Backscatter Hybrid Flash HF-1

 AVAILABLE FOR PRE ORDER, ETA: End of May 

Introducing the Backscatter Hybrid Flash Underwater Strobe & Video Light HF-1—setting a new standard as the Most Powerful Strobe & Video Light Combination Ever Created!

With the debut of the Backscatter Hybrid Flash HF-1, underwater photographers now possess a single, versatile tool to capture stunning stills and video alike. Boasting an impressive underwater guide number of ƒ40 and a 5,000 lumen video light, the Hybrid Flash stands as the pinnacle of strobe and video light integration. Additionally, it features a 1,500 lumen spot light and a red light mode for added versatility.

Packed with a plethora of features, the Hybrid Flash is the first strobe to incorporate Smart Control Automatic TTL Flash power for Sony, Olympus, and OM System cameras. It also supports HSS compatibility and can be utilized for remote shooting alongside the Mini Flash. 

The formidable guide number ƒ40 flash beam effortlessly illuminates subjects even in high ambient light conditions. From shallow, brightly lit reefs to capturing sunballs and expansive scenes, lighting these environments has never been simpler. The remarkable brightness of the Hybrid Flash ensures ample reach, effectively lighting subjects even at greater distances within a scene.

Incorporated 5,000 Lumen 90° Wide Angle Beam Video Light

Equipped with a built-in 5,000 lumen wide-angle video light, the Hybrid Flash offers versatility for capturing both stills and video underwater. Seamlessly transition between capturing still shots and utilizing the Hybrid Flash as a dedicated video light, making it an indispensable tool for underwater lighting needs.

With a remarkable guide number of ƒ40 and an integrated 5,000 lumen video light, the Backscatter Hybrid Flash stands as the most luminous combination of strobe and video light ever crafted.

Expansive, Uniform Flash Beam – Illuminate Large Scenes Effortlessly!

With consistent light intensity from center to edge, the Hybrid Flash ensures minimal drop-off, evenly illuminating expansive scenes. Say goodbye to harsh hot spots or noticeable gaps in lighting. Thanks to its wide-angle coverage, positioning the strobe becomes a breeze, courtesy of the Hybrid Flash's forgiving, even, and wide beam pattern.

Dome Diffuser, Flat Diffuser - Customize Your Coverage Angle

The Hybrid Flash offers compatibility with various diffusers, allowing users to tailor their lighting setup. Opt for a direct and intense light by shooting without a diffuser, resulting in a 120° coverage angle. To achieve wider and softer illumination, utilize the provided Hybrid Flash White 140 Flat Diffuser, expanding the coverage to 140° for larger subjects and scenes. For the broadest, softest, and most evenly distributed lighting, consider the optional Hybrid Flash White 160 Dome Diffuser, maximizing the coverage angle to 160°.

Adjustable Color Temperature – 6500K, 5500K, and 4500K

In addition to choosing the coverage angle, the Hybrid Flash offers flexibility in color temperature. Shoot without a diffuser for a crisp 6500K, or use the included flat diffuser for a slightly warmer tone. Optional 4500K and 5500K warming filters are also available in both flat and dome diffuser options. Opt for 4500K to enhance blue backgrounds in shallower depths, while 5500K provides a natural daylight appearance. These warming filters are ideal for model photography, offering warmer, more vibrant skin tones for human subjects.

Naturalistic Ambient Blue Filter

Conventional strobes emit warmer light tones, contrasting with the cooler blue hues prevalent in underwater environments. The Ambient Blue Filter harmonizes the strobe's color temperature with that of the surrounding water, ensuring seamless integration with ambient lighting. Utilizing the Ambient Blue Filter, the Hybrid Flash effectively fills shadows without altering the scene's inherent color palette. Optimized for depths ranging from 10 to 35 feet, this filter guarantees a more authentic underwater photography experience.

Reimagining Strobe Power Standards

The Hybrid Flash redefines the concept of full power, delivering significantly brighter output than conventional strobes. Operating at a guide number of 40, it emits a substantial amount of light, albeit generating considerable heat when used continuously at this intensity. To mitigate this, the Hybrid Flash employs an aluminum flash head, internal heat sink, and multiple temperature sensors, ensuring uninterrupted shooting sessions without compromising performance.

The Full mode (GN ƒ29) provides more than ample illumination for most scenarios. The Boost +2 (GN ƒ40) and Boost +1 (GN ƒ34) modes come into play for exceptionally large scenes or when using diffusers to spread light while maintaining a high level of brightness and coverage.

We recommend starting with Full power, reserving Boost +2 and Boost +1 for situations requiring added punch in expansive environments.

Capture 30 Frames per Second with Seamless Flash Performance

The Hybrid Flash boasts impressively swift recycle times considering its compact size and formidable power, making it ideal for rapid-fire continuous shooting. With the Backscatter Hybrid Flash, you can expect firing rates of 10 frames per second at 1/4 to 1/8 power, 20 frames at 1/8 power, and an impressive 30 frames with just a single click below 1/8 power.

Swift Flash Duration for Seamless High-Speed Sync

Flash duration refers to the duration the flash tube remains illuminated when the strobe fires. Measured in hundredths to thousandths of a second, it correlates with the camera's shutter speed. If the flash duration exceeds the shutter speed, the flash's illumination may be truncated by the camera's shutter, resulting in a diminished appearance in the photograph. With a rapid flash duration of over 1/400th of a second at maximum power, the Hybrid Flash surpasses the flash sync speed of any SLR or mirrorless camera with a mechanical shutter available today. At Boost +1 power level (GN 34), the flash duration extends beyond 1/900th of a second, increasing in speed as the power level decreases. This rapid flash duration empowers photographers using compact and global shutter cameras like the Sony a9 III to capture images at much faster shutter speeds, effectively mitigating high ambient light scenes.

Straightforward, User-Friendly Manual Mode

Looking for simplicity? Look no further! The first mode on the dial is manual mode, catering to your needs. With the Backscatter Hybrid Flash, you have access to 12 power levels in ½ stop increments, ensuring precise control over your lighting settings.

Automatic TTL Flash Exposure for Olympus, OM System, & Sony

The Hybrid Flash pioneers Automatic TTL Exposure for Olympus, OM System, and Sony cameras through the innovative Backscatter Smart Control System. Leveraging OM System RC mode and Sony's native TTL protocol, Smart Control TTL exposure ensures superior accuracy compared to mimic TTL systems. The Standard Smart Control mode is ideal for wide-angle and larger subjects, while the Smart Control Macro mode optimizes flash output for macro photography. Additionally, the Hybrid Flash features an underexposure warning, alerting you when the strobe reaches maximum output. To correct underexposed images, adjust your distance, increase ISO, or widen the aperture for proper exposure. Flash EV compensation can be effortlessly adjusted using the camera's native menu system.

High Speed Sync (HSS) for Expanded Creative Possibilities

The Hybrid Flash comes equipped with HSS mode, enabling the use of faster shutter speeds beyond the camera's sync speed limit. With HSS, photographers can utilize wider apertures while maintaining a darker background than would typically be possible at slower shutter speeds.

Sony Mirrorless cameras can access HSS with the Backscatter Sony Smart Control Trigger. Olympus and OM System mirrorless cameras can achieve HSS through RC mode with internal and clip-on flashes or with built-in RC-compatible flash triggers in housings like the Backscatter E-M10 IV Octo Housing. For Nikon and Canon users, third-party flash triggers supporting HSS are available, such as UW Technics and the Turtle Trigger from TRT Electronics.

Backscatter Sony Smart Control Flash Trigger for TTL and HSS

To enable automatic Sony TTL and HSS functionality with the Hybrid Flash, the Backscatter Sony Smart Control Trigger is essential. This trigger mounts onto the camera's hot shoe and features two LED lights designed to fit into a housing's optical bulkheads seamlessly. Universally compatible, the Backscatter Sony Smart Control Trigger is suitable for most housings and is conveniently rechargeable via USB-C. Look out for the availability of the Backscatter Sony Smart Control Trigger later this year.

Wireless Off-Camera Remote Control

The Backscatter Hybrid Flash introduces a convenient remote transmit and receive function for wireless control and triggering.

This system operates by enabling the main transmitting strobe to remotely adjust the power level of other Hybrid Flash receiving strobes. Utilizing the included Hybrid Flash Light Pipe, which attaches to the fiber optic mount of the Hybrid Flash, signals can be received from the transmitting strobe without the necessity of a fiber optic cable or electronic trigger.

With no cables to contend with and no need to physically access remote strobes to modify power levels, there's less disturbance caused by movement and reduced risk of disturbing underwater creatures.

The Hybrid Flash and the Mini Flash 2 utilize the same remote control protocol, enabling seamless integration and simultaneous remote operation. This functionality is particularly useful for off-camera side lighting, backlighting, and snooting, utilizing both strobes with the Backscatter Remote Lighting Muck Stick. With this setup, deploying remote lighting becomes effortless and user-friendly.

SOS Safety Modes

The Backscatter Hybrid Flash incorporates various safety signaling features through its built-in LED lights. The initial SOS mode emits a highly visible and universally recognized SOS signal. Following this is the Glow Mode, where the Hybrid Flash gradually increases and decreases its light output, ideal for marking a specific location. Similarly, the Beacon mode operates like Glow but sends shorter interval pulses instead of the slow, variable Glow pattern.

Dedicated Test Button

Equipped with a dedicated test button, the Backscatter Hybrid Flash enables users to trigger the strobe at their preferred power level. This feature proves invaluable for light painting, as the strobe effectively freezes motion—a capability not matched by video lights. Moreover, the test flash can serve as a signaling device when needed. Note that the test button is operational in all modes except SOS and Video Mode.

Wide, Spot, and Red Focus and Target Lights

The Backscatter Hybrid Flash features multiple light modes tailored for the target light in Photo Mode. Users can select wide mode for general focus or targeting, spot mode for precise macro work, or red mode for stealthy approaches to critters and navigating through night environments. These modes—Red, Spot, and Wide—are accessible in M, SC, HSS, and REM modes.

375 to 1000+ Flashes

Equipped with twin 21700 lithium-ion batteries, the Backscatter Hybrid Flash delivers exceptional performance. At maximum power (GN40), it provides over 375 flashes, ensuring professional photographers can capture stunning images with prolonged brightness. For amateur photographers, the Hybrid Flash offers the convenience of a full day of diving with over 1000 flashes when set to normal power, all powered by just one set of batteries.

Up to 90 Minutes of Video Runtime

The Hybrid Flash is engineered to maximize battery efficiency in Video Mode. In this mode, the light can operate continuously for 45 minutes at 5,000 lumens. Following this, the Hybrid Flash will progressively reduce its output to the next lower setting, extending the total runtime to 90 minutes. This extended runtime ensures the Hybrid Flash is suitable for prolonged night dives. With judicious power management, such as turning off the light or using lower power levels between scenes, the Hybrid Flash can effortlessly endure an entire dive at 5,000 lumens.

Fueled by Two High-Capacity 21700 Batteries

To meet the demanding performance requirements of the Backscatter Hybrid Flash, it relies on high-performance 21700 batteries with a 20A continuous discharge rate. Presently, the Nitecore NL2153HP stands as the sole 21700 battery meeting this specification. Nitecore batteries are equipped with built-in safety features, including overcharge and over-discharge protection circuitry. These batteries are readily available at Backscatter Dealers and numerous other retail outlets worldwide.

Automatic Flash Synchronization

Configuring pre-flash cancellation couldn't be easier. Just connect a fiber optic cable and capture a test shot. Upon the first flash after power-up, the Backscatter Hybrid Flash will automatically detect the camera's internal flash shooting mode and store it in memory. Should there be any changes to camera or flash settings, simply power the Hybrid Flash off and on again, and capture another test shot to update the setting. Say goodbye to concerns about incorrect strobe settings. Additionally, this feature can be disabled if the Hybrid Flash is triggered by a manual flash trigger or an internal flash set to manual mode.

Intuitive and User-Friendly Control Design, Adjust Power Levels with Ease, Keeping Focus on the Scene

The Backscatter Hybrid Flash features two dials and two buttons for seamless control. The mode dial, styled with a black pointer, and the flash power control, distinguished by its red knurled knob, are both generously sized and prominently raised, facilitating easy manipulation even with thick gloves. Each control is designed with a distinct appearance and tactile feel, allowing for quick differentiation by touch or a brief glance. Moreover, both dials feature hard stops, ensuring swift and accurate adjustments to mode and full power without the need to divert attention from the strobe.

Compact Solution for Photo and Video Lighting—Ideal for Travel

Combining the functionalities of a medium-sized strobe and video light, the Backscatter Hybrid Flash offers versatility without sacrificing performance. Its compact size ensures hassle-free travel while eliminating the necessity for separate video lights or strobes, streamlining packing. Weighing just 1.1 kg / 2.5 lbs with batteries, ball mount, and diffuser in air, and a mere 227 grams / 0.5 lbs with the same accessories in water, the Hybrid Flash is effortlessly portable for both land and underwater adventures.

Triple-Sealed Battery Cap

Ensuring utmost protection, the Hybrid Flash features a robust triple-sealed design for its battery compartment. Two O-rings provide dual layers of defense against potential leaks caused by debris, bolstered by the safeguarding presence of a sand gasket. This gasket effectively prevents the accumulation of fine sand on the O-rings, enhancing their longevity and preserving the integrity of the sealing mechanism.

Safety Measures

Equipped with a sealed battery compartment, the Hybrid Flash ensures water is barred from entering the front compartment of the strobe even in the unlikely event of a battery leak. Additionally, the strobe boasts two over-pressure relief valves—one located on the strobe body and the other in the battery cap—providing added protection and peace of mind.