Looking for a flash

[herky873]

I am looking to get a flash for the first time. I am looking to go as inexpensive as possible and looking at yougnuo flashes. I'm just wondering if Ttl for canon is worth it or not. I would like the head to swivel. Any help is appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Scatterbrained]

Of course it's worth it! A good flash with a bounce head will transform your indoor photography. You could look into the 656 EXII. For the functionality it offers it's quite affordable (relative to the Canon it was made to replicate). I would also recommend Neil Van Niekerk's On Camera Flash Photography Techniques book.

 

[Nevermore1]

I have the Yongnuo 568EX II and have been pretty happy with it. Only issue I had is that the set up can be difficult as the manual that comes with it is horrible. I had to do multiple internet searches and find postings on various forums/blogs about how to get it set up and use it. If you have prior experience with an external flash then it may be easier for you, this is my first one.

 

[lambertpix]

When I bought my first flash, there was no such thing as cheap TTL, so I got a full-manual flash, but now that TTL-capable units can be had at a reasonable price, I'd enthusiastically recommend it.

I've had a Yongnuo 568EX-II for a year and a half or so, now, and I like it a lot. In July, however, I started using a Pixel Mago, and I like it even better. It's got all the features of the 568, including TTL and HSS, plus some the 568 doesn't have -- 200mm zoom, external power pack connector, upgradeable firmware, built-in infrared wireless master-slave capabilities, and more. On top of that, it's cheaper, too.

Pixel Mago review, part 1
Pixel Mago review, part 2

Between the two, the Yongnuo is probably the more conservative choice -- lots and lots of people have had good experiences with it, but I'd give a quick look at the Pixel flash, too, before deciding.

 

[sm4him]

I shoot with a Nikon, so can't really speak to the Canon part of the equation. I have a Yongnuo 560 and a Nikon SB-25. The 560 wouldn't TTL on my D5100, or maybe that was it wouldn't TTL off-camera, I don't really remember…anyway, the point is I had to learn to use it on manual instead and I've really never bothered with TTL since.

On the other hand, my flash skills are mediocre, so maybe I need to start learning how to use the TTL feature with my D7000.

FYI: KEH.com is having a sale on used flashes, today only I think, 10% off.

 

[Derrel]

NICE review on the Pixel Mago flash unit, lambertpix!

 

[herky873]

Where would you buy pixel mago. I can find reviews but no place to purchase.

 

[lambertpix]

NICE review on the Pixel Mago flash unit, lambertpix!

Thanks, Derrel. I wish I'd had a better way to measure the relative outputs of the flashes, but just based on side-by-side usage, I'm pretty impressed. Between flashes & triggers like these and the lenses Tamron and Sigma have been releasing lately, there are some really nice options for budget-minded shooters to get into some nice equipment these days.

I'm somewhat less enthusiastic about the blatant copying of Canon's 580 design, because there almost certainly has to be some IP infringement there, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't happy about seeing a $90 flash with features like that.

 

[lambertpix]

Where would you buy pixel mago. I can find reviews but no place to purchase.

Try this:

Pixel Mago Speedlite for Canon 300D /350D/ 400D /450D/ 500D 5D/ 5D Mark II/ 7D /550D / 600D/ 5D MARK III HSS Wireless Flash Ultra High GN

 

[Derrel]

I have read on Thom Hogan's site that the blatant copies coming out of China are made possible by industrial espionage, in which ACTUAL injection moulding moulds are stolen. Apparently, there are many,many,many moulds used to make the housings of many of today's industrial products, so....moulds are stolen and then sold, and thus there are knock-offs, like say the Meike flash units that are basically externally anatomically EXACT clones of say, the Nikon SB910 flash unit. It is my understanding that the Chinese have a different view of piracy than we do here in the west. I have for many years read that in China, it is estimated that 80 percent or more of all software is illegally cloned rip-off stuff. Same with DVD movies and such as well.

 

[lambertpix]

I have read on Thom Hogan's site that the blatant copies coming out of China are made possible by industrial espionage, in which ACTUAL injection moulding moulds are stolen. Apparently, there are many,many,many moulds used to make the housings of many of today's industrial products, so....moulds are stolen and then sold, and thus there are knock-offs, like say the Meike flash units that are basically externally anatomically EXACT clones of say, the Nikon SB910 flash unit. It is my understanding that the Chinese have a different view of piracy than we do here in the west. I have for many years read that in China, it is estimated that 80 percent or more of all software is illegally cloned rip-off stuff. Same with DVD movies and such as well.

Right.

It's pretty clear that the Chinese government isn't going to step in to recognize and enforce any sort of copyright or patent law until it starts to adversely affect Chinese interests, but it'll be interesting to see how long it takes till one of their companies sees a competitor rip off an invention and start making a stink about it. I bet Yongnuo itself might be an interesting case to watch, given how successful the RF protocol in their YN-622 triggers has been. It wouldn't be a stretch for one or more competing flash manufacturers to include a Yongnuo-compatible trigger in their own flashes, for example, which might not sit too well with Yongnuo.

Confucius say, "Live by the sword; die by the sword." ;-)

 

[dannylightning]

I got a neewere VK750II ITTL it was around 50 bucks. the thing woks great, it has a strobe option, it will also fire off camera when it sees the flash on my camera go off, if you do not want the on camera flash to light your photo you can just turn it down the the lowest setting and than its enough to trigger the neewer flash but it wont be enough to light the photo unless your really close to what you are shooting. or you could have both flashes lightning the photo if you wanted.

for the money you cant really go wrong with that flash IMO. I am quite happy with mine.

 

[xzyragon]

I got my Cactus RF60 + transciever for $150. Lets you remotely change flash levels, control different groups, and it's universal. I think the prices have gone up since then though. Being able to change levels remotely is great when the flash is inside a diffuser / up on an umbrella though.

 

[fotomonkey]

I have the Yongnuo 568EX II and have been pretty happy with it. Only issue I had is that the set up can be difficult as the manual that comes with it is horrible.

Is it anything like this?

 

[Nevermore1]

Ugh! Nope, not that bad!