AF-Assist on Flash

[andmart1]

Hello!
I need some help with the AF-assist on flash.
I'm having a hard time to focus on low light conditions.
I recently upgraded from my very first DSLR camera to my beloved D750. I even bought the awesome 70-200 f2.8 VRII so as you guys can imagine it was quite a huge expense that I had.

Since I was in a budget I bought 2 cheap speed lights. One actually my husband gave me , another one I bought following good reviews and of course because it was extremely cheap.
They are : Newer TT560 and the Polaroid PL144AZ-c

The point is I'am still a beginner (its being around 6 months I started but even knowing my lack of experience, people is asking photograph them constantly ) and I don't use flash often, but I started to photograph events and I am struggling with focus on extreme low light situations. =(

Both flashes DOES NOT turns on the AF-assist ! I've read all manual (which is just one small page for each actually), I researched online as crazy and I tried already everything I saw online to activate the AF assist. My camera does turns on the "white light" when I change the AF mode to other than Continuous (actually it turns on only if I select AF-S "auto" or AF-A "auto") but the Red light on the flashes NO WAY!

Yes I am planning on buy a better flash but since many people states good things about these flashes, I would like to wait a little longer to have time to choose the better choice and expend the extra money.

Can someone please help me to understand how to make them work properly? I can;t believe both of them are damaged, it is probably my fault, but I can't figure out what am I doing wrong by myself.

On the top of that I really would appreciate some advice on low light situations. Usually I shoot on manual or Aperture priority mode and I set my ISO sometimes in AUTO (up to 3200-4000) other times I play with the aperture and ISO but most of times on events we don't have much time to set everything manually.

Thank you.

 

[Designer]

Those two speedlights you have might not do the AF-assist as you have hoped. Read the user's manuals for each to see if they will do that, and how to make sure it is activated.

Barring that, your camera should be a able to provide the AF-assist. Why it does not work, I cannot say. Good luck!

 

[goodguy]

Was in an event yesterday and was shooting in near dark conditions, even my D750 had issues focusing and I found my Yongnuo's AF asist was a HUGE help and really saved my neck helping to produce nice sharp pictures.
I recommend the Yonguo flashes that while they are cheap they are very good (in my experience).

 

[andmart1]

Thank you so much for your answers. I will try to find out if my both flashes doesn't have AF-ASSIST (I saw that I wrote ASSISTENT I'm so sorry! My english isn't that good and I'm not used to these terms yet.). I think they do, it seems to have one but I'm not sure since it never worked.

Goodguy thank you for your recommendation. I will check it out. =) Can you please just tell me how do you activate your AF-assist (on the flash)?Maybe I'm doing something wrong, since you have the same camera model as I do, it would help a lot.

Thank you

 

[andmart1]

Hey I took a picture ( horrible I know) of my both flashes using the aweeeesome iphone and its flash just to show you guys that at least the Polaroid flash does looks like it has an AF-assist . The newer I'm not quite sure . I'll search even more on internet about it because I pretty much just found reviews and none of them says anything about it :/
If someone know these flashes please let me know if they are broken, they doesen't have it or if I am doing something wrong.
many thanks.

 

[goodguy]

From the look of it I think you should have AF assist on your flash but hen again I might be wrong.

As for the Yongnuo I really dont do anything, I leave it on iTTL and when I press the shutter button it sends a beam that really helps the camera AF.

 

[Braineack]

why do you think your $20 flashes have AF-Assist?

Polaroid PL144AZ-c suggests you have a Canon model flash, might be why it doesn't work. Your Neewer model doesn't appear to actually have it.

FWIW, My VK750ii AF-assist is junk compared to my SB700. I do however like the one on my YN622s.

 

[astroNikon]

YOU may want to call Polaroid directly ==> Contact Support | Polaroid

But according to adorama it does have "AF" => Polaroid PL144AZC Power Zoom Shoe Mount Autofocus Flash for Canon SLR Cameras, Guide No. 148'.

But as mentioned above. Cheap flashes sometimes do not work up to one's expectations.
Some of the really cheap stuff just cannot compare to flashes even at $99 that seem to work like advertised for home stuff.

 

[Braineack]

also make sure to ask:

Hey Polaroid, if I bought a flash for a Canon, why don't all the features work on a Nikon...

 

[astroNikon]

Polaroid PL144AZ-c suggests you have a Canon model flash,

also make sure to ask:

Hey Polaroid, if I bought a flash for a Canon, why don't all the features work on a Nikon...

Yeah, good catch
the AZ-C is for Canon
for AZ-N is for Nikon

Your "canon" featured flash won't work so well on a Nikon camera.

 

[Braineack]

 

[andmart1]

YOU may want to call Polaroid directly ==> Contact Support | Polaroid

But according to adorama it does have "AF" => Polaroid PL144AZC Power Zoom Shoe Mount Autofocus Flash for Canon SLR Cameras, Guide No. 148'.

But as mentioned above. Cheap flashes sometimes do not work up to one's expectations.
Some of the really cheap stuff just cannot compare to flashes even at $99 that seem to work like advertised for home stuff.

Thank you so much. I was even surprised by the price you showed me! I paid $ 140 on Polaroid flash, not $30 or $20 ! And for Newer I paid around $40 . Still it was way cheaper than an "excellent, super power flash" but like I mentioned before, I could not expend much money and I still can't right now, but I'm really thinking about it. Of course I was not expecting something super awesome I'm just wondering why both of them doesn't work properly.

thank you again for your gentle answer.

 

[andmart1]

also make sure to ask:

Hey Polaroid, if I bought a flash for a Canon, why don't all the features work on a Nikon...

Do you think you are funny? You are not.

First you answered "why do u think a $20 flash would have Af-assit".Than you decided to go ahead and make even more fun of me.

Once upon a time you were also a beginner or have u born a SUPER PRO "knows everything" PHOTOGRAPHER? If you want to make fun of people, I suggest you to don't waste your precious time answering "stupid questions" on a beginner forum.

I did not paid $20 for none of these flashes. I mentioned it already , but the point here isn't the price. Sure I bought it for been cheaper, not expecting the most awesome equipment ever, I just would like to know if it really has an AF-assist why mine is not working. This is my first time buying a flash and using it. I'm not ashamed about it. Actually I didn't feel the need to use flash often, but now that I started to use this a little more I found this issue with mine. All I need is some sort of help, not someone mocking me.

If I bought something wrong than lets talk to Amazon who is stating that it was supposed to work on Nikon. Yet it is not mentioning the exactly model that I have, but I really thought it would work since works on most Nikon cameras. Am I stupid ? Am I really supposed to call them telling that I bought a wrong super cheap crap flash and I want it to work anyway???
Polaroid PL-144AZ Studio Series Digital Power Zoom TTL Shoe Mount AF Flash With LCD Display For The Nikon D5300, D5000, D3000, D3200, D5100, D5200, D3100, D7000, D7100, D4, D800, D800E, D600, D610, D40, D40x, D50, D60, D70, D80, D90, D100, D200, D300, D3, D3S, D700, P7800, P7700, P7100 Digital SLR Cameras


I see no need for these type of answer. If you don't want to help, just ignore the question. Simple as that. The only thing you did by answering me like this was putting me on such bad situation making me feel and look stupid. I feel, like I can't post questions here anymore since someone like you will be mocking me. I rather continue my journey learning by myself than have someone laughing at my doubts.

Some people needs to make others feel bad so they feel somehow "superior". Being humble is a virtue (for few though).

 

[Braineack]

Yes, I find myself funny.

and I also didn't make any fun of you. At all.

I actually spent time reading your post and seeing if I could help. I simply googled your first Neewer flash, and never saw AF assist as a feature--hence my first response. [I made a typo where I meant to say $20 flash, not plural -- that wasn't poking fun, I was just calling it the $20 flash instead of specifically calling out the Neewer TT560]

Then I saw that your Polaroid flash is made specifically for are using a for Canon bodies, not Nikon.

Then I provided a little bit of information you may have found useful, suggesting that even if the Neewer has AF-Assist, it wouldn't be very good. My $50 Neewer flash with AF-Assist functions poorly in that regard.

My response to @astroNikon was to reiterate the fact that a Canon flash is being used on a Nikon and trying to point big red arrows at the most likely reason why AF-Assist is not working on that flash and that might save a call to Polaroid.

Reading above it seems that the place you bought it from misrepresented it, and I was try to return it and buy the correct model flash. I'd personally return it regardless and buy something different that a little more proven/tested for much less money, like my cheap $50 VK750ii or a YN568EX, or alike, YongNuo flash.

Finally, this is the internet.

 

[wfooshee]

When shopping for that kind of stuff, "-c" always means Canon, "-n" always means Nikon. If you ordered a -n and got a -c, then contact Amazon and get it straightened out, no big deal. If you ordered without specifying, they just guessed and got it wrong. Still, call them and get it straightened out.