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01-02-2016, 10:57 AM   #1
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What about Yongnuo Flashes?

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Hello everyone, i'm not a very active member of this forum, but i hope you can help me with some questions i have for you

I saved some money these days, and i'm thinking about a new flash for my Pentax K30. it would be my first flash, but it shouldn't be to expensive (yeah, i saved some money, but not SO MANY money ), and because of this i'm thinking about buying a Yongnuo flash, they are very cheap and seem to be enough powerful and practical, so they would make an excellente choice.
Do you have in mind some models that doesn't exceed my 70€ budget? i've seen the YN560-III, which is totally manual, and the YN568EX II, but this one doesn't seem to exist with Pentax compatibility.
Thank you to everyone who will help ne, and if i made some mistakes please excuse me, since english is not my native Language

01-02-2016, 11:18 AM   #2
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The YN560III is an awesome little flash. I just picked one up and the wireless triggers. So far I can't complain about how it is and I was already used to manually dialing in power and such from my flashes from the 80's so the newer speedlights really weren't worth it. For the money the Yongnuo is the best.
01-02-2016, 11:53 AM   #3
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The YN560III and IV are better constructed than my Metz 58 AF1. They work great. I'm slowly getting the hang of guesstimating flash power and feel like it's a good skill to have.
01-02-2016, 11:54 AM   #4
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Have the MkIII as well, planning to buy a MkIV to use as on camera flash and controller.

Manual settings become almost second-nature after some use, and are much more dependable than P-TTL IMHO, since you are in complete control and nothing will change unless you say so.

Build quality is very good and it's quite feature-rich. No second curtain or HSS though, since even for something apparently easy to implement as the first (just a dumb trigger signal at the appropriate time) Pentax needs an "intelligent" flash, because it "talks" with the flash rather than sending a simple trigger after a delay.

01-02-2016, 12:19 PM   #5
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So you say the manual use is not so relevant?
Just in order to have a conceptual paragon: is it something like a manual focus lens vs an AF lens? or something more complex to use? (maybe this is not the best way to describe the usage, but is the onl thing that comes in my mind :/ )

What about the compatibility of the YN568EX II? Is it only for Canon and Nikon?
Thankyou to all of you for helping me
01-02-2016, 12:36 PM   #6
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I have the YN560 III version, and use the pop-up flash on my K-5 to trigger it ( when I use it off camera).
A friend of mine was impressed with its speed to recharge between flashes.

Last edited by Riggomatic; 01-02-2016 at 12:38 PM. Reason: spelling error :)
01-02-2016, 12:37 PM   #7
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If you're not sure about manual vs automatic flash then it might be better for you to describe more about how you plan to use flash .... how do you see it helping with your specific shots? Did you want to have it on the camera, or are you intending on using it off the camera, alone or in combination with another flash also? What sort of shots do you want to use the flash for ? What kind of subjects and what situations are you likely to be photographing?

You asked about the 'EX' model, but I suspect this is a Canon E-TTL clone (ie a dedicated system flash for Canon).


Last edited by mcgregni; 01-02-2016 at 12:44 PM.
01-02-2016, 12:39 PM   #8
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QuoteOriginally posted by BlackJack153 Quote
What about the compatibility of the YN568EX II? Is it only for Canon and Nikon?
Thankyou to all of you for helping me
I believe you are correct. Only Yongnuo manual flashes are compatible with Pentax.

I have this kit Yongnuo YN560TX LCD Wireless Flash Controller 2pcs YN560 IV Flash KIT FOR Canon | eBay

Its two 560 IV and a TX wireless controller. I'm loving it so far. I can hold the camera in one and and a flash in the other.. or put it on a stand/tripod or somewhere else in the room.
01-02-2016, 12:51 PM   #9
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FWIW the YN560 TX controller also works with Panasonic Micro Four-Thirds cameras, so that's cool. That suggests that it also works with Olympus Micro Four-Thirds. It may also work with Nikon.
01-02-2016, 01:12 PM   #10
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QuoteOriginally posted by BlackJack153 Quote
So you say the manual use is not so relevant?
Just in order to have a conceptual paragon: is it something like a manual focus lens vs an AF lens? or something more complex to use? (maybe this is not the best way to describe the usage, but is the onl thing that comes in my mind :/ )

What about the compatibility of the YN568EX II? Is it only for Canon and Nikon?
Thankyou to all of you for helping me
In manual mode, you select the power (1/128 up to 1/1 - full power - in thirds of stop if you like) and the focal length (non-cropped, i.e. FF "equivalent") of the lens you shoot with. The flash only does what you tell it.

If light conditions are somewhat constant or change slowly and/or if flash is the main/only source of light in the scene (so any light change is irrelevant) and/orif you need to balance a set of lights to your likings and don't want anything to change, then it works well.
If, OTOH, the scene is subject to rapidly changing lighting condition and/or you need HSS because of the strong natural light, then automatic is preferable.
01-02-2016, 03:39 PM   #11
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My Yongnuo III died after only 8 months of light use, so I cannot recommend it. Others have reported similar observations. (Look at Amazon reviews). I subsequently purchased a Metz 44 used from Adorama for about the same price and have been more than satisfied with it. My suggestion... buy name brand quality used if you can.
01-02-2016, 03:39 PM   #12
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QuoteOriginally posted by mcgregni Quote
If you're not sure about manual vs automatic flash then it might be better for you to describe more about how you plan to use flash .... how do you see it helping with your specific shots? Did you want to have it on the camera, or are you intending on using it off the camera, alone or in combination with another flash also? What sort of shots do you want to use the flash for ? What kind of subjects and what situations are you likely to be photographing?
the mainuse i will make of this flash would be for "in-studio" situations, like macros and static images. I'm not interested in outdoor shooting or this kind of stuff, so i don't think the light variation would be a problem...

Another question, and it may sound stupid, but what about the connection? i mean: is the flash's mount unique for each specific camera brand or is it universal?
Because i can find only "Yongnuo YN560 for Canon Nikon Pentax Sony etc" announces on eBay, but does this mean that is compatible with every single camera of any of those brands, or is it more like "hey, buy this one, it should work, and if it doesn't is not my fault!"

thanks again, and sorry for the dumbness of the question

---------- Post added 01-02-16 at 11:43 PM ----------

QuoteOriginally posted by Driline Quote
My Yongnuo III died after only 8 months of light use, so I cannot recommend it. Others have reported similar observations. (Look at Amazon reviews). I subsequently purchased a Metz 44 used from Adorama for about the same price and have been more than satisfied with it. My suggestion... buy name brand quality used if you can.
heeeey, that web page is really awersome, but i'm afraid that the international shipping and the taxation would eliminate the convenience of their offers...
01-02-2016, 03:47 PM - 3 Likes   #13
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QuoteOriginally posted by Driline Quote
My Yongnuo III died after only 8 months of light use,
Isn't that what all flashes are for, LIGHT use?

I'm here all week. Tip your waitress.
01-02-2016, 04:38 PM   #14
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QuoteOriginally posted by BlackJack153 Quote
*snip*

Another question, and it may sound stupid, but what about the connection? i mean: is the flash's mount unique for each specific camera brand or is it universal?
Because i can find only "Yongnuo YN560 for Canon Nikon Pentax Sony etc" announces on eBay, but does this mean that is compatible with every single camera of any of those brands, or is it more like "hey, buy this one, it should work, and if it doesn't is not my fault!"

*snip*
No questions are stupid, only answers...
Only a single pin is used so the connection shouldn't matter.
Mine was "for Canon" IIRC.

QuoteOriginally posted by Driline Quote
My Yongnuo III died after only 8 months of light use, so I cannot recommend it. Others have reported similar observations. (Look at Amazon reviews). I subsequently purchased a Metz 44 used from Adorama for about the same price and have been more than satisfied with it. My suggestion... buy name brand quality used if you can.
A year and a half here and still kickin', keeping fingers crossed...
01-02-2016, 04:43 PM   #15
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QuoteOriginally posted by BlackJack153 Quote
Another question, and it may sound stupid, but what about the connection? i mean: is the flash's mount unique for each specific camera brand or is it universal?
Because i can find only "Yongnuo YN560 for Canon Nikon Pentax Sony etc" announces on eBay, but does this mean that is compatible with every single camera of any of those brands, or is it more like "hey, buy this one, it should work, and if it doesn't is not my fault!"
The YN-560 will work with any camera (brand or model) that has a standard hotshoe connection. That pretty much means anything (Pentax, Canon, Nikon...) except some older Sony cameras. Some sellers may list the YN-560 as "for Canon" or "for Nikon", but that's just the seller - the YN-560 is all-manual, and does not have any of the pins that a "dedicated" flash has.

One thing about using an all-manual flash - shooting manual means shooting MANUAL. You will have to set everything manually: the flash power level, lens aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. Your K-30 will have to be in M mode with Auto-ISO turned off, and your shutter speed will have to be 1/180 or slower.

I've used a pair of YN-560 IIIs for a couple years now, with no problems. The I and II models had some quality issues, and there may have been some problems with early IIIs, but in general, YongNuo products have gotten better and better over the years.
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