Tagged: Speedlight

29Nov

Nikon SB-910 AF Speedlight

Posted in Camera and Equipment, eShop, Flash, Gear, Manuals, News, Product / User Manuals, Specifications | Leave a comment

Nikon’s flagship Speedlight for enthusiasts and professionals.

Engineered for FX and DX-format D-SLRs and COOLPIX P7000 Series cameras, the SB-910 offers unparalleled lighting performance in the field and in the studio. Featuring Nikon’s versatile i-TTL (intelligent through-the-lens) metering for on camera or wireless flash control, the SB-910 can operate as a hot shoe mounted Speedlight, remote unit or wireless Commander. And with refined operability including illuminated buttons for use in low light and improved thermal cut out protection, the SB-910 is the perfect partner to your D-SLR.

MELVILLE, N.Y. (November 29, 2011) – Today, Nikon Inc. announced the addition of a new flagship speedlight, the powerful and capable SB-910 speedlight. Building on the versatility of Nikon’s Creative Lighting System (CLS), the SB-910 incorporates an enhanced intuitive operating system and graphic user interface (GUI). The SB-910 speedlight comes equipped with a wide zoom range covering the most popular focal lengths as well as FX/DX-format identification that optimizes zoom settings based on the camera body. This new speedlight also provides more efficient battery usage as well as an enhanced Thermal Cut-Out function.

“As Nikon’s new flagship speedlight, the SB-910 provides exceptional high performance and versatility that users have come to value in Nikon’s Creative Lighting System,” said Lisa Osorio, general manager of marketing at Nikon Inc. “By addressing the needs of photographers that work in challenging lighting scenarios, the SB-910 delivers a new level of portable lighting functionality, with performance and intelligent features that adapt to a wide range of lighting challenges.”

Nikon SB-910 AF Speedlight i-TTL Shoe Mount Flash SRP $ 549.95 (01 November 2011)

Specifications : (more…)

16Feb

Photo Shoot – Awawas Espadrilles

Posted in News, Portfolio, Product, Studio | Leave a comment

Bennita from AWAWAS just collected her CD of product images I shot for her. What a cool, fun range of hand made Espadrilles. Thanks Bennita for an enjoyable shoot!

Bennita and her team of ladies make them right here in the Kyalami area of Johannesburg. The sole is made from hemp (no, you can’t smoke your shoes!) and there are funky colours and now ethnic African patterns to suit everyone. She says they are very popular especially with her local South American clients who buy a few pairs every couple of months for themselves and family. They are sold in various boutique stores in Gauteng and cost under R400-00 a pair. Contact her on +27 +72 189 9968 (local 072 189 9968) or at bennita [@] awawas [dot] co [dot] za and say you saw the shoes on Photocommission.com!

Gear I use: Bodies: Nikon D-SLR’s / Lenses: Nikon, Sigma, Tokina, Vivitar /
Filters: Hoya UV & Polarizing / Flash: Nikon Speed-lights / Bag: Lowe Pro /
Tripods & Heads: Manfrotto / Grips and Batteries: Phottix
Editing Plug-in: Topaz Labs for Noise Reduction, HDR.

26Mar

YongNuo Speedlite YN468

Posted in Flash, Hardware, Specifications | 11 Comments

[Note the date I posted this article  (March 2010)]
I held off buying a new flash. Whilst I love the tech specs and build quality of the Nikon SB range, new they are just a bit too rich for my blood. (I subsequently bought 2x SB-800′s 2nd hand ). I have been using older manual flashes (Minolta and Vivitar) triggered either via sync cable or optic slave mode (indoors).

Yong Nuo Speedlite YN468I have been watching this brand, YongNuo, with interest for the past few months, and read write-ups on the Strobist site as well as on Flickr about their various models.

Many good reviews and as usual a few not so good, by mostly “reviewers” who gave no satisfactory reasons for their dislike of the product. Take those reviews with a Pinch of salt.

I held one in my hand recently, the YN460II at a local supplier, and tested it. optically triggered by a basic DSLR popup flash, it fired flawlessly in all directions  optical slave mode and felt pretty solid, when it’s used as a manual off-camera flash, being fired either by light (optic slave mode) or by a radio trigger, like a Cactus 3/4, a Phottix Tetra/Aster/Atlas, AlienBees or Pocket Wizard’s.

However as an eTTL I have no doubt it will function as well as the Canon original albeit with some small configuration and menu differences. Quality and durability remains to be seen by owners and regular users.

ETA: June 2010: I’ve since bought a new YN460II (and the 2 x 2nd hand SB800′s) and have carried it (the YN460II) all over Africa as a spare off-camera kicker or on camera hot shoe flash when I want to go totally [M]anual at events or need fill light. It’s WB temperature looks spot-on, it’s rugged and very efficient on Li-Ion or NiMH rechargeable batteries. It’s much simpler to use than my 2 x SB800′s on CLS! Recharge time on 4 x fresh AA’s is under a second on full power.

Here’s a sample image of a pre shoot lighting test taken with the YN460II on a D90. All I’ve done with this image is smooth Christa’s skin and a bit of softness to everything but skin. No light modifiers whatsoever. Very acceptable.

ETA: July 2011, YongNuo 460II still behaving perfectly.
ETA: November 2011, YongNuo 460II still behaving perfectly.

However, for my primary flash(es) I need more than just a manual flash with optic slave mode triggering or radio/cable triggering. Cactus, Phottix, AB’s or PW’s are great but I still would like the option of iTTL. The YN468 has it! The Canon version is expected April 2010 and the Nikon version in May 2010.  (ETA July 2011!:  when is the Nikon version being released?). I deduct that it will be shipped to the USA before we even sniff it out here in the RSA. There is no indication of pricing yet, but I expect not more than US $200-00, probably less. In South African Rands? Your guess is as good as mine, but typically less than an SB 800/SB 900, maybe by a 1/3rd less?

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