Yongnuo YN 568 EX For Nikon

YongNuo have really come a long way since their first TTL flash just a few short years ago, and the new YN-568EX is now quite a nice flash unit coming much closer to the original Canon/Nikon and other 3rd party Japanese flashes, and at a considerably lower price.

The main things lacking compared to the higher priced offerings are mainly just the wireless master control (which is not really needed so much anymore), lack of USB port for firmware updates, and no external battery pack port. The omission of a battery port really being the only thing that may be a deal breaker for some, though the fast standard recycle may counter that to some degree. And for those looking for TTL slave flashes, compatibility with non YongNuo radio triggers may also be an important consideration.

Great Features -

• HSS (FP high speed sync) for shutter speeds to 1/8000th of a second
• Good Power – only around 3/10th of a stop off the top end Canon/Nikon alternatives
• Fast Recycle – from 2 – 3 seconds at full power
• Both Canon & Nikon Optic Wireless slave functions built in.
• S1 & S2 simple Manual optic slave – for regular or TTL pre-flash
• Sound Beep – indicates recycle ready and low exposure
• + or – 5 stops of Exposure Compensation in ETTL
• 1/3rd and 1/2 stop Manual power adjustment, even both methods combined
• Compatible with Canon’s built in Flash Control Menu
• 2.5mm Sync Port – Instead of the troublesome traditional PC sync port
• Full Head Swivel 180 degrees left and right
• Powerful AF assist light (though centre focus point only)
• Regular simple shoe locking ring – no complex lever system to break
• Settings saved automatically
• Instant switch on/off option

Limitations -

• No external High Voltage Battery Pack Port
• No USB port for firmware updates
• No Canon/Nikon Optic Wireless Master control
• Possible compatibility issues with non YongNuo TTL radio triggers
• AF assist light is centre focus point only, and can even miss that at close distances.
• No distance scale in Manual mode
• No Auto exposure mode (Auto is the old method before TTL)
• No weatherproofing

In Use -

The YN-568EX is very simple to operate and the TTL exposures and HSS have been working exactly as expected. Also teamed up with the YN-622C off camera triggers the 568 is working spot on and allowing all features. Power is about is a little below the Canon 580ex, and recycle time is considerably faster (more detail on these below). Buttons and controls are easy to operate (no more mushy buttons) and the recycle beeper (particularly in ETTL) is also really handy. Overall the YN-568EX is a nice flash to use.

Flash Body -

New Body Design

Instead of just adding HSS to the previous YN-565EX TTL flash model (which was a close copy of the Canon 580EX II body and LCD screen), YongNuo have designed a completely new original body for the 568EX, and its mostly all the better for it. It has a large clear LCD and nice solid plastic control buttons, no more spongy rubber ones. The body had a nice square shape with matt textured finish, and its actually all just a little bit smaller than the previous 565/580EXII.

Flash Head Full Swivel

The flash head also now has a full 180 degree swivel in both the left an right direction, which can save a lot of hassle and frustration. The head is tighter to click into positions, which means it will likely support modifiers and softboxes etc better without moving around. The only problem I have with this is when using pass-through hotshoes like YN’s on own YN-622C ETTL trigger, it puts even more stress on those if swivelling the flash head constantly.

Flash Head Size

The flash head as shown above is very similar in size to the 565/580EXII, with the 568EX being just a little smaller in width and height. So 580EX/II Stofen caps and modifiers should at least still fit over the 568EX head, but they may need a little extra packing or gaffa tape to hold them in place. Its great that YongNuo have an original design now, but one thing that would be very convenient is to retain the head shape of the current Canon or Nikon flashes for this reason.

Less Locking Ring Space

Also a slight step backward from the 565/580EX II body design is less finger room to access the locking ring, its fine on most cameras, but again on the 622C triggers or regular flash stand, less finger room makes it harder to get your fingers in there to secure the flash tightly or get it undone again. Its not really obvious in the image above, but there is considerably more room around the locking ring on the 565/580EX II (shown right).

LCD & Functions -

Large Clear LCD

The 568EX has a nice large clear LCD making it easy to see and adjust TTL exposure compensation and manual power levels. Image left below shows ETTL set with + 4 and 1/3rd stops of exposure compensation. Image right shows Manual power set at 1/2 power + 0.7 .

Simple Controls

Most of the Controls are very simple and straight forward, the 568EX user manual even states at the beginning with a Quick Start guide – ” You can understand the function of each button by pressing them and observing the displayed content”, which is exactly the simple and intuitive operation you want to see.

The exception to this is mainly for the Canon/Nikon Optic Wireless slave function, which is easy enough to select by holding the MODE button for few seconds, but then 2 buttons need to be pressed at the same time to change channels and groups there. The other exception is selecting the custom functions which also requires a 2 button press. Arrows marked between the buttons do help as a guide to the combinations though. Overall for general use the 568EX is very simple to operate and previous setting are automatically remembered.

5 Stops of Flash Exposure Compensation in TTL

Exposure Compensation is adjusted very simply in full stops via the left and right arrows, and the the up and down arrows allow fine adjustment in 1/3rd stops. A big advantage though is the 5 stops of FEC adjustment, where Canon usually only provides 3 stops at most.

This is likely more of an advantage with off camera use with the YN-622C triggers for creating larger ratios, or reducing bright rim lights etc, as the FEC set on the flash will add to the ration set from the camera

If adjusting FEC via the camera you still only have the 2 or 3 stops originally provided there, if FEC is set on the flash it overrides the cameras FEC setting, not adding to it.

Manual Adjustment in Full, 1/2 & 1/3rd Stops

Manual power adjustment is made in full stops via the left and right arrows, and 1/2 and 1/3rd stop fine adjustments via the up and down arrows. By default 1/3rd and 1/2 stop adjustments are offered at the same time, which is really quite handy, but you can also select just one or the other in the custom settings.

One minor thing I’m not keen on is the power adjustment scrolls around in a loop instead of stopping at full power and minimum power. So from full power it continues straight on to minimum power and upward again. Again this mainly concerns off camera use, but it means you can’t easily adjust the flash inside a softbox for example just by feel, you really need to see the LCD to know where the power is set.

Power Output -

We have heard some slightly varying reports regarding the power output of the 568EX, but this unit appears to be around 0.3 of a stop less powerful than the Canon 580ex. That puts the 568EX just a couple of tenths above the 430exII, which is reasonably consistent with most reports. It’s also about 0.3 stops above our manual YN-560 units which are similar to the 565EX. Results do fluctuate a few tenths though anyway, we noticed this particularly with the YN-560.

The way we tested the power was using a shoot through umbrella (flash zoom set to 35mm) which removes any advantage gained by having a slightly tighter beam, or less even spread of light (ie more of  a hot-spot in the centre). The bare flash results were a little closer between the YN-568 and Canon 580EX in the centre of the frame, which just shows the 568 had a slightly tighter or less even light pattern at the same zoom setting.

Power Output HSS -

The YN-568 is the first HSS enabled flash from YongNuo (or any Chinese manufacturer) so we were very interested to see how well the 568 would fair, and results turned out to be quite comparable to the Canon units.

HSS power output as we have found previously with Canon flashes can vary significantly from one flash unit to the next, we have 2 identical 580ex’s and one puts out a stop more power than the other in HSS, and that is not uncommon to other peoples experience as well. But the YN-568EX in HSS is about the same as the lower powered 580ex, which is quite reasonable considering its overall power is down a little on the 580ex to start with.

What does this mean is practice? – HSS was mainly designed to allow fill flash in bright ambient light, at higher shutter speeds though, which in turn allows wide apertures for narrow depth of field portraits. People will often say you loose 2 to 3 stops of power as soon as you go into HSS. This is true, but the way HSS was designed to work is that you open the aperture a stop to compensate for every stop of shutter speed increase. That means the ambient exposure does not change, but the flash exposure is down around 1.3 stops of power. That is similar then at any shutter speed right up to 1/800oth provided you open the aperture to match. For off camera use a second flash at least helps to regain a stop of that power back.

Recycle Time -

The YN-568EX standard recycle time is pretty fast, between the 430exII and 580exII, which makes sense as the power is in that area to. Approximate recycle times using rechargeable Energizer 2500mAh NiMH batteries  –

• Full power – 2 – 2.8 seconds
• 1/2 power – 0 – 0.5 seconds
• 1/4 power – pretty well instant

Going by the ready light full power recycle is most often around 2.8 seconds though it can fluctate from as low as 2 seconds to 3 or 4 sometimes. To run of 20 or more pops at a continuous rhythm around 4 second intervals would be needed to keep the recylce consistent. Ideally atleast half power (or less) would be used in continuous shooting though and 2 second intervals at 1/2 power is enough to allow shooting continuously for quite a while. 1/4 power is pretty well instant.

These times are fairly good, and fine for people that don’t generally relly on external high voltage battery packs (which the 568EX does not support anyway), but the pack option would make a considerable difference. With an inexpensive Pixel pack and the 580ex we can easily get consistent 1-1.5 second full power pops over many shots, and 1/2 power is consistently ready to go all the time. Overheat becomes the only limiting factor then.

In general though the 568EX recycle is very good when you consider previous third party Japanese flash option like the Sigma and even the current Nissin Di866II is much slower, even the original Canon 580ex take 4 to 5 seconds which feels like an eternity compared to the 568EX.

Over Heat Protection -

The YN-568EX has an Over Heat Protection mode which saves the flash from being damaged by excessive heat built up, though I was able to fire off 60 continual full power flashes (as soon as the ready light came on) before the flash went into the protection mode to cool down for a few minutes. That is much better than the previous YN-560 units which would reach thermal shut down after just 20 full power shots.

Sync Port -

The YN-568EX has only one external port, though its a very welcome standard 2.5mm mini jack sync port, instead of the traditional and problematic PC sync ports often used in flashes, and also still in most camera bodies. We wish they would all adopt the standard 3.5mm mono audio jacks, but 2.5mm is a good start, and much better than the traditional PC port. The Sync port is used to connect the flash to a camera or radio trigger for basic manual firing.

Locking Ring -

The Yn-568EX also uses a simple standard locking ring on the foot, unlike the complicated lever locking mechanism now found on Canon/Nikon and some other third party flash units. This likely saves cost, but it saves hassles and expensive repairs as well, so a few seconds extra to lock the flash down is no problem.

Focus Assist Light

The AF light on the YN-568EX  is the same as used previously in the YN-565EX flash unit and now the YN-622C radio triggers. Its reasonably basic for centre focus point use only, but it is a pretty bright and sharp laser which projects a grid contrast pattern within a small circle, which is easily big enough to cover the centre focus point. That is provided you are at least a meter or so from the subject, otherwise it may tend to be a little high. At longer distanced its closer to centre, and I found it locks on focus well from quite a distance. It’s stronger than the Canon light but it doesn’t have the long vertical pattern, or horizontal patterns for the other focus points.

You can see an example image here of the similar YN565ex AF light.

Sound Prompt / Ready Beep -

This is a very handy feature that even the Canon flashes still don’t have. Even the inexpensive manual YN-560 flash has this option of a beep sound to let you know when the flash has recycled and is ready to fire again.

But even more useful now with TTL and HSS is another beep sequence which tells you if the flash had enough power to expose the image correctly in ETTL. This is great if you have the flash off camera in a softbox etc where you can’t see the ready light. You know before even checking the camera LCD, that the image was underexposed due to lack of power and not a TTL metering mistake etc. And also if you took a shot before the flash was ready.

Custom Functions -

The YN-568EX offers a number of custom functions, a few relating to various power of times, FEB sequences, AF assist light disabled etc.

One I really like though is E2, which is an instant Power ON or OFF for the flash, no more holding the power button for 3 seconds to get started!

 Battery Compartment -

The battery compartment has an unusual layout and you have to note which direction the batteries go in. That’s not really any big issue though and its fast a simple to load otherwise. The door slides on a nice track which is very quick and easy to open and close without any special concentration.

Slave functions -

The YN-568EX has both Canon & Nikon Optic Wireless slave functions built in. This means it will operate as a full TTL/HSS slave unit off camera, controlled by the master (or commander) units built into all recent Canon and Nikon DSLR camera bodies (as well as external master units like the ST-E2 and SU-800). This is the near infra-red wireless system often using flash pulses from the pop-up flash on the camera body to communicate. It requires line of sight and can have issue with bright light. See the YN-622c radio triggers below for a more foolproof option.

Canon Master – 580ex II, ST-E2, 7D, 60D, 600D
Nikon Commander – SU-800, and Nikon camera bodies with built in Commander.

The YN-568EX also has S1 & S2 simple Manual optic slave mode for regular or TTL pre-flash. This is a basic optic slave that will just fire the flash in manual with no remote control. This is still very handy though as any other manual or TTL flash can be used to simply trigger the 568EX, in sync, off camera.

YN-622C Radio Triggers -

They YN-568EX is available just in time to team up with the new inexpensive, and already very popular, YN-622C ETTL and HSS enabled radio triggers, for off camera flash use. The 568ex being the most economical and compatible HSS enabled flash currently available.

As you would expect the 568EX is completely compatible with the 622C and allows all options available through the Canon Flash Control Menu. That allows remote control of up to 3 groups of flashes in ETTL with ratios, or Manual power control in 1/3rd stops.

As you change settings through the camera menu you can also see those settings changing on the flash LCD, its almost feels like a little bit of magic there.

Although limited in some ways by the constraints of the Canon flash menu options, this is a pretty impressive system for the price. So far its shown to be mostly trouble free and reliable, and pretty smooth in its operation. For more details on how the 622C functions its best to see the full YN-622C Review here.

Probably the main advantage I found with the 568EX is the recycle and low exposure sound prompt beeping. With the flash off camera and possibly hidden in a softbox or umbrella, the beep lets you know when the flash is ready, but also when there is not enough power to expose the image properly in ETTL. That can be very handy with the lower power of HSS, once you get the warning you know straight away that you will need to move the light closer or open the camera aperture to get a better flash exposure.

The main disadvantage again is the lack of external HV battery pack option, as with HSS off camera you are often basically shooting at full power. A second flash ganged together with both units set at half power can also reduce the recycle time considerably, and also allow a lot more shots before overheating. The reality is though you often want to bump both flashes up to full power using HSS like this anyway.

The YN-568EX is the most economical HSS enables option available for the YN-622C though, and apart from the omission of external battery port it works very well in combination with them.

Compared To -

There are no other HSS enabled flashes that will currently go head to head with the YN-568EX on price alone, most other options are around $100 more, which is quite considerable when we are talking around $180 vs around $280 for the Canon 430EX II, Nissan Di866, some Metz units, Sigma (which are quite dated now), and the Phottix Mitros flash which is just around the corner.

I’m sure a lot of people though, especially those looking for a first on camera flash, will be tossing up whether they should pay the extra for a Canon flash, or possibly even buy one second hand one at similar prices.

Canon 430EX II -

The 430EX II is really the closest Canon flash in terms of price, power, recycle time, (and lack of external battery port). The YN-568EX for all its extra size is only a few tenths of a stop ahead in power, and recycle times are fairly similar.

Advantages 430EX II -

• Size – The 430exII is considerably smaller & a little lighter (most seasoned strobists much prefer)
• AF Assist light covers 1 to 9 focus points
• Distance scale in Manul mode
• Compatibility – with most other radio triggers and future Canon cameras
• Reliability – Canon built quality and reliability is well proven
• Resale Value – As above Canon flashes hold most of their initial value.

Advantages YN-568EX -

• Price – The 568EX is around $100 or 30% plus cheaper
• Both Canon & Nikon Optic Wireless Slave functions built in.
• S1 & S2 simple Manual optic slave – for regular or TTL pre-flash
• Sound Beep – indicates recycle ready and low exposure
• Full Head Swivel 180 degrees left and right (and -7 degrees downward tilt)
• Catch-light card as well as wide angle diffuser
• + or – 5 stops of Exposure Compensation in ETTL
• 1/3rd and 1/2 stop Manual power adjustment, even both methods combined (down to 1/128th not 1/64th)
• 2.5mm Sync Port

Nissin Di866 -

Main Advantages -External HV battery port, Approx 0.4 stops more power, USB port for future compatibility.
Main Disadvantages- Slower standard recycle (around 5 seconds without battery back), Higher price.

Phottix Mitros -

Main Advantages -External HV battery port, More power, USB Port, Phottix Trigger compatibility
Main Disadvantages- Higher price.

Reliability -

YonNuo flashes (unlike their radio triggers) have had some well documented issue with reliability in the recent past. Though the 568EX  is the first release I have not seen any failures reported so far (touch wood), so there is hope improvements have been made this time. We will certainly follow this closely as more are in circulation.

The safe way to ensure you get your moneys worth though is to be sure the seller offers a reasonable warranty period and where possible purchase from a local seller so that turnaround is not weeks or months if there is an issue or exchange required. For People in the USA or UK Amazon has been found to be a good option due to their fast exchange service and still competitive prices.

No USB Port -

Like the recent YN-622C radio triggers, YongNuo have chosen to keep the price low with the 568EX leaving out a USB port for future firmware updates. So there is no guarantee future camera bodies or even radio triggers will be completely compatible without any issues.

This is just one of those considerations you have to weigh up. The Nissin Di866II and Phottix Mitros etc have the USB port but cost more initially, while the 568EX like the 622C is priced to make the most out of now. If you know you’re going to be in this for a while, spending a little more now may actually save some money in the future.

Compatibility -

Note -
There were 2 software bugs in the initial release which have been rectified in units from November 2012.
40D, 50D, 60D, and 7D – Experienced an overexposure in ETTL and HSS at 1/250th second shutter speed.
20D, 30D and 5D – the YN-568ex did not work at all directly on the camera hotshoe.

Cameras –
Canon – With Fash Control Menu

1 DX, 1Ds III,  1D IV,  1D III,
5D III,  5D II,
7D,  60D,  50D,  40D,
650D T4i,  600D T3i,  550D T2i,  500D T1i,  450D XSi,
1100D T3,  1000D XS.

Canon – Without Fash Control Menu

1D II,  1D
5D Original,
30D,  20D,  10D,
350D XT,  400D XTi,  300D D-Rebel,

Canon/Nikon Optic Wireless Slave Function-
Canon Master – 580ex II, ST-E2, 7D, 60D, 600D
Nikon Commander – SU-800, and Nikon camera bodies with built in Commander.

Radio Triggers –
Manual - Most single firing pin or Canon hotshoe compatible Manual radio triggers should be compatible

TTL - YongNuo YN-622C

TTL Third Party - This is the one area YongNuo often has compatibility issues with other third party radio triggers like the PocketWizard TT5, Phottix Odin, and even Pixel King on some occasions.

Specs -

• Circuit design – Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT)
• Guide No. – 58 (ISO 100, 105mm)
• Flash mode – TTL, M, Multi
• Wireless trigger – N’s & C’s wireless system, S1, S2 pre-flash-canceled mode
• Wireless triggering distance – 20~25m indoor, 10~15m outdoor
•  Slave groups – 3 (A, B, C,)  Channels – 4
• Zoom range – auto, 24, 28, 35, 50, 70, 80, 105mm
• Vertical rotation angle –  -7~90 degrees
• Horizontal rotation angle –  0~360 degrees
• Power supply – 4×AAsize batteries (Alkaline or Ni-MH are usable)
• Lighting times – 100~1500 times (AA alkaline cell used)
• Recycle time – approx 3s (AA alkaline cell used)
• Color temperature – 5600k
• Flash time – 1/200s~1/20000s
• Flash control – 8 levels of output control (1/128~1/1), 29 levels of fine tuning
• External interface – hot shoe, 2.5mm PC port
• Additional features – High-Speed Sync, Rear-Curtain Sync, FEC, FEB, FEV, electronic flash head zooming, manual zoom, modeling flash, sound prompt, advanced setting, automatically saving setting, PC port, power saving mode and over heat protection.
• Dimensions – 60×73×190mm (Extended state)
• Net weight – 350g
• Accessories Flash light (1), protecting bag (1), mini stand (1) and manual (1)

Included -

• YN-568EX Flash Unit
• Padded Case
• Mini Base Stand
• Instruction Manual

Summary -

If you’re looking for an inexpensive first on-camera flash unit the YN-568EX is certainly a nice flash. I think back to the Sigma DG super which was the common budget flash alternative just a few years ago, and the 568EX is worlds apart without any of the major quirks and considerably cheaper still. My main considerations would be compatibility with future cameras and reliability, otherwise the flash itself I’m sure many people will be very happy to own as a first flash unit or back up.

As an inexpensive TTL/HSS radio slave flash alternative the main consideration again would be compatibility. YongNuo already have a first good option with the YN-622C TTL trigger, but other brands with slightly more serious offerings already have compatibility issues with YongNuo flashes, and as things get more complex and competitive there will likely be less compatibility between these third party brands, so its more like buying into a system which takes some consideration. Otherwise the 568EX again as it stands (apart from the lack of battery port) is great HSS enabled remote slave unit at the best price available so far.