[siamthai]

Considering bying a flash and as Pentax flashes are very expensive I was considering a third party flash. Does anyone have any experience using the Yongnuo YN-560 III Flash 2.4GHz? Would it be a good idea to buy this as a beginners flash? I have no experiense at all using flashes with DSLR so I'm looking forward to every opinion/advice

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Last edited by siamthai; 02-24-2013 at 10:46 AM.

[joe.penn]

Does anyone have any experience using the Yongnuo YN-560 III Flash 2.4GHz?

I have experience with the YN-560 first edition, I have three of those, the first edition ones are great flashes so I would expect the "III" ones are great also. As for a beginners flash, this is anything but a beginners flash, you would need a pretty good understanding of speedlights/flashes and such to unserstand how to use a manual flash like this. Probably the best option for a beginners flash here in Pentax land would be the Pentax AFZ360 flash.

[skyoftexas]

I have experience with the YN-560 first edition, I have three of those, the first edition ones are great flashes so I would expect the "III" ones are great also. As for a beginners flash, this is anything but a beginners flash, you would need a pretty good understanding of speedlights/flashes and such to unserstand how to use a manual flash like this. Probably the best option for a beginners flash here in Pentax land would be the Pentax AFZ360 flash.

+ 1 (five characters)

[sandysuwandi]

I have experience with the YN-560 first edition, I have three of those, the first edition ones are great flashes so I would expect the "III" ones are great also. As for a beginners flash, this is anything but a beginners flash, you would need a pretty good understanding of speedlights/flashes and such to unserstand how to use a manual flash like this. Probably the best option for a beginners flash here in Pentax land would be the Pentax AFZ360 flash.

Good to read this, maybe next month I will buy YN-560 first edition as well

[Lurch]

I have experience with the YN-560 first edition, I have three of those, the first edition ones are great flashes so I would expect the "III" ones are great also. As for a beginners flash, this is anything but a beginners flash, you would need a pretty good understanding of speedlights/flashes and such to unserstand how to use a manual flash like this. Probably the best option for a beginners flash here in Pentax land would be the Pentax AFZ360 flash.

Agreed, although the Sigma EF-530 Super is a cheaper alternative

[Jonathan Mac]

I didn't know there was a 3rd edition of this one. I have the original model and it's great - powerful, easy to use and well-built. It doesn't seem to like lithium batteries though.

[kdre]

Yesterday, I ordered two YN-560 III. I think it is very convenient not to have to carry separate flash triggers, extra batteries and so on. However, a cheap flash trigger + YN-560II ist cheaper than one YN-560III (depending where you buy, how long you want to wait etc.). But it isn´t always about money, is it?

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Last edited by kdre; 02-27-2013 at 07:22 AM.

[snake]

Coincidence that this flash has also hit my radar. I'm looking to use something like this for my concert work, particularly to bounce a bit in dark clubs and halls.

[Alizarine]

Whoa, there's a MkIII already. Didn't know that... thanks for the heads-up. Anyways I still keep mine, a first-edition one, and it's been my workhorse flash for jobs that won't require an A-setting or HSS. Some may say it's not a novice's flash - I have to disagree though. This was my first flash, and I learned strobing easily because of it.

What's marvelous about getting a manual flash is that you get to learn exposing with it relying on your own preferences on amount and power of lighting, not on the calculated averages by the camera. Quite a hassle to adjust on fast-paced events though, and that's where you gonna need the auto ones.

[snake]

Any tips or guides to learning how to use one of these flashes? Again, since I will be bouncing to a degree most of the time, and the K-5 is known to be a problem for bouncing, I figured I might as well go with one of these, but at the same time, I"m not too experienced with anything but available light photography.

[bikecoboss]

Any tips or guides to learning how to use one of these flashes? Again, since I will be bouncing to a degree most of the time, and the K-5 is known to be a problem for bouncing, I figured I might as well go with one of these, but at the same time, I"m not too experienced with anything but available light photography.

These are full manual flashes, so the PTTL bounce flash issues won't affect you. Your best bet for learning manual flash is probably Strobist

Work through the Strobist 101 posts and you'll have a good idea what to expect.

Pete

[Neo_]

I have 2 of the 1st gens and 2 of the 3rd.
I've fallen in love with the newer ones I think they're probably the best manual flashes period, wonderful pieces of gear for a strobist

[Kenntak]

I was considering purchasing the Yongnuo YN-560 III for use with the K-30. I would like the ability to use the flash off the camera, and remotely trigger the flash and the camera. I understand that the Yongnuo RF-603 may not work with the K-30. What radio trigger units would you recommend for accomplishing the above?

[Class A]

I would like the ability to use the flash off the camera, and remotely trigger the flash and the camera.

In terms of radio triggers, I recommend the Cactus V5. They are slightly more expensive than the cheapest, but can be used with a vast range of flashes and allow some control over which flashes fire from the camera.

They work with Pentax, including the max. Sync speed, without any tricks required.

The Yongnuo 560 III has a built-in receiver, though, so either get a compatible trigger, or another (cheaper) flash.

You may not need radio triggers if you are only considering small setups, avoiding bright sunlight. I'm pretty sure the flash you are considering has an optical slave mode, so you can trigger it with the pop-up flash or an on-camera flash.

[snofox]

In terms of radio triggers, I recommend the Cactus V5. They are slightly more expensive than the cheapest, but can be used with a vast range of flashes and allow some control over which flashes fire from the camera.

They work with Pentax, including the max. Sync speed, without any tricks required.

I second that. I've been using Cactus V4 for over a year with my Pentaxes together with my Canon flashes. I've yet to experience any problems with them. Highly recommended.