A while back we tested the CononMark K4T, a very advanced TTL-enabled monobloc from a relatively unknown Chinese flash manufacturer. This 400Ws lithium-ion flash is unique because it is the first ever HSS TTL monobloc that was available, and currently it is still the only one that is available for sub-$1000.
My biggest criticism in the review was the poor quality of the trigger, which was lacking group control over multiple flash units. We are happy to announce that CononMk has released a new TTL trigger for the K4T, with added group control.
This new trigger has ABC group control, meaning that for each of the three groups the flash exposure compensation (FEC) can be adjusted. It is also possible to mix TTL and manual power modes simultaneously. Another improvement over the old “3G” trigger is that FEC is now denoted in 1/3 stops. The trigger now also has a USB port for future firmware updates.
Besides Nikon and Canon, Sony is also supported (for both the new and old hotshoe). The built-in receiver in the K4T is able to be triggered by either of these three brands without having to change the receiver mode on the K4T flash. This means that one would be able to shoot simultaneously with Nikon, Sony and Canon cameras.
We at LightingRumours already managed to get our hands on a review sample of the new ABC trigger. The first impressions are great, the build quality seem to have significantly improved over the old version. It can be also noticed that the user interface of the new ABC trigger is quite similar to the Phottix Odin. If this is a coincidence we cannot say, but our sources confirm that Phottix and Cononmk have shared resources during the development of the TTL monobloc. Update 16/3/2015: Phottix categorically denies they collaborated with CononMark on this product.
For more information, visit CononMk.com.