In Depth Comparison/Review: Neewer VK750II vs. Nikon SB700

[Braineack]

Since getting the YN622TX controller and YN622 TTL triggers I decided I wanted a second TTL flash so I could control both when shooting with my flashes. Since I've had good luck with my YN560II I was going to go with a YN565EX.

I heard about this Neewer VK750II for $53 on amazon and figured, "what the hey!"

It gets good reviews, can do TTL and HSS, and has a PC sync port and a power port, something the SB700 nor the YN565EX have.

Out of the box it seems well built, VERY easy to use, and seems to work well with my D600.

I can get into more specifics later, but I decided to put it up against my SB700 in various situations to see how it could handle TTL tasks. So let's dive in:

One thing I noticed right away is that the VK750 seems slight brighter. It also it fills the frame more evenly--it you look, the center of the SB700 is high in the frame, the VK750 hits much closer to the center. Lastly it relies on the D600 to do the WB, so when using the SB700 it was pulling the tint +4-5 to the green side--I do not like that--you can see the tint is off, that's a gray BG.

Now to try TTL against the gray wall:

Nikon brighter this time, but again, the green tint.

Now i wanted to see how it could handle TTL white three different colored subjects on my gray background:

I think the Neewer won here, it overexposed the black cat, but that's how TTL is supposed to work.


Now bounced:

Pretty much a wash here. Nikon seems more even throughout, I'll have to test bounce more.


And off camera, still using TTL:

Again, hard to say between these, I prefer the Neewer, but only because it's a little darker on the shadows.


Finally, testing TTL just shooting in my basement-On camera, pointed straight ahead:

The Nikon seemed to consistently underexpose these shots and the coverage is uneven in the frame, the edges were always vignetted.



One neat positive with the Neewer VK750 when using the YN622: the Neewer actually displays the camera/flash settings. If I change the shutter speed and aperture on the camera I can instantly see the change on the flash. The Nikon only displays the distance to subject. this makes it nice to quickly double check your camera settings with a large display, especially for those with cameras without an LCD.

One low: the zoom motor is loud.

I'll test more later, like HSS. If there are any other types of comparisons you'd like to see just let me know.

I bought that SB-700 refurbished from B&H in 2011 for $300. Compared to a $53 flash with more features, it's getting a good run for its money.

For relativity of that statement, I purchased a Bower SFD926N Digital Autofocus Power Zoom TTL / i-TTL Flash trying to cheap out before I got the SB700 for $150. I had to return it--it hardly even worked.

 

[fotomonkey]

Hurry up and finish your tests. I was about to buy some Yongnuos.

 

[tirediron]

How does build-quality stack up?

 

[Braineack]

Besides the loud zoom motor it seems nice. My sb700 feels cheap and flimsy comparitively. The swivel and tilt is very tight and solid.

I'm sure the body is a mold from some nikon, maybe the sb900

It has a pilot button but you can also just push the status light, I found that funny.

using tapatalk.

 

[Ted Evans]

Since getting the YN622TX controller and YN622 TTL triggers I decided I wanted a second TTL flash so I could control both when shooting with my flashes. Since I've had good luck with my YN560II I was going to go with a YN565EX.

I heard about this Neewer VK750II for $53 on amazon and figured, "what the hey!"

It gets good reviews, can do TTL and HSS, and has a PC sync port, a power port as well as beam assist, something the SB700 nor the YN565EX have.

Out of the box it seems well built, VERY easy to use, and seems to work well with my D600.

I can get into more specifics later, but I decided to put it up against my SB700 in various situations to see how it could handle TTL tasks. So let's dive in:.

A lot of work and very informative, very much appreciated.

 

[qleak]

Can you do a color test to see how well it matches the sb700? Maybe grid or snoot them up to make it possible to tell apart?

Does it have an optical slave?

 

[Braineack]

Yes, optical slave. Says wireless trigger too, but unsure what triggers it. The manual is so funny. I'm lolling reading it. Edit: the wireless trigger is the optical slave.

Bad: I can't get hss to work, can't shoot it faster than 1/250, which is fine.

Has a strobe feature that can flash rapidly so you can capture a series of movement.


using tapatalk.

 

[JustJazzie]

Wow! Thanks for the review!! This looks like something to keep high on the list. I've been wanting a ttl flash but haven't committed. Great examples, thanks for taking the time to post this!!!

 

[Braineack]

Fwiw, I'd still probably reach for the sb700 as the go to. But this does what I need it to, and will work in conjuction with the nikon flash whenever I need to use speed lights for a shoot. I wouldn't mind having like 4 of these plus ttl triggers for the same price as 1 nikon flash.

I love having control from the TX unit.

using tapatalk.

 

[Braineack]

More findings: assist beam is way off center. Makes it difficult for it to focus in low light on 3d objects. I'm going to see if I can't adjust it somehow. Sb700 blows it away find focus in low light.

using tapatalk.

 

[Mach0]

Won't be bad for an off camera flash

 

[Braineack]

Won't be bad for an off camera flash

No, and if that's all you're looking for, I don't think I would hesitate to get one--It seems to communicate very well through the YN622. If I was shooting weddings and needed an on-camera workhorse, iI just don't quite think this is what I'd run to.

Fwiw, I tried taking it apart to adjust the beam assist laser, but i couldn't figure out how to get all the way to that circuit. I don't think there's much room for adjustment, it would probably require me having to desolder it from the board and resolder it on a better angle; I first popped off the red cover and there's no "give" when it comes to positioning it.

 

[SquarePeg]

Maybe return it and try another copy. It could just be that one.

 

[Alexr25]

The reason your are seeing dark images from the SB700 is that the flash is defaulting to TTL-BL mode and trying to match the flash power to the ambient background illumination. To force the SB700 into basic TTL mode you have to have the camera metering mode set to spot metering.
The lack of a simple method to select between TTL and TTL-BL is a real PITA with the SB700

 

[Braineack]

Interesting, I forgot about BL mode.

The shiny objects reflecting the flash is probably why the SB-700 shots are darker if that's the case, since it was in Matrix mode, and ultimately BL.

I can test both outdoors and see how they compare since the flash was pretty much the entire light source in all the shots I did above.