New Nissin Di866 MKII is out

[shoturtle]

The new nissin DI866 MKII is out, look nice
http://www.nissindigital.com/en/di866mkii.html

So grab up the MK I will supplies last, nikon and canon users.

[NHL]

Kudo's to Nissin for keeping the tightening knob with their metal foot
This work better than the quick levers on Nikon or Canon newer flash on worn camera hot-shoes which tend to wobble otherwise...

[JimC]

Originally Posted by shoturtle

The new nissin DI866 MKII is out, look nice
http://www.nissindigital.com/en/di866mkii.html

So grab up the MK I will supplies last, nikon and canon users.

Errr... Don't forget Sony users. They actually started shipping the Sony version first (probably because they realized the market potential since they had not offered their products for Sony before), then followed with the Di866 Mark II for Canon and Nikon models. B&H has the Sony version in stock now (as they did when I checked a week or so ago), and it looks like the others are on the way. You'll see two reviews from Sony users from last month (March 2010) under the listing for it. But, I don't personally know anyone that's tried this flash on a Sony dSLR yet (although it does appear to support all of the Sony wireless features from what I can tell from it's specs)

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search...tialSearch=yes

[shoturtle]

That is why I said canon and nikon user grab the mkI while you still can for cheap. For 259 dollars on ebay, the mkI is a bargain

[JimC]

You're right, I misread that one (noticed the nikon and canon users part, but not the grab the Mk I part). lol

AFAIK, this is the first time Nissin has offered any of their flashes for the Sony dSLR lineup (only the Di866 Mark II so far). Their flash models appear to offer a nice feature set at a lower cost compared to the camera manufacturers' models. So, I'll definitely keep an eye on them.

[shoturtle]

Yeah, they are very good flashes, much better then some of the other 3rd party options. Now sony uses have sony, metz and nissin to choose form.

[JimC]

There are a number of other brands that work on Sony now, too. But, most of them don't have support for HSS (High Speed Sync), and quality is questionable with most of them. For example, some of the new Vivitar models seem to be well liked by Sony users at very nice price point. The DF 383 is only $129 at B&H:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc..._Series_1.html

But, the cheaper models like that don't support HSS (and build quality isn't the best)

But, then again, the cheaper Nissin models like the Di622 Mk II don't support HSS either from what I can tell from reviews of them. If I wanted a cheap flash on a tight budget, I'd be more likely to buy a Minolta 3600HS or Sony HVL-F36AM instead (same flash, rebranded by Sony), or a Minolta 5600HS (same flash as the Sony HVL-F56AM) if I needed a bit more power. These work fine and support HSS (and the HVL-F36AM can be found for around $100 used now).

[shoturtle]

metz 50 AF-1 supports HSS. 230 dollars.

[JimC]

Yep. I'm well aware of the Metz offerings. It depends on how you interpret cheap (are you looking for a $100 flash or a $200 flash). ;-) If I were looking for a flash around $100, I'd probably just go with a used Minolta 3600HS versus a new Vivitar or similar model.

If I were looking for a $200+ flash, I'd consider the Metz 50 AF-1. But, I'd probably go with a Sony HVL-F42AM (or used Minolta 5600HS) instead (for build quality alone, as Minolta and Sony users that have both systems will tell you the Minolta/Sony models have better build quality). If I were looking for a $300+ flash, then I might consider the new Nissin Di866 Mark II.

But, I'd probably look for a lot more feedback from Sony users about it first (which may take a while, as it only started shipping for Sony models last month), as third party flashes do tend to have some "quirks" (especially since this is their first model for Sony cameras and they may have missed something in the protocol). That it's firmware can be updated via USB port is a plus in it's favor though (as that is for the Metz 50 AF-1).

But, I do wish Metz (or someone else like Nissin) would come out with a flash that's more like the Metz system cameras with interchangeable SCA modules for different cameras (58 MZ-4, etc.).

That way, if you use more than one camera system, you don't have to buy a different flash for each one (just buy the appropriate foot for the same flash instead).

But, the problem with that arrangement is that the Metz SCA Modules are not user upgradeable (you have to send them to Bogen in the U.S. for firmware updates), and third party flashes do tend to have more compatibility issues with newer camera models. IOW, I'd like to see a reasonably priced flash system that offers the best of both (interchangeable modules so you can use the same flash with multiple cameras systems, while still allowing the user to upgrade their firmware via USB).

[shoturtle]

The nissin are very popular in Asia, and it is a good option if you need a master ttl flash, and use a metz 50 AF-1 or 44 AF-1 as a slave.