Speedlite Partner is a 3-in-1 TTL trigger, battery & flash stand

Shooting with small flash? There can be a lot of accessories to keep track of: stand adapters to keep you pointing in the right direction, battery packs to keep you shooting for longer and radios to keep things synchronised over long ranges. Nicefoto has simplified off-camera flash support for photographers everywhere by building one device that does it all.

The Speedlite Partner is a 3-in-1 radio trigger, external battery pack and stand adapter for your shoe-mount flashes. Slide your flashgun into the hotshoe, plug in the appropriate cable and you have support, power and triggering all sorted.

There are three variants of Speedlite Partner from which to choose: the PH-480 and PH-380, both shaped like digital alarm clocks, and the PH-280, decorated like a traditional Chinese mask — which is awesome.

All have built-in 2.4GHz radio receivers to synchronise with Nicefoto’s other wireless flash triggers. The top-end PH-480 has wireless E-TTL and HSS for Canon Speedlites (30 channels; 3 groups) while the other two Speedlite Partners support 15-channel manual triggering. The TTL trigger is compatible with Nicefoto’s TTL-318C, which has a backlit LCD control panel through which you can adjust settings remotely from the transmitter. It is the same radio built into the latest N-Flash wireless studio flashes.

The high-voltage 2500mAh battery pack is connected to a Canon, Nikon or Sony style external power socket using a detachable power cable. As well as giving you up to 1,000 flashes’ worth of shooting capacity, the battery will speed up your recycle times, often to less than a second at full power, taking the strain off the AAs in the flash itself. The PH-380 and PH-480 interfaces include battery indicators so you know how much shooting time you have left. According to Nicefoto, the battery takes about two hours to recharge. They do not specify whether it is user-replaceable.

Speedlite Partners each have a wide base, allowing them to free-stand on any flat surface, and there is standard 1/4-inch socket underneath so they can attach securely to tripods, clamps and light stands.

There is no word on pricing or availability on these yet, but you can find more information on the manufacturer’s web site. Note that the Nicefoto Speedlight Partner is not to be confused with the Boling Speedlight Partner, which is an LED modelling lamp.

What do you think about this whole concept? Handy or silly? Let us know what you think in the comments below.