Just got Kolari Vision Multispectral Flash Kit

[Andrea B.]

The Kolari Vision KV-FL1 Flash Kit just arrived. I've been looking forward to this because my old Nikon SB-140 and SB-14 are, by comparison, big heavy clubs which were no doubt used by stone age cavemen and cavewomen to scare off the mountain lions during photo sessions.

 

I don't know who makes the actual speedlight for Kolari, but the KV-FL1 looks like most recent 3rd party speedlights (think Godox, Yongnuo, etc.) with a swivel head, LCD back and a removable foot in case you want to freestand it. There are two "flash cups" - one containing an IR-pass filter, the other a UV-pass filter. The filters are very black.

 

And there are the two focusing flashlights, one for IR and one for UV. This was a very cool move by Kolari Vision, IMHO. And to make it even nicer, the flashes are pre-mounted in a "tactical quick release mount" which permits them to be rapidly attached/detached from the mount block on the side of the flash unit. I'm not entirely sure I need an IR focusing torch, but a UV focusing torch is indispensable. (I'll probably love the IR torch anyway.)

 

The speedlight itself fits in a nice black (polyester?) case. The are velcro flaps to attach it to a belt or to a strap. The flash runs on 4 AA batteries. The focusing torches require 1 AA each. Interestingly, the torch batteries are included, but the flash batteries are not. (Puzzlement.)

 

The speedlight has all the expected features: built-in reflector and diffuser (if in visible mode), bounce, TTL, sync, flash exposure lock, manual mode, multi strobe, master/slave, wireless master,  swivel head. There is also auto zoom which I don't even know what is. I have a lot to review because it has been a minute or two since I last used a real speedlight.

 

I haven't fired it up just yet. (Got a small wrist problem which I'm trying to be patient about. Can't lift the cameras for awhile. Sigh.)

Three minor comments. But don't get me wrong, I'm impressed by this kit so far.

• The flash cups fit nicely on the flash. But I'm not sure they fit firmly. So I'll have to monitor these attachments. If I manage to knock them off or they slip off too easily, I can easily use some of my velcro stuff to make a flash cup latching device. 
• The flash cups will probably need to be carried/stored in some kind of protective pouch to avoid scratching the filters. Might have been nice to include this?
• The manual is not included. This happens a lot these days. If I wanted to be constantly tethered to a keyboard, I wouldn't mind using the online version. But sometimes I want to be free. No big deal though. We managed to download and print the manual in about 5 minutes. It's just that I'd rather have a nice little booklet than a bunch of 8x10s. (OK, shut up about the manual Andrea B.)

 

Our member Sue uses the KV-F1 and had positive comments about it here: https://www.ultravioletphotography.com/content/index.php?/topic/5145-kolari-kv-fl1-flash-in-ir-mode/

I can add any other interesting KV-F1 links which are brought to my attention.

 

 

 

 

[ulf]

5 hours ago, Andrea B. said:

The Kolari Vision KV-FL1 Flash Kit just arrived. I've been looking forward to this because my old Nikon SB-140 and SB-14 are, by comparison, big heavy clubs which were no doubt used by stone age cavemen and cavewomen to scare off the mountain lions during photo sessions.

 

I don't know who makes the actual speedlight for Kolari, but the KV-FL1 looks like most recent 3rd party speedlights (think Godox, Yongnuo, etc.) with a swivel head, LCD back and a removable foot in case you want to freestand it. There are two "flash cups" - one containing an IR-pass filter, the other a UV-pass filter. The filters are very black.

 

And there are the two focusing flashlights, one for IR and one for UV. This was a very cool move by Kolari Vision, IMHO. And to make it even nicer, the flashes are pre-mounted in a "tactical quick release mount" which permits them to be rapidly attached/detached from the mount block on the side of the flash unit. I'm not entirely sure I need an IR focusing torch, but a UV focusing torch is indispensable. (I'll probably love the IR torch anyway.)

 

The speedlight itself fits in a nice black (polyester?) case. The are velcro flaps to attach it to a belt or to a strap. The flash runs on 4 AA batteries. The focusing torches require 1 AA each. Interestingly, the torch batteries are included, but the flash batteries are not. (Puzzlement.)

 

The speedlight has all the expected features: built-in reflector and diffuser (if in visible mode), bounce, TTL, sync, flash exposure lock, manual mode, multi strobe, master/slave, wireless master,  swivel head. There is also auto zoom which I don't even know what is. I have a lot to review because it has been a minute or two since I last used a real speedlight.

 

I haven't fired it up just yet. (Got a small wrist problem which I'm trying to be patient about. Can't lift the cameras for awhile. Sigh.)

Three minor comments. But don't get me wrong, I'm impressed by this kit so far.

• The flash cups fit nicely on the flash. But I'm not sure they fit firmly. So I'll have to monitor these attachments. If I manage to knock them off or they slip off too easily, I can easily use some of my velcro stuff to make a flash cup latching device. 
• The flash cups will probably need to be carried/stored in some kind of protective pouch to avoid scratching the filters. Might have been nice to include this?
• The manual is not included. This happens a lot these days. If I wanted to be constantly tethered to a keyboard, I wouldn't mind using the online version. But sometimes I want to be free. No big deal though. We managed to download and print the manual in about 5 minutes. It's just that I'd rather have a nice little booklet than a bunch of 8x10s. (OK, shut up about the manual Andrea B.)

 

Our member Sue uses the KV-F1 and had positive comments about it here: https://www.ultravioletphotography.com/content/index.php?/topic/5145-kolari-kv-fl1-flash-in-ir-mode/

I can add any other interesting KV-F1 links which are brought to my attention.

 

That looks like a nice kit.

I hope they are as powerful as the old Nikon SB-140 and SB-14, but there is a risk that they are not.

For flashes the size and weight actually give a reasonably good indication of the power.

 

The development of new for battery technology and more advanced electronics has indeed advanced a lot since the Nikon SB-140 and SB-14 were created.

With lighter more energy-dense batteries and better electronics you get shorter recycle-time  and more flashes before the batteries are empty. 

However the most important component related to the flash's energy output, the photoflash capacitor has not shrunk very much.

 

Most camera speedlight  flashes indicate some power by the guide number GN, but is not a very good parameter, except for comparing very similar flash types, as that number normally is given for some .

The parmeter that matters is indicated in Ws and is a measure tightly related to the energy stored in the photoflash capacitor and released by the flash tube.

That parameter is missing in Kolaris's specification list.

 

If I should guess from the size, these flashes store maybe 50-80 Ws.

 

The lack of batteries for the flash might make sense as you likely want to use rechargeable NiMh batteries for that, for quick recycle times and then also wouldneed a good charger...

 

 

[Doug A]

I wanted one of these flash units. Unfortunately, someone, perhaps Sue posted that the flash gets stuck on Pentax cameras. Love the design of the flash otherwise. 

Thanks,

Doug A

[Andrea B.]

Ulf, experiments will soon tell the story about the power. If it turns out to be not as powerful as the Nikon SBs, the KV-FL1 will still serve as a nice supplemental flash to those.

 

Doug, I'm not sure what "stuck on Pentax" means. Will go find Sue's post. I do have a Pentax, so I'll be sure to try the flash on it and report back.

[dr_narval]

Hi Andrea!
Thanks for the post. I hope your wrist gets better soon!

The strobe looks a bit like this unit (Sunpak DF3600U).

Could you check if the UV filter has an IR blocking layer too, or it only filters VIS? Is the IR filter glass or plastic?

 

I have experimented with modifying YN560s which worked nice, but the Fresnel lens is really opaque to UV. It is pretty cool that they managed to solve that here. I wonder if that is the factory Fresnel, or if they got special ones made.

[Doug A]

On 3/11/2024 at 2:52 PM, Andrea B. said:

Ulf, experiments will soon tell the story about the power. If it turns out to be not as powerful as the Nikon SBs, the KV-FL1 will still serve as a nice supplemental flash to those.

 

Doug, I'm not sure what "stuck on Pentax" means. Will go find Sue's post. I do have a Pentax, so I'll be sure to try the flash on it and report back.

@Andrea B. NO don't mount the flash to your K-1. It will get stuck and be extremely difficult to remove. Think it was@Pufferchung that had this happen, not Sue. Her warning saved me a great deal of time and trouble.

 

A spring loaded electrical pin lodges in the Pentax locking hole and won't come out. Since the locking pin is at the front of the shoe it is very difficult to get a tool in from the back to release the pin. A shame because I would've loved to have this flash.

Thanks,

Doug A