Rain won’t interrupt play with Olympus’ new weatherproof flash unit

Rain won’t interrupt play with Olympus’ new weatherproof flash unit

It’s been a busy day for Olympus announcements. Hot on the heels of the Olympus E-M1X, along with the M.Zuiko 150-400mm f/4.5 lens and MC-20 teleconverter, the company revealed the FL-700WR weatherproof flash and commander/receiver units.

Olympus E-M1X review

Complementing the weatherproof properties of the new camera and lens, the Electronic Flash FL-700WR is dust, splash and freezeproof, making it suited to shooting in virtually every environment – even when it’s raining. 

It packs a good punch, with its maximum guide number of 42 (ISO 100/m) being a cut above the 36 offered by the Olympus FL-600R, and during wireless shooting it can act as commander or receiver.

As you'd expect, the FL-700WR supports Olympus' signature functions such as High Res Shot, Focus Stacking and Focus Bracketing, and also boasts an LED light that's ideal for video use.

The Commander can connect to three groups and unlimited units

The Commander can connect to three groups and unlimited units

The Olympus Wireless Receiver FR-WR unit

The Olympus Wireless Receiver FR-WR unit

Accompanying the new flash are the Wireless Commander FC-WR and Wireless Receiver FR-WR, capable of remotely controlling multiple flash units up to 30m from the camera; the Commander can connect to three groups and an unlimited number of units. 

As with the FL-700WR, both the Commander and Receiver are dust, splash and freezeproof to facilitate use whatever the prevailing conditions. Which, with the weather we've had lately, should come in extra useful.

The Olympus OM-D E-M1, E-M1 Mark II, E-M5 Mark II and PEN-F have all received firmware updates to add support for the FC-WR commander.

Due for release alongside the E-M1X in late February, the FL-700WR flash will retail for EUR 349, with the Commander FC-WR and Receiver FR-WR retailing at EUR 299 and EUR 199 respectively.

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James Artaius
Editor

The editor of Digital Camera World, James has 21 years experience as a journalist and started working in the photographic industry in 2014 (as an assistant to Damian McGillicuddy, who succeeded David Bailey as Principal Photographer for Olympus). In this time he shot for clients like Aston Martin Racing, Elinchrom and L'Oréal, in addition to shooting campaigns and product testing for Olympus, and providing training for professionals. This has led him to being a go-to expert for camera and lens reviews, photo and lighting tutorials, as well as industry news, rumors and analysis for publications like Digital Camera MagazinePhotoPlus: The Canon MagazineN-Photo: The Nikon MagazineDigital Photographer and Professional Imagemaker, as well as hosting workshops and talks at The Photography Show. He also serves as a judge for the Red Bull Illume Photo Contest. An Olympus and Canon shooter, he has a wealth of knowledge on cameras of all makes – and a fondness for vintage lenses and instant cameras.