TTL Flashes
Yongnuo currently offers 3 different TTL flashes, all part of the 460 line which means they share the casing and overall design. Among them, the YN465 is the simplest and cheapest (and my favorite), while the YN468 is the most advanced with an LCD screen on the back, but it’s also the only one that’s available for Canon only.
| Spec | Yongnuo YN 465 | Yongnuo YN 467 | Yongnuo YN 468 |
| Official GN (35mm*) |
33 | 33 | 33 |
| Measured GN** 35mm |
27 | 20 | 20 |
| Measured GN at 18mm (wide-panel) |
15 | 13.5 | 13.5 |
| Measured GN at tele end |
27 (35mm) | 28 (85mm) | 27 (85mm) |
| Zoom reflector range (wide panel) | fixed at 35mm (18mm) | 24 – 85mm (18mm) | 24 – 85mm (18mm) |
| Swivel / Tilt | -90 to +180 degrees / -10 to +90 degrees | -90 to +180 degrees / -10 to +90 degrees | -90 to +180 degrees / -10 to +90 degrees |
| Official recycle time alkaline | 5 sec | 5 sec | 5 sec |
| Measured recycle time alkaline | 2.0 sec | 1.9 sec | 1.8 sec |
| Official recycle time NiMH | na | na | na |
| Measured recycle time NiMH | 1.2 sec | 1.4 sec | 1.0 sec |
| Flash modes | i-TTL or E-TTL(II), M | i-TTL or E-TTL(II), M, S1, S2 | E-TTL(II), M, S1, S2, multi flash |
| Wireless TTL slave mode (Canon / Nikon) | no | no | no |
| AF assist light | yes, single LED | yes, single LED | yes, single LED |
| High speed sync | no | no | no |
| Manual Power Settings | 1/1 – 1/2 – 1/4 – 1/8 – 1/16 – 1/32 – 1/64 | 1/1 – 1/2 – 1/4 – 1/8 – 1/16 – 1/32 – 1/64 | 1/1 – 1/2 – 1/4 – 1/8 – 1/16 – 1/32 – 1/64 – 1/128 |
| Manual Zoom | na | only Nikon version | yes (also Canon) |
| Hot shoe triggering | unproblematic | unproblematic | unproblematic |
| Standby mode | 50 sec, but instant wake-up & fire | 50 sec, but instant wake-up & fire | power-off after 15:40 minutes |
| Available for | Canon, Nikon | Canon, Nikon | Canon |
| More information | YN 465 in-depth review | YN 467 in-depth review | YN 468 in-depth review |
* at ISO 100, 35mm, in meters
** the measured GN is calculated from light meter tests with all 6 Yongnuo flash units conducted together with other speedlights from brands such as Canon, Nikon, Nissin, Metz, Sunpak, Vivitar.
Check the Yongnuo-Canon compatibility table for information on combinations that work or don’t work with YN-465, YN-467 and YN-468.
Non-TTL Flashes
Among the manual-only mode flashes, the YN460 can be considered as outdated. The YN460-II is stronger, and offers faster recycling times. The YN560 adds a zoom reflector, a PC sync port and some other goodies, but it also costs more.
| Spec | Yongnuo YN 460 | Yongnuo YN 460 II | Yongnuo YN 560 |
| Official GN (35mm*) |
33 | 38 | 39 |
| Measured GN** 35mm |
28 | 34 | 34 |
| Measured GN at 18mm (wide-panel) |
15 | 18 | 17 |
| Measured GN at tele end |
28 (35mm) | 34 (85mm) | 49 (105mm) |
| Zoom reflector range (wide panel) | fixed at 35mm (18mm) | fixed at 35mm (18mm) | 24 – 105mm (18mm) |
| Swivel / Tilt | -90 to +180 degrees / -10 to +90 degrees | -90 to +180 degrees / -10 to +90 degrees | -90 to +180 degrees / -7 to +90 degrees |
| Official recycle time alkaline | 5 sec | 4 sec | 3 sec |
| Measured recycle time alkaline | 9 sec | 3.8 sec | 3.4 sec |
| Official recycle time NiMH | na | na | na |
| Measured recycle time NiMH | 5 sec | 2.0 sec | 1.6 sec |
| Flash modes | M, S1, S2 | M, S1, S2 | M, S1, S2 |
| Wireless TTL slave mode (Canon / Nikon) | no | no | no |
| AF assist light | no | no | no |
| High speed sync | no | no | no |
| Manual Power Settings | 1/1 – 1/2 – 1/4 – 1/8 – 1/16 – 1/32 – 1/64 | 1/1 – 1/2 – 1/4 – 1/8 – 1/16 – 1/32 – 1/64 | 1/1 – 1/2 – 1/4 – 1/8 – 1/16 – 1/32 – 1/64 – 1/128 |
| Manual Zoom | na | na | yes |
| Hot shoe triggering | unproblematic | unproblematic | unproblematic |
| Standby mode | fixed 60 mins | fixed, but unproblematic | can be adjusted (30 mins max) |
| More information | YN 460 short OCF review | YN 460-II in-depth review | YN 560 in-depth review |
* at ISO 100, 35mm, in meters
** the measured GN is calculated from light meter tests with all 6 Yongnuo flash units conducted together with other speedlights from brands such as Canon, Nikon, Nissin, Metz, Sunpak, Vivitar.
Where to buy Yongnyo flashes
The best place to buy Yongnuo flashes is eBay. The manufacturer has their own store there, with seller ID hkyongnuophotoequipment and they usually offer a 1-year warranty on their products.
amazon
Are any of these flashes compatible with Canon 5D MKii?
I would think all the E-TTL and non-TTL flashes will work. (which seems like all of the above)
However, how well the E-TTL works in the Yongnuo flashes vs the Canon flashes…I don’t know. In the past, I’ve read that the Nissin flashes in TTL mode do not work so well. (I’ve never owned one though)
The Non-TTL versions are really simple. They remind me of flashes back in the 80′s whereby all you do is set the power and trigger them. (yes I believe you can trigger them on your 5Dm2′s hotshoe)
I’ve tried my YN-560 on a Canon 400D mounted on the hotshoe and it works. The voltage on the hotshoe trigger is probably the same for the 400D and 5Dm2. It is after all a very simple flash.
Having said this…for such a nice camera why not just get the Canon 580EXII? I would for 3 reasons. (1) High Speed Sync, (2) detection of sensor size (3) AF assist guaranteed to work with the 5D Mark II.
I have noticed that my old SB-800′s AF assist doesn’t seem to work at all with Nikon FX (full-frame cameras). It simply doesn’t light up. Even though some of the Yongnou flashes seem to have an AF assist beam (apparently a single LED) check and see if it works with your 5Dm2 and whether it helps! It may light up but could be no better than having none.
This is just my personal opinion. I don’t work for Canon. I don’t even shoot with a Canon. I have used the 580EXII flashes and I personally don’t really like them compared to the Nikon flashes. (probably just some quirks that I’m not used to) And yes I have a YN-560 which I have yet to use extensively.
Hello Darko and Lee
It’s known that some of the Yongnuo E-TTL flashes don’t work with older Canon bodies, like the 20D for example. I tested the YN468 with the 40D and it worked, and I assume it works with the newest bodies too, but can’t guarantee because I haven’t tested.
Certainly, the 580EX II from Canon is a very nice flash, with all the advantages you listed. The AF assist is definitely better, HSS is possible etc. But it also costs a lot more ($400 vs $100). The Canon 430EX II is a less costly alternative which has most of the 580′s features if you need them.
I’m having a new Nissin Di622 Mark II under review at the moment btw (Nikon version); see here: http://speedlights.net/tag/di622-mark-ii/.
The SB-800 AF assist must work with an FX camera too, there are just some modes where it doesn’t, like AF-C for example.
Thanks for the reply and sharing with us your experience with the E-TTL functions of the Yongnuo. Oddly both the 20D and 40D are E-TTL(II) and on one model the flash doesn’t work. I guess with 3rd party TTL flashes, your mileage may vary. Best to test it out. I have not bought any 3rd party flashes for use in TTL mode for this exact reason. It may not work for my future camera models.
Just curious, have you tested how the exposure is like between mounting a Yongnuo and perhaps a 430EXII on the hotshoe in TTL mode. Are the exposures similar?
(I’m assuming the flash will be the main light with little or no contribution from the ambient)
Yes, the 580EXII does cost a lot more….that is why I bought a YN-560 for a slave. At the price, it really is a no brainer.
But apart from the stuff I listed it does do a lot more (you can check online sources for details). Whether they are applicable to your use, you have to decide.
There was one thing I wished the YN-560 had copied and that would have been the SB-900′s design instead of the 580EX. Using coloured gels on the SB-900 is so convenient.
Now the off topic stuff…
Actually that was the odd thing about the SB-800. I never used it on my D700 hotshoe before but just 2 weeks back I needed to swap out my SB-900 and mounted the SB-800 and suddenly I realized the AF assist light was missing. And yes, it was on AF-S.
At first I thought perhaps my AF assist light on the SB-800 was no longer functioning (it is an old flash) but when tested on the D300(DX body) it worked fine. In any case, I think I will do a more exhaustive test on the D700 (probably changing it to DX mode and see if that helps) and also perhaps on another FX body.
I have a 5d mk1 I rarely feel the need for flash but as these are pretty cheap I thought i might get one and experiment. But from what i can see on Ebay none appear compatible with the 5d. Wondering if this is correct or is it just that they wouldnt have full functionality.
Hi perry
I found a report about compatibility of YN468 with 5D mk 1 here: http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=852054&highlight=468&page=21. It would be great if you’d report back here in case you decide to get one yourself – cheers!