Looking for a decent flash without spending a boatload of money

[PhillyCodeHound]

Hi all.

I have a Canon T4i and would like to get a good external flash for it, but don't want to break the bank. Suggestions?

 

[waday]

Check out Yongnuo. They have some decent flashes at very reasonable prices. I have the one linked and a Canon 430EX II. The biggest difference (aside from price) is that the Yongnuo will be fully manual, whereas the Canon will have E-TTL, which will help out if you're just starting with flash.

 

[Derrel]

A TPF member did this review recently: Review of the Neewer VK750 II Speedlight

 

[MichaelHenson]

I have a Neewer TTL speedlight and a Yongnuo 560ii and they're both pretty good. If you're looking for a strobe, check out Adorama's Flashpoint line. I snagged a couple of them (one FP Studio = super cheap but pretty good!, and one FP Rovelight that just went on sale) and I've been happy with both...Actually just used the Rovelight all morning Saturday for a shoot and it worked great!

 

[Braineack]

A TPF member did this review recently: Review of the Neewer VK750 II Speedlight

hey i did a pretty poor one myself: In Depth Comparison Review Neewer VK750II vs. Nikon SB700 Photography Forum

 

[Punisher911]

What about the Bolt line of flashes? I got my Bolt VX- 760C for 270 ish and it reviews comparably to the Speedlite 580...and it works with Canon E-TTL and TTL-II

 

[soufiej]

Just hang around professional shoots where they're using Canon. Have an assistant who can create a diversion. Then, while no one is looking ...

 

[fortheus]

I use YN568II it punch above its price. Great flash for a fraction of Canon price

 

[Surfwooder]

I agree, look at Yongnuo flashes. I use the YN 565 EX for all my flash work. It is TTL or manual flash. If you pair it with Yongnuo YN 622 triggers you'll have the perfect off camera flash system, plus you can add flashes for better lighting.

 

[TCampbell]

Just hang around professional shoots where they're using Canon. Have an assistant who can create a diversion. Then, while no one is looking ...

You're obviously a beginner. Seasoned pros know that you file off the serial number and spray-paint the flash to a different color so that it won't be recognized. ;-)

 

[Vtec44]

Have you looked at the yn600ex-rt ? It's also compatible with the Canon 600 EX RT flashes.

 

[pixmedic]

I have had a lot of different flashes over the years. SB24's, SB28's, SB600's,SB700's, SB800's, and a few third party flashes now like several YN568EX's and i just recently got a Neewer 750II, as derrel linked my review. (braineack did a much more in-depth review though, but I think we basically came to the same conclusion)
I got the Yongnuo 568EX flashes because I wanted a few extra flashes with TTL and HSS. I sold my sb24's, sb28's, and sb600's a while back. (I hated the sb600 menu) the newest yongnuo flashes are the 568EX line and are $180 new. I found that they stack up very nicely against the SB700. I reviewed the 568EX flash HERE. More recently, I decided to try out the newest of the Neewer flashes just as a spare off camera flash. the Neewer 750II was $60 brand new. I dont think it is quite as good as the sb700 or yn568EX flash, and it doesnt do HSS like the other two do, but for a third of the price of a 568EX I think its a great flash.

if you want TTL and HSS, i would recommend the yongnuo 568EX.
I think there is an older yongnuo model that does TTL as well.
if you dont care about HSS but still want TTL, the Neewer 750II is a great flash for the money.

 

[lambertpix]

I've got a Yongnuo 568EX that I like, but I like Pixel's Mago even better. Remarkable bargain, IMO. I also recently reviewed a couple of Pixel's X800C's with built-in radio triggers. The built-in triggers are pretty sweet, but I encountered some pre-production teething pains, and I can't be 100% sure they've been sorted out yet.

If I were starting all over, I do believe I'd give a little thought to what sort of radio system I wanted to use, and then try to standardize on one of the brands that's got built-in triggers, because I really am sold on the convenience -- less stuff to haul around, fewer batteries, etc.. As mentioned earlier, Yongnuo's yn600ex-rt is (supposed to be) compatible with Canon's radio system, so score one for a semi-open protocol.

It's really amazing, actually, how much value you can get in a flash these days vs. 3-4 years ago.