YongNuo 560 Mark II Speedlight

[ccting]

Well, the new speedlight is coming... Which I should I buy ( I plan to buy another 4 speedlights)

a) YongNuo 460 Mark II USD52
b) YN 560 Mark I USD 71
c) YN 560 Mark II USD??
d) YN 460 Mark I USD 41

Currently I own one cheap iTTL speedlight YN465.

1) You have a strobe that can be triggered externally via your camera's PC connection, as seen in the first photo. This example is a Nikon SB-28dx, a circa 1999 pro flash. This external capability can be added to any hot-shoe flash for under $20 via a "Universal Translator" adapter. No worries.

2) You have a strobe that can be set to manual power and "dialed down." This is pretty much mandatory. If your flash does not have a variable manual control, you are gonna be one unhappy (and very limited) puppy. Fortunately, most good flashes have this feature. And you can easily find one that has it if you need to get it.

Which speedlights do have the quoted characteristics? I don't understand what this means "a strobe that can be triggered externally via your camera's PC connection". I have an IR remote control for my D5100. Same thing?


Thanks.

[inkista]

I'd go for the YN-560 if you need it now; the YN-560 II if you can wait (yeah, I know they're saying December, but then they also said the YN-565 would be out about four months before it was....)

Which speedlights do have the quoted characteristics?

All four models can have the output level set manually.

I don't understand what this means "a strobe that can be triggered externally via your camera's PC connection". I have an IR remote control for my D5100. Same thing?

No. The D5100's IR remote control has nothing to do with flash triggering. That's for triggering the shutter. [Although they are kinda related because the circuit's the same: a simple short, which is why a lot of radio flash triggers can do double-duty as a remote shutter trigger, too]. And the D5100's flash has no CLS commander in it.

A PC sync port is a physical port on the flash/camera, where you can connect a cable to trigger an off-camera flash. This sync connector can also be used by radio triggers, etc. PC stands for "Pronto-Compur"; a very old camera name that (iirc) goes back to very early cameras. You do NOT strictly need one to do Strobist work (although it still kind of says you did in Strobist 101), because since David Hobby wrote that post on the Strobist, a bunch of new triggers have come out that connect to hotshoes, rather than use sync ports.

The YN-560s have a PC sync port. The YN-460s do not.

Speedlights.net has the best listing of Yongnuo flash specs, and a great report on the additional/new features the YN-560 II has over the YN-560.

The 560, over the 460, has manual zooming, the sync port, and the external battery pack connector. The Mark II, over the Mark I, adds an (un-backlit) LCD instead of the "idiot lights", and stroboscopic (repeating) mode.

Understand that there's no TTL capability in the YN-460 or YN-560 models. If you want iTTL/CLS slave capability, you may want to consider the YN-565EX instead.

[ccting]

Thanks inkista,
a) I have 18-55mm vr kit len, and I don't plan to get any other len in the future. Is the zoom function useful for me?

b) Will the cheap JJC wireless replaces the PC sync? Or I need a more expensive trigger such as YN 603c or even Strato II? Any difference between those two triggers besides the sync speed and effective range, and battery, ittl past through hotshoe? How important a ittl past through hotshoe for you?




c) As I am buying another 4 units, any difference if i use the cheaper YN460 mark II for less important lights for background, kicker, hairlight, compare to YN560 II? Perhaps 3 YN460 II and one YN560 II? What is the best combination? Or wait for RF604c - improvement model of RF603C which is cheaper than Strato 2?

** I need to do it right at first time, as I don't plan to upgrade anything for the next 10 years. I may do photography part time within 10 years, or I may change my hobby totally. I would like to do event photography as well..in future.

Thanks again..

[inkista]

Originally Posted by ccting

a) I have 18-55mm vr kit len, and I don't plan to get any other len in the future. Is the zoom function useful for me?

What lens you haven't doesn't matter. The zoom function controls the spread/reach of the light. It's called zoom because it's usually used to get the coverage of the flash to match the coverage of the lens, but you can use it however you want. It's a good feature to have if you want to trade off power against spread.

b) Will the cheap JJC wireless replaces the PC sync? Or I need a more expensive trigger such as YN 603c or even Strato II?

If the trigger attaches to a flash/camera HOTSHOE, you don't need a PC sync port.

Any difference between those two triggers besides the sync speed and effective range, and battery, ittl past through hotshoe? How important a ittl past through hotshoe for you?

No freaking clue. I'm not familiar with the JJC or Stratos. It's kind of hard to keep up, giving that there are 17 bazillion different trigger systems popping up everywhere. You may want to try the Strobist Flickr group discussions, as they obsess about this kind of stuff all the time.

c) As I am buying another 4 units, any difference if i use the cheaper YN460 mark II for less important lights for background, kicker, hairlight, compare to YN560 II?

Slower recycle. No PC ports (which I already told you), no zoom control (which I already told you. Same power output.

...Or wait for RF604c - improvement model of RF603C which is cheaper than Strato 2?

You can't possibly expect someone else to tell you if it's worth waiting for something, can you? You can't shoot with equipment you don't have. Whether it's worth waiting for or not is up to you. I've seen a lot of product announcements come and go, and products be delayed or turn into vaporware. This is something you have to decide for yourself.

** I need to do it right at first time, as I don't plan to upgrade anything for the next 10 years.

Too bad, then, that you only have an 18-55VR and don't plan on buying another lens. Don't think that's gonna work out so well for ya....

[ccting]

Dear Inkista,
Thanks very much for the prompted answers. I believe the vr kit len can serve me well for almost every assignment. I prefer pay more money on lighting and other equipments and improving my skillset.

[inkista]

Originally Posted by ccting

Dear Inkista,
Thanks very much for the prompted answers. I believe the vr kit len can serve me well for almost every assignment. I prefer pay more money on lighting and other equipments and improving my skillset.

Yes, this is abundantly clear from your posts.

[sk66]

I've stayed out of this one as I know little about "other" flash manufacturers......I can read the hype and give an educated guess but it's still a guess.

But I'm not understanding something, the one lens vs lights thing.... Adding lighting to make up for the shortcomings in aperture for a lens is a viable approach. It's even a very good approach for advancing in certain areas (event/wedding/studio/etc).

Granted, just 18-55mm will be limiting, but with a crop body it's not terribly limiting for the type of work intended.

BTW, cctiing...not intending to upgrade anything for 10 yrs???? Good luck with that.... If you stay with photography it's not likely. Lenses are like potato chips, you can't have just one.

[ChrisAdval]

Originally Posted by ccting

Well, the new speedlight is coming... Which I should I buy ( I plan to buy another 4 speedlights)

a) YongNuo 460 Mark II USD52
b) YN 560 Mark I USD 71
c) YN 560 Mark II USD??
d) YN 460 Mark I USD 41

Currently I own one cheap iTTL speedlight YN465.



Which speedlights do have the quoted characteristics? I don't understand what this means "a strobe that can be triggered externally via your camera's PC connection". I have an IR remote control for my D5100. Same thing?


Thanks.

I'm I missing something? Last time I checked none of the YongNuo flashes were named with "mark" in them...? I have a YN560 and love it, but if I had an extra $50 when I decided to buy it and the YN565 was out I would get the 565 instead with ETTL abilities. - http://www.amazon.com/Yongnuo-YN-565...1674674&sr=8-1

[inkista]

Originally Posted by ChrisAdval

I'm I missing something? Last time I checked none of the YongNuo flashes were named with "mark" in them...?

YN models tend to proliferate like rabbits, it's hard to keep up.

The YN-460 has had a Mark II for a while, now, which has a bigger guide number and faster recycle time than the Mark I.
The YN-560 Mark II was just announced this week, and is supposed to be out in December, but hasn't yet reached the market.

The YN-xx0 models are manual-only and a lot cheaper, and I suspect that the OP is aiming for them for this issue alone, because he wants to buy four of them at once.

You really only need one TTL flash if you shoot Strobist-style, because you can only put one flash on-camera at a time, and you (probably) can't afford TTL triggers. The OP already has a YN-465, which is a TTL-capable flash, if not CLS capable, like the YN-565EX, and for the price of the YN-565EX, he can get two YN-560 IIs.

The 565EX would make a little more sense if he could take advantage of the CLS slave capability, but the D5100 has no commander in the pop-up and his only other speedlight is a YN-465.

[ChrisAdval]

Originally Posted by inkista

YN models tend to proliferate like rabbits, it's hard to keep up.

The YN-460 has had a Mark II for a while, now, which has a bigger guide number and faster recycle time than the Mark I.
The YN-560 Mark II was just announced this week, and is supposed to be out in December, but hasn't yet reached the market.

The YN-xx0 models are manual-only and a lot cheaper, and I suspect that the OP is aiming for them for this issue alone, because he wants to buy four of them at once.

You really only need one TTL flash if you shoot Strobist-style, because you can only put one flash on-camera at a time, and you (probably) can't afford TTL triggers. The OP already has a YN-465, which is a TTL-capable flash, if not CLS capable, like the YN-565EX, and for the price of the YN-565EX, he can get two YN-560 IIs.

The 565EX would make a little more sense if he could take advantage of the CLS slave capability, but the D5100 has no commander in the pop-up and his only other speedlight is a YN-465.

would my YN602s work for TTL triggering on the YN565?