A hot shoe flash with built-in wireless trigger and slot for color filters tested. How does the Clellan ZR45 perform?
In recent years, more and more hot shoe flashes have appeared on the market, not least because of the strobist movement. In addition to the major manufacturers, there are now many smaller manufacturers, mostly from Asia, offering really interesting products at top prices.
I took a closer look at one of them, specifically the Clellan ZR45.
Clellan is certainly unknown to most people in this country, which is probably due to the age of the brand from Hong Kong, or perhaps because the name is unpronounceable. Currently, Clellan only offers the ZR45.
Let's first look at the most important technical data; the rest can be found at Clellan.
Technical Specifications
- Guide Number: 45
- Zoom Range: 24 - 105 mm (with flip-out diffuser 14 mm)
- Modes: E-TTL/E-TTL II Mode (Canon version), i-TTL Mode (Nikon version)
- Manual Mode
- High-Speed Sync (up to 1/8000s)
- Second Curtain Sync
- Use as optical or wireless slave (2.4GHz) (four channels)
- Slot for color filters
- Adjustable flash head
- Tilt up: 45° > 60° > 75° > 90°
- Rotate left: 30° > 60° > 90°
- Rotate right: 30° > 60° > 90° > 120° > 150° > 180°
- Power source: 4 x AA Alkaline/Ni-MH batteries
- Dimensions: 135mm (H) x 118mm (W) x 45mm (D)
- Weight: 340 g (without batteries)
What's in the Box
The scope of delivery of the Clellan ZR45 is quite generous; some brand manufacturers could take a leaf out of their book. The Clellan ZR45 comes with four color filters (blue, red, orange, and white), a stand foot (which seems quite sturdy and is equipped with a tripod connection), and a padded case. Additionally, a quick guide and a printed manual (including in English) are included.
Build Quality and Handling
The build quality of the Clellan ZR45 cannot be described as bad, but neither is it particularly robust and stable. I would describe the weight of the flash as normal and not too heavy. It is attached with a screw to the hot shoe.
The exterior of the Clellan ZR45 is quite plain. On the right is the battery compartment, on the left is a PC flash and 3.5mm jack connection. On the flash head, you can attach a white reflector disc and a diffuser disc (or whatever that part is called that spreads the light more), but both are a bit difficult to retract back into the flash.
The most interesting part is the back, where everything is set. The Clellan ZR45 has an illuminated display showing the possible settings. Below it is a status LED that fires the flash test-wise when pressed, a dial with a button for all settings, and the on/off switch. By pressing and holding the center button, you enter the menu and can choose between modes and four settings (illuminated display, display contrast, sleep timer, and reset). After a short familiarization period, you understand everything. A real drawback in my eyes is the aforementioned dial.
It is very stiff and can only be operated comfortably with two fingers and one hand to stabilize. Quickly switching up a level is therefore not really convenient.
Another strange point is that the display turns off after 2:30 minutes of inactivity. That's not bad initially, but if you want to change settings, the display does not turn on despite turning and pressing. Only turning the flash off and on or pressing the test flash button wakes the display from sleep.
When you turn on the Clellan ZR45, not only does the display light up, but it also makes an audible noise. The zoom (24 mm to 105 mm) is not exactly quiet. It's a bit strange that it does this every time, even though the zoom setting hasn't been changed; when turning off, it makes no noise.
Modes
The Clellan ZR45 has four main modes: TTL, Manual, Wireless Master, and Slave. In TTL mode, the flash works with the camera to set the correct power. However, exposure can still be adjusted (-3 to +3 stops). You can also select HSS (up to 1/8000 s) or second curtain sync. As mentioned, I was provided with a Canon version for testing and could not try these functions myself.
The second mode is Manual, which is self-explanatory. The Clellan ZR45 can be adjusted from 1/1 to 1/128 power.
The third is using the flash as a Master for the wireless function. The master sits on the camera and controls the other flashes; you need at least two flashes to use this function. On the master flash, you can assign slaves to four channels and also set the desired power, a great feature, especially with multiple flashes, which is transmitted wirelessly to the other flashes. The master can also flash if desired, but this is not mandatory.
Compatibility with Canon or Nikon systems or other wireless triggers is currently not possible. TTL over the air is also not possible. The fastest shutter speed, according to my measurements, is 1/125 second.
If you want to use the Clellan ZR45 as a slave, you select the last mode. Here you have a choice between three triggering options: via the Clellan Wireless System or optically by firing another flash. When triggering via another flash, you can choose between Digital and Film. The difference is that for digital cameras, the pre-flash is ignored.
Additional Features
Color filters are always a topic when it comes to flash photography. Gels with rubber bands or Velcro, or colored plastic cups – not so great. The guys and girls at Clellan had a quite interesting and simple approach. Colored plastic cards in various colors that slide into a kind of rail in front of the flash. Simple, uncomplicated, and robust, though a few more filters would be desirable.
Price and Availability
Currently, the Clellan ZR45 is not yet available in Germany; it is planned. They are currently looking for a suitable distributor. The flash already has a CE mark. There is no price for Germany yet; I assume it will be based on the price in Asia, where the ZR45 is already available. That is 1480 HKD (190 USD / 138 EUR).
Conclusion
The Clellan ZR45 is an interesting flash. The color filter system, advertised as one of the top features, is definitely well implemented.
Unfortunately, the wireless system did not convince me. I repeatedly had connection issues, and the system only makes sense if you only use Clellan flashes. Nevertheless, the advantages remain, such as not needing an extra trigger (+ batteries) and having no problems outdoors, unlike optical transmission. It would be really interesting with the integration of Nikon's Advanced Wireless Lighting or Canon's counterpart.
As always, I find it a bit difficult to judge the price; I think everyone should decide for themselves. Personally, I find the target price of 138 euros too high. Especially because if you want to use it effectively, you need at least two. For that money, you can get some good alternatives. The ZR45 would be really interesting in my range of maybe 60-80 euros.
Overall, I see the ZR45 as a good first version that still has some teething problems and room for improvement. Definitely, the controls should be revised, and a bit more power, faster flash sync speed when used as a slave, and a significantly shorter recharge time (currently about 8-9 seconds) would be desirable.
Also, small things like a beep when firing as a slave would be nice. I cannot yet say how the Clellan ZR45 performs in the long run regarding battery life and so on. For professional use, I would not recommend it yet. In conclusion, I can only say that the Clellan ZR45 has good approaches and that Clellan should generally be kept an eye on.
