It was known as the Foton, the “game-changer” and the Zeus, but now Phottix’s long-delayed speedlight has finally been announced, named the Mitros. The hotshoe flashgun will come in Nikon, Canon and Sony variants late this year and in early 2013. Was it worth the wait or have other manufacturers, such as Yongnuo, stolen the lead?
The Phottix Mitros really does break new ground, doing “everything you expect a top-of-the-line TTL flash to do”, which makes it the first speedlight in China to include TTL, high speed sync (HSS) and wireless functionality all in one unit. Yongnuo’s flagship YN-568EX, by contrast, lacks wireless commander mode.
With a guide number of 58, a tilty-swivelly zooming flash head and external power input, the Mitros has most of the features a professional could expect. With TTL we can also expect it to be compatible with Phottix’s renowned Odin Wireless TTL Trigger receivers.
The specified five-second recycle time seems rather disappointingly sluggish, though it can be sped up to 2.5 seconds in “Fast Flash Mode”. The LCD control panel is also rather uninspiring, more reminiscent of the impenetrable menus of last generation’s Canon Speedlites than the easy-to-use big-screened Nikon SB-910Ă‚Â and newĂ‚Â Canon 600EX.
Still, all these points depend on the price. If it is really cheap — and the build quality stands the test of time — then people will be willing to sacrifice a nicer display for a third-party offering such as this.
Forward-looking photographers will appreciate the inclusion of a USB port for firmware updates and a 3.5mm sync port, which is more dependable than the old-fashioned Prontor-Compur connector seen on other Chinese flashguns.
Pricing has yet to be announced, but all three models will be available at the end of 2012 or first quarter of 2013. Canon’s will probably come first, followed by Nikon and then Sony. Upon release, you will be able to order the Mitros from the Phottix Store or your local distributor.
How much would you pay for a Phottix Mitros? Let us know in the comments below.