Yongnuo - As good as everybody says?

[lowerf22]

Hi everyone. Has anyone had any experience of using Yongnuo camera strobes for off camera flash lighting purposes? I've spoke to a bunch of photographers who swear by them despite their relatively low price in comparison to other manufacturer's or even used & second hand models. The prospect of getting two strobes for what would normally be the price of one really appeals. But is reliability going to be an issue? Also, can anybody shed any light on the benefits of the different models and the best wireless triggers to use? What is the quality of the accompanying range of accessories? I'm planning to use these in conjunction with a second hand Linhof 5x4 that I've acquired on ebay for shooting portraits, so interesting times ahead. Any advice gratefully received.

[Tobias Key]

I have one and it seems very well built, certainly close to a Canon speedlite. My only concern would be whether they would kick out enough power for 4x5. I would guess that f11-16 might be as good as you can get at 100 iso and then only if you used a pretty efficient modifier. Personally, i would always like the option of f22.

[seezee]

I own 2 Yongnuo YN560-II strobes. They are compatible with my Leicas and my Fuji X-T1. I like the strobes, but the trigger/receivers didn't last very long and required proprietary connectors (supplied with the triggers). I don't use TTL (my Leica doesn't support it), so the lack of such was not a concern.

The strobes can get hot enough with continuous use to discolor a gel holder. Note the brown spots in the picture, where the plastic started to melt!

If I were to start over, I'd skip the trigger/receivers & buy either PCB or PocketWizard.

[Daniel.E]

I have a couple of YN560-IV and the built-in trigger system is great, no need to mess with with any extras. I also got their controller, YN560-TX, really easy to use. I had them for awhile and they work wonderfully. I'd definitely recommend those.

[Bob Salomon]

You are asking the wrong questions.
You want to know what the output in BCPS or guide number or F stop at a given distance and angle of coverage.
You want to know what the color temperature is and if th tube us UV corrected.
You want to know if the ready light comes on when the unit is fully charged or at som lesser power level.
You want to know if it accepts flash modifiers.

Then see how it compares to other flashes. And pay attention to reports of short life spans.

[macolive]

Yongnuo seems to be okay. I've heard of some reliability issues with the 560 mark iv but they say the mark iii is solid. The nice thing though with the mark iv is that it has a built in radio receiver.

Having said that though, i am planning to buy the Godox Witsro ad360. More powerful but it does come with an external battery pack.

[Peter De Smidt]

Check out Godox V850s.

[lowerf22]

You are asking the wrong questions.
You want to know what the output in BCPS or guide number or F stop at a given distance and angle of coverage.
You want to know what the color temperature is and if th tube us UV corrected.
You want to know if the ready light comes on when the unit is fully charged or at som lesser power level.
You want to know if it accepts flash modifiers.

Then see how it compares to other flashes. And pay attention to reports of short life spans.

Thanks for all the feedback guys. Especially Bob Salomon. Your points definitely highlighted to me how much more I have to learn. I'll certainly have to do a bit more reading up before addressing questions of that level, but thanks for the pointers. So, in terms of a wireless trigger, my friend has a used Pocket Wizard for sale so I'm covered there. I'm feeling confident about the Yongnuo mark iii from what everybody has said, but the Godox V850 is an option I wasn't previously aware of, so thanks putting me in the know. Has anybody any experience of using these in the field. How do they compare to the Yongnuos? I've just Googled them and they appear pretty substantial (see attached photo). But some first hand feedback would be really helpful. Thanks for all the useful advice so far guys.

[HMG]

What's your definition of reliability? It's one thing to be a wedding photographer getting a photo of the kiss at the alter, it's another thing when taking shots of a model with LF. I've found my older quantum 4I slaves very reliable and even my cheap chinese remotes pretty reliable.

IMO, the best deal around is a used Metz if you don't need more than basic flash automation. You can get a later "4" or "6" pretty cheap. Even the proprietary battery in the "6" models can be replaced by an off-the-shelf lead acid battery if you don't require that it fits in the original battery case.

[Peter De Smidt]

I use 3 V850s for location work. I set flash power manually, which is very easy to do. The lithium batteries are convenient and give fast recycle times. They've worked out well for me for my commercial work.