The Large Papal Cross In The Park

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MY FIRST TIME TO USE A FLASH ON THE SONY A1 II

THE LEGACY CATALOG

* In The Year 2008 * In The Year 2011 * In The Year 2017 * Henrietta Back In 2010

The Papal Cross in Phoenix Park and the First Papal Visit

The Papal Cross is one of the most recognisable landmarks within Dublin’s Phoenix Park. It was erected specifically for the historic pastoral visit of Pope John Paul II, who arrived in Ireland on 29th September 1979.

On that afternoon, Pope John Paul II celebrated an open-air Mass at the site before a congregation estimated at over 1.25 million people—representing roughly a third of the entire population of the island of Ireland at the time. Designed by renowned architect Ronnie Tallon of Scott Tallon Walker, the giant white steel structure was constructed in just ten weeks by J. & C. McGloughlin of Inchicore. Standing 35 metres (115 feet) high and weighing 31 tonnes, the cross served as the iconic backdrop for the altar.

Was there a second Papal Visit?

• Yes. Ireland hosted a second papal visit 39 years later, when Pope Francis visited Dublin on 25–26 August 2018 for the World Meeting of Families.

• On Sunday, 26th August 2018, Pope Francis celebrated an open-air Mass at the exact same location in Phoenix Park, with the Papal Cross once again serving as the central focal point for the altar setup.

Is the cross on display the original?

• Yes, the cross standing in Phoenix Park today is the original 1979 structure.

• Although engineered as a temporary installation for the 1979 event, strong public sentiment—alongside interventions by then-Taoiseach Charles Haughey and church leaders—led to the decision to retain the monument permanently. It was given formal planning retention status shortly thereafter and has remained on its granite-paved mound ever since.

Does it attract much attention?

• The Papal Cross remains a major visual feature within Phoenix Park and regularly attracts significant public attention:
• Tourists and Sightseers: It is a standard stop on Dublin city tours, where visitors gather at the base to take photographs and read the commemorative plaque.
• Recreation and Views: Located on elevated ground off Chesterfield Avenue, the site offers sweeping, panoramic vistas across the park and southwards towards the Dublin and Wicklow Mountains. It is one of the most popular meeting points for local walkers, runners, and cyclists.
• Commemoration: It continues to serve as a landmark for religious gatherings and anniversaries, symbolising a pivotal moment in 20th-century Irish social and cultural history.

Who owns and maintains the Papal Cross?

• The Papal Cross is managed and maintained by the Office of Public Works (OPW), the Irish government body responsible for the conservation, care, and overall management of Phoenix Park.

• The OPW undertakes routine maintenance, structural inspections, and periodic repainting—such as the extensive refurbishment carried out prior to Pope Francis’s visit in 2018—to ensure the steel structure is preserved against the elements.

Railway Stations

* Clontarf Railway Station * Docklands Railway Station * Malahide Railway Station

Recommended Photo Galleries

• Shalom Park In Cork
• Lyreen River And Linear Park
• Walled Garden In Maynooth
• Botanic Gardens In Belfast
• My Visits To Phoenix Park
• Man And Dog Sculpture At Cork University Campus
• Many Years Of Sculpture In Context
• Public Art As Photographed In 2024
• Examples Of Public Art 2023 Catalog
• Annie Lee Tower And Bridge
• The Clock Tower And The Walled Garden
• Northside Dublin
• Formally Known As The Irish Suzhou Garden At St Anne's Park
• St Ann's Holy Well At St Anne's
• St John The Baptist Cemetery In Clontarf

Our Equipment Choices

Yesterday I updated my Sony A1 II firmware to version 4.0 and all went well, I also purchased a Godox IT30Pro S and it worked amazing well today.

The Godox iT30Pro S is the Sony-dedicated (Multi-Interface Shoe) variant of Godox's ultra-compact TTL mini speedlite. Weighing only 120 g, it provides a pocket-sized, modern fill-lighting option.

When paired with modern, high-resolution Sony camera bodies—such as the Sony A1 II or A7R VI—it serves as an unobtrusive fill light for street shooting, family events, or as a master trigger for off-camera Godox studio lighting.

• Technical Specifications at a Glance
• Guide Number (GN): 15 m (at ISO 100) / ~49.2 ft
• Flash Output Range: 1/1 to 1/128 (in 1/3 EV increments)
• Exposure Modes: Sony ADI / P-TTL, Manual (M), Multi-Stroboscopic
• Sync Modes: High-Speed Sync (HSS up to 1/8000s; supports Sony global shutter sync speeds), 1st Curtain, 2nd Curtain
• Wireless Radio: Integrated 2.4 GHz Godox X System (Transmitter & Receiver; 32 Channels, 4 Groups)
• Display & Controls: 2.8" Full-Colour Touchscreen + Tactile Rear Scroll Dial
• Power Supply: Built-in 7.2V / 900 mAh Li-ion battery (USB-C rechargeable)
• Recycle Time & Battery Life: ~1.5 seconds full power; ~560 full-power flashes per charge
• Dimensions & Weight: 65 × 46 × 47 mm; 120 g
• EU Price Range: ~€65 – €85 (varies slightly by regional retailer)

Technical Review: Pros, Cons & What to Be Aware Of

The Pros

• Native Sony Multi Interface (MI) Connection: Communicates seamlessly with Sony’s P-TTL auto-exposure system across all mirrorless bodies.

• High-Speed Sync Capabilities: Works seamlessly up to 1/8000s HSS for outdoor fill in harsh daylight. It is also fully compatible with Sony high-speed electronic / global shutter readout protocols.

• Integrated Wireless Commander: Acts as a lightweight 2.4 GHz Godox X master trigger to fire larger off-camera strobes (e.g. Godox V1, V860III, or AD-series studio lights) while retaining a backup direct flash on the camera body.

• Integrated Diffuser Panel: The mechanical side WN switch drops an internal panel across the optical lens to broaden beam spread and reduce harsh, direct highlights.

The Cons & Things to Be Aware Of

Low Axis Height & Lens Shadowing (Crucial Sony Warning): Because the flash sits extremely low to the top plate (only ~46 mm high), wide-angle, long, or thick G Master lenses—such as the Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II or 50mm f/1.2 GM—will physically block the lower portion of the flash beam at short distances. To avoid a noticeable dark semi-circle shadow at the bottom of your image, you must remove the lens hood or shoot with compact primes (like the 24mm/40mm/50mm G compact series).

• Fragile Multi Interface Shoe Construction: Sony's MI shoe design uses fragile electronic contacts at the front edge of the hot shoe foot. Avoid forcing or rocking the iT30Pro S into place, and always depress the quick-release lock when mounting to prevent bending the pins.

• Touchscreen Sensitivity: Carrying the camera across your chest on a strap can lead to accidental touch input on the 2.8" screen. The touchscreen lock feature is essential when moving.

• Fixed Flash Head: The flash head does not bounce or swivel. Direct light is your primary option unless you hold it off-camera via the Godox X system.

• Modest Power (GN 15): On high-resolution bodies like the 61 MP A7R VI, exposing for wide landscape scenes will require raising ISO, as GN 15 is strictly optimized for close-range subject illumination.

Ideal Settings & Step-by-Step Setup

Recommended Operational Settings for Sony

• Street / Environmental Fill-Flash: Set mode to Sony TTL, with Flash Exposure Compensation (FEC) set between -1.0 EV and -1.3 EV. This lifts deep shadow detail on faces while maintaining the ambient background exposure.

• Wide-Angle / Close Range: Slide the WN switch to "W" (Wide) to ensure full coverage down to 24 mm focal lengths and soften the beam output.

• Open-Aperture Daylight Shooting: Enable HSS (High-Speed Sync) on the flash menu to sync past the standard focal plane sync limit.

Step-by-Step Instructions 1

• Mount Carefully to Sony MI Shoe
• Mechanical setup
• Turn off both the camera and flash. Press and hold the quick-release foot button on the iT30Pro S, gently slide the shoe completely forward into the Sony Multi Interface shoe, and release the button to click into place.

2

• Power On and Select Exposure Mode
• Initial power
• Switch on the flash. Tap the top-left mode icon on the 2.8" touchscreen to select TTL for automatic Sony metering, or M for manual control.

3

• Set Diffuser Position
• Beam configuration
• Slide the physical WN switch on the side of the unit to "W" when using lenses wider than 35 mm or when shooting close-up portraits to prevent hard flash drop-off.

4

• Adjust Exposure Compensation
• Output adjustment
• In TTL mode, rotate the physical rear scroll wheel to set your preferred FEC (e.g. -1.0 EV for subtle fill). In Manual mode, spin the dial to choose the exact flash fraction.

5

• Engage Touchscreen Lock
• Lock settings
• Press and hold the on-screen lock icon to lock the control panel, preventing accidental setting changes when carrying the camera on a shoulder strap.

Why Are Official Sony-Branded Flashes So Expensive?

While the Godox iT30Pro S retails brand new for roughly ~€65 – €85, official Sony-branded speedlites carry significantly higher price points.

Pricing Context (EU Market) Godox iT30Pro S: ~€65 – €85 (New) Sony HVL-F28RM: ~€280 – €320 (New — Sony's entry-level compact TTL speedlite) Sony HVL-F46RM: ~€430 – €480 (New — Mid-range tilt/swivel speedlite) Sony HVL-F60RM2: ~€650 – €700 (New — Flagship Sony speedlite)

Key Reasons for the Sony Price Premium

• Weather Sealing and Thermal Integration: Official Sony flashes (such as the HVL-F28RM and HVL-F60RM2) feature extensive silicone gasketing designed to match the weather sealing of high-end bodies like the A1 II and A7R VI. They also incorporate heat-resistant materials designed to withstand sustained burst shooting.

• Advanced MI Shoe Communication: Sony’s proprietary flashes feed precise lens distance data (ADI metering) and white balance telemetry directly into the camera's BIONZ processing engine for accurate colour rendition.

• Mechanical Flexibility & Power: Higher-end Sony speedlites feature rotating bounce heads (such as Sony's Quick Shift Bounce system) and zoom heads ranging from 24 mm to 200 mm with higher output power (GN 28 to GN 60).

• Proprietary Wireless Ecosystem: Sony speedlites integrate natively into Sony's radio command network without requiring third-party firmware updates when Sony issues major camera system updates.

However, for creators prioritising minimal weight and simple fill light, the Godox iT30Pro S provides high-speed sync, TTL accuracy, and Godox X system integration at a fraction of the cost.