I'm ready for a flash

Buckster · May 17, 2013

Fine. They suck. Nobody should ever buy them ever again, nor recommend them just because so many people are having such positive experiences with them. Pay top dollar for the name brand instead everyone. You'll stay happy and healthy that way, and never ever have a problem or a failure.

Me? If I need more than the 4 fantastically working speedlights I already have, I'll buy more YN's without a single worry or hesitation. But that's just crazy old reckless me. Don't follow my example, or you'll be sorry. Guaranteed. By Derrel. And David Hobby. Truly. Serious business.

Over and out.

frommrstomommy · May 17, 2013

Dropping my two cents in regarding online reviews... take them with a grain of salt. I figure nowhere nearrrrrrrrrrr even 25% of the people who purchase an item review it when it works fine.. but the % with broken goods who review is likely much higher.

Derrel · May 17, 2013

used Nikon SB 600 - Google Search

This is the sub-forum called "Nikon Accessories". MY suggestion is this: buy a flash that will last. I bought one of these for my wife for Christmas the year the D40 was the hot,new thing...hers still works. It's a good compromise between price and power, and it's built to last, and it will actually function as Nikon intended it to. It's not the most-sophisticated flash, but it does have a unique and very easy-to-operate control interface.

Reliability in terms of TTL exposure has always been excellent for her; she's a non-technical photographer. I used it a few times on multiple Nikon bodies: D40, D1h, D2x, and Fuji S2 Pro. it made great exposures, and had a slightly slimmer design than some of the higher-end Nikon flashes.

greybeard · May 17, 2013

Nothing wrong with Yongnuo, I have 2 565ex's and they work just fine. However, I had to send 1 out them back to the seller as it didn't work properly out of the box. He replaced it without issue but I did have to pay for the extra shipping. I also have a Nikon SB700 and use of a SB910. They are better built and have some advanced features that the Yongnuos do not. With all that said, I think the Yongnuo flashes are worth what you pay for them and so are the Nikons. If you want the best, get a Nikon. If you want something that will work, don't care about some of the advanced feature and may not last as long, get the Yongnuo.

manicmike · May 17, 2013

My Yongnuos work great. Just for the record.

Aloicious · May 17, 2013

IN THE RED CORNER....hah...this is like the third buckster vs derrel YN thread I've ran across today.

I've had SB700's and 600's in the past and loved 'em, used them on camera, off camera, with PW's etc. they were great flashes, I'd recommend them, their modern equivalents, or other tiered nikon flashes without a problem

however, I recently got a few of the new 560III's (the ones with a built in wireless receiver, these are my first YN flashes) to give a try since I was intrigued by the built in receiver, and have been pleasantly surprised, all have worked without issue so far (albeit I've only had them a short while) put out good light, etc. I've been pretty happy with them, especially considering their price. however they're all manual (I don't like TTL, so that's not a problem for me)

to the OP, since you've mentioned that you *THINK* you're ready for a flash, and that budget is a big issue, I'd say start out with a YN flash, for someone like the OP on a restricted budget who's just starting out, I think they're a very viable option.

txtowman · May 18, 2013

I bought a used sb800 and I love it. Paid $300 with extra battery door, pouch, diffuser and stand. Works perfect. Has every thing I need and more. I just hate taking chances on off brand stuff.

gregtallica · May 20, 2013

So the SB600 has wireless capability with my D7k, right?

holy ****, I have so much farther to go to know what I need in a flash. hahaha. I just want to shoot concerts with more light

maybe I'll just become an "available light photographer" :facepalm:

So this wireless control - if I got an SB600, I could put it on a stand away from me, set my camera settings, and the iTTL would talk wirelessly to control the flash settings? Is this something I would ever even need? Or is the wireless for the SB600 simply just going to fire when my camera goes, and I'll have to set it manually?