I'm ready for a flash

gregtallica

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Or, at least I think I am. Sorry for starting another new thread, but I don't want to hijack someone elses.

I'm looking at the Yongnuo YN 468 II. Amazon.com: Yongnuo YN-468 II i-TTL Speedlite Flash With LCD Display, for Nikon: Camera & Photo


I like that this has the TTL. I'd love to learn how to use manual flash, and will with this in manual mode when I can. But, using the TTL, this one ideally should work with my D7k fairly well when on the camera in the right mode, correct?

I've been reading and rereading, and I'm having trouble understanding which flash is right for me. I don't want to spend more than $100 right now, and I'd like TTL. I want it mainly for shooting concerts, and my girlfriend will use for portraiture. We both want to get into OCF, and I'm assuming with the right cables, this will be able to work later on for OCF.


Is this a good one for my situation, are there better recommendations? I'm having the hardest damn time trying to figure out what is right for me. I've read "If you don't know, keep researching..." but so far, research isn't getting me too far, and I learn better hands on, so I'd like to get my hands on a flash.
 
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I picked up a old old sb-24 after reading the whole strobist website. Its a nice little flash, but I wish I had TTL so I didn't have to think so much every time I use it. I'm curious as to what advice you'll hear, too.
 
I saw that and considered manual flash. I honestly do intend to learn to use manual flash, I'm not scared of that at all, but I would like the TTL even just for the sake of snapshots and what not.
 
Buckster recommends the Yongnuo brand flashes and says people buy and enjoy them with no problems whatsoever. SO, I went to Amazon, and checked out ALL the reviewes they have up. Here are summaries/headlines from the negative ones. As one can surmise, there seems to be a lot of quality control/breakdown issues. But hey, it's only $90, and sending one back to China for warranty repair would probably only take a month or so.

Don't purchase if you want high speed sync.


Getting overexposed pictures in TTL mode,


buy with caution.., December 21, 2012It isn't bad but the assisted beam light stopped working. I found a way to solve by flashing the pilot almost in synch with shutter but still a pain because usually takes a couple times before it works.


Cheap flash is cheap, January 26, 2013 It does expose pictures a bit incorrectly sometimes in ETTL.Here's my real complaint: Battery compartment. Yeah. It's cheap. It's made of plastic.You drop it even a foot high and it's a dead flash.


You'll need alot of batteries,it chews up batteries like crazy!


It's ok but......,


Stopped working after 3 uses., November 12, 2012.Used this flash on three separate occasions. Worked perfectly and loved it until it simply stopped firing. Needless to say I was quite disappointed and returned it. I am currently saving up for a genuine Canon flash. You get what you pay for folks.


Budget friendly but Warranty is useless, September 30, 2012
I ordered this unit back in July 2012 as my first flash unit.The unit worked well up until last week when the focus assist light/LED stopped working.I contacted YongNuo via their website to get info for warranty repair/replacement since it's still under the 1 year warranty and their reply was the following: "This is Ryan from YongnuoStore.com. Thank you for purchasing Yongnuo Products. I suggest that you contact your direct sellers. We can help you to repair your product, but We do not offer international shipping for the product which don't buy from YongnuoStore.com. The international freight is very expensive." (US Postal Service $16.95 6-10 business days/$74.95 3-5 business days). Basically since I didn't buy the unit directly from Yougnuo, Yougnuo's rep is saying they will not pay for shipping to China for warranty repair.


Lemon, May 10, 2013I bought this product hoping to upgrade from my Canon 230ex flash. Unfortunately, the YN-468ii only fired once after being installed on my camera. After flashing once, the unit refused to charge.


Junk . . . worked on 3 occasions, February 8, 2013As a professional photographer, relying mostly on natural light, I bought this flash for the occasional event or inside snaps. It worked great for about 3 times and less then 3 hours total. I cannot get the flash to power on anymore even after double checking connections, batteries, etc multiple times. Do not purchase if this will be your main flash as it could leave you without for an event.


to many missfire and the af don't work, August 21, 2012
 
I saw that and considered manual flash. I honestly do intend to learn to use manual flash, I'm not scared of that at all, but I would like the TTL even just for the sake of snapshots and what not.


Exactly, I wish I had the ease of snapshotability.
 
Yeah, I read through some of those. Thanks Derrel!


I wish the Nikon wasn't so damn expensive :( It's hard to justify that much when 1) I have to pay rent; and 2) I'm not getting paid to take pictures.
 
I wish the Yongnuo's were not so junky and cheap and prone to breakdowns. I own four Nikon flashes. Two I bought when I was in college, during the Ronald Reagan era. I used one for an event late last year, and despite it being made in 1984, it fired 586 times without missing a beat. SB-16. Another, the SB-28DX, I bought when I bought my first d-slr, the Nikon D1, in 2001. So far after 12 years, it still works. My SB-20 still works. My SB-800 I bought when I bought my D2x, in May 0f 2005, and so far, that's still working, seven years later.

The Yongnuo units with the three-hour lifespan, and the three-month lifespan...yeah...I understand buying flash units while in college and paying rent...I bought the SB-16 while in college...and doggone it...it still works, almost three decades later. Doggone reliable Nikon flash units...
 
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I agree with the buy good now and keep it forever.

Plus getting a higher end unit with let you get more advanced in the future. I think most lower end flashes don't have PC ports and as many features.
 
Damn, I have another question - how necessary is high speed synch? I've found the 1/250 synch with the built in flash can be a pain when trying to use lower apertures in bright settings, but stopping down can obviously fix that.

If I'm taking pictures of dudes moving around on stage and what not, using this direct or as fill flash, if I'm only able to go up to 1/250, would I be getting motion blur? Using the ambient light w/o flash I try to not go below 1/500, but if I have a flash in the mix, how does that affect the motion?
 
lol Derrel, what's the point in carrying the Buckster conversation into here and calling him out?


OP, I have a YN-460ii and have had it for 3 years with nary an issue, breakdown, etc. If money is an issue, I'd have no problem suggesting Yongnuo to any beginner with a budget.
 
I wish the Yongnuo's were not so junky and cheap and prone to breakdowns. I own four Nikon flashes. Two I bought when I was in college, during the Ronald Reagan era. I used one for an event late last year, and despite it being made in 1984, it fired 586 times without missing a beat. SB-16. Another, the SB-28DX, I bought when I bought my first d-slr, the Nikon D1, in 2001. So far after 12 years, it still works. My SB-20 still works. My SB-800 I bought when I bought my D2x, in May 0f 2005, and so far, that's still working, seven years later.

The Yongnuo units with the three-hour lifespan, and the three-month lifespan...yeah...I understand buying flash units while in college and paying rent...I bought the SB-16 while in college...and doggone it...it still works, almost three decades later. Doggone reliable Nikon flash units...

You just made a strong case for the Nikon. I'd rather not sell another guitar just for a flash, though.



also I read the manual on the 468, but I can't find anything. Does anyone know what the synch speed is for this flash? Is that some common number that I should already know, or does it vary with each flash?
 
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If you want TTL and don't want to buy Nikon then go with a Metz. This is the midrange Metz Mecablitz 52 AF-1 TTL Touchscreen Shoe Mount Flash MZ

if you really want to go OCF then get the real deal and get a monolight with a battery pack.

Unless you want to try used $100 is a good start but I'd keep savin. Honestly, it will save a lot of the gnashing of teeth.
 
For the price of the Metz, though, I may as well go with the SB-700. Which, then the whole thing of staying under $100 doesn't work.


So, why would I want to save up for the Nikon. Reliability is one. HSS is #2? What are the other reasons, keeping in mind I'm an ameture trying to scratch the surface of flashing.

Mike_E you suggested "the real deal" if I want to go OCF - why?



Not doubting your answers, I'm coming to you guys for help because I'm just at a loss with my searching. I'm an advocate of "getting it right the first time," so if a YongNuo isn't going to cut the mustard after 3 months, then I want to do it right. I'm just not sure why.
 
Negativity based on a huge hard-on against YN gear, like it ran off with his wife or something.
Now go to amazon and read the several hundred POSITIVE reviews of the products. Talk to the many YN users here on the forums and see what they have to say about them. Make an INFORMED decision.

Might want to review this thread: http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/...es-speedlites-worth-buying-2.html#post2955782

Here's a fun graphic I put together for Derrel:

Amazon_Yongnuo_capture.jpg


Enjoy. :)
 
Hi Greg, I mentioned the Metz as an alternative to Nikon and to point out that the price of quality is about the same. You might get a cheap flash and have it work for years but the odds are against you.

When I said the real deal I did mean monolights with battery pack/s; portability and power. When comparing speedlights to monolights there really is no comparison Speedlights are way smaller than a monolight but the light output is WAY greater and recycle time much shorter with the monolights. So, you wind up either having convenience or functionality. To me functionality trumps convenience

-OK, I do own several Metzs that put out the same light as a 300 watt second monolight and a couple that are about the same as a 150 ws but you're unlikely to get either of those models [60 CT-4 or 45 CL-4] for under $100 either-

hence a device that does the real job being the real deal.
 

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