Need a flash unit: I guess it's time to get a speedlite for my D3400. Nikon flash units are a bit pricey. I saw this one with pretty good reviews. http://amzn.to/2iYHvK7 You guys are...

AllenDpics Loc: Williamsburg Virginia

I guess it's time to get a speedlite for my D3400.
Nikon flash units are a bit pricey. I saw this one with pretty good reviews.
http://amzn.to/2iYHvK7
You guys are in the know. Comments or suggestions are welcome.
I'm willing to spend a little more if need be.
Allen

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

UTGhog wrote:

I guess it's time to get a speedlite for my D3400.
Nikon flash units are a bit pricey. I saw this one with pretty good reviews.
http://amzn.to/2iYHvK7
You guys are in the know. Comments or suggestions are welcome.
I'm willing to spend a little more if need be.
Allen

Allen, look at the bad reviews. You'll probably get a more balanced view.

Before you spend any money on a flash, you may want to take a look at:

http://strobist.blogspot.com/

So you get a better idea why and how you need a flash. If you are getting a flash that you will put on your hot shoe and point at people, then any flash will do - the simpler and cheaper the better. If you are going to learn to use flash correctly, mostly off-camera and/or bounce (off ceilings, walls and large women wearing white dresses - don't laugh, I've done that), then you'd want a flash that has an auto mode that is not TTL, and you'd want TTL, infrared, optical and radio trigger, and maybe a little more power.

Anyway, the website will help you decide what you need.

I would not touch that Neewer flash.

For a low end decent speedlight, look at Yongnuo. For middle ground, Nissin.

And this is also a great site for learning flash photography.

http://neilvn.com/tangents/flash-photography-techniques/

FL shooter Loc: Lake Worth, FL

My choice is Yongnou YN 685. Has a built in 2.4gz radio. I have 4 and I love them. B & H $102. There is a deal at B & H for the speedlight with a YN622 N transmitter for $132.00 Flash can be very creative when it is off the camera. I do portraiture with one flash shooting into an octabox. Amazing results. Be sure the transmitter is compatible with your camera. Check it out on youtube. The pros are using them.

AllenDpics Loc: Williamsburg Virginia

Thanks Gene51 for your suggestions. I see a lot more research and study is in order for me. Those sites seem to be very good.

G Rissler Loc: Lower Hudson Valley, NY

I use Yongnuo, Speedlite, YN560-II and love them.

Clapperboard

Some people have said if you are going to fit the flash to the hotshoe on your camera any flash will do. I disagree, even if you are fitting the flash to the hotshoe a slightly more expensive flash permits using the ITTL facility on your camera to control the flash output. It is better to get the flash off camera where possible but some situations don't make that practicable. With an 'automatic' (not just manual) flash you could use the external flash controls on your camera to set flash levels controlled from the camera, and the ITTL facility. In situations where you are moving about with the camera and the flash is on camera using ITTL is a real boon.

Davet Loc: Fort Myers, Florida

Love the information.....If I want to use my flash off camera, I have to have my Nikon built in flash up in order for my speed light to work. I know there is a way to turn my camera flash off, but I don't know how. Any help on this?
Thanks

G Rissler Loc: Lower Hudson Valley, NY

Not sure what devises you use, but I use my iPhone and my iPad. Download the "Nikon Manual Viewer 2." Then download the manual to it for your specific camera. It makes searching for everything so easy. Also, "Moose," has tips on your camera. I found some there for mine as well. I use a D7100. Here is the link. https://www.cameratips.com/nikon/d3400/cheat-cards

Nikonman44

I used to use the Nikon series and then tried a flashpoint with battery pack.
Other than the connecting cable getting in the way the system is excellent.
Flashpoint units range from low to med high.

Check the specs, ask what are you really wanting the flash to do and then buy.

Nikonman44

Its going to depend on what units you buy and if they have inf red or radio chatting between the units and your Nikon.

Off camera stuff is getting really cheap today so buy wisely and enjoy the shots.

crazydaddio Loc: Toronto Ontario Canada

Yongnuo - have 560iii 560iv 568ex
If you are buying only 1, you need to decide on whether you want to go off-camera.

My 2c? They are so cheap that you can get a
Pair of triggers and 3 speelights for less than $ 300.
Get a 560iv and 560iiis. The 560iv acts as a radio triggered master that can control power and zoom on the slaves right from the master flash. If you want to have all 3 as offcamera, use the trigger and set the 560iv as a slave.

If you want to go above 1/200sec shutter speed. Then you need to look at the HSS version of the yongnuo lineup which i have no experiencr with. They are relatively new (triggers and flashes are completely different).

I do have a 568ex which has HSS but only on-camera. I can still use it as an off camera low speed manual flash when i attach a trigger to it.

Low cost and they work....start there !

WayneT Loc: Paris, TN

I use two Yongnuo YN 568's and really like them. If I were to purchase one now I would go with the YN685 simply to get the added built in radio receiver for not a lot more.

crazydaddio Loc: Toronto Ontario Canada

WayneT wrote:

I use two Yongnuo YN 568's and really like them. If I were to purchase one now I would go with the YN685 simply to get the added built in radio receiver for not a lot more.

...and HSS off camera with the 622 triggers. To the OP, HSS will allow you to fill flash in broad daylight and still get good exposure of the sky. Off camera HSS allows you to increase exposure to the target from a distance by setting up speedlights close to the target while you shoot from a distance. (Think wedding couple on a cliff overloooking the ocean with them being well exposed and the sky not being blown out and still shoot with low aperature).

I have 6 yongnuo flashes but only 1 is HSS ... 95% of the time they do what I need. (100% in studio). For that 1 killer shot as described above....you will need HSS radio controlled flash (better yet...a high power HSS monolight that can light'em up from 50yds away ... but thats $500+)...

Anyway....starting out...you can consider spending the extra 30% per speedlight and get the 685s with 622 triggers. You may never use the HSS off camera so its up to you but it will be there in case you ever need it. In my case, i am stuck at 1/200 with my family of speed lights and am having some GAS pains...
:-)

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

UTGhog wrote:

Thanks Gene51 for your suggestions. I see a lot more research and study is in order for me. Those sites seem to be very good.

Don't mention it!

You'll enjoy how much material they cover - only better solution is to get yourself a mentor and go shooting with him/her. These are both free sites, and pretty much answer all the questions you may have today, and those that you haven't even thought about that will come up in the future.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

Davet wrote:

Love the information.....If I want to use my flash off camera, I have to have my Nikon built in flash up in order for my speed light to work. I know there is a way to turn my camera flash off, but I don't know how. Any help on this?
Thanks

You must be using Auto Exposure mode. If you press and hold the flash button and rotate the command dial you will cycle through the different flash operation settings. One of them will be "off."

But the best way is to use radio triggers. This way you can just leave the flash in the closed position, and don't need to rely on infrared - which doesn't always work in outside bright light - or optical triggers, which require the off camera flash to be able to "see" the pop up flash go off. Yongnuo makes several remote triggers. The simplest are their RF dumb triggers (about $15 each) that merely trigger the flash - they connect to either the hot shoe or the PC flash sync port. I think they are up to model 603, and they are brand specific to match the contact points on the camera's hotshoe. They also make a 622 ($39 each) which is designed for TTL capable speedlights. Regardless of which model you get, you will need two of each - one to connect to the camera in transmit mode, and the other on the flash in receive mode.