Oloong (aka Voeloon) are set to bring out a new camera flashgun this year, the Speedlight SP-700, slated to have almost all the features you’d normally find in a flagship Canon or Nikon unit.
Apart from the Phottix Mitros (which still isn’t out yet, but its release is imminent) the SP-700 will be the only third-party Chinese flashgun to feature the full complement of TTL capabilities including wireless master, wireless slave, TTL on and off the camera and high speed synchronisation up to 1/8000 second.
For anybody looking for a flash with comparable features to a Nikon SB-910 or Canon 600EX but without the premium price tag, the SP-700 could well be worth a look. It will be able to play master or slave in a Canon Wireless or Nikon AWL setup, controlling its own power as well as that of three independent groups off the camera. It takes its design cues from the Nikon SB-900 series and has a very similar LCD control panel, even including such features as a temperature indicator so you can avoid overheating.
There is a port for an external power pack, which will improve recharge times and allow you to go longer without swapping out batteries. The specified recycle time is two seconds on AAs alone. The guide number is 55. The flash head can tilt, swivel and zoom from 24–180mm.
Until we get the opportunity to try them out side-by-side, it is hard to say at this stage which of the Phottix Mitros, Oloong SP-700 and possibly other units is likely to be the best choice. Pricing and availability have yet to be announced, so stay tuned. If you can’t wait, then the current SP-690II is basically the same device but without high speed sync. For more information on Oloong products, visit oloong.com.cn.