Well, in August 2011, the TT560 went from $60 to the $40-range and many who noticed the price drop, flocked to Amazon to purchase this flash.
While the photos and video of this flash have shown pretty positive photos from our Asian counterparts, their reviews were positive because it gave quite a bang for the buck and it was easily accessible.
So, let's take a look at the TT560 Neewer (Godox) Speedlite.
I. UNBOXING AND SETUP
The TT560, similar to Yongnuo's YN-560 comes in a black pouch, stand and instructions.
Comparisons can be made in look of the TT560 as it has a reflection board and built-in wide panel, optical control sensor, lock ring and hot shoe stand. The hotshoe stand is plastic and takes 4 double AA batteries (which I used four Eneloops).
On the back, you will notice that it has an output level indicator, mode select (M=manual, S1, S2), Charging Indicator, Test button and Power Switch. It is important to note that this flash does not come with a Zoom for the flash.
The indicator are in blue LED's while the power is the red LED dot.
POWER SAVING FUNCTION: The flash does come with a power-saving function which will go into standby mode in about 30 minutes of idle use. Press any button to wake it up.
PROTECTION FUNCTION: To prevent from overheating, the following is important to know:
POWER LEVEL 1/1, 1/2 - 20 Flashes which will activated over-temperature protection
POWER LEVEL 1/4, 1/8 - 40 Flashes which will activated over-temperature protection
POWER LEVEL 1/16,1/32 - 80 Flashes which will activated over-temperature protection
POWER LEVEL 1/64, 1/128 - 160 Flashes which will activated over-temperature protection
SPECS:
According to the document, this is a Guide number 38 (ISO 100) Flash, Vertical Rotation (0-90 degrees), Horizontal Rotation (0-270 Degrees), Color Temperature 56000K+/- 200K
II. TEST
I am testing this on a Canon T3i:
On-Camera Flash - It's important to note that this is not an E-TTL flash. But you probably don't need it as you can control the flash power levels through the back of the flash. Everything worked as the flash was supposed to, so I can't complain. As an On-Camera Flash, because of it's price...with the Sunpak PFX30 being the next cheaper alternative (with E-TTL), the TT560 pretty much gives more bang for the buck at $40+.
I have not used this Flash for a long period of time to see how quality is over long use but I did contact people in Asia who are using it and they have said the flash is still working and they use it in their strobist setup today. So, that's good news!
Off-Camera Flash - My main purpose for this Flash was to use it in addition to my YN-560 flash. Zoom was not important for me as I have the YN-560's for that. But what was important for me was that it worked with the RF-603C trigger/receiver/tranceiver. After finding out that the Sunpak PFX30 did not work, I took the risk of purchasing this flash, not knowing if it worked or not but fortunately, this flash did work with the Yongnuo RF-603's.
I then started taking a few photos with the Flash in rapid succession and recycle time was fairly quick. According to the instructions (0-1.5 seconds via AA Alkaline).
So, using it along with the YN-560's, I was able to use this flash with no problems whatsoever.
JUDGMENT CALL:
The Neewer (or Godox) TT560 is a straightforward flash and most importantly, my primary needs was to control the output and that it worked on my RF-603C. Granted, it didn't come with zoom and that is why I bypassed it at $59, when I could get the YN-560's (or even another Yongnuo flash for the same price).
At $40, it was great price (prices tend to fluctuate as of late between $40-$50) and it serves as another flash for my setup. It's rival right now probably is the older YN-460II and which one would I would recommend, it's pretty much subjective as they are the same cost but because I didn't need a zoom, while the YN-460II had a metal shoe, the TT560 has a shoe lock. Also, more people have experienced problems with the 460 and obviously, there are hardly negatives on this TT560 at this time. For now, I give a thumbs up to this flash, for its price and functions.
For On or off-camera use, this flash is definitely worth buying and at least worth considering if you are looking into inexpensive multiple flash. At $40, I'm not going to complain...it's actually a solid deal!
Pros:
- Power Saving and Protection Functions
- Easy to use buttons
- Horizontal/Vertical Swivel
- Wide Angle Diffuser
- Flash stand with needed threaded hole
- Great for On and Off-Camera Use - Manual and Slave Mode 1, 2
- Fast recycling charge
- Shoe Lock
- Price (if in the $40's)
- Works with RF-603
Cons:
- Lack of Zoom
- Plastic Shoe
- Lack of PC cord socket
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