Yongnuo YN560 (a speedlight NOT worth a look)

**Update - After having 2 of these these for a time, and only using them on a rare occasion  both unit have just stopped working. I wrote Yongnuo and told them what happened, and how they just stopped, and that I rarely used them and they were stored in a climate controlled place, and they emailed back..."what is the problem?" Not helpful at all. Not recommending these anymore. Buyer Beware.

Yongnuo YN560 

With waiting on the release of YN565, I needed to get my hands on a couple speedlights. So I purchased the Yongnuo YN560. This is not an ETTL-flash, and if you don’t mind some manual adjustment, these are nice flashes. When I received them, I was rather impressed by the quality. Solid unit, heavy feel, and doesn’t look cheap. I found mine online for about $63. Now I would have loved to get a few 580ex II, but that was out of my range. I also picked up external battery packs for $20, to allow for extended use. Now the Canon setup  which I have 1, costs about $650 with Flash and battery pack. The Yonhnuo set up cost me $103 with 2700mAh NiMH rechargeable batteries.

Now that I have used them a bit, I like how they work. I plug them into pocket wizards I already own and have no problem shooting at different angles from the flash. They optical trigger works just fine, but for me, I like to know I don’t have to deal with any line of sight issues. So if you don’t have a wireless trigger system, you just need to make sure you have some line of sight to the sensors.  

I do like the manual system. It really puts the ball completely in your game. You have to be aware of everything. With the ETTL system, you get the balance light, and though you can make adjustments, I think getting the full understanding of your equipment, only makes you a better photographer. If you end up in a situation where you get stuck on a manual system, you will have little adjusting to it.  

Now the main question I had is, how does it compare to a 580ex? Well, sadly it doesn’t quite have the punch of the 580, but it still is a powerful flash, definitely more power than the 430ex. The YN560 will mount accessories designed for the 580ex like an omni-bounce The. power packs are interchangeable, and it has a pc port for trigger. The recycle time on the YN560 flash is actually a hair faster than my 580ex. I was quite impressed with the recycle time and pushing the flash a bit to see how it could handle it.  

I have used the flashes both on camera and off. I would recommend the YN560 for those on a budget. I am guessing the New YN565, when released, will be a close comparison to the 580EX II with digital display, and trigger with camera’s like the 7D building trigger function. However, I am sure the price tag on the new YN565 will run a bit higher. I have seen a price range of $150-$250 for the upcoming YN565. So if you are in the market for an inexpensive, but dependable flash look at the YN560.

Yongnuo Flashes and the New YN565EX TTL

If you are unfamiliar with Yongnuo Flashes and Photographic equipment, they are a manufacturer of less expensive alternatives to some of your higher name brands like Nikon and Canon. I sometimes look for alternative when I don’t have the funds to purchase the top end equipment, which is often. I was turned on to Yongnuo when doing an interview with David McCourt, photographer and the creator of Slow Photography. He always looks for less expensive alternatives to create his photographic work. Though on a budget, David always seems to photograph beautiful work. So, sometimes you can get the results you want on the cheap. It’s just a matter of knowing your equipment and how to get the most out of it.

 

Most of the reviews I have read about Yongnuo, have been relatively positive. Except for a couple of people who have had a problem with some equipment they received, it seems most that had the faulty piece of equipment had it replaced with satisfaction. Many say that the build quality is not quite that of say name brand Canon or Nikon, but still worth the cost. Mainly, because the savings are so great. If you are looking to build a strobe setup, you can do it relatively cheap getting two strobes with wireless transmitters for the cost of one Canon 580ex II.  

 

They will be releasing a new flash, according to the people at Yong Nuo Photographic, sometime in July 2011. (***FINALLY RELEASED - SEE LINK AT BOTTOM) Most reports I have seen have been May, but in a recent correspondence with the company in China, they said around July. The YN565EX TTL flash is probably the closest thing to a Canon 580EX II. It has a plug in for external power and a pc cord and an LED display similar to the 580EX. It is also supposed to work with the 7D’s built in flash control. I think this will be the first brand outside of Canon to do this. I hear the build quality is decent, but I don’t think it will still be to the level of the Canon’s. However, the cost for what is speculating will be somewhere between $150-$250. I know that is quite the range but compared to the 580ex’s price tag of $460, it’s a bargain. You can find many of their products on amazon by doing a search for Yongnuo. Even so, go to the Yongnuo website to see all their products, and if you see something you like you can search the net for a seller. 

 

If you have any experience with the Yongnuo product line, please leave a comment on your experience. I may be getting one of their flashes to see for myself how these stack up. So you may see an extended or separate blog on this. 

**Update: Added a post about the Yongnuo YN560 (a speedlight worth a look) for a decent flash on a budget (about $65).


***UPDATE: 13 Aug 2011 - Yongnuo YN565EX Available for 179.95 at Ebay - Link

Zeh Bounce hits the UK in the April Edition of Digital Photo Magazine

April 2011

With Digital Photo Magazine's (UK) recent article on How to use your Flash, I am happy to see the popularity of the Zeh Bounce grow. They cover some different techniques, and they feature the Zeh Bounce in their section about using a bounce for lighting. It has also had a surge in places like Europe, especially Norway, which I guess does well due to many people living in smaller spaces. I am guessing more what in America would be considered apartment or condo style living accommodations. In smaller spaces such as an apartment or a house, this can be an ideal piece of lighting equipment.

"How to use Flash" article with Zeh Bounce. (Click image to read.)

 Why to use something like a Zeh Flash Bounce? Some of the best lighting I can get is with the camera's pop up flash. Not to say this is any sort of replacement for a studio strobe kit and gobos and such. However, where this comes into a great situation is in smaller environments. The Zeh Bounce is well geared to being used for things like family shots at family gatherings, or hanging out with friends on the weekend. This is where I found the bounce was great to have.  

Click to see larger image

When hanging with friends I like to bring my camera, but I am not always wanting to carry a ton of gear. I usually grab one lens,  my camera body and that's it. I will grab and slip the bounce into my back pocket, and I am off.  When I get to a friend's house,  I can easily shoot really nice lit images. I was at a small party with some friends down from Seattle, that had brought their daughter with them. She is so adorable I had to get shots of her. And as children do, she was running around and wondering the house, and I would occasionally grab a shot of her.  These shots in the hallway were completely lit with my pop-up flash and a Zeh bounce. The hallway was dark with all the lights off,  but my flash filled the area. The flash lighting cast all around her, giving a nice even lighting.  Now if I shot her with direct flash she would have been blown out. The great thing is these images are as they were shot, no post production work, such a exposure adjustments or color enhancing. They are as they came out of the camera.

  

all images©A. Zeh 2011 

I also find I like the image quality much better when the subject is surrounded by the light rather than direct lighting due to the more natural feel.  There is always a place for directly lighting your subject when you want to shape your subject or add a special drama, but sometimes you want a nice even lighting, and the bounce can achieve this. As with everything though, your environment will dictate what you need to light your subject matter with. However, if I know I am headed to someone's house to hang, I know in most indoor conditions, I can use my bounce to get a great shot. Unless they live in a mansion with 20 ft ceilings (but then I will try bouncing the light off a wall rather than a ceiling).    

Now if you are in a pinch you don't have a Zeh Bounce, you can grab a paper plate or a piece of paper to achieve the same effect. However, the reason to have the bounce was to have both hands free to control the camera quickly. Rather than holding a piece of paper in front of the flash, hoping I am directing the light ok while still adjusting the camera for the final shot. When you see a shot and only have a moment take it, the attached bounce makes for a quick photo. You have much less time involved in composing those candid shots.

Digital Photo Article (Click image to read)

So for a quick and inexpensive lighting solution, which allows you to forgo the extra pound of external flash, or if you just don't have $200-$500 to drop on an external flash, this might be a nice solution.  The Zeh Bounce, for $10 is a cheap solution. I have also tried translucent diffusers for the pop-up flash, but the seem to still let too much light through and give a bit of harsh light, which doesn't have a natural feel. They definitely have a place but bounce light has some of the most natural feel. So if you are shooting indoors in an environment like a home, think about bouncing your light. The Zeh Bounce available for Canon, Nikon and Sony. Also if you have never checked out the UK's Digital Photo Magazine, it's on of my favorite Photo magazines with great How to's for photography and Photoshop, and gear reviews. You can often find it a Barnes and Noble or save $3 and find it at your local Costco.