Reddit reviews Neewer TT560 Flash Speedlite for Canon Nikon Panasonic Olympus Pentax and Other DSLR Cameras，Digital Cameras with Standard Hot Shoe

Picture info:

• 28mm
  
• f2
  
• 1/30s
  
• ISO 800
  
  Flash trigger I used:
  
  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HVTSTI8
  
  Flash that I used (On full power):
  
  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004LEAYXY
  
  Setup:
  
  All in a line:
  Tripod with flash on top of it (pointed straight at model with no diffusion) -> trampoline with friend on it -> me with camera -> large wall behind me.
  
  
  I had my friend (the model) stand where he was going to do the flip, and used the autofocus to lock on to him. I then set the camera to MF so that the focus wouldn't move around from there.
  
  My friend then grabbed two handfuls of snow and did a backflip while letting go of the snow. I took the picture when he came between me and the flash. The light bounced off the wall behind me and lit him up. Without the wall, it would have just been a silhouette.
  
  EDIT: Formatting

there's nothing on here that's recommended unless you really need a flash kit for $40, IMO. It's a $15 no-name lightstand, bracket, umbrella, and a $20 used flash.

I can't recommend the Neewer TT850 speedlite enough for a portable kit. So much depends on your needs and budget though.

Just a few more to add to the list:

18% grey card

Neewer TT560 flash

Neewer 43-inch 5-in-1 reflector

Tiffen Circular polarizer

7 ft. light stand

47" Speedlight Umbrella Softbox

Continuous lighting kit

New camera bag


[EDIT] Added more things to the list, as I think of things I'll continue to expand it.

Neewer TT560 Flash Speedlite $36

Thanks - I think anything more than hundred dollars on is going to be a hard sell for me on the wife.

The flash is this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004LEAYXY/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Regarding the conditions, I have no idea what to expect. I assume both indoor and outdoor - weather-dependent, of course.

Thanks for the links - I didn't see the giant list of links on the right. I usually browse via phone. My apologies for that.

I've been thinking of trying this little cheap one for shits and giggles http://amzn.com/B004LEAYXY

and Im thinking about http://amzn.com/B0031AQ302 for macro.

I have an older flash thats huge, but the cycle time is just TOO DAMN SLOW.

Hi guys can anyone help me? I bought an external flash ( Neewer® TT560 ) for my sony a6000. I use it but it is not synced to the camera shooting, so my photos are black. What should I do?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004LEAYXY/ref=yo_ii_img?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I don't have a whole lot of experience with the built in flash as when I used it I didn't have much luck with it. It isn't very powerful but I have seen youtube videos showing how you can use it some what effectively. If you are using the kit lens you can use it straight on but if you have a longer lens, such as a Sigma 16mm, the barrel of the lens is so long that it gets in the way of the flash make the built in flash unusable unless you point it upwards and bounce it off the ceiling or such (again i'll refer you to youtube for more research on that). If you are looking for a cheap alternative to the built in flash I highly recommend a cheap $30 flash off Amazon (maybe even cheaper with the Amazon Day deals going on right now) and a cheap LED light for photography for extra light. I personally have this flash (for $30.99) and this LED light (for $34.59).

​

There are a few scenarios in which I use these lights.

1. If I am indoors and there is some ambient light I will typically just use the flash on the a6000 which I then mount the a6000 on a tripod. It is great for group photos as I am still able to hit my focus, use a low ISO (typically 100), and not have to use f1.4 or f2. Typically your lens will be sharper around that F4-6 range in my experience.
   
   ​
   
   
2. If the room you are shooting in has no good natural light source or poor lighting and you want to use an ISO of 100 and etc I will use the LED light as my main light source. I find a constant light source gives my camera the ability to find the proper focus as the a6000 seems to have trouble finding focus when it is very dark. So if your camera can't hit the proper focus a flash won't really help all that much. Nobody wants a well lit photo that is out of focus.
   
   ​
   
   
3. Then you can also use them in combo. You can use the LED light as a constant light source and flash if you wish.
   
   ​
   
   I will say if I am taking photos of animals or people I never use the LED light as the constant light source can be overwhelmingly bright on the eyes where as the flash is just a quick, well, flash of light. So shooting stills might be best to use an LED light of sorts in your scenario. Again this is my experience of a hobbyist photographer AND if you want to do it on a small budget, by no means am I a professional and I always recommend people to do their own research on how to use their camera properly as there is great videos and guides out there from known professionals.

I am a huge fan of the Neewer TT560 - it is incredibly affordable and you can buy two of them and a Cowboy Studio remote trigger set for under $100. While you're learning about strobes I don't believe there is any reason to get anything fancier.

I don't think it's worthwhile to invest hundreds of dollars in higher end equipment until you can prove to yourself that you need it. Strobes are one of those areas where photographers often overspend by a huge margin.

Did some research, here's I think my bargain basement lighting kit, and good reviews too.

• $50 Neewer flash with wireless trigger. a nice manual flash that comes with a wireless trigger. You put one trigger on the flash, and the other in your camera's flash shoe, and bam, radio triggered flash.
  
• Neewer stand/shoe/umbrella kit for $33. It comes with three umbrellas.
  
• Rechargeable batteries for your flash. I've had good luck with my Energizers, and they are cheap at $13 for a charger + 4 AA's. I'd buy two of them because the cheapest price on a 4 pack is $11, so why not spend the extra $2 for the charger to have a backup charger.
  
  There, you're good to go for wireless flash for ~$100, manual flash power, works with any camera that has a flash shoe.
  
  If you can only spend $50, then just get the flash separately for $30 and the batteries. Then you can get the radio triggers, light stand, and umbrellas later when you have the money to spare.
  
  Also, eventually, you may want to get a larger umbrella - I use an Impact 60" convertible umbrella. Big, beautiful, soft light. I have two of these; they have 4.5 stars on amazon, great umbrella. They are a little unwieldy though; 60" is a big umbrella to deal with.

If you have not done lighting before, you should really practice first, and you should simply buy before renting. If you don't know how to use basic cheap equipment, you'll have even more problems trying to use higher end equipment.

I would buy instead of rent, it's about the same price and if you learn how to use it properly you'll get the same results. The reason pro equipment costs a lot is not because it makes your photos better, it's because it's more reliable, quick, etc. Lots of pros don't always use pro equipment.

Neewer TT560 - $40

Flash stand with umbrella - $33

43" reflector - $13

Total: 86

Stand the model in front of a white background, put the Flash and umbrella at a 45 degree angle from the subject, hold the reflector on the opposite site to use as a fill. Use photoshop to turn the background pure white.

If you want to go super budget, buy 3 canlights from home depot ($7 each), buy 3 150w equivalent dailight CFL bulbs ($13 each), and a piece of white foamcore board ($1) for a total of about $70 depending on the pricing close to you. Use one can light as a key, use the foamcore board as a fill, use a 2nd can light as a background light, and the third as a backlight for the subject. You will of course need something to clamp the lights on. If you are doing full body shots you can use a white shower curtain as a diffuser for the key canlight.

Here's a lighting tutorial that you can use to get some ideas too. This site has a lot of tutorials you can check out. Ignore the pro equipment, it can almost all be swapped with DIY or cheap equipment.

Looking into getting an external flash finally and here are the options I found on Amazon that don't break the bank...any recommendations on which one to go for? I'm still a beginner and wanna try some flash photography but also will be doing an indoor party shoot where lights will be dimmed down so will need a better flash than the built-in one on my Nikon D5300.

1.https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004LEAYXY/ref=psdc_3109929011_t2_B00H84WRK2

2. https://www.amazon.com/Altura-Photo-Professional-Flash-NIKON/dp/B00H84WRK2/ref=sr_1_1?rps=1&ie=UTF8&qid=1505793035&sr=8-1&keywords=external+flash+for+nikon&refinements=p_85%3A2470955011%2Cp_72%3A2661618011%2Cp_n_condition-type%3A6461716011

3. https://www.amazon.com/Yongnuo-Professional-Speedlight-Flashlight-Olympus/dp/B00I44F5LS/ref=sr_1_1?rps=1&ie=UTF8&qid=1505793779&sr=8-1&keywords=yongnuo%2Bexternal%2Bflash&refinements=p_85%3A2470955011%2Cp_72%3A2661618011&th=1

Thanks for the feedback! Using a Shoe adaptor isn't ideal but 2 hss flashes that work together for around $200 that both have decent guide numbers seems like a good deal to me; the nissin i40 costs more than this ($250) and that's the cheapest "native" hss flash you can get for mirrorless Sony cameras.

Getting an ND filter costs about the same as the flash, with the adapter that costs $22, that's about the same as a cheap flash so it's a tie in terms of price.

Nice thing is if I ever end up getting a Sony branded flash (Sony HVL-F32M or better), the 3600hs will work as a wireless hss slave.

How do I mount a speedlite to my sony a200 which uses it's own proprietary mount?
I recently got into photography with a second hand sony a200, I want to buy a speedlite but I realized that the hotshoe isn't the same on my camera as the ones on most flashes. I realize I need some sort of an adapter to use them but is that all I need? I was thinking about getting these two, keep in mind I'm very new to photography and I don't want to invest far too much money so I don't want to buy a dedicated sony alpha compatible flash that I can't use later in my life.
The speedlite I want
The mount I want
Is there anything else I would need to use the speedlite? Also with this adapter will I be able to use it as a regular flash/speedlite?
Thanks!

I picked up 2 of these flashes and this wireless trigger, and this(or similar) set of reflective umbrellas and stands. All that stuff is pretty universal and should work on most cameras.

It's nothing fancy, but it's less than $200 for the whole setup and it gets great results. I use the same stuff for portrait work.

The Tokina lens looks great, but unfortunately it's designed for a crop sensor. I can put it on my full frame camera, but it's going to leave me with a big black circle around all of my pictures.

Here is a fairly universal kit I would buy:

• http://mpex.com/lumopro-lp605-compact-7-5ft-stand-w-ground-spikes.html
  
• http://mpex.com/lumopro-lp633-compact-umbrella-swivel-w-variable-cold-shoe.html
  
• http://mpex.com/westcott-43-collapsible-umbrella-with-removable-cover-15-folded.html
  
• http://www.amazon.com/Neewer-Speedlite-Panasonic-Fujifilm-single-contact/dp/B004LEAYXY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1415811732&sr=8-1&keywords=tt560
  
• http://mpex.com/dot-line-15-male-to-male-pc-cord.html
  
• http://www.amazon.com/Pixel-TF-322-Adapter-Dedicated-Flashgun/dp/B004RZ9MGC/ref=sr_1_1?s=photo&ie=UTF8&qid=1415812753&sr=1-1&keywords=nikon+canon+hot+shoe+sync+adapter
  
  It uses a sync cord. She can get radio sync or something else later and really grow this kit. Also point her to Strobist 101 to give her instructions and ideas.

What's the point of taking photographs that suck? Tricks and techniques that require a DSLR are mostly just tricks and they won't make a fundamentally bad photo any good. Shallow depth of field, or creative control of shutter speed won't fix a fundamentally poor composition. First get good.

You can get very good with just a phone. Lots of people spend big bucks on expensive cameras thinking it will let them take great pictures. It turns out you can take bad photos with any camera, and you can take great photos with just a phone. If I were in a photography club with only a phone camera, I would want to learn to take better pictures with it than my uncle/mom/friend/etc can take with their big expensive DSLRs. It's fun to win, especially when you're an underdog.

Anybody who is excels at anything, photography or otherwise, has mastered the fundamentals. There are no exceptions. Fortunately, you don't need fancy equipment to learn some of the more important fundamentals in photography: composition and lighting. It's a rare photo that is good, but lacking in one of those areas.

Composition is easy to learn and hard to master. Google around. Read about the rule of thirds, leading lines, and so on. Learn to do each one well. Take lots of different pictures using each techniques. Combine techniques. Then figure out when to break the rules, and thus learn why they are important. A phone will work just as well as a DSLR here. Your only real limitations are inability to control depth of field and inability to change your focal length, and those aren't so important. At least, it's easy to find situations where you don't need those particular tools.

Lighting is also important, but it seems to get less blog space than composition. You can learn all the important things about lighting with very little equipment. You also don't need to leave your boring classroom as long as you have people and stuff. Do portraits. Do well-lit product photography.

You can study lighting without flash. There's a lot you can do with just a window, or the sun and a wall, or a lamp you can move around. Dig up some scrap cardboard for a gobo. Cover it with white paper and you have a reflector. Cover it with tinfoil and you have a different kind of reflector. Rembrant didn't have a flash.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2nNxaBA6ss

On the other hand, if you have even a little money to spend, you could learn about off-camera flash, even with phone cameras. For $40-$60 on Amazon you can get a cheap but powerful hotshoe flash with an optical slave mode that you can probably trigger with a phone's LED flash. Hotshoe not required.

For example:

http://www.amazon.com/Yongnuo-YN-560-Speedlight-Flash-Nikon/dp/B0079M711S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1416351709&sr=8-1&keywords=yn+560+ii

http://www.amazon.com/Neewer-Speedlite-Panasonic-Fujifilm-single-contact/dp/B004LEAYXY/ref=sr_1_federatedaps0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1416351691&sr=8-1&keywords=flash

Add a mirror or your reflectors from above and your one light source becomes two or three. Clothespin a plain white T-shirt or tape a white plastic garbage bag to a bent wire clothes hanger and you've got a diffuser that works like a white umbrella. Attach a black plastic garbage bag to the back and now you've got a softbox with more control over the backscatter, so it doesn't bounce around the room and light up parts of your subject that you don't want lit. Just be sure not to enclose the whole flash body so you get enough light to trigger the optical slave sensor.

Now you can do this: http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html

One of the problems with phone cameras is that you don't have much control over depth of field. While you can't really blur out distracting backgrounds, you can use lighting to de-epmhasize them. See, for example, the first photo in the Lighting 101 link above. Can your Aunt who keeps her DSLR in Auto mode do that?

I love these things.

if you want to go the cheap manual route:
get these remote speedlite triggers
you can buy more of the receivers, just set them all to the same code.
get one of these for every receiver you have, or any flash set to manual
and get as many stands as you need for each speedlite/receiver combo. the sky is the limit.
also you'll need a crap ton of double and triple a batteries.

http://www.amazon.com/Neewer-TT560-Speedlite-Panasonic-single-contact/dp/B004LEAYXY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1398216147&sr=8-1&keywords=neewer+flash

Any of the cheap flashes like this one http://amzn.com/B004LEAYXY (sorry $30) in manual mode will work on the Nimslo.

Are you using some super old Vivitar flashes? Do they work on other cameras?

https://amzn.com/B004LEAYXY

Here you go. Reliable, cheap, and it works. Don't forget the batteries!

Yes, it's a manual flash. Best kind. Works off camera via optical triggering.

Thanks!

I used two of these and this set of colors.


Easy results for under $100. around $100.

EDIT: Oh yeah, and this for my off-camera triggering system.

Alright, I picked up a couple of the Neewer TT560 from Amazon ($37 each). Works AMAZING. I can't believe the quality of these for the price. They work perfect out of the box wirelessly with my SB-700 and D7000, and the photo quality is great!

Thanks for the recommendation!

Here's an Amazon link if anyone needs it.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004LEAYXY/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwplasmaglow-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004LEAYXY

I would highly recommend buying one of these bad boys

When you're just getting started, best buy is alright, but it's when you get more into it you start to need specific gear. For example, none of the ones I've been to lately sell neutral density filters, these pretty much just make it darker, which you would want if you do video, or especially for long exposure.

Also a lot of their off brand stuff is just rebranded gear that is sold for twice as much. Ex, this flash, compared to the same one online

• Insignia from Best Buy for $69
  
• Neewer from Amazon for $33
  (I wish they showed the backs of the flash so you could see, but you just have to trust me that they are the same :/ )
  
  They don't carry much accessories for video with for a DSLR, like a glidecam, gimbal, or fluid head. They carry the basics, just not any of the more specialized gear.

May not be much help, but I bought this flash for 40 dollars, and I must say I really enjoy it. I think it's a great flash especially if you are starting out (like myself).

Yes, I did. I am not clever sometimes. Updated the second link.

How about this then? It has solid reviews and also comes from my wishlist. :p

My thought is if you're going to get an external flash, invest in something good. A good flash can really make all the difference between a good and bad photo (and can even compensate a little for a less-than-superior lens). I would save up and get the $250 one I posted, but if you need something quick and fast, the $40 one should be good.

Built in flashes usually aren't great in comparison, just so you know.

Would you recommend something like this Neweer cheap speedlite for a beginner?

That's a great body, the only issue I have is I can't seem to find the same adapter I use on my nikon setup for canon. How I do mine in a nutshell is I have an adapter that mounts the lens backwards on my camera, with new lenses tho since they're digital you need a way to control the aperture, so you have this nice little handy adapter that lets you control it. Here is the kit I use, it comes with pretty much everything need to reverse mount a lens. Your next best and cheapest bet would be the 2.5 50mm Macro lens built by canon, it seems to be a great lens for the price of around 200 used. The next thing you need is a shoe flash, any cheap manual flash that fits canon cameras will do. The last thing you need is to build a good flash diffuser, I built one for about $15, here is how I built it. After you get everything up and runing you go out take pictures and learn to experiment with different aperture settings and flash values.

Unanswered question from the previous megathread

Author /u/ddharani4 - (Permalink)

Looking into getting an external flash finally and here are the options I found on Amazon that don't break the bank...any recommendations on which one to go for? I'm still a beginner and wanna try some flash photography but also will be doing an indoor party shoot where lights will be dimmed down so will need a better flash than the built-in one on my Nikon D5300.

1.https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004LEAYXY/ref=psdc_3109929011_t2_B00H84WRK2

2. https://www.amazon.com/Altura-Photo-Professional-Flash-NIKON/dp/B00H84WRK2/ref=sr_1_1?rps=1&ie=UTF8&qid=1505793035&sr=8-1&keywords=external+flash+for+nikon&refinements=p_85%3A2470955011%2Cp_72%3A2661618011%2Cp_n_condition-type%3A6461716011

3. https://www.amazon.com/Yongnuo-Professional-Speedlight-Flashlight-Olympus/dp/B00I44F5LS/ref=sr_1_1?rps=1&ie=UTF8&qid=1505793779&sr=8-1&keywords=yongnuo%2Bexternal%2Bflash&refinements=p_85%3A2470955011%2Cp_72%3A2661618011&th=1

I use two Neewer TT560 they are really good as off camera lights.
http://www.amazon.com/Neewer-TT560-Speedlite-Digital-Cameras/dp/B004LEAYXY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1333487022&sr=8-1

Thanks a bunch!

Every photo since 2013 makes use of these speedlites : http://www.amazon.ca/Neewer-Speedlite-Panasonic-Fujifilm-single-contact/dp/B004LEAYXY They are regarded as the best speedlites for their quality/price ratio.

I also bought these reflectors : http://www.amazon.com/Neewer-43-Inch-Collapsible-Multi-Disc-Reflector/dp/B002ZIMEMW

I had the silver one positioned at a 45 deg. angle acting as a key light, reflecting the sun coming out the window.

I'm playing with some umbrellas and softboxes these days, but I'm achieving a lot already with my speedlites and reflectors.

Good luck!

The flash that I have is the Neewer TT560.

Lower left thing looks to be flash for the camera. Something along the lines of this

I'd recommend one of these suckas, especially if you think she might combine cooking & taking photos. Photography is all about light, and one of these speedlites is an awesome and affordable way to get a better understanding of that. Read the reviews to get an idea of how kickass these things can be.

Alternatively, I learned photography by taking pics of the night sky. It was the most interesting thing to me and is what drove me to learn more about taking photos. I bought one of these, which allowed me to take pics with crazy long shutters on my T2i and also do cool stuff with star trails. I remember being so damn pumped when I took that photo with my T2i, the stock lens and a $10 shutter release.

Coupling the release with the tripod is a nice combo. The flash is great for indoor stuff.

If you're feeling SUPER crazy, consider the famous "nifty fifty." My biggest frustration with the kit lens when I had my T2i was that it was practically useless handheld in low light, and it was hard to achieve any shallow depth of field, which are two pretty big draws to DSLR photography. The Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II changed that all.

It can be had for under $100 used on Amazon, but I'd check your local Craigslist. Everyone Canon shooter has owned this lens at one point, and I've seen them for as low as $50 on NYC CL.

I would go for the 50mm lens and a tripod, throw in the shutter release and flash if you're feeling super generous. It would set her up for a very long time if she is serious about photography. If all the stars align, you could probably get the lens + tripod + shutter release + flash for under $150 but it's not very likely.

I don’t see anything about Sony compatibility for the Amazon Basics model. However, Neewer has this one with good reviews:

Neewer TT560 Flash
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004LEAYXY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_npl-BbC5RFY29

Just to make sure you’re looking for the right piece of gear, what do you want to do with the flash that you can’t do with the built-in one?

External flashes are awesome, I just want to make sure you’re looking for the right tool!

That will be more than suitable enough! I do also reccomend picking up an external flash such as this . I use it personally and it works so much better than the stock flash. You have to use manual though when you use this flash though. So you will need to learn how to shoot in manual.

I use Nikon lenses whenever I need a long zoom or macro (2 of the Nikon mount lenses I have). Tamron 90mm macro for food photos, Sigma 70-300mm for city photos from far away. These are not top of the line lenses, but I already had them so why not utilize them. Those modern lenses do not have an aperture ring, so you should get an adapter with an aperture ring. There are tons of them on Amazon and on eBay. I got one with aperture ring AND a tripod mount so it's more secure and easier to handle when mounted on a tripod with a big lens. Fotodiox is one common brand, but there are many similar products under different brands. One I have says "NI G-NEX" on it with no brand.

For old manual lenses, you can pretty much get any adapter since the lens itself has the aperture ring. Just make sure it can focus on infinity (read the reviews if possible)

You will have to do manual focus with these adapter. As far as I know only some adapters for Sony Alpha and Canon mounts can have autofocus (slow). And they are at least $75 (cheapest one I found on amazon for Canon)

As for the flash, I got 2 of these. They are NOT TTL. You can either connect them to your camera, and let it fire whn you press shutter. Or, you can use them externally, and fire them with camera's internal flash (mode S2). Either way, it works fine. I am not a professional photographer, so I cannot compare these flashes with other brands, and tell you how good or bad they are. But they are #1 seller on Amazon, got very good reviews.

Not sure about best but I found out that this works for an AE-1 Program if you pair it with a radio receiver. You kind of have to guesstimate when you meter the light from the flash tho.

What you need:

• Cowboystudio Wireless Trigger Kit
  
• 2x Neewer TT560 flashes
  
• Some lighting stands and umbrellas - google "strobist" for examples - or one of those light cube things.

Artificial lighting is the best and easiest way to make great, professional-looking portraits.

Are you sure you can't afford a speedlite ? You don't need an expensive name-brand one. A basic speedlite is $35. Get two of those, a basic radio control, some flash brackets, one more basic umbrella and you have yourself a portrait lighting kit for $100.

The only limitations will be that this kit won't take heavy use, and the flash won't do TTL (you have to set the power manually, which you want to do for off-camera flash anyway).

Finally, read strobist tutorial and you are now good to go and make great portraits.