Best Flash for Sony a7 V
The a7 V has no flash of its own. Sony’s help guide sets flash sync at 1/250 second on full-frame and 1/320 second in APS-C, and that line is for a flash manufactured by Sony. Electronic shutter will not fire a flash. The Sony HVL-F60RM2 uses the Multi Interface Shoe directly, and Sony rates it at guide number 60 at ISO 100 and 200 mm. Check Sony HVL-F60RM2 on Amazon.
Our Top Picks at a Glance
Reviewed September 2026 · Multi Interface Shoe · 1/250 s full-frame sync · 695 g with battery and card
Guide number 60 at ISO 100 and 200 mm, standard distribution. 439 g without the four AA cells. Direct Multi Interface Shoe.
Check Price at Amazon Read full review ↓Guide number 46 at ISO 100 and 105 mm. 308 g without batteries. Crutchfield lists it at $398, against B&H’s $548 for the F60RM2.
Check Price at Amazon Read full review ↓Guide number 28. About 219 g excluding batteries. Radio in 5 groups and 14 channels. The small head that still uses this shoe.
Check Price at Amazon Read full review ↓This page contains affiliate links. A purchase through those links may earn Cameraegg a commission at no extra cost to you.
| Flash | On the a7 V | Guide number and weight | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sony HVL-F60RM2 | Multi Interface Shoe. Sony-made, so the 1/250 s line applies | GN 60 at 200 mm, ISO 100, STD · 439 g excluding batteries | Check price |
| Sony HVL-F46RM | Same shoe. Same Sony-made sync line | GN 46 at 105 mm, ISO 100, STD · 308 g excluding batteries | Check price |
| Sony HVL-F28RM | Same shoe. Sony’s page includes high-speed sync | GN 28 · about 219 g excluding batteries · radio, 5 groups, 14 channels | Check price |
How We Picked
Three sourced facts: the sync speed is limited to a Sony-made flash, the electronic shutter blocks flash, and the three guide numbers were measured at different zoom settings.
- Sync is 1/250 second, and only with a Sony flash. Sony’s ILCE-7M5 help guide lists flash sync, when using a flash manufactured by Sony, at 1/250 second on full-frame and 1/320 second at APS-C size. The camera specification adds that a flash cannot be used when shutter type is set to electronic shutter. Flash compensation on that specification is ±3.0 EV, in 1/3 or 1/2 steps. The body is about 695 g including the battery pack and an SD card. The help guide does not list a built-in flash.
- The shoe is the Multi Interface Shoe. Sony’s a7 V specification says an α system flash compatible with that shoe attaches directly, and a flash made for the Auto-lock accessory shoe needs the shoe adaptor. There is no sync terminal in the help guide’s terminal list.
- Guide numbers stay on the zoom Sony printed. Sony UK and Sony USA list the HVL-F60RM2 at 60, coverage 200 mm, standard distribution, ISO 100, in metres, and 439 g for the main unit. The HVL-F46RM is 46 at 105 mm, standard distribution, ISO 100, in metres, and 308 g. Sony’s HVL-F28RM page states a guide number of 28, about 219 g excluding batteries, and radio control in 5 groups and 14 channels.
Detailed Reviews
Sony HVL-F60RM2 View on Amazon View on B&H
| Mount | Multi Interface Shoe. A Sony-made flash, so the help guide’s 1/250 second full-frame sync applies. Electronic shutter still will not fire it |
|---|---|
| Output | Maximum guide number 60. Flash coverage setting 200 mm, standard distribution, ISO 100, metres. Not a 105 mm figure |
| Power and size | Four AA alkaline or Ni-MH cells. About 439 g excluding the batteries. About 78.1 × 143.1 × 104.6 mm |
| Price | B&H lists it in stock at $548 |
Why it fits the Sony a7 V. This is the direct-mount Sony flash with the highest guide number of the three, and the number is tied to 200 mm. Body plus flash, before the four AA cells, is 695 g + 439 g = 1,134 g. The help guide’s sync line names a flash manufactured by Sony, which this is. It does not fire if shutter type is electronic. Flash compensation on the camera specification is ±3.0 EV, separate from the body’s ±5.0 EV exposure compensation.
Buy it when the 200 mm guide number is the point. Skip it when 105 mm and guide number 46 are enough. Those are different zoom settings, not a smaller copy of the same measurement.
Check Price on Amazon US, UK, CA, DE → Check Price on B&H
Sony HVL-F46RM View on Amazon View on B&H
| Mount | Multi Interface Shoe. Same Sony-made sync line as the HVL-F60RM2. Not the HVL-F46RMA, which Sony lists at 317 g |
|---|---|
| Output | Maximum guide number 46. Flash coverage setting 105 mm, standard distribution, ISO 100, metres |
| Power and size | Four AA alkaline or Ni-MH cells. About 308 g excluding the batteries. About 69.4 × 114.7 × 88.9 mm |
| Price | Crutchfield lists $398. That listing is $150 under B&H’s $548 for the HVL-F60RM2. They are two shops, not one shelf |
Why it fits the Sony a7 V. It locks to the same shoe and it is a Sony flash, so the 1/250 second full-frame and 1/320 second APS-C figures in the help guide are the ones that apply. The guide number is 46 at 105 mm, not 60 at 200 mm. Body plus flash, before the cells, is 695 g + 308 g = 1,003 g. Sony’s help guide lists a separate HVL-F46RMA at 317 g and 72.4 mm wide. This card is the 308 g HVL-F46RM.
Buy it when the $150 gap between those two listings matters and 105 mm coverage is the job. Skip it when the head has to be the 200 mm, guide-number-60 unit. Electronic shutter still blocks flash.
Check Price on Amazon US, UK, CA, DE → Check Price on B&H
Sony HVL-F28RM View on Amazon View on B&H
| Mount | Multi Interface Shoe, metal foot. Sony-made, so the help guide sync line applies |
|---|---|
| Output | Sony states a guide number of 28. A B&H spec table places 28 m at ISO 100 and the 50 mm position. High-speed sync is on Sony’s product page |
| Power and size | About 219 g excluding batteries. About 65.1 × 83.5 × 91.4 mm. Radio: 5 groups, 14 channels |
Why it fits the Sony a7 V. It is the light Sony head that still uses this shoe. Body plus flash, before the batteries, is 695 g + 219 g = 914 g. Sony’s page includes high-speed sync, which is the path above the 1/250 second full-frame sync, and it still will not fire on the electronic shutter. The guide number is 28, and it is not the 60-at-200 mm or the 46-at-105 mm figure. Radio is 5 groups and 14 channels on that Sony page. This article does not add a new-unit dollar, because the current B&H hit for this model is a used listing.
Buy it when the kit should stay near 219 g before cells and radio control is enough. Skip it when the job is guide number 46 or 60 at the zoom Sony printed for those heads.
Check Price on Amazon US, UK, CA, DE → Check Price on B&H
If You Need Something Else
These three flashes use the Multi Interface Shoe. Sony’s a7 V specification separates that foot from the older Auto-lock accessory shoe.
A flash built for the Auto-lock shoe needs the shoe adaptor before it sits on this camera. The help guide’s 1/250 second and 1/320 second lines name a flash manufactured by Sony. A flash that is not Sony’s is outside that sentence. None of the three heads above fire when shutter type is set to electronic shutter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why this body is not a camera with a built-in flash
Sony’s ILCE-7M5 help guide specifies flash sync for an external flash and does not list a built-in unit or a guide number for one. The terminal list has a Multi Interface Shoe path in the wider specification, a 3.5 mm mic jack, and a 3.5 mm headphone jack. It does not list a sync terminal.
Why 1/250 second is not every shutter mode
The help guide prints 1/250 second for full-frame and 1/320 second for APS-C, and both sit under “when using a flash manufactured by Sony.” The specification says a flash cannot be used when shutter type is electronic shutter. Mechanical shutter on this body runs to 1/8,000 second. That ceiling is not the flash sync speed.
Why the three guide numbers are not one scale
Sony prints 60 for the HVL-F60RM2 at a 200 mm coverage setting, standard distribution, ISO 100. The HVL-F46RM figure of 46 is at 105 mm on the same terms. The HVL-F28RM figure is 28, and a B&H spec table places it at ISO 100 and 50 mm. A lower number at a wider coverage setting is not a fraction of the 200 mm number.
What ±3 EV refers to
The camera specification lists flash compensation of ±3.0 EV, switchable between 1/3 and 1/2 steps. The help guide’s exposure compensation for the body is ±5.0 EV. Those are two controls.
Whether an older Sony foot fits without an adaptor
Sony’s specification says an α system flash compatible with the Multi Interface Shoe attaches to this camera, and a flash compatible with the Auto-lock accessory shoe needs the shoe adaptor. The HVL-F60RM2, HVL-F46RM, and HVL-F28RM are listed by Sony as Multi Interface Shoe models.
Final Verdict
The Sony HVL-F60RM2 is the Sony flash at guide number 60, measured at 200 mm and ISO 100, weighing 439 g before its four AA cells, and B&H lists it at $548. The Sony HVL-F46RM is guide number 46 at 105 mm and 308 g before its cells, listed at $398 by Crutchfield. The Sony HVL-F28RM is the 219 g head with guide number 28 and radio in 5 groups and 14 channels. All three need the mechanical shutter path, because this camera will not fire a flash on the electronic shutter.