Looking for a Yongnuo flash

I presently shoot the D7100. I have a SB700 that I am working with using the Commander system. I want to use the SB700 off camera along with an additional flash like one of the Yongnuo flashes. Will it work with the CLS system also or am I going to need to go to triggers for all flashes? I really would like to keep the iTTL systems.

Questions
1. Will the Yongnuo flashes work with the Nikon Commander system?
2. If yes which one?
3. If no what triggers would I need?
 

rocketman122

Senior Member
I presently shoot the D7100. I have a SB700 that I am working with using the Commander system. I want to use the SB700 off camera along with an additional flash like one of the Yongnuo flashes. Will it work with the CLS system also or am I going to need to go to triggers for all flashes? I really would like to keep the iTTL systems.

Questions
1. Will the Yongnuo flashes work with the Nikon Commander system?
2. If yes which one?
3. If no what triggers would I need?

568 565 are the models to look at. no need for triggers.

ttl off camera is crap but maybe itll be acceptable for you. I do also own 6x622n slaves and have shot 2 full weddings in ttl and can confirm there is no accuracy whatsoever with them in ttl. cls is very limited in functionality. basically because of the line of sight. a lot of adjusting and a lot of misfires. and forget backlight firing or around wall firing consistently. they must have line of sight and outdoors it hardly works.

consider looking at the shanny SN600SN or the SN600N as well. 568/565 is one gen back. my intuition says yongnuo they will release a new nikon flagship flash soon to rival the Shanny nikon flagship SN600SN which can be a master or slave. its a good flash but has physical flaws that bother me as a working pro but wouldnt be an issue to a hobbyist newbie. its VERY quick to recycle in full power. I use the panasonic eneloop 2450mah batts and it takes less than 2 seconds.

I purchased the SN600N as I dont need it to be a master flash because CLS is horrible IMO. its well built. better build by a little than the 565/568 (had and sold/gave away) but the 565/568 can be asjusted quicker. it also better speced than the 565/568.

im now in a situation where I dont have a complete work set. I have 8 flashes that I use and dont feel the set is complete. the SB800's dont work well with the 622n on camera. the shanny doesnt allow remote power control with the 622n and the 560III dont offer ttl. itd be nice to have all the flashes the same with slaves that are completely compatible to my needs.
id like to be able to control power output remotely. the on camera slave must have af assist beam and must have a ttl pass through hot shoe. the 622n has a crap hot shoe that when you mount nikon flashes on it, it wobbles like crazy and feels its going to fall off.
 
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WayneF

Senior Member
Questions
1. Will the Yongnuo flashes work with the Nikon Commander system?
2. If yes which one?
3. If no what triggers would I need?

Yongnuo YN565EX ($84 Amazon) works fine as a Remote with the Commander, with another Nikon flash. Seems the cheapest way to get there, and a good way. I assume the YN568 will do as well.

TTL might be crap with the 622 (dunno, but so it is said), but TTL does very well with the Nikon Commander. Nothing extra is needed (a couple of light stands and umbrellas maybe).

The Commander will need about +1 EV flash compensation. That is routine, you just do it, start there. It's TTL BL which needs it, and I think it's intentional with Commander, since it meters the remote flashes individually, and does not see them combined. If it did not, and they if had major overlap (more than main and fill), then overexposure would result. This intention guards against that overexposure.

With two TTL flashes and commander, you can just throw a couple of lights out there, but best results will be one high and wide (like portraits), and one much more frontal and turned down about -1 EV or maybe even -2 EV (lighting ratio). This lighting ratio makes a dramatic difference. The commander will do that for you. The absolute least you can do is to experiment and try the ratio.

Or since +1 EV will be necessary anyway, just set the high and wide one at +1 EV, and the frontal fill at 0 EV and camera FC at 0 EV. Same thing. But of course, adjust as seen necessary. It probably won't be necessary.

The Yongnuo can be the main light, it is noticeably stronger than the SB-700. However, if the fill light is back by the camera (and it pretty much has to be to see around its umbrella), then it should be the strong one.

I would point you to Using the Nikon CLS Remote Wireless Flash System
 
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I have a lot of experience in lighting in general. I started in TV and was taught lighting by some great lighting guys. I still have my Olympus OM2n and three Olympus flashes that were wired with it. That was a great system. All the flashes were read off the film plane so you could have them bouncing off umbrellas and get perfect results every time. I have a silver umbrella and a white umbrella and there was about 1.5 stops difference in the bounced light. I could go out and set them up at the same distance and get great results every time.

Nikon is a little different story. I just have to get the right equipment and test out the basic plan. I am really trying to get what I need in terms of equipment and experience by the time my son gets married in November. I really prefer natural light but for the wedding I know I am going to need light. I am hoping that 1 key and 1 fill will be enough. I may try using the onboard as additional fill at a low power. Just to fill in the shadows a little.
 

WayneF

Senior Member
The Nikon film cameras metered TTL off of the film plane too. Not being able to do that now (aliasing filter shut it down) forces digital to use and meter a weak preflash, which I'm not sure is an advantage (seeing the actual flash in real time seemed a plus). Now the digital system has to tell the remote flash "whatever you just did, now give me 6.2 stops more than that this time." It cannot ask for 1/4 power, because it has no clue about total capability. Speaking of the Commander, even if knew what it was (it doesn't), it does not know where it is either.

However, every cloud has its lining. The new system does allow metering flashes individually, which the film plane system simply could not do (not if confined to real time). The film plane could see how they all add together, and could see when the total was correct, but the new system lets us control each individual flash, and to know and control the ratio. The old system could not do that. And lighting is about ratio.

The commander does try to set each light (each group actually) to be equal at the subject, but then the commander menu also has the ratio settings in it, to specify a fill group is to be a stop or two down from main. Metering individually cannot see how the setup actually overlaps and adds in highlights, but it's about the same situation as using hand held light meters (except they are incident instead of reflected). And handheld can meter the total too.

So now you don't have to know the 1.5 stops difference, and don't have to set them at equal distances. You really don't care about that, you can simply tell the Commander what you want, how you want them set, how you want them to meter at the subject.
 
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fotojack

Senior Member
Car Guy beat me to it, Don. Tim Payne is the go to guy for anything and everything Yongnuo. He even has videos to go along with what he sells.Now that I remember...seems to me I invited you to join that OCF Group!
 
Car Guy beat me to it, Don. Tim Payne is the go to guy for anything and everything Yongnuo. He even has videos to go along with what he sells.Now that I remember...seems to me I invited you to join that OCF Group!

And I have been following it every day. Some interesting shots there. I have got to get started on learning this. Going to start with just my one flash off camera now. I already have umbrellas so I can play with them too. I have the Rogue FlashBender to throw into the mix along with Neewer 5 in1 reflector my wife won recently at a camera club meeting. So now it is just a matter of getting someone to sit still long enough for me to figure it all out.
 
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OK, next question. The commander system seems to be a real hit or miss system. Should I just save myself a lot of misery and go to a radio system like the YONGNUO 622n i-TTL and the 622n-tx Controller? And is that a good choice? Anything better in that same price point?
 

WayneF

Senior Member
It depends on how do you plan to use it?

The Commander limitations are obstructions to line of sight (obstacles between commander and remote flash), or unusually large distances to the remote flash, or bright sunshine can be an issue too. It is also limited to individual control of only two or three flashes, and mixing in other manual flash gear is a big no-no (even light meters).

So it's far from perfect, but for portraits or tabletop indoors, or really for most work, the Commander control is wonderful.

You might read some Joe McNally... he sort of specializes in Commander, and uses it in bright sun too, Commander can do HSS flash - but he gangs 4 or 5 SB-910s to do it. :) (which is about HSS, not about Commander).
 

RocketCowboy

Senior Member
Questions
1. Will the Yongnuo flashes work with the Nikon Commander system?

Yes! I've used the YN568EXs with CLS for a couple of months now.

2. If yes which one?

Ultimately comes down to features/needs. The YN568EX will do iTTL and HSS. I think the YN565 will still do iTTL but not HSS, and the YN560 will do neither iTTL nor HSS, but does have built in radio triggers and the YN560IV also has a built in controller if you want to manually configure your flashes from the camera.

3. If no what triggers would I need?

I did the YN568EX first, so that I could build on CLS and still have iTTL and HSS. Last weekend I added the YN622N and YN622TX to my bag of tricks so that I could go radio instead of optical, but also configure the flashes manually via the YN622N controller. The controller uses the speedlight's TTL functionality to tell the strobe what output to use, but gives you full control rather than depending on the camera body to determine the best light ratios. I like this set up because I can still go back to how I was operating, or control everything from the camera. The higher priced Phottix triggers that supported iTTL did not give me all the functionality that the Yongnuo's do.
 
Yongnuo 1 x YN-622N-TX + 2 x YN-622N RX i-TTL LCD Wireless Flash Controller Wireless Flash Trigger Transceiver For Nikon

Yongnuo YN-565EX I-TTL Flash Speedlite

CowboyStudio Flashlight /Hot Shoe/Umbrella Holder with Swivel/Tilt Bracket (Already have 1)

CowboyStudio Set of Two 7 feet Photography Light Stands with Cases

Should be enough to get me started.

Already have a Nikon SB700
 

RocketCowboy

Senior Member
Just got notice that they all had shipped and will be arriving on SUNDAY. I have Amazon Prime.

Shipped USPS. When did the post office start delivering on Sunday?

Amazon can get the government to do things they say they'll never do for you and me. :)

Sunday delivery for Amazon by USPS has been going on for a little while.


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RocketCowboy

Senior Member
Had to look that up and read about it. Amazon may be saving USPS by giving them all that business.

Since my dad and grandfather are both retired USPS, I get to hear about it all the time. I started my professional career with FedEx, which just adds fuel to that discussion within the family. :)


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Since my dad and grandfather are both retired USPS, I get to hear about it all the time. I started my professional career with FedEx, which just adds fuel to that discussion within the family. :)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

From what I read the USPS employees are not totally happy with with the arraignment. 12 hour days and 14 to 21 days in a row at times. Seems like the USPS has still not geared up for the work load even after all this time.

IT is only a good thing for the USPS IF they handle the work flow and take care of their employees. I am still of the opinion that mail should only run 2 days a week. Rotate it like the garbage pickup. Beef up their package delivery to compete with UPS and FedEx. Email has taken a big chunk of business from the 1st Class mail delivery business.
 

WayneF

Senior Member
It's not the post office though. They do have extremely poor management, but which is Congress, not themselves. All the profits have to turned over to Congress, who doesn't give anything back. No tax support.

"Congress decided in 2006 that the Postal Service would have to prepay 75 years' worth of future-retiree health benefits over the next 10 years, something no federal agency must do."

The concern was not for employee benefits, it's just that such payments count as general revenue for Congress, it pads their own books ($5 billion annually), without coming out of their own budget.

UPS and Fedex can make a good profit, but Congress sets all the rules for post office, including postage rates, Saturday deliveries, which tiny post offices to keep open, rural deliveries everywhere, etc. I can't see UPS doing that. Like many other things, the post office simply needs privately operated independent management.

Post Office Keeps Saturday Delivery Thanks to Congress | TIME.com
 
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Like many other things, the post office simply needs privately operated independent management.

I agree completely. Get rid of all the junk mail I get every day. Waste of money for advertisers and a burden on my trash can to send it to me. I don't even get to the house with it. i have an outside trash can and it gets deposited there.
 
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