Yongnuo YN560-III-USA Speedlite Flash with Integrated 2.4-GHz Receiver for Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Olympus, GN58, US Warranty (Black)

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I went crazy when I first saw these. I could not believe all you get for the price. First I will say the packaging this thing comes in is excellent. The big boys could really learn a lot from this company. I felt like I spent ten times as much just from the packaging alone. I ordered 4 of these and the transmitter. All worked right out the box with brand new enloop batteries. I tested them out at home and was very pleased. I used them on my first professional shoot 1 month ago. Now I finally see you get what you pay for. My first 560 went out as I was lighting up a church. It actually didnt go out but it stopped responding to the power adjustment and only fired full power. Ruined a bunch of photos. Got home and found a serious flaw. These units can easily overheat. With powerful enloop batteries, that didnt help. By me firing all other flashes at 1/128 in with my D3s and one going at 1/1 it didnt have a chance. I wont lie, I heavily use all my equipment. I am not a hobbyist. Three others burned out while doing a wedding. I was getting action shots of dancing and everything was going great. I cut off my transmitter while the couple spoke but not the flashes themselves. Turned it on to catch the daddy daughter dance and all flashes went full power. After the wedding 1 burned out and stopped working and two only go full power. Found out that they overheated just sitting with the power on. I read that you should only use them for a short period and take the batteries out when not in use to prevent overheating. Huh? Sorry, but these are not pro flashes. I have used the same two SB28s for 5 years and they have never overheated and now I have to go right back to using them because these are 100% unreliable. I have one 560 left that has not burned out yet but I am going to use it as a backup. I am all for the little guy and usually have rave reviews but I cannot promote a product that is clearly not ready for primetime. Its good for small hobbies or portraits where you are not required to use them heavily. But for a wedding you cannot trust these things full heartedly. Just have your name brand flashes ready. If the company is reading this I am not extremely upset because these have so much in them for a fraction of what a name brand flash costs. I love the idea, just try to come up with a way to prevent the overheating with a newer model. I dont mind paying a little more for it. Just hate I wasted money investing in these.

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UPDATE: dropping to two stars. due to wireless function loss. January 26 2014, the flash still works. but it no longer allows me to switch to wireless mode. When I press the button the flash locks up. I have to open the batter cover to turn the flash off.. the flash itself still works on the camera. Yes its a $71 flash so I shouldnt be surprised that it has had problems within the year of owning it. I should be surprised that it still works at all. Its still a well made flash.. it still works, but it doesnt work for everything anymore.. so I am now left in the position where I need to decide if I buy another one or spend the money on a Sony flash.. --------original review ------------ Alright, first of all, I had no good expectations for this thing. I thought it was going to be cheap thin plastic, I thought it was going to have a screen like those old pocket lcd video games they used to sell when I was a kid.. Maybe the fact I was dreading getting this to see what I just wasted my money on helped make me as happy as I was when I opened this thing.. Its awesome.. Its HUGE, much larger than I expected, good solid thick plastic and its put together very very well. the manual leaves you wondering how to use the thing, so that could use some improvement, but if you search Yongnuo 560 III on youtube you will get some videos that show how to use the buttons. I bought this for a Sony A58 and it works just fine on there.. The A58 has the new Sony "multi interface shoe" I was hoping the A58s wireless flash setting would fire this thing, and it does, but the timing seems to be off, the photo doesnt show any flash in it. If I use regular on camera flash settings I can trigger the flash properly. So of course I have ordered the 603s to help trigger this thing remotely, not that I will do that much.. The 603s do not work with the sony without a mod. open up the unit and solder a 120K ohm or 130K ohm resistor between the VIN (+ terminal) and the J6 terminal (yellow wire). It works, at first you might think that it doesnt, if the screen on your flash has this -- instead of a flash powrer, just hit the buttons to cycle through the powers and then your flash will work great. Search YouTube for the mod, it will walk you through it. The thing isnt ttl, so when you get it you will be learning how to use a flash,, Like a moron I started at 100iso in my dark living room with full power and quickly learned I had to move to 800 and bring the flash power down.. And I started playing around with the black foamy thing Neil Van Niekerk has done some videos and written articles about. Do a search on it for your self, amazon removed my links for his page. not affiliated with the guy at all. it helped me a lot to learn about using flash. I was slow to order this thing thinking it wouldnt work with my Sony, and that is not the case.. If you have the old minolta hot shoe you will need a converter http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=sony%20minolta%20hot%20shoe

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Why anyone would spend $500 on a Canon or Nikon brand speedlight is beyond me. Quite frankly TTL metering rarely if ever yields the most desirable results. If you want to shoot strobes you MUST learn to shoot manually. ISO 100 and 1/125 sec to 1/250 depending on what you want and what your rig can handle. Set your aperture to what you want and then adjust speedlight output to suit. In the studio I use Interfit 458XD 600w/sec strobes but when Im in the field I want to travel light and easy. The Yongnuo speedlights are exceptional. At $75 they are angels on Earth. For the price of ONE Canon 600EX you can buy SIX of these. Yes, SIX. Then spend $29.95 on each of these http://www.amazon.com/Triple-HotShoe-Bracket-Umbrella-Holder/dp/B00CA9JCEO/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1392688534&sr=8-4&keywords=triple+speedlight+bracket plus a good umbrella to suit your shooting needs and youre in high cotton. Oh if thats not enough these Yongnuo 560 MkIIIs have a BUILT IN RF Receiver. That means you can spend another measly $30 and buy A PAIR the Yongnuo RF-602 Transceivers (make sure you get the right model for your camera) http://www.amazon.com/Yongnuo-Wireless-Trigger-Shutter-Transceiver/dp/B004YTA15W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1392688667&sr=8-1&keywords=yongnuo+rf-603 and you now have a top flight super charged wireless RF speedlight system to shutter like a pro at a tiny fraction of the cost of the name brand DSLR systems.

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I shoot Canon, professionally. I wanted a system where I can trigger 2-3 of these flashes on stands with one flash siting on my camera and these flash guns are just perfect. So far so perfect (quality wise, as everyone is concerned with that) but read on... If you get these triggers (Yongnuo RF-603C II -- see the addendum on these, at the bottom of this review -- VERY IMPORTANT!), all you need (if you want to radio remote trigger these flashes) is have one of those triggers on your camera, one flash on top for fill-in (or bounced as needs be) and have 2-3 YN560IIIs on stands and have those radio triggered remotely. The creative light you can come up using these, is spectacular! If I shoot in the studio and Im the only photographer using a flash guns then I can set these as optical slaves as well but when shooting a wedding, I dont want them triggered by other flashes (people take pictures all the time which will set these off when set as optical slaves) so I keep them on radio-trigger only. They work like a charm. LIKE A CHARM! These are manual only flash-guns. Theres no TTL, eTTL or anything like that. But what is great about them is that for those photographers who love flash and only shoot manual, if you know how to work with them, you can create dramatic lighting situations (both indoors and outdoors). They have a simple and easily accessed menu. Fully compatible with the aforementioned radio triggers as radio triggered slaves (wireless capability is built in, which is fantastic!) as well as optical slaves as S1 and S2. Practically, unlimited possibilities. And if you are a beginner at using on or off camera flash, dont be afraid to take chance on these. In fact, shooting in manual and learning by trying different lighting situations , will teach you far more than using TTL or eTTL. I find that using flash with or without ambient light is different for every shooting situation and setting these manually yields the best results. I love the perfect flare they give which I like to capture when I shoot the couple during their first dance, at a wedding. As far as how well theyre built and how long theyll last, the jury is still out. However, I will say that they feel solid in the hand and every detail seems nicely designed. The tilting mechanism is crisp and precise. Easy and simple menu layout. Every option that a professional manual flash should have. Buttons are soft, precise and responsive when pressed. Output wise are pretty much at par with Canons comparable product (580EX ii). Ive use both. I cant honestly tell the difference in terms of output. Someone mentioned here something that I must agree with -- no flash will last when blasted at FULL POWER for hours. As a professional photographer, using these flashes in tandem are very much like a dance -- I use them at lower power and create the optimal lighting conditions. I always anticipate what and when I want to shoot and when I think is the best time to hit the shutter. Part of the game. But even with a low or mid margin of quality issues (as I noticed that people have issues with them from time to time), the price I paid for what Im able to do with them, is worth every single penny. I have a total of 4 units now. When shooting professionally, having backup gear is a must, regardless of brand. If one goes bad, its price would have been amortized if only used at one single shooting session. Ive read reviews from photographers who used these for a very long time. Also, I must add, these new flashes are re-designed internally (better electronics). Seems that Yongnuo listens to customers complains. Customer service, seems to be OK or non-existent (as per many reviews) though I noticed a few replies from Yongnuo to some negative, issue driven reviews here, on Amazon. Its a start. Also, the instructions are poorly written as its the same with just about any other Chinese product out there. English isnt their strong suit, but with a little common sense and patience, youre able to figure things out. I find that to be a trend even with American companies, nowadays. RE Yongnuo RF-603C II triggers -- BE AWARE that an earlier version of these, without the "II" are being sold. They are compatible as well but read my review on those atrocities. They are HORRIFIC design wise, though technically, they are the same triggers and do the same exact thing!! The RF-603C IIs are significantly improved as Yongnuo finally listened to unhappy customers who purchased the previous version of those triggers. One important change is a locking mechanism that allows the triggers to latch firmly into the hot-shoe of your camera, especially when you use an on-camera flash which is then, sits into the triggers hot-shoe. The previous version did not have that -- major oversight. So thats fixed, along with a re-positioned on/off tx/rx toggle button, which now is in a the right place on the trigger unit. Overall, this system is something which Im enjoying very, very much!

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Ive been shooting with a Nikon SB-600 and some Vivitar HV285 and 283 flashes. This Yongnou seems to have the best elements of those combined into one unit. Feels solid, and I like that the tilt/swivel doesnt require an unlocking button. Menus are a little weird, but make sense after about 5 minutes with the manual. They arent any weirder than the SB-600, and unlike that flash, you can do most operations one-handed. The built-in wide angle diffuser and bounce card are one less thing to lose. The head of the flash is just tall enough to be covered by the small gels in the Rosco Strobist kit, but too big to have those gels curved out - be careful not to melt them with full-power usage. The optical slave works well so far with both my Nikon D200 and my Fuji x100 triggering. I have not tested the radio receiver function yet, as I only own the Cowboy Studio radio triggers, which use a different frequency. The only thing I would do to improve this product would be to include a diffuser dome or hard plastic color correcting covers like the SB-700, or maybe to have a minijack for wired sync in addition to the PC jack.

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I love this flash. And that is saying a lot considering my other flash is a $600 Canon 600EX Speedlite. I primarly use this as a backup in optical slave mode, and it works flawlessly. While it doesnt have the complex features of the Canon, is has a surprisingly comparable amount of light performance. My original plan was to own 3 Canon flashes, which at $1800 would be hard to swallow. Now I have 2 of these Yongnuo flashes that together with my speedlite on camera gives me studio quality results in a very small and portable package. Even on its own, this flash performs. I have the Yongnuo wireless controller, and for studio shots or product photography they do a fantastic job. You absolutely cannot go wrong buying this flash. If you have money to burn, buy Canon. Even if you start with this flash and upgrade later, you will always have a use for a 2nd flash for backup or fill light.

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Without a doubt this is one of the worst products I have ever used. As a photographer I depend on my gear to hold up. Ive used off brand flashes in the past and have gotten great results both from the quality of the light output to the durability of the product. However these units are very poor quality. At first site they are built well. When powering on they sometimes fail to start up. During a shoot on the first day, with brand new batteries, the unit died within 15 minutes. The flash was incredibly warm to the touch and wouldnt turn on until new batteries were out in. Now that isnt the real problem with these units. The real issue is the recycle time. At 1/2 power it takes upwards of 10 seconds to recycle. This is it conducive to a steady and proficient work flow. When they work, they work great. The downside, it doesnt work well often.

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I purchased two of these units along with the YONGNUO YN560-TX Flash Transmitter unit and have found that these items work well when used alone or as part of a multi-flash setup. They appear to be well built, but I did find one minor flaw in one of the two units I bought. I discovered that some symbols on the LCD display of one unit do not appear at any time. Im not sure I would have figured this out if I didnt have the other unit to use as a reference, although I may have been confused by items that were shown in the user guide that didnt show up on the display. The missing symbols dont appear to affect the performance of the flash and now that I know how all the settings work, I dont even think about it anymore. I feel the flash unit has plenty of different adjustments and I found that it is capable of creating a very powerful flash at the highest setting. I wonder a bit at how long it will last at that power setting, but I usually use it at a far less powerful setting... I also bought two of the "White Flash Diffuser for YONGNUO YN 560, 565, YN560 I II II & YN565EX" available here on Amazon and found that they fit the flash just fine. The flash has a built in diffuser piece that slides out of the way when not in use and it has a white bounce panel that slides out for use when desired. These units ship with a nice case and a plastic foot that can be attached to allow the flash to stand up on a table or other flat surface. I should note that these flash units are "dumb" units in that the only information they understand from the camera is that the flash is required to fire. All of the settings on the flash are adjusted manually. I still believe this flash is an excellent value because a fully automatic flash is going to cost a lot more $s. A note for those who are trying to get this flash to work with the YONGNUO YN560-TX Flash Transmitter: The important thing I needed to learn was that the transmitter has several different group settings and it broadcasts all of them, but it is the flash that chooses which group setting to use. You will need to pick the which group the flash will listen to using the settings on the flash unit itself. I have used these flashes in the mode where it is triggered by another flash and that works as expected. I have used both rechargeable batteries and standard Duracell AA batteries. I am quite happy with the number of flashes that were created with each set of batteries.

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Great flash.Looks solid and responds ok. Every time I had a failure was my fault, because I forgot to change mode when I take it from the camera to use it as slave or the other way. This is my first external flash, I got it about 2 weeks ago and just starting to learn about flash photography. I use it in my new Olympus Pen E-PL6 M4/3 camera. Compared to the camera is huge!!! I took also a couple of pictures with my Canon Rebel XT. This is my first external flash and just starting to learn how to use it. It`s powerfull, I barely used the full or half power yet. I took only a few test shots, all manual, some in the hotshoe, but mostly as a slave. I love it, and Im thinking on getting another one and a YN-560 TX transmiter (to control both flashes wirelessly). The only think I dont like is that I need my Leathermano to help me get out the wide angle diffuser. The stand works fine and is treaded so you can use it in a tripod. To turn it on you must press the ON button for a couple of seconds. Dont release the button when the first numbers appear, you have to wait 1 or 2 seconds more.

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The Yongnuo speedlight may just be the best value in photography. If you love photography but several hundred dollars does not fit your hobby budget, then this is an excellent choice. I now own three of these units. I use them both on camera and off camera (with several of the more economical umbrellas and soft boxes). If you are just starting to attempt lighting more seriously like I am, this is an excellent item to learn with. I have had absolutely no problems with any of my three units. They have performed exactly as promised. I always use good AA batteries like either Energizer or Duracell, and I have no complaints about battery life. This flash has withstood some heavy use. One of them has even been dropped when one of my lightstands was knocked over, and it continues to work with no problems. The YN flash is a great value! I dont worry about taking some chances with it that I probably would not take if it were a $400 unit. For example, I took it with me to a water park with my kids and used it off camera. I wanted to provide some side lighting for effect with some water spraying up from below, so I placed the unit quite close to the water. Yes, it did get water spray on it. Yes, it survived to be used another day! My image turned out great. No I would have never tried that if I had spent $400 on the flash. You will not be disappointed by this flash.

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