash. One thing I appreciate, not for any important reason, is that the flash foot has a metal tripod screw instead of the usual cheap plastic ones.
First look after opening the box.
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Metal tripod screw.
USB charging port
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The first impressions are really positive. The flash feels well made, the plastic feel as sturdy as you'd imagine for £50 (~$70), the screw to tighten the flash to the hotshoe has good grip, but there is only one problem... The USB port for charging the flash (which I'll cover below).
Specifications
- GN 32 (Iso-100)
- 5-second recycle time (NiMH)
- Powered by 2 AAs
- Tilts –7° to 90°
- Swivels 60° left, 90° right
- TTL, manual and stroboscopic modes
- Optical slave S1/S2
- LCD control panel
- LED modelling lamp
- Dimensions: 110 x 65 x 36mm
Notable Features
So, I mentioned the USB charging port earlier and said that it was a problem. The first reason for this being a problem is that the port is exposed. It surely wouldn't have cost them much to add a bit of rubber to cover the port? Secondly, they don't provide a USB lead; most people have one laying around and so it's no big deal, but again, it would have been nice of them to throw one in. Getting past those two problems and it's actually a fantastic feature. If you aren't shooting in rain/sand/dirt very much then you'll be fine and probably appreciate the convenience of charging the batteries without needing a separate charger.
The best feature in my opinion (as they are being used for macro photography) is that there is an LED modelling lamp. Incredibly useful for focussing in dark and close-up situations, I don't really see how much use it would be for your everyday shooting or portrait shooting; as the likelihood is, if you need a modelling light for your work, you have more powerful lights for this specific purpose. Also they will be quite demanding on the battery life. The picture below was taken with just the modelling lights. I found that whilst in slave mode, the LED modelling light won't turn off and fire the flash when you take a picture, instead you simply have the full power modelling light - which is not adjustable by the way...
The best feature in my opinion (as they are being used for macro photography) is that there is an LED modelling lamp. Incredibly useful for focussing in dark and close-up situations, I don't really see how much use it would be for your everyday shooting or portrait shooting; as the likelihood is, if you need a modelling light for your work, you have more powerful lights for this specific purpose. Also they will be quite demanding on the battery life. The picture below was taken with just the modelling lights. I found that whilst in slave mode, the LED modelling light won't turn off and fire the flash when you take a picture, instead you simply have the full power modelling light - which is not adjustable by the way...
MK320 LED Modelling Lamps
Usability
The flash has several settings; TTL (for the brand of camera you use), S1, S2, Manual and repetitive firing mode. These have all been pictured below, other than the repetitive firing mode. The next part is another problem unfortunately. When you want to change the output of the flashes, each press of the button will take the output up or down by only 1/3rd of a stop. This could be a really good feature, if you were also able to change the output by full stops when you wanted - but you can't.
These pictures also show another problem I have with the flash. When I first turned it on, I was surprised and very happy to find that it has a battery percentage display. However, I've found that it is completely useless at displaying the actual amount of battery left. Any other flash I've owned hasn't had a battery display and so the fact that this one doesn't work doesn't bother me at all and probably wouldn't bother you!
The flash is quite moveable/flexible - by which I mean it has a 90 degree up and down tilt and about 160-170 degree left-right swivel. The last thing to mention is that all of the buttons have good feedback; it's not a huge deal but it's nice to not be unsure about whether or not you actually pressed the button.
If you are considering purchasing this flash, it'd much appreciated if you would follow the Amazon affiliate link below. It comes at no extra cost to you, but I will receive a commission equal to a percentage of your purchase!
The flash is quite moveable/flexible - by which I mean it has a 90 degree up and down tilt and about 160-170 degree left-right swivel. The last thing to mention is that all of the buttons have good feedback; it's not a huge deal but it's nice to not be unsure about whether or not you actually pressed the button.
If you are considering purchasing this flash, it'd much appreciated if you would follow the Amazon affiliate link below. It comes at no extra cost to you, but I will receive a commission equal to a percentage of your purchase!
