The first iPhone certified external flash will come from a power bank maker
Dec 29, 2019
Udi Tirosh
Udi Tirosh is an entrepreneur, photography inventor, journalist, educator, and writer based in Israel. With over 25 years of experience in the photo-video industry, Udi has built and sold several photography-related brands. Udi has a double degree in mass media communications and computer science.
Share:
Last week we shared that Apple is opening up their specs for using an external flash with iPhone 11. That means that you will be able to use an external flash with the iPhone native camera app. (This is different from, say, Lume Cube’s dedicated app, or Goodx A1).
Now, Power Bank maker, Anker, is the first to make a dedicated flash built on the lighting connector. Here is we know:
The device will be a little cute cube, with a lighting connector. It supports both the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro.
The photo does not show a mounting device, so I guess that you can purchase that separately, or simply hold the flash in your other hand. The strobe does sport a 1/4-20 thread, so you will be able to attach it to standard phone brackets.
What I would love to know, and I can’t find in the specs is the sync speed of the flash and weather it will support triggering other strobes (Anker or others)
Features & details (via Anker community site)
- First MFi flash accessory for creative photography with iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro
- Takes advantage of Lightning connector for tight synchronization with iPhone rear camera
- Works with native Camera app and 3rd party apps
- Helps illuminate objects at 2 times the range and 4 times the brightness with iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro
- Enables off-axis and direct fill flash lighting effects both with and without (included) detachable diffuser
- Can also operate in standalone flashlight mode
- 1/4″ ISO mount for easy connection with other camera accessories
- 10,000 shots per charge, recharge with any Apple, Anker, or MFi USB to Lightning cable
Pricing and Availability
Anker’s iPhone LED Flash will be available to order in January 2020 from amazon.com for a cost of $49.99.
P.S. I would love to see the android community follow suit and enable external strobe on their ecosystem as well.
Udi Tirosh
Udi Tirosh is an entrepreneur, photography inventor, journalist, educator, and writer based in Israel. With over 25 years of experience in the photo-video industry, Udi has built and sold several photography-related brands. Udi has a double degree in mass media communications and computer science.
Join the Discussion
DIYP Comment Policy
Be nice, be on-topic, no personal information or flames.
5 responses to “The first iPhone certified external flash will come from a power bank maker”
If it’s able to trigger my Elinchroms…why not. Worth a try.
The thirth, not the first…. GODOX A1 is the first,
The A1 is an awesome unit, it is not native though
Why not just get a Lume Cube no need to have an app it’s an LED
The Lume Cube isn’t the only option, and it’s essentially a hack, a workaround to limitations of previous iOS/iPhone versions. The Godox A1 is the same. This is why you need to use their 3rd party apps.
This is Apple’s new official external flash protocol and (in theory) allows you to go beyond 1/30th of a second. This is wired through the lightning port, not Bluetooth, and support should come standard to all camera apps.