NEEWER TT560 Camera Flash Speedlite Compatible with Canon Sony Nikon DSLR

I only write reviews on products that I'm especially impressed with. I won't go into too much technical detail because that has been covered in other reviews. I'm aiming my review at beginner flash users who might be wondering whether to "settle" for this much less expensive flash or whether to hold out for the name brand. Maybe you don't know whether you even need a flash at all and want to give one a try without making a big investment - if that's you, go no further! I actually bought this flash because a first time flash user I know used it (for one day before sending it back) and didn't like it. I was puzzled by that because the reviews had been so good by people who were obviously knowledgeable, so I bought the flash out of pure curiosity since the price is SO GOOD. I used it a bunch last night and today and actually REALLY liked it, and realized that the only reason my friend didn't like it is that she doesn't know how to use an external flash without getting that harsh, blown out, "flashed", look and she wouldn't have been happy with any flash. I own the Nikon sb-600 and the sb-800 and I like this flash every bit as well, if not better. Here are the reasons why: 1. It is simple and straightforward. You don't have to be knowledgeable to immediately, intuitively, know how to use it. Just turn it on, hit + or - to adjust the power and there you go. Yes, there's no TTL, but I only use my flashes on manual anyway, so I won't miss it. The only problem for beginner users is that you need to make sure to set your shutter not to go faster than 1/200 or 1/250, or you will get shutter banding on the top and bottom of your images. TTL flashes automatically control this for you, but for me this is no big deal. I just set it on 1/250 and adjust aperture, ISO, and flash power to compensate. 2. It has a rotating head (the most important feature in a flash for me because I ALWAYS bounce it off the wall, ceiling, or card) and you don't have to push in a button in order for the head to rotate, which can sometimes be a pain and slow me down with my name brand flashes. It feels very sturdy and solid; the head will certainly stay in place in whatever position you put it in. It also has the same pull out diffuser and bounce card that my more expensive flashes do, which is a huge plus for me as well. 3. It has plenty of power and the recovery time (with high quality rechargeable batteries, as mentioned before) is at least as good as my Nikon flashes. It will fire continuously on the lower settings with no lag. I didn't work it too hard, but I fired it more rapidly than I normally would and it just kept poppin'. (At the higher settings there was some recharge lag, but no more than on my Nikon flashes.) 4. I know this won't apply to most users, but I like the fact that it will go from Canon to Nikon because I actually own both. I've tried it on my Nikons (D600 and D700) and my Canon 6d and it worked the same either way. I've only owned the Canon for a short time and hadn't bought a name brand flash for it yet, and don't plan to now that I've got this one. Overall, I think this is the best deal in camera equipment I've found. I'm a big believer in full frame cameras and high quality glass, but the quality of light coming out of a flash is the same across the board - as long as the flash is sturdy and dependable (as this one seems to be) and has a few of the bells and whistles (like rotating head and diffuser and bouncer) that I require, I'm happy. And it works as a slave too? Ridiculously good deal. I'm tempted to sell my other 2 flashes and get another one of these.

***NOTE*** THIS IS A MANUAL FLASH...YOU CANNOT USE YOUR CANON CAMERA FLASH MENU TO CONTROL THE FLASH. I must say, I didn't have high expectations for this flash. I checked some of the reviews and they were mixed, but reviews are a small part of the reason I make a purchase. The flash is pretty well built for the price range, and seems like it will last for a long time. The optical slave NEVER misses, and it's extremely sensitive even when it's turned in the opposite direction of the master flash. Even though I'm a professional Photographer...to me...Light is light no matter where it comes from. If your flash cost you $500...can I use this flash an create the same image?...You bet I can...How you use your equipment is more important than what equipment you have. Don't get me wrong though...more expensive pieces of equipment usually have more options and allow you certain freedoms, but ehhh...learn with the cheap stuff, and once you see your limits with this equipment...move on from there. ****************************************** Update!!!!: 9/11/2013 First of all (today is 9/11) my condolences to those who have lost loved ones as I did in the attacks) It has been ALMOST 2 years since I've purchased 3 of these flashes, and they are still working PERFECTLY!!! I'm not a fan of spending money on things that will breakdown in the future, and these flashes have been banged around and thrown all over the place yet they still continue to produce excellent light for my photography needs. I usually use them for background, hair lights, and sometimes as a filler when it's needed and they have been great. The construction is solid, ease of use is key, optical slave is super sensitive and reliable. When you have good batteries in them...the recycle time is quick. I recommend VERY good rechargeable batteries (eneloop and powerex have never failed me). ****************************************** Update: 12/9/2013 I ordered another one today to use as another slave...the other 3 that I have are still working perfectly fine and I have never had a problem with them at all. for such a cheap product...it's pretty shocking that they last this long and contunue to fire on command in slave mode without a miss!!!! I might be getting 2 more of these for a total of 6...some of my light setups are very elaborate, and I've learned the distance to power ratio in my studio of these flashes and never need to meter tham...they add light just where I need it when I have a snoot on each one. PERFECT!!!

I needed to buy a flash very quickly because I've started getting a couple of requests for some photoshoots despite having a camcorder, so I decided to look around and see if I could get anything good for cheap. According to the overall reviews, this one seemed like the best option and I keep seeing that Neewer is everywhere and so far they haven't disappointed. I wish the flash came with batteries but luckily enough after scavenging around my entire house, I was able to find exactly 4 AA batteries and popped them in. I don't know how much charge is in there but I've probably used the flash about 100 times at the highest setting and it still hasn't powered off on me. It's crazy how bright the flash can actually be on the highest setting, but usually for indoors I'll have it on the 2nd or 3rd bar depending on how far something is, and obviously the 1st bar for close-up shots. The diffuser/reflector combo is awesome and it actually does have a very noticeable effect, and it's honestly really cool how it simply just slides in and out for quick use. I didn't know the diffuser had a little notch to pull on the reflector at first, so I kept on trying to pull it back out with my nails because I thought it wasn't getting enough friction to take it back out (I just didn't put the diffuser in all the way so it latches onto the notch) But it's fine now. I use the flash directly on my camcorder. It's not super heavy which is a huge plus in my opinion and it's pretty easy to use and understand so far, but I have yet to pair it with other flashes.

Just finished shooting a wedding using this flash. I didn’t even get close to using the flash’s brightest settings. In fact, I mostly stayed on the lowest 2 settings, so great exposure! Recycle time was good on these settings. The light would shoot continuously well but got a bit heated after about 10 minutes of continuous shooting. I use a canon 5D mark II and my second shooter has a 5D classic and used the same flash and it does well. However, if your shutter speed is above 250, you will see a black bar from the shutter in your photos because the shutter closes before the flash can fully go off. Good battery life, I didn’t need to change the batteries but if I did, it just takes 4 double A batteries and you can switch them out (recommend buying rechargeable ones). The controls are easy to use. It’s a bit bulky but looks professional. I’ll see how it lasts.

I have been a photographer for over 15 years and I have gone through many speedlites. This one is an amazing value. It’s a work horse. It never quits and fires so consistently. I bought this one as an extra because I always have at least 1 or 2 in my camera bag. I plan on getting the TTL version next.

I am not a professional. I am an amateur photographer that takes family pictures at family gatherings for fun. This is one of the best purchases I have made in a while. I cannot explain how satisfied I am with the flash! I am especially happy I did not spend anything close to what the "name brand" version of this costs. I thought I needed to purchase Panasonic's proprietary version of it (easily $250 vs. $31). I have a Panasonic Lumix G-5 4:3 DSLR camera I have had for a while now. I do not know why I did not do enough research on the product itself so I could have this months ago! It is amazing, it adds so much light without adding shadows. I think I am going to get the diffusers that are available since any direct flash towards what you are shooting will suffer from the shadows created (unless diffused or that is what you want). I love to bounce the light off of the ceiling and the walls! Some things to note: THE FLASH PIVOTS FROM LEFT TO RIGHT AND UP AND DOWN. There are increments of 30 degrees that it'll go from left to right and increments of 15 degrees up and down. These are semi-locked in positions but you can still place it at any angle in between it just won't be as sturdy as the semi-locked 15 degree intervals. There is a slave flash function meaning you can set it up so that it doesn't have to be connected to your camera for the speedlite to be activated. You will have to use your camera's built-in flash though since it reacts to bright flashes of light. This is NOT a remote function, but rather a function the camera has as an option. The sensor for detecting bright flashes is on the front covered by the reddish see through part in the front. So you have to make sure that your camera flash will be strong enough for the speedlite to detect the bright flash of light enough to react and flash in sync with it. Something I did notice was that it takes about 3 seconds for the light to "Charge" the flash once you turn it on. I think this has to do with capacitors and the amount of light you desire to be put out by it. Simply, the brighter you want the flash to go the lower intensity of flash you will have to program it too (easy buttons to do so). But It did not struggle to be super quick after the first 3 seconds of it charging its flash. It can be very bright! Seems to be super sturdy and well built. You will need 4 AA batteries to start it up though, so far I have done maybe 400 flashes and it is still going well. I can't comment on battery life since everyone has different quality batteries and I haven't had an issue with mine running out yet. I am using The "Duracell" Batteries. If you need good and affordable batteries I recommend the Amazon branded batteries since I have had great success with those in other situations as well. Look at the pictures since they each are worth more than my words.

Neewer TT560 Flash Speedlite For Canon/Nikon Digital SLR Cameras I just got these in after reading so many good reviews. From the view point of someone who just loves taking pictures as a hobby, these were just what i was looking for since I'm on a strict tight budget. I was saving up for Canon's 430EXII or something like that the one that costs around $450ish but after looking at this i thought its too cheap, maybe i should just save but now I'm glad i got it, 2 actually. Right out of the box they feel light and feels closer to what the top of the canon t3i body feels like (By the way I'm doing this review on the Canon T3i). Both came with horseshoes and i love how it came with a diffuser and white card on top. I first loaded the flash on the camera and though you can't control its output through the camera the LED lights on the flash aren't hard to read. it has 8 LEDs on the left from small to long reflecting on the amount of light it produces. There was M, S1, S2 and a power LED. Its easy to change output and mode but since I'm new to the flash accessories one of my friends was upset that the time it took to cycle to the next flash was too long which i thought was not accurate unless your use to expensive flashes. The cycle time on the short output was less than a second and the large burst was a couple of seconds tell you could fire it up again. (Also depends on how much low batteries where, one cycled quicker than the other and i have older batteries in it and newer ones in the other. Using the ETTL setting on the Canon, i was able to fire all flashes (On board, and both TT560's wirelessly together). Sure its a bit not comfortable having to walk to the flashes individually to change output but for a fraction of the cost i think its worth it. I was also a good ways from the flashes when i fired them, around 15~20ft. I love theses flashes so far, they do what i need them to do, im still learning how to adjust them and use them but they are great for the price. ***NOTE*** on the Canon T3i, under flash control you needed to go to on board flash and from there use custom function. From there select channels and you can't fire the flashes by themselves or at least i haven't figured out how to, i tried but the on board flash went off anyway or in one time it didn't fire the flashes at all. It gives you options to change ratio of how much light comes from the on board one and i still need to play with that other than that no problems whatsoever. ***UPDATE*** I've been using the flash for awhile and still loving it. I recently discovered using it on the camera, you have to have the flash set to M and it WILL NOT FIRE in live view so to use it on the camera instead of onboard camera you need to have it on M and not use live view. Using it off camera i thought you needed to have the infrared pointed at the camera but noticed yesterday taking pictures i had it behind the camera and it still fired using S1, but it could of been because the Flash from the onboard flash going off, i'll look into that more. I made a video showing sample pictures from someone who doesn't use professional equipment on a couple of websites so i'll share what i found here. I think it needs a bit of re-editing though since i made it.

**UPDATED AFTER 2 YEARS** I’ll keep it simple: this was my first speed light, it’s held up for a couple years. I’ve dropped it a handful of times, and it’s still kicking. Durability is decent. As far as performance, I personally think output and quality of light is sufficient. Battery life is good, lasts multiple shoots. I’ve used this in many many photoshoots, paid and personal. The biggest negative I can mention is RECYCLE TIME. I had this on camera (and a better one was in a softbox for off camera), and I shot a wedding. Embarrassingly, I missed shots waiting for this flash to refresh itself, for way more than a couple seconds. Even at 75% power level (and putting in fresh batteries), I was waiting 10-20 seconds for it to be ready. That doesn’t sound like much, but when someone is posing, it’s an eternity. So, after that I vowed I’m dropping money on a better speedlight system. This would be fine for basic studio work when you’re not rushing, or if you’re new to speed lights and want something inexpensive to learn with. But this can’t hold up in a fast paced professional environment. ————————————— **Original Review** I purchased this speedlight because I had an event coming up that I was the only photographer for. I have never used one of these and didn’t even get to try it at home before the night of the event. I did watch a couple YouTube videos just to get the concept down. I can definitively say this is easy to use and well worth the money. It definitely upped my photo game and I’m extremely happy with it. No one should be using built in flash ever, this is what you need. Pros: Built in bounce card (which I believe is standard, but it works well for what it is) 360 degree angles Lasted as long as I needed it (2hrs and still had battery left) Easy to use: on/off button, mode button and a plus/minus to adjust brightness. Cons: *i only have one gripe* Takes 4 AA batteries, I wish it was rechargeable or at least took a small battery I could remove and charge. Also, there’s no way of knowing how much battery you have left, as there’s no indicator light/levels. *possible cons* I’m an intermediate photographer, I know what I’m doing and take great photos, but I’m not a professional and my equipment is entry level. The videos I watched on YouTube showed speedlights that had more settings and control over the light, with a small lcd digital display etc. so if that’s something you need, this may not be for you. However, if you’ve never used one, I absolutely recommend this.

Excellent flash, très bon rapport qualité prix, différents modes à sélectionner. Prise en main rapide. Je le recommande vivement

Me tomé un buen tiempo para poder hacer las pruebas necesarias del funcionamiento del flash y no me decepcionó. Tiene muy buen alcance en todos los rangos de distancia. Al ser un flash sin sistema TTL se tiene que estar efectuando el sistema de prueba y error, pero se aprende con el tiempo a saber cuál intensidad y cuál ajuste efectuar a la cámara para un óptimo resultado. Encontré que utilizando la cámara en modo Manual es el que mejores resultados me dio. Es algo que quita algo de tiempo pero que vale la pena por tener un flash de ésta calidad que se ve y se siente Premium por éste precio tan accesible. Lo estoy utilizando con una cámara Canon G1X Mark II y se acopló perfectamente. Me gustó mucho el poder inclinar y girar el cabezal del flash y su cubierta difusora lo cual permite explotar más creativamente la iluminación. Se los recomiendo mucho!

The Neewer TT560 is an excellent little workhorse of a light source for straightforward manual-only applications. I measured its light output with a meter and found that at full power it is only about two thirds of a stop less bright than my very powerful full-featured (and expensive!) Pentax AF540FGZ flashes. Advantages of the TT560 include: super simple to setup and operate; solid feel and construction; comes with a self-standing foot and soft draw-string bag. Because it has no LCD display and therefore no complex modes, you can configure it easily when installed inside a softbox, pretty-much by feel alone. Disadvantages: has no zoom; flash sync no faster than 125th second; you cannot disable its sleep mode. No zoom is not an issue used inside softboxes and umbrellas. Sleep mode is set quite long so I haven't been bothered by that. Flash sync is a minor issue since I usually work at 1/160th second, but 1/125th of a second is fine for most studio work. I have been using the two TT560's I bought for rim-lighting and fill in portraits and model shots, and I have found they are reliable and pretty consistent. I have used them both with radio triggers and as simple slaves, triggered off the main light. But I have also used them singly or as a pair for complete lighting setups on their own, inside Westcott Apollo softboxes and umbrella octa softboxes. I'd recommend these flashes to anyone needing a few inexpensive manual flashes for off-camera work, especially to supplement your main light(s).

Il Neewer TT560 è un flash manuale economico pensato per chi vuole iniziare a usare la luce artificiale senza spendere troppo. La struttura è semplice, in plastica, ma sufficientemente solida per un uso amatoriale. L’interfaccia è essenziale: non c’è TTL né HSS, quindi ogni impostazione va regolata a mano. Per qualcuno può essere un limite, per altri un vantaggio, perché costringe a capire davvero come si bilancia la luce. La potenza è buona per la sua fascia: il flash copre ambienti interni senza problemi e, se usato con rimbalzo, dà risultati puliti e abbastanza uniformi. I 8 livelli di potenza e la scala ben suddivisa (da 1/1 a 1/128) aiutano a trovare l’intensità giusta. Anche la ricarica è abbastanza rapida quando si usano batterie decenti; con pile meno performanti può diventare lenta. Funziona in modalità M e S1/S2 per sincronizzarsi con altri flash, quindi si integra bene in set semplici con luce off-camera. La testa ruota e inclina come ci si aspetta da un flash standard, utile per rimbalzo su pareti e soffitti. Non è un prodotto pensato per uso professionale: niente automatismi, niente funzioni avanzate, nessuna protezione particolare. Però per ritratti, piccoli eventi, product photography o studio in casa è più che sufficiente, soprattutto per chi vuole imparare a gestire la luce manuale. Comunque per me un ottimo prodotto che ricomprerei sicuramente .

Operates perfectly with my Canon M50 camera. Easy to set up on, or off the camera hot shoe.