Off camera strobe with TTL

Hello,
I’m getting an off camera strobe with TTL. What exactly does that do for me? How do I set my camera for it? I have a Sony A7RIV.
Thank you for your advice. Camera and strobe listed below.
Terry

consider informing people about the brand of your "off camera strobe with TTL"

What model of strobe?
What flash equipment do you have already?
If you're new to flash equipment, Godox/Flashpoint/PiXAPRO is a good place to start. (They're basically the same Godox kit with different branding).

Hard to tell without knowing what it is.
What do you want it to do?
Have a look at: strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html
Off-camera flashes can typically produce flash pulses with 3-20 times more energy than on-camera flashes.

Hard to tell without knowing what it is.
A single off-camera flash can be triggered with a cable from the A7R4's PC-sync connector. In this case, flash power can only be controlled manually, at the on-camera flash.
Most folk would control an off-camera flash with a (Sony-specific) wireless controller mounted on the camera hotshoe.
An on-camera flash can also be used as a wireless controller.
The off-camera flash and wireless controller generally need to be the same brand, or advertise wireless compatibility.

Neewer Q3 is my strobe.

My camera and strobe are listed below.

Most of the time when I use a flash off camera in TTL mode I'm shooting macro handheld, with my flash in my left hand. This enables me to rapidly adjust the angle/distance of the flash & lets the camera sort out the intensity needed for a reasonable image.
In these situations moving the flash 3-4" closer can make a drastic difference, if the TTL system is not available to correct.

In most other situations where I use flash, things remain constant enough for me to use manual flash settings.

Did it come with a wireless controller that mounts on your flash hotshoe? (Sometimes a controller is bundled).

It's a strobe that's meant to look like a Godox AD200, but is definitely not a Godox AD200 or AD200Pro.

If you can, return it for a refund and buy a Godox AD200Pro. If you have a use for this kind of flash. AD200 & AD200Pro are versatile and quite popular.

If you want to start with flash, a Neewer Q3 is almost certainly not the right place. If you have good quality NiMH AA batteries, and a good quality NiMH charger, I would recommend starting with a Godox TT685iiS. Otherwise start with a Godox V860iiiS or V1S. The number of "i"s matters.

I asked earlier:

If you have, or know someone who has, a Godox on-camera flash or on-camera flash controller (any mount type), you could try setting the Godox flash or controller to master mode and see if it will control and trigger the Neewer Q3. The wireless Channel and ID need to match on the controller and the Neewer Q3. The group settings need to match too.

Otherwise, you will need a Neewer wireless flash controller if you wish to control flash power remotely, or use High-Speed Sync (HSS).

If you have any flash that works in your camera's hotshoe, or you can work with a PC-sync cable from your camera to the Neewer flash, you can trigger the Neewer flash from your camera. But in this case TTL and HSS will be unavailable, and flash power (really energy) must be set on the Neewer flash itself.

I don’t have any other flash equipment. What’s wrong with the Q3? I bought the trigger separate. It comes Thursday. I’ve had good experience with Neewer products.

nothing wrong except

1) Neewer is not OEM - it is a "brand"
2) sometimes they "brand" products that are compatible with OEM like Godox, sometimes they don't ( means OEM makes them a product but makes it not compatible with their own)
3) a chance is that your strobe / controller will not be compatible with Godox ( if indeed it is the OEM - might be some other company ) if this is the case you simply narrow your options - it is not the end of the world of course

for most of such products you simply put a controller like a on camera flash in camera's hotshoe and select TTL flash option in camera... controller presents itself to camera as a TTL flash and deals with off board strobe on its own - so camera's firmware thinks it has a TTL flash mounted on camera

@Terryk1

You may know this but, TTL lets your camera’s light meter control the “power” of your flash. Looks like you purchased a “controller” with your light that you will mount on the hot shoe. I have not used Sony cameras but you should just be able to Mount the “controller”, set it to TTL, turn your flash on and get to shooting.

Personally, I am not a big fan of TTL as I feel, that I get better results in “manual” mode for the lighting work that I did in the past…. (I spent years in studio with studio strobes just setting the ratios that I wanted manually).

You likely did some research and you settled on the Neewer model that you bought. I haven’t used it but it is likely “perfectly fine”. You may down the road wish to acquire additional lights of different brands or just keep the neewer lights. Go have fun, learn, explore and enjoy your new light!

I understand and thank you very much.

You are more than welcome. After you get your new light, should you have any additional questions, please come back and ask them. I, or others, may be able to help you.

Thank you. I may try manual and use my flash meter. I think Neewer will be fine too. I’m going to mount it to a light stand, and the trigger on the hotshoe. I got it today and it’s very well built. So far, I really like it. Actually, I’ve had bad experiences with Godox’s batteries and chargers. Otherwise that’s what I would have bought.
Terry

10-4.

If you have a handheld flash meter, that’s what I would use (and what I did use for years). Cheers!

Godox has all kinds of modifiers to fit my Q3.

The Q3 wont be as versatile as the AD200 Pro because the Q3 has a fixed fresnel head, but it will work fine. Especially in an umbrella softbox because the light will be bounced, indirect.

Using a Q3 with an inexpensive umbrella softbox is some serious bang for the buck.

Bingo.

Bingo