Yongnuo YN-568EX Wireless TTL Flash Speedlite and triggers help

E-Niko

Senior Member
Hello all,
(I'm new and I looked around a bit first but didn't see anything related to my question, sorry for double posting if this topic has already been discussed prior)

So I'm new to using flash and don't really understand it well yet but I bought a Yongnuo YN-568EX Wireless TTL Flash and the YN-622N i-TTL Flash triggers for my D800 and a lot of the time the flash fires early and my image is black, I'm not sure if I have a setting messed up somewhere but I've look EVERYWHERE and can't find any answers, not even from Yongnuo directly,
Does anyone know why this would happen?
Is it a battery issue?

One last question,
My flash seems to have one setting TTL or manual, and that is BRIGHT, shouldn't it adjust a little with TTL on?

Again I'm sorry for possibly such a news question, I am trying to learn flash as we speak :)

Thanks in advance for any help,
Sincerely,
Ian W.
 

WayneF

Senior Member
Hi Ian,

There should be a lot of help here, but for us to understand, you need to describe what you are actually doing. Are you using the flash on the hot shoe, or remotely with the YN622? Either way, what are the mode settings on flash, and settings on the 622 if involved.

I don't have a 622, so I would be ignorant about it. Others here use it, and know about it.

For the simpler regular case of the flash on the camera hot shoe, simply put the flash into TTL mode, and shoot away. The flash head can be aimed up for bounce or ahead for direct flash. The camera needs no flash mode for a hot shoe flash, but camera mode A or M would be normal. For bounce flash, start at ISO 400 and f/5 and 1/200 second shutter speed (but other values can be possible or needed or desirable). The result really should not be too too bright (except maybe for direct flash), a bit dim is the normal issue, but either way, camera flash compensation will adjust what TTL flash mode is doing. There is also flash compensation on the flash, and you can use either, but if somehow you use Both, they will add together numerically.

For hot shoe flash, you can use flash Manual mode. In which case, you simply adjust the power level of the flash to give you the trial and error result that you want. If too bright, then set a lower power level, repeat until it is correct. Manual means that it is YOU that does this control.

For either TTL or Manual flash, just make the result look like you want.
With Flash Compensation for TTL, or flash power level for Manual flash.

And there are other remote modes of course. Your triggering too early sounds like S1 mode with a TTL flash on the camera, but just guessing about what the situation might be, that is not sounding likely.
So please tell us the situation, how you are trying to use the gear?
 
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E-Niko

Senior Member
Thanks Wayne! Great info,

yea I'm using the YN-622 iTTL wirelessly, so my shoe has the transceiver and my flash has the receiver, everything as far as I know is in all TTL, the flash, and the wireless components.

I tried to not mess with too many settings because I don't understand them yet.
So what happens is I get set up, set my flash where I want it, focus and shoot, the flash visually fires early, beeps differently and it'll do it a few times then fire normal.
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WayneF

Senior Member
That seems a pretty good description indeed. :) I am ignorant about the 622, but surely others here have experience with it.
 

E-Niko

Senior Member
That seems a pretty good description indeed. :) I am ignorant about the 622, but surely others here have experience with it.

Thanks anyway Wayne,
I shot with it today and for some reason it kept going to 14mm focal distance and flashing a "M" manual I assume, but it does not allow me to switch it back to 35mm and when ever its on 14mm it fires early.
It will go back to 35mm on its own, I can't help but feel that it's a battery power issue, it also takes a while to charge between flashes and I burn through new batteries each outting. (200 ish photos)
 

PapaST

Senior Member
What are your camera settings when you shoot? Are you tying to use HSS? Are you set for front curtain sync or rear curtain sync? That information might be useful. I wish I could be more help, but I'm kind of stumped as to what the problem might be.
 

E-Niko

Senior Member
What are your camera settings when you shoot? Are you tying to use HSS? Are you set for front curtain sync or rear curtain sync? That information might be useful. I wish I could be more help, but I'm kind of stumped as to what the problem might be.

Hello PapaST,
Yes, I'm sorry I forgot to mention that my HSS is on and I have it on FCS.
 

WayneF

Senior Member
Thanks anyway Wayne,
I shot with it today and for some reason it kept going to 14mm focal distance and flashing a "M" manual I assume, but it does not allow me to switch it back to 35mm and when ever its on 14mm it fires early.
It will go back to 35mm on its own, I can't help but feel that it's a battery power issue, it also takes a while to charge between flashes and I burn through new batteries each outting. (200 ish photos)

On a Nikon flash, the 14 mm and the M is because you have the pull-out fold-down diffuser covering the flash head. Put it back to remove the 14 mm and the M. Or the dome on some Nikon flashes. I don't think any of the Yongnuo have the head switches to detect this.

Firing early does not make sense to me, but the flash is much weaker with the 14mm diffuser pulled down. Get up close once to see if it still appears not to work at 14mm. And HSS mode only has about 20% power anyway, you might think that is not working. :)

The M can also be because you manually zoomed the flash away from the automatic lens zoom which it normally follows. See the flash manual about procedure to remove the M, but generally on a Nikon flash, the way is that you manually zoom the flash to the same current value as the lens. On a Yongnuo flash, you manually zoom to the blank position just lower than the 24mm position, which is Auto.

Sorry, I kept drifting off into Nikon mode. :) But basic operation is about the same.

200 flashes seems reasonable for higher power levels. It is a big flash, uses more than a little flash. Also you said HSS mode, so it will be at high power. I don't know your goals, but that is probably a questionable choice (if using HSS shutter speeds). Certainly indoors it is questionable.
 
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E-Niko

Senior Member
The 14 mm and the M is because you have the pull-out fold-down diffuser covering the flash head. Put it back to remove the 14 mm and the M.

Firing early does not make sense to me, but the flash is much weaker with the 14mm diffuser pulled down. Get up close once to see if it still appears not to work at 14mm. And HSS mode only has about 20% power anyway.

The M can also be because you manually zoomed the flash away from the automatic lens zoom which it normally follows. See the flash manual about procedure to remove the M, but generally, the way is that you manually zoom the flash to the same current value as the lens.

Hey thank you Wayne!!
That solved the 14mm "M" problem!
I've looked online and in my manual, and I can't figure out why it fires early, that's why I keep going back to it being a power issue.


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WayneF

Senior Member
Are you saying "early" only because you don't see the expected result? There is nothing about hot shoe operation that can cause early, it would seem impossible. But too weak to be noticed can be expected, if in HSS mode.

I'd like to hear more why you think you need HSS mode?
 

E-Niko

Senior Member
Are you saying "early" only because you don't see the expected result? There is nothing about hot shoe operation that can cause early, it would seem impossible. But too weak to be noticed can be expected, if in HSS mode.

I'd like to hear more why you think you need HSS mode?

By early I mean early :(
I visually see Plenty of flash, but my image is BLACK, NO picture, I'm shooting high because of HSS and it's so bark that my image is black, but if it shot just a smidgen later it would have been fine.

And I need HSS Because if I don't go above 1/125 my images will be white washed from waaaay to much flash, as said in my original post it seems LIKE it has one mode, BRIGHT! :)

Thanks wayn for your help and questions trying to figure this out with me


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WayneF

Senior Member
Maybe that is some 622 issue then, that I don't know about. Because I make no sense of "early" or of 1/125 second. HSS does not begin on a D800 until at least 1/320, or optionally at least 1/400 second. At lesser speeds, it is regular speedlght mode (not HSS) and flash exposure is independent of shutter speed (at lesser speeds than Auto FP trigger point).

You should be able to isolate any 622 issue (if any) by trying same thing with flash directly on the hot shoe. It either works the same, or it does not.

For a hot shoe flash, TTL of course does its TTL preflash just before the shutter opens (to be metered to set TTL level), but normally it is too close to the actual flash to distinguish it visually as a separate flash. I'm still guessing just not enough HSS flash level to show up. If your distance is great (say 20 feet), that would be expected for HSS.
 

E-Niko

Senior Member
Maybe that is some 622 issue then, that I don't know about. Because I make no sense of "early" or of 1/125 second. HSS does not begin on a D800 until at least 1/320, or optionally at least 1/400 second. At lesser speeds, it is regular speedlght mode (not HSS) and flash exposure is independent of shutter speed (at lesser speeds than Auto FP trigger point).

You should be able to isolate any 622 issue (if any) by trying same thing with flash directly on the hot shoe. It either works the same, or it does not.

For a hot shoe flash, TTL of course does its TTL preflash just before the shutter opens (to be metered to set TTL level), but normally it is too close to the actual flash to distinguish it visually as a separate flash. I'm still guessing just not enough HSS flash level to show up. If your distance is great (say 20 feet), that would be expected for HSS.

Great info again :)
I was thinking that today as I went out and shot, maybe my exposure is too low and I'm not in HSS range, I thought that may have been some of the issue, it happened a lot less today and I never used my flashes diffuser and it stayed on 35mm and flash just about all the time.

When the flash is on the hotshot directly it works everytime.

What do you mean not enough HSS Level? Like 1/350+ Exp?

This flash stuff is so confusing, I need to be shown Haha


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WayneF

Senior Member
Great info again :)
I was thinking that today as I went out and shot, maybe my exposure is too low and I'm not in HSS range, I thought that may have been some of the issue, it happened a lot less today and I never used my flashes diffuser and it stayed on 35mm and flash just about all the time.

When the flash is on the hotshot directly it works everytime.

I don't have the 622, but I think HSS ought to work the same way, on the 622, or on hot shoe directly. Assuming the subject distance from flash is comparable and close enough. Why it does not, I don't know the issue, someone else will have to help with the 622.


What do you mean not enough HSS Level? Like 1/350+ Exp?

This flash stuff is so confusing, I need to be shown Haha

No, I mean the maximum power capability in HSS mode, enough to illuminate the subject in HSS mode. That is no simple matter. :)

You probably need to know how HSS mode works... what it actually is.
see Auto FP and HSS - What is it?
(see the picture there comparing speed of speedlight mode vs HSS mode).

In order that the the sync speed is not an issue for flash, the HSS mode has to change from speedlight flash mode to be a continuous light for the duration of the shutter travel duration. So it works like a continuous light, like a brief desk lamp instead of a flash. Continuous light has no sync limitations, any shutter speed works (if fast enough for Auto FP to actually switch to HSS mode to be continuous light).

Continuous light means it has to reduce maximum power level to maybe 20%, in order to be able to run continuously for the focal plane travel, maybe 1/300 second, which is a relatively long time for a flash. The range will be limited.

It means the Equivalent Exposure concept works for HSS flash too, same as for sunlight or other continuous light. Not like speedlight flash.

Which is a good thing, because fast shutter speed decimates continuous exposure. We might be able to set fastest shutter speed in sunlight, but we absolutely must open aperture wide to compensate for the extreme loss of exposure due to fast shutter. HSS is the same (continuous). And HSS only has about 20% power.

Which is really the only point of HSS... we can use fill flash (HSS, not flash) at f/2.8 in sunlight, by maximizing shutter speed to compensate for the aperture. Equivalent Exposures, assuming you want to use f/2.8 in sunlight. HSS lets flash work that way too. Otherwise, it is pretty unhandy. And HSS being continuous light, it cannot stop motion. All you have working for you is the shutter speed. We might imagine using it for the fast shutter speed, but the range is likely insufficient for most sports.

Speedlight flash mode is limited to maximum shutter sync speed. When the ambient is dim, where we usually use flash, this is really no issue at all. But other than allowing f/2.8 in bright sun with flash, speedlight mode runs circles around HSS mode, power, range, and speed. Speedlight mode is how high speed flash is done (called speedlight), for example, milk drop splashes or bursting water balloons. Speedlight mode is how flash stops motion, it can be much faster than any possible shutter speed. Beginners tend to imagine the frilly stuff must be good, but HSS is a special situation, and normally a strong disadvantage (unless you crave to use f/2.8 flash fill in bright sunlight). I don't know your use, but I'm assuming HSS is probably the wrong mode anyway.
See the picture at Beginners Guide to Select a Hot Shoe Flash (scroll down a screen there to picture... that is speedlight mode, faster than any shutter speed). See also Capability of flash units for high speed photography about speedlight mode.
 

E-Niko

Senior Member
WOW,
Thats quite a read :) Thanks wayne!,
I'm going to look into this a little more and read the links you suggested, you've pointed out several things that I could have been overlooking, i'll get back to you after I do a little digging,

Thanks a Ton! :)
 

E-Niko

Senior Member
Well Wayne..
It's safe to say I'm more confused than ever... I feel I want to use HSS Because I shoot low Aperture and faster shutters even in dark abandoned places, I could never imaging trying to shoot something at 1/200 or less, idc what I'm shooting it would be white, idk what is going on but I feel something isn't right, I don't think I'll learn by reading, been investigating for months and I'm a hands on guy.

Thanks for the help anyway Wayne, I appreciate it
 

WayneF

Senior Member
Well Wayne..
It's safe to say I'm more confused than ever... I feel I want to use HSS Because I shoot low Aperture and faster shutters even in dark abandoned places, I could never imaging trying to shoot something at 1/200 or less, idc what I'm shooting it would be white, idk what is going on but I feel something isn't right, I don't think I'll learn by reading, been investigating for months and I'm a hands on guy.

Thanks for the help anyway Wayne, I appreciate it

Suit yourself, and good luck. But you really cannot demonstrate any use for a fast shutter speed with speedlight in "dark abandoned places". Not even in your own normally lighted living room (which is dim compared to outside in bright sun). You are NOT photographing that dark or dim light, you are using flash instead. Maybe if you do heroics with high ISO to properly expose that dim or dark lighting, and just use flash as fill, that is one thing, but instead normally using flash to properly illuminate the scene instead is something entirely different.

Sorry, I cannot comment on your "too white" or too bright result with the 622, I don't know about the 622. Sounds like no control, some problem with setup or defect? That problem needs to be addressed, but instead, to know the principle, try this same stuff with a hot shoe flash alone to see how things should work.

In those dim places, reach up and turn the flash OFF and take the same picture with the same settings, say ISO 100, 1/200 second, f/5.6, just for some numbers. If the scene is not bright, that picture will be about BLACK. Insufficient exposure of the dim scene. Without flash, there is no light to blur any motion. That is why you are using flash. There is no way the shutter speed can blur the action that the ambient light cannot see. A black picture is not blurred. :) The speedlight flash is much faster than the the shutter speed, so that flash exposure independent of shutter speed... the shutter merely needs to be open to pass the flash light. HSS is extremely different.

The speedlight flash is what stops the motion. The speedlight at say 1/2 power level, will have the lighted duration of perhaps only 1/1000 second. At 1/8 power level, perhaps 1/6000 second. At lower power levels (meaning, up close to the flash), maybe 1/30000 second. In the dim place, there is no usable light except from the flash. No way the ambient light can blur any motion it cannot see with those camera settings for flash. Then the speedlgiht flash itself is fast, faster than the shutter speed.

These actual real principles seem very interesting.

Did you see the picture of the collapsing water balloon? That was 0.8 second shutter (nearly 1 full second, but at f/16), under an outdoor patio roof in the afternoon, which was far from dark in the bright afternoon. But Not bright there in the shade, not full sun. The speedlight is faster than any shutter speed, and frankly, for stopping motion, we should learn to use it. Speedlight flash is how fast flash photography is done. Shutter speed is insufficient to do extreme motion.

Or the falling drops at different power levels was at about 1.5 seconds shutter speed (also f/16). But the room was not bright, so without the flash, the picture would have been black, insufficient light to blur anything. The idea is that the speedlgiht stops the motion.

Did you see the picture of the spinning grinding disk? Both f/3, both up very close at only 33 inches distance, extreme motion up close, but the speedlight mostly stopped the disk, and HSS did not. Plus speedlight was at 1/128 power, and HSS was at 1/2 power (at 33 inches). How useful is this HSS limited range? My guess is that your thinking the flash was too early is just that you were exceeding the range that HSS can do, so thought it didn't work.

HSS flash is continuous light, which has zero motion stopping capability (just like continuous sunlight cannot stop motion). All HSS has working for it is the shutter speed. But the speedlight is much faster, and much easier, and has full power range of the flash, unlike HSS which runs at maybe 20%. There is a hard way, and an easy way. :)

HSS is a dumb thing to do indoors, or anytime speedlght will do it better. However, insisting on using f/2.8 with flash in bright sun is the one exception, speedlight mode cannot do that due to sync speed. But for all other uses, speedlight runs circles around HSS.

HSS is sort a cute concept, but it's difficult to use (no motion stopping, limited range, etc). It will allow fast shutter to allow wide aperture in bright sun wth flash, if you have sufficient range to use it. Fill flash is reduced level, maybe -2 EV or only needing 1/4 power requirement (close to the 20% that HSS does), and fill flash at up to maybe 10 feet can work (at reduced level). Some light should get there. But NOT as main light in a dark place, which requires speedlight mode, which also stops motion better than any shutter speed can.
 
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E-Niko

Senior Member
Thank you Wayne,
Some of this is making sense, I researched a bunch today with the info you provided and other Internet finds and after tedious searches and reading I think I may have found my mistake. But won't know until I shoot again, tomorrow most likely.
Thank you so much for all the info, it's helping me greatly!
 
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