what about this flash? a little help please

[sburatorul]

i really want to get a flash but in no way can i raise the money for a sb600 now or in the near future. so i was looking at this flash here. now i know it wont be as strong but is it a good flash?

now i see that the metz only has vertical tilt so what about this one? here its the nissin di622

now i dont want someone to tell me the technicalities of the flashes just if someone had some experience with either of them... are they good?

 

[Henry Peach]

Stick with a major brand name. Metz makes good flashes. Never heard of Nissin.

 

[Samanax]

I don't have any experience with Nissin flashes, but looking at the specs of the Di622 it's a very nice unit for the price.

 

[NateS]

I don't know much about those....but do you ever plan to upgrade your body (camera that is...)? If you ever upgrade to something that can use commander mode and CLS to fire your flash wirelessly, you will be glad that you forked the extra over for the SB-600. If you don't have plans to upgrade the body to something like a D90 or better, then one of those may be fine...though I've not heard much about them so I'd wonder how well the TTL function works.

 

[sburatorul]

i've been reading reviews about the di622 and they say it is quite a piece. i am planing on upgrading to a d90 but than i will try and get a second flash, a sb600 and use this one as slave. this is kinda critical to me as i am shooting the baptism of my cousin in 2 weeks and i would need a flash really bad. i wont be getting paid(its a small family ocasion) so there is no possible way to get the sb600 in time. thanks for all the help. at the moment i am leaning towards the nissin. so if anyone used one, let me know.

 

[PhotoXopher]

How about an SB400?

I have 2 SB600's and have the SB400 mounted for the majority of my casual shooting.

Also, if you're shooting a baptism I'd check to see if they even allow flash before worrying too much about it - most do not.

 

[sburatorul]

i did my homework. i know the priest and he does allow it. i also need it for the party afterward. the sb400 is nice but for the same price i get a stronger flash with swivel head on vertical 90degrees and horizontal 270degrees. plus it can be used as optical slave triggered by the on-camera flash. so sb400 is out of the question.

 

[Dao]

I read something about the Di622 doesn't work too well with radio trigger since it will go to sleep after like 5 sec. (When connected to a receiver)

 

[sburatorul]

I read something about the Di622 doesn't work too well with radio trigger since it will go to sleep after like 5 sec. (When connected to a receiver)

didnt know anything about that. thanks for the input!

 

[c.cloudwalker]

Considering you need this flash for one job I would buy the cheapest thing out there (without tilt) and learn very quickly how to shoot holding the camera with one hand and the flash unit with the other.

In this manner, you have all the tilt you want and you save money. You have two weeks to practice, get going!

And then I would start saving for the flash I really want. It is often true that you get what you pay for and Metz makes beautiful flashes if not cheap. But photography is not a cheap business to get into. If you're going to do enough jobs like this, also look into a flash that can be connected to a battery pack.

 

[ANDS!]

If you can afford 100 bucks for the METZ, why not just ask for the extra 50 and look for an SB600 used?

And lets assume you get one of the other flashes - theres no guarantee it'll work other than the manufacturer saying it will.

 

[JerryPH]

This is a pretty weak flash... weaker than a SB-600

If it is for off camera work, the best "cheap" flash that I have used and am happy with is the Vivitar 285HV... and at under $100 it is a little stronger than the SB-600. Price-wise the 285 is probably less than this Metz, but I want you to be aware that this is NOT a flash that will do TTL. It is an awesome off camera flash, though and I like mine... though becuase I have 2 SB-600s, I use them a lot more than the Vivitar.

For on camera flash (ick), I'd tell you to stick to the SB-600. If that means working hard and saving a little longer, do it... you will be very happy you did.