Quadralite A1: flash photography with your smartphone

Friday 10 November 2017, 15:30 by Michelle Peeters | 8,117 views | 0 comments

This article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.

The Quadralite A1, designed for smartphones, combines the functions of a flash, LED light and wireless trigger. A promising little device that lets you take much better-lit photos with your smartphone. It also makes it easy to set up your studio lights.

We had the chance to play with the device at Quadralite in Krakow. Here are our first impressions.

Press event in Krakow

The Polish company Quadralite has announced the launch of its 3-in-1 flash, lamp and radio trigger, the Quadralite A1. It is their own rebranded version of the Godox A1, with the same features and specifications.

The distributor organised an exclusive press event in Krakow, Poland, on 7 November to show the possibilities of the Quadralite A1 in combination with the latest Quadralite studio lights and accessories.

The Quadralite A1 functions both as an independent wireless trigger and flash, and as a wireless trigger and controller for additional Quadralite lights, both flashes and LED lighting.

The accompanying app turns your smartphone into a kind of control centre that lets you manage a complete studio lighting setup.

Studio lighting with your smartphone

The Quadralite A1 is a device with the characteristics of a smartphone flash and can be used as a trigger for reportage flashes and studio lights. With this device, you can enter the world of strobe photography as a smartphone photographer.

The A1 model is equipped with three LED lighting diodes, 1 Watt, so it can serve as a mobile light source. But this is not the device's most important feature.

Above all, the A1 is an autonomous flash, 8 Watts, with a colour temperature of 6000 Kelvin (± 200 Kelvin), which can be synchronised wirelessly with your smartphone's camera.

To use the Quadralite A1, you first need to install the Quadralite Photo App on your phone. The device and software together will ultimately transform your phone into a camera that can control additional light sources in the studio and elsewhere.

The Photo App gives you full control over the A1 and other flashes or LED panels, and is free to download. The small, compact A1 can be used from a tripod or handheld
The A1 can be integrated into a wireless control system that can trigger Quadralite and Godox flashes.

You also get a built-in Bluetooth 4.0 module with a maximum range of 50 metres, which enables wireless communication, as well as a built-in wireless module, the Quadralite Navigator X, which operates at 2.4 GHz.

The very compact Quadralite A1 is equipped with a 1Ah lithium-ion battery, which can fire 700 flashes at full power.

Its dimensions are 80 x 23 x 65 millimetres and it weighs approximately 110 grams. The back has a magnet that allows the device to be mounted on metal surfaces.

On top, you will find a small but clearly readable OLED screen that provides basic information about the condition of the devices. Three buttons on the right-hand side of the panel let you activate the test flash and LED lighting, and switch the device on and/or off.

There is also a control dial and an extra button for changing various setup options. At the bottom is a 3/8" thread that is compatible with most studio tripods and accessories. The front consists of the flash and LEDs.

Testing

We were able to test the device for an entire afternoon. It is indeed very small and compact, and fairly easy to operate. As an off-camera flash for your smartphone, it works well and is also easy to adjust.

Photo taken with a smartphone and Quadralite A1, internal flash disabled, and two studio lights with softboxes
Using the app on your smartphone, you can adjust ISO, white balance and shutter speed. You can also reduce or increase the flash intensity. You only need an assistant, or you need to put the A1 on a tripod, to aim it at your model from the side.

By choosing a channel, you can also use the device to control flash units, Quadralite ones, as they have a built-in receiver, as do their reportage flashes, fitted with attractive light modifiers, allowing you to create a good studio portrait.

Photo taken with a smartphone and Quadralite A1, internal flash disabled, one studio light with a softbox and another aimed at the back of the head
This looks considerably better than taking a portrait with just the A1 as a flash. And of course, this is still much better than the 'flash' on your smartphone. You can indeed adjust the lights using the app on your smartphone, which is very handy!

If you want to take photos with your SLR camera using several studio lights and still use the Quadralite A1, you need a Navigator X transceiver mounted on your camera.

The A1 then provides the link with your smartphone, which you can use to adjust the lights, among other things. The A1 combined with the app is a useful tool in the studio.

Photo taken with a smartphone and Quadralite A1 as a flash

Conclusion

What I find disappointing is that if you want to use and control additional flashes or reportage flashes, you have to use Quadralite equipment for this. This is because these lights have a dedicated Quadralite receiver built in.

If you do want to use studio lights or hotshoe flashes from other brands, you need an additional Quadralite receiver to allow everything to communicate with each other.

But as an additional flash for your smartphone, it is a useful little device that you can take with you easily, as it fits in your trouser pocket, to give your smartphone photos just that bit extra, especially in poor lighting conditions.

It is also possible to connect several Quadralite A1s to your smartphone at the same time for a more strobist effect.

Photo taken with a smartphone and Quadralite A1 as a flash

Price and availability

The Quadralite Photo app is available free of charge from the iOS App Store, with an Android version due to be released around the end of this year. The recommended retail price of the Quadralite A1 itself is 79 euros and it will be available in mid-November 2017.

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About the author

Michelle Peeters is fotografe en oprichter van DeuxBleus Fotografie. Michelle herkent het bijzondere in het gewone en het gewone in het bijzondere. Ze heeft zich nooit willen specialiseren en is daardoor van alle markten thuis.

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