I rarely write reviews, but here I make an exception times.
Anticipation for all possess a Canon camera: the Nikon YN568EX for is very similar to the model YN568EX II for Canon. However, the latter has the master function and the (still) missing from the model for the Nikon. When off-camera flash can use the YN568EX for Nikon with the ETTL control of Canon. Just as on a Canon compact flash you can not use it because Nikon and Canon have different contacts in the hotshoe.
I have a Nikon D750 full frame camera and to inter alia a Nikon SB-910 shoe mount. For various works in my mini studio I needed a second flash, and had looked around for a lower cost alternative to Nikon flash. Since I primarily unleashed in iTTL (Intelligent Through The Lens) exposure mode working, I was looking for a iTTL-enabled flash. As Master I usually use the built-in camera Mini flash which controls the other flash units as slaves via infrared. In addition to the iTTL mode the second flash unit should also be adjusted manually. It did not necessarily master capability, since both my existing flash units are master capable.
Sooner or later one comes in finding past even with the Yongnuo i-TTL Speedlight YN568EX for Nikon i ordered then. In addition, I ordered another the Yongnuo YN-622 TX Wireless Master TTL HSS (High Speed Sync) i-TTL Wireless Flash Trigger for Nikon and two copies of the Yongnuo YN-622N wireless i-TTL Flash Trigger for Nikon (see separate review). I wanted to try this Yongnuo devices in the network.
I start times with five points for me unknown device. I go down, not every feature of YN568EX through, but discuss only what is noticed positively or negatively while trying Operating me.
Packaging of YN568EX: it is very good and is reminiscent of the gold colored packaging that uses Nikon for its devices.
Feel: it's quite OK. The Nikon Speedlight to a tick feels better, but it does not cost four times as much.
Manual: it is bilingual in Chinese and English. Personally, I need no German manual, and find that nowadays international one should be sufficient English. The Chinese part of the manual I can not judge, but the English is horrible. In many places he was linguistically so bad that I had to pull myself properly read on. The organization of instruction is poor. (In comparison, read the multilingual user manual of Nikon equipment as top notch.) These Speedlights have many functions and are therefore not easy to use, even if you know exactly what you want. The Yongnuo device lying on some knobs two functions. But on the second one comes close only when you press the button longer. But how long? In addition, the manual is silent. Must therefore be tried. For this miserable manual Yongnuo the device deserved two points deduction. But first, you will find useful information after some searching on the internet. And secondly, I think it would be the engineers at Yongnuo against unfair if they do a good job, and the marketing department brings together no clever translation of Chinese manual. So expensive a native speaker translator is again not, who could give the necessary touch this rough translation. So a point deduction.
Functionality: Blitz on the tripod and turned on. The channel was already on 1, the group quickly changed from A to B (as already group A was set in my SB-910). And immediately went off without any problems. iTTL works as expected, the infrared control over the camera's internal flash Master also. The regulation of the flash output of Yongnuo device over Group B is working properly. Later I also tested times the Yongnuo as compact flash on my camera. The set on the lens focal length of the camera to the flash unit is transmitted, that then adjusts the zoom-automatic mode in accordance with its zoom. I had used to test my 70-200mm zoom lens. The Yongnuo device hears but with the back already at 135 mm, whereas the Nikon device mitzoomt easily to 200 mm. Since no one has claimed that the Yongnuo zoom goes along to 200 mm, there is no deduction for this limitation. You should know it before buying already, especially if you frequently use the flash on the camera (which I hardly ever do), and thereby uses his lens above 135mm focal length.
Operation: if you unleashed the YN568EX and used via iTTL, you need not continue to operate the device. The set channel and set group is retained when you turn the power off and on again. With the manual adjustment to get even without reasonable operating instructions soon cope. I do not use them, although at present actually, but it's good to know that you could use them when you need. It is my experience often so that you can use on the go with a sudden need a function, which is known that the device has it that they will find especially under time pressure, but not easy. I have grown accustomed to put me all Manuals my photographic equipment my dropbox, so I can look at on the way. In the YN568EX there the English manual as a PDF file, and it is now in my Dropbox, but because of their low quality described above is the manual of limited use.
A / AA mode: after studying the operating instructions of my Nikon flash Raged again in detail, and also a book for off-camera flash a second time had read, I realized again that the Nikon-device, next to the iTTL mode and the manual mode still has a third mode, namely A / AA. In this mode, the flash output is controlled by a photodiode in flash unit that measures the light reflected from the subject, and adjusts the flash output accordingly. I think that this is an old-fashioned type of automatic power control. Anyway, I think of a scenario in which I would prefer the other two modes this mode. The YN568EX has no A / AA mode. However, this can not lead to a point deduction, because this mode is not specified for the Yongnuo device. But it's good to know for someone who uses this mode.
Master function: as already mentioned above, the YN568EX for Nikon does not have master function. That's not a problem if one has a different flash patterns with function. That YN568EX II for Canon has the master function, so you can expect Yongnuo will release a master capable flash for Nikon. The pattern function is in Speedlights however anyway somewhat doubtful. If I want to use a flash unit as the master, I have to attach to the camera first time. There, however, I will normally have no flash, because the images are nothing. (The built-in flash is something else, because I control the abdunkele and it emits no flash output, but only the other unleashed flashes. This does not mean that you need not master the off-camera flash. But a flash as a master whose flash output me bother? One alternative here is to use a radio system. And for that, I had also the Yongnuo Remote Trigger bought. But the radio trigger system comes with its own master Steuergeraet. So you need the pattern feature in any Blitzgeraet. a points deduction, it may for the lack Of course not give the master function at YN568EX.
Focus assist light: all the arguments in spite that pictures with mounted flash usually even harder, sometimes you have to work so. Because it is rather dark when flashing, you also like the AF-assist light would often use this. The YN568EX has such. The Nikon SB-910 AF-assist light projected a single line pattern in a central block on the subject. Even with a single focus area you can just focus.
In de Yongnuo YN568EX the AF illuminator horizontal and vertical lines projected over a larger area. This looks very good. However, the automatic-area AF mode the camera does not focus necessarily on the lines, but rather in between, which apparently scattered light is used. In my copy of YN568EX beyond the central line was so maladjusted that I could not get to meet him and the central focus only field. Although I found the flash unit with the thumbwheel in the flash shoe, I could the device back and forth slightly. Nevertheless, I did not manage to bring the center AF point and the central line to cover. There is a point deduction.
Summary: in total, the engineers at Yongnuo in Hong Kong with the YN568EX for Nikon managed a very cost-effective, iTTL-enabled flash, the good is good for use in off-camera flash (5 points). For use as a single compact flash it would need a different pattern when AF-assist beam, or at least a better adjustment of the same (1 point deduction). The English manual urgent need to improve (1 point deduction). So overall, unfortunately only 3 points for this competitive per se device. The device is recommended for people with smaller purses which do not require master function in their flash and can live well with a few drawbacks in terms of quality.
