RSS FeedGee Please will be back Shortly
Dear Gee Please readers and subscribers, sorry for yet another long stretch of break in the Gee Please updates. We have been reorganizing our staff, from writers, editors, testers and guest writers list.
Rest assured that with these changes, Gee please will be more current and streamlined. Check out the list of upcoming contents on this site after the jump.
We are also making some server-side updates and still doing it as we speak. We are also redesigning a bit of the whole appearance of the site to make it more reader-friendly. We employed some changes in the internal pages to make it easier to scroll and read. Including easier follow of comment replies from the staff.
THE NEW LOGO
On our list of coming contents are:
- A review of the Nissin Di866
- Field Test of the Nissin Di866
- Review of Kimstore Gadget Shop
- First Look on Nokia 5800 Xpress Music
- First Look on SAMSUNG Star
- NOKIA 5800XM Review
- SAMSUNG Star Review
- Shield for your gadgets
- Basic Lighting Tutorial using the Nissin Line-up
We are also looking for additional contributing writers, if you have articles to share, do share it with us by using our contact form.
If you’re a Merchant and you want your products tested as well, we can also do that per your request and arrangement.
To our readers, if you need us to review something, please dont hesitate to send your suggestions to Gee Please and well make sure to put it on the queue for review and testing.
Thank you for continuing to support Gee Please!
The Tricky Flash Sync
What is the Flash Sync? How do I use it? And how do I achieve a high-speed sync?
These are a few questions you ponder about after getting your first ever external flash. First let’s clarify the meaning of “Sync”. Sync is actually a shortcut of synchronization, and synchronization is the way two objects function, move, execute at the same time in it’s simplest sense.
Now Flash Sync is all to do about the Flash Shutter. The Shutter is like your eyelids. It closes and opens much like your eyelids does. However for the Flash Shutter, the wider it is open and the longer it stays open, the more light is captured by the camera sensor. Basically, the camera sensor only sees light, that is why photography in it’s simplest description is a means of capturing light. If the shutter is blinking fast, which is a fast shutter, the sharper the image and the quicker your camera sensor captures the image while sacrificing the amount of light it captures as well.
Therefore, slow-shutter speeds are good for low-light conditions, making fast moving objects blurred, making running water from streams and waterfalls appear silky-smooth and taking night photographs and especially useful on time-lapse photography.
Fast-shutter speeds is good for fast targets to make them appear like you stopped time, or freeze the moment. Good for pictures of sports, racing, active kids and the like. However, you need ample amounts of light to get proper exposure at fast-shutter speeds. You can hand-hold your camera and take sharper images. For slow-shutters, a tripod is absolutely needed.
This answers your questions about high-speed sync and flash sync. It is the relation of your camera shutter with your your camera flash.
The shutter of your camera has its own rating for maximum speed which you can use the flash. Thus your camera also has a limit as to how fast the shutter curtains (eyelids) can be made to move. At higher speeds, a second shutter curtain which is rarely noticed also move to increase the speed capacity of the camera.
The secondary shutter is released before the first curtain has finished moving. This will appear like your camera sensor is shooting through moving strips.
Thus the higher the shutter speed, the thinner the strip is. This affects your flash reliability to properly expose or light up your subject. If the flash fires while the curtains are about to close, the the proper flash exposure is not taken. Thus the timing between the flash and the shutter, which is your sync speed, is essential. They must thus work in harmony.
Fast Sync, notice how the action and the crowd is captured
Slow Sync, notice that the crowd is now blurred by panning the shot.
The maximum shutter speed where the camera sensor is properly exposed when it is wide open is called the “Flash Sync” or “X-Sync” speed. It usually ranges at about 1/200 - 1/500sec. However this varies depending on the SLR/Camera.
Your external flash needs to cope with this value. That is why your reliable on-camera flash fails at higher sync speeds or your camera won’t allow you to shoot at higher sync speeds at all. Most external flash has a “High-Speed Sync” mode, allowing your camera to use any shutter speed. Notice that without your external flash attached to your camera, the camera shutter speed option is limited. Your external flash does this nifty little trick to synchronize with your camera shutter. Your naked eyes cannot see this, but to achieve high-speed sync flash, your dedicated external flash fires a series of several flashes as opposed to what your eyes can see which is a single fire of your flash. This is timed to match the period where your camera sensor is exposed. This multiple fire at high-speed sync reduces the intensity of your flash considerably, so most high-speed sync shots is done best for fill-flash at close range.
Whats with the Grey?
Getting the right color temperature, white balance and the true feel of a photograph is difficult to achieve even for seasoned photographers. Auto White Balance is a hit and miss affair, any PRO photographer you ask will tell you to set your white balance (WB) manually yourself. There are many ways to do this, and one effective method is to use a Photographic Grey card.
A Grey Card is used as a baseline of the level of White Balance the camera should apply. It balances the color of your photos much better. It is letting your camera choose a better exposure level to match the current lighting situation.
One of the best Grey Card is the “Douglas Card”, I am trying to look for the newer version, but there is none available in my area. The Douglas Card is from Douglas Photographic. The Latest version is called the Douglas Mark II. It offers better color balance in many kinds of lighting conditions. At around 20USD, the Douglas Mark II or Mark 2 contains no artificial brighteners which could distort your dSLR’s’ exposure readings.
Douglas grey card
Nissin Di866 First Look
I have a wind of the news of the to be released Flagship Flashgun from Nissin, specially made for Nikon users. The All new Nissin Di866. At around 300USD and maybe adjusted lower in the future this is a to be waited on Flashgun from Nissin.
The Di866 Professional Speedlight features an external auto-exposure sensor with eight f-stops from f/2 to f/22 with compensation potential. It has additional features specially designed for professional dSLR users. The recycling time is around 3.5s and supposed to offer up to 150 full-power flashes per set of batteries.
The flash is supposed to synchronize to sync speeds higher than 1/250s. Additional features of a fill in sub-flash, activated by the main flash while bounced. It has self-changeable TTL light level feature and can be allegedly fired wireless by Nikon DSLR’s cameras. Nissin Di866 firmware can be updated via a built-in USB port, finally a flash with a USB port.
Nissin Di866
Supposed Features:
- Exclusive for Nikon Digital SLR’s Cameras
- The Di866 Professional Speedlight features an external auto-exposure sensor with eight f-stops from f/2 to f/22 with compensation potential
- Self changeable TTL light production level feature and can be fired by wireless means from Nikon DSLR’s cameras
- The unit is designed for use with DSLRs and boasts many features particularly designed for professional and advanced photographers
- It has recycling time of 3.5s and be able to offer up to 150 full-power flashes per set of batteries.
- It features a fill in sub-flash, which is activated while the main flash is bounced
- The flash synchronizes to high board up speeds of above 1/250s
- Its firmware can be updated via an incorporated USB port
Specifications:
| G.No | - Main flash 60(ISO 100, m) or 84(ISO 200, m) at 105mm lens angle coverage - Sub flash 12(ISO 100, m) or 17(ISO 200, m) for 35mm lens angle coverage |
| Compatibility | Nikon digital SLR cameras and Coolpix hotshoe cameras |
| Power Source | - Battery magazine - 4 x LR6, (Lithium, NiMH and Oxiride are usable) - Power Pack - Nissin Power Pack Pro 300 (NiMH exclusive battery cluster) |
| Recycling time | - 3.5 sec. by Battery Magazine with 4 x NiMH - 0.5 sec. by Nissin Power Pack Pro 300 |
| Number of flashes | - 150 full power flashes per set of NiMH batteries - 300 full power flashes by Nissin Power Pack Pro 300 |
| Camera Synch. | - TTL hotshoe (on camera flash) - PC cord service connector (off camera flash) - Wireless TTL, and Slave synchronization (off camera flash) |
LumoPro, Yong Nuo and Cactus
Still Looking for the most affordable Flash/Strobe for your strobist setup, you already are familiar with the Nissin Di622 right? Since I already reviewed it here before. I’d like to review a couple more affordable alternatives, but I can’t get my hands on them yet. So this is just a primer of the new sets of flashes. They are all ranging below the USD150 price line and seems to be a good alternative for your flash needs. The review at The Strobist Blog is updated every time they get new info on these set of flashes, so I trust that there reviews should be the first hand look on these new set of flashes.
Affordable Flashes
LumoPro 120 (around USD130), Yong Nuo YN460(USD50 below) and Cactus KF36 (USD100 below). The Complete Review and updated feedbacks from first-hand users are located at the Strobist Blog.
.
Gary Fong Lightsphere 2
If you don’t know what it is, it is generally called a lighting modifier in photography. It is often called though as a Flash Diffuser.
The Gary Fong Lightsphere 2 is the newest version of Gary Fong’s Lightsphere series. It comes either in Clear and Cloud versions. The clear one for slight softness of light and the Cloud one which I recommend adds moderate softness to your flash light, making photos appear like it was taken using natural lighting not the harsh one a regular flash produces. It has a top attachment if you want to use those, it is actually a lid to close the dome to be able to point the Lightsphere directly on your subject . Imagine it looking like a Tupperware attached to your Flash. Most version fits the Nikon and Canon Flashes, so to make it fit a third-party flash like the Nissin Di622 reviewed before, slight modification and cutting required to fit.
When you buy one, it comes with the Cloud White dome lid, but other lids can be bought separately like the Amber Lid and the Reflective Silver Lid. The Generic version of the Gary Fong Lightsphere2 if you want to save some cash is called a Lambency Flash Diffuser. Some are named even crazier, but the best replicas are the Lambency ones.
Gary Fong Lightsphere 2 Clear
Gary Fong Lightsphere 2 Cloud
One downside when attaching it to a Nissin Di622 is that the weight added to the flash head makes it bow down to 90 degrees, so you either just point it up instead or rest it at 90 degrees, anywhere in between will drop down the head, unless you put in some fitter to the head to lock it tight.On Nikon and Canon Flash systems, it works pretty well as it is designed for those, the locking mechanism of those flash units are better. However, there is a Universal Lightsphere now available for all types of external Flashes.
The Gary Fong Lightsphere2 is really good to use on portrait photography, you need to practice a lot thought to get a hang of the proper settings to use when using an external flash and the Lightsphere 2. First thing I learned is to make sure you set a custom White Balance when bouncing the flash using the Lightshpere to achieve optimum results.
Gary Fong Lightsphere 2 Universal
Here are a couple of my observations:
- When there is insufficient light, the best distance would be around 6ft. from the subject bounced upward with the Lid at f11 and iso400 1/125. Flash power set at TTL. Bouncing at low light, it is best to set your White Balance to Tungsten.
- Pointing the Flash with the lid, you just need minor adjustments. For good all around flash strength, set at TTL and add +1 to the flash assist power.
I tried it on my SB-600 and it works like a charm, on the Nissin Di622 after slight modification, it works even better, I think it is because of the flash rating of the Nissin Di622 being higher than SB 600. Sample shots Below.
Regular Flash Left with Lightsphere 2 on the Right
Using the Amber Dome
If you have other observations on the Gary Fong Lighstphere 2, please suggest it by commenting and I will gladly test it and add the notes if confirmed.
Do you need to know more? Comment below and I’ll try to answer all your questions.
You can actually make a DIY (Do It Yourself) version of the Lightsphere.
Get one, I highly recommend it, tell Mr. Fong you read it here.
Nissin Di622 the Review
Remember my review of Filters Exchange? One of the things I ordered is the Nissin Di622 and this is its review.
The Nissin Di622 is a flash unit for the budget conscious, it is often compared to the Nikon SB-600 and if you are looking to convince yourself with both, the simple answer would be: “The SB-600 costs double the price of a Di622, so if you have a Nikon system and you have the budget, get the Nikon SB-600, it has CLS and when you get an SB-900 in the future, the two will go hand in hand as SB-900 can function in commander mode, paired with the SB-600 as slave is already a basic CLS (Creative Lighting System) setup for Nikon, and guess what? Nikon CLS is effective and the best automated lighting system I know of.”
Nissin Di622 vs. Nikon SB-600
Now if you are not convinced, or you still want to get a descent flash while not going broke in the process, then go get the Nissin Di622. It’s a powerful flash, has similar swivel functions as the SB and almost similar aesthetics. What’s on the SB’s that’s not on the Di622? The SB’s have LCD display when controlling, it can work with Nikon CLS, better Locking mechanism of the swivel head and again CLS.
Nissin Di622
Having said that, you may ask; “What are the strong points of the Nissin Di622?”
- It has wireless Slave mode through its photo detector.
- Also has an assist illuminator at low-light conditions to get the proper exposure levels.
- Flash light is quite strong.
- Has swivel head left to right, up and down.
- Has TTL for both Nikon and Canon
- Compatible with Nikon and Canon depending on ordered mount requirements.
- Flash Exposure level can be controlled on camera (depending on type of camera)
- Plastic built but quite sturdy.
- Has built in flash bounce and diffuser
- Can function in Full Manual mode, you can set the Flash strength manually.
- Comes with a flash stand that can also be mounted via a screw on a tripod or flash brackets.
Weaker points of the Nissin Di622:
- No jack for flash triggers like wireless Flash Triggers (Can be modified though to function on flash triggers, but slight soldering and dismantling knowledge is required. Comment if you need the link)
- Weak locking mechanism on the swivel head, especially when adding snoots and diffusers.
- No LCD and cannot work with the Nikon CLS.
- Optical Slave mode works in TTL but has problems when other light source or flash is present. (Accidental Triggering).
- Optical slave mode fails in very sunny weather (can be corrected by adding a dark filter on the optical area).
Nissin Di622 Package
If you have other observations on this flash unit, please suggest it by commenting and I will gladly test it and add the notes if confirmed. Official Website of Nissin is at www.nissindigital.com and the Nissin Di622 is posted on their site.
I have an SB-600 and have tried the CLS with a friends all-Nikon setup and nothing beats it when you’re on a Nikon System. But if you are a starter, and you want to master Flash control and you are on a tight budget, Nissin Di622 is a winning bet. If you plan to purchase one through Filters Exchange, let them know you got the info here.
Do you need to know more? Comment below and I’ll try to answer all your questions.
Nissin Di622 Front
Nissin Di622 Back
Images Courtesy of Modar who was gracious enough to lend us his images.
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Recent Comments
- Chris Administrator Gee, Please...: Hi Worried. Yes, most Nissin Di866 depending on where you bought it from has some...
- Chris Administrator Gee, Please...: Hi Ricky, Not unless your Metz Manual flash is set to trigger at TTL, then it...
- worried: i just bought mine last saturday, to shot for my brother’s wedding… it was very noisy...
- Ricky: Hi, firstly, good job on this informative review. I’m looking for a 2nd slave flash for my Pentax...
- Chris Administrator Gee, Please...: Hi Sorry for the long wait, as you can see we haven’t updated the site yet,...
- Migs: Sir! I have two questions. 1) I have a Canon 430EX II, planning to buy Di622 which will serve as my slave....
- Jack: Hi, I just bought a Nissin Di622. When I try yesterday the unit with my Canon 7d as slave the di622 work but...
- Chris Administrator Gee, Please...: @Michael: It will work off-camera via ttl triggering. @Long: The red glass...
- benting: hello newbie here. which do you think is a best buy? two nissin di622 or 1 nikon sb-600? and i really...
- long: my red glass have broken and scattered to pieces…do i need to buy a new flashlight or can change the red...
