D3200 speed light....dunno what I want...Any advise please?

Hello

I purchased a nikon d3200 on a whim a couple of years ago and life got in the way of being able to look through the lense. Anyway long story short - I have dusted off this camera and i know its only low level but I would really really love to get into flash photography (or have ago at least) I have spent four days on google, various forms, ebay and amazon reviews etc looking to a speedlight that is fully compatible and simple plug and play (i have no idea what i am doing or terms etc) as i work and learn on a trial and error basis. I dont know what ittl or hss or cpsomethingorother is. I just want to press buttons and learn :)

I have been looking at sb700 to youngos I have no idea what I am doing. I am looking to only use it on the hot shoe, both low light indoor and outdoor and preferably as automatic as they come.

Any advise, tips previous experience, dos and donts would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for reading this and Hi

Hanna :)
 

Horoscope Fish

Senior Member
Hello

I purchased a nikon d3200 on a whim a couple of years ago and life got in the way of being able to look through the lense. Anyway long story short - I have dusted off this camera and i know its only low level but I would really really love to get into flash photography (or have ago at least) I have spent four days on google, various forms, ebay and amazon reviews etc looking to a speedlight that is fully compatible and simple plug and play (i have no idea what i am doing or terms etc) as i work and learn on a trial and error basis. I dont know what ittl or hss or cpsomethingorother is. I just want to press buttons and learn :)

I have been looking at sb700 to youngos I have no idea what I am doing. I am looking to only use it on the hot shoe, both low light indoor and outdoor and preferably as automatic as they come.

Any advise, tips previous experience, dos and donts would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for reading this and Hi

Hanna :)
We have both Nikon and Yongnuo flashes in my place. The Nikon SB-700 is a very nice flash, no doubt about it. But when there's work to be done my girlfriend, who's also a photographer, and I reach for our Yongnuo flashes over the Nikon, hands down. For your first flash I would highly reccommend the Yongnuo 565EX.

That's a whoooool lotta flash for $80!
 

Bikerbrent

Senior Member
Welcome aboard. Enjoy the ride.

First, I would recommend you work with the camera a while without flash so you learn to use it. Next, your camera has a built in flash. Learn to use it as it basically is free. Finally, if you really only plan to use the flash on the hot shoe, you gain little by using a shoe mounted flash over the built in flash so I would recommend just using the built in flash and saving your money until you find the built in flash too limiting. Then you will know what to look for in a flash.
 
Hello, thank you both for the replys. A couple of questions if I may,
Paul Would that flash be triggered by my d3200 ok? Yongnuo 568EX is that the same as a Yongnuo 568EX ii ? I have maybe looked at a sb700 /800 etc and is the 568 is a good equivalent ? I have tended to look more into a sb due to the fact is nikon but am all for a cheaper alternative :)
Brent, thank you for the sound advise - it is the more sensible thing (and cost effective) way to do things, I however, unfortunatly once I get an idea in my head...i have to do it and asap lol I know the basics but i just don't the terms, and I like the challenge of giving it ago :)
 

cwgrizz

Senior Member
Challenge Team
A great book that comes to mind for starting with One flash (on camera) and then going to off camera flash is "Just One Flash: A Practical Approach to Lighting for Digital Photography" by Rod and Robin Deutschmann

I was able to check it out of the local library as an eBook
 
Hi Walt, I have tried so many books now, i just cant learn that way. I just confuse myself and then as i cant ask the book questions...i go pic up the camera and watch you tube videos. I can remember how to do things I am just rubbish at remembering what things are called and terms. For example you could talk about exposures, apertures etc and I wouldn't understand , but I can grab my camera and set it up to take a low light shot and snap away and be happy with the results. Thats my plan with a external flash. I will defo give that book ago though, you never know it might just 'click' :) Sorry again about the double post.
Many Thanks
 

Horoscope Fish

Senior Member
Hello, thank you both for the replys. A couple of questions if I may,
Paul Would that flash be triggered by my d3200 ok? Yongnuo 568EX is that the same as a Yongnuo 568EX ii ? I have maybe looked at a sb700 /800 etc and is the 568 is a good equivalent ? I have tended to look more into a sb due to the fact is nikon but am all for a cheaper alternative :)

Hi Hannah...

The 568 EX would work just fine with your D3200 and would allow you to use all the bells and whistles your camera allows for when it comes to using a hot-shoe flash. The 568 is just as powerful as the Nikon SB-700, possibly a little MORE powerful, actually, but not in any meaningful sort of way. The only difference between the 568EX and the 568 EX II is that the EX II has what's called "HSS", or High Speed Synch. It's an option that, in my opinion, most people don't need and won't use; hence I don't suggest paying for it, but that's me.

If you want to better understand what HSS is all about have a read here: Demystifying High Speed Synch.

Now, if you have money to burn, or just want to be "all-Nikon, all-the-time", then yeah, as I said before the SB-700 is a great flash; I just think it's waaaay over-priced for what it is. My GF and I also find the Yongnuo's are simpler to use. Consider, for the price of one SB-700, you could buy two SB-568EX's, have them both blow up on you, turn around and buy a third 568EX and you'd still be money ahead over buying the one SB-700. Yongnuo also makes excellent wireless triggers and slaves should you decide to expand your skills-base into using off-camera flash.
.....
 
'Yongnuo also makes excellent wireless triggers and slaves should you decide to expand your skills-base into using off-camera flash'
Huh, tiggers and slaves ? :confused: I can only wildly guess that that involves the flash being away from the camera and the camera setting the other flash off?? Dunno?? Be gentle fella I am New lol :)
I am defo going to be looking into the 568ex as correct I don't have the money to burn and while learning and having a low level camera it seems pointless to spend the money......yet :) Thank you.

 

Horoscope Fish

Senior Member
'Yongnuo also makes excellent wireless triggers and slaves should you decide to expand your skills-base into using off-camera flash'
Huh, tiggers and slaves ? :confused: I can only wildly guess that that involves the flash being away from the camera and the camera setting the other flash off?? Dunno?? Be gentle fella I am New lol :)
I am defo going to be looking into the 568ex as correct I don't have the money to burn and while learning and having a low level camera it seems pointless to spend the money......yet :) Thank you.

Well, to put it simply, you can take the flash unit off your camera and attach what's called a wireless receiver to it. Then you attach what's called a wireless trigger to the camera's hot-shoe. The trigger and the receiver are able to communicate with one another to fire the flash as if it were attached to the camera. This being the case you can position the flash pretty much anywhere you want it, up to several feet away from you. When you press the shutter button the flash fires just as if it were attached to the hot-shoe. As I'm sure you can imagine being able to position the flash anywhere you want, instead of just top of your camera, opens up a lot creative possibilities.

Slave units are simply additional flashes that fire when the primary flash, called the Master, tells them to fire. That's a gross oversimplification but there you have it. Using slaves allows you to have more control over how much light there is and where that light comes from and all that.

See? Easy-peasy, lemon squeezy!
 

cwgrizz

Senior Member
Challenge Team
Hi Walt, i just cant learn that way. I just confuse myself and then as i cant ask the book questions...i go pic up the camera and watch you tube videos. ...... but I can grab my camera and set it up to take a low light shot and snap away and be happy with the results. Thats my plan with a external flash. I will defo give that book ago though, you never know it might just 'click' :) Sorry again about the double post.
Many Thanks

What you are saying about youtube videos is just what that book does. It takes you one step at a time through flash photography. It starts out with the on camera flash and basically lets you practice along the way. It turns into a building experience of knowledge. You learn what the on camera flash can do and how to adjust it, modify the flash output, etc. Then after becoming proficient with it, you move on to an off camera flash. It shows you how and why you use a flash in different situations and has illustrations. I think if you can find it in a library, either eBook or hard copy, it would be a good start on your quest. It would also let you learn some before you actually spend money on an external flash. Just my two cents and you can keep the change. Ha!
 

SteveH

Senior Member
I'm a little late to the party, but I have the Yongnuo flashes too - I have 565's & 568's, then I also got into the whole wireless trigger stuff too. It really is excellent gear for the price - Cheap, powerful, reliable and easy to operate.
 
just be very careful when reading the flash specs ..if it says fits Nikon and Canon then you don't want it ..that is a slave unit/manual.
Personally I like the Youngnuo and never had a problem but the SB 400 or meike MK 300 work great, Remember if you have any flash in the shoe only shoot landscape or you will get terrible side shadows ..crop to portrait later.
 

hark

Administrator
Staff member
Super Mod
Contributor
If you want to venture into using an external flash, you might want to consider a flash bracket and a sync cord. That will allow the flash to be positioned off the camera but still attached to the camera via the bracket. Doing this gives better shadowed areas than just having the flash mounted directly to the camera body. You should still be able to use an off-brand flash, too. Just a thought.

Nikon sync cord: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/300478-REG/Nikon_4766_SC_29_TTL_Off_Camera_Shoe.html

One of many flash brackets (I think this is the one I've used since the late 1990's): https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/52728-REG/Stroboframe_310_635_Quick_Flip_350_Bracket.html

And here is a Stroboframe bracket that includes a very short Vello sync cord for Nikon: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/895813-REG/Stroboframe_310_900nk_Flip_Bracket_With_TTL.html
 

Texas

Senior Member
I'm a big fan of the flash bracket too. Downside is it makes for a big rig and depending on where you are some folks will think it's a bit old-timey. Can't recall the last time I saw one in use when it was not me using one.
 
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