Comparison Yongnuo YN-968EX-RT vs Yongnuo YN-600

— Ordinary. Classic external flash. Usually, it is installed in the "hot shoe" of the camera. This is a versatile type of flash that is suitable for a variety of shooting applications, from portraits to subjects at long focal lengths.

— For macro photography. Special flashes are designed for use when photographing objects at short distances (macro photography). Such flashes, usually, are made in the form of a ring and are mounted on the front of the lens, which makes it possible to achieve uniform illumination of the subject. The connection is made through the "hot shoe" of the camera. It is worth noting that such flashes are not intended for general shooting due to their low power.

— Combined. Solutions from this category are usually kits that include two types of flashes at the same time — normal and macro. For details on each of these varieties, see the corresponding paragraphs. And the key difference between such a kit and two separate flashes is that both lamps, usually, are connected through one “hot shoe” — most often a regular flash is attached to this connector, and a macro lamp is already connected to it.

— On- camera light can be described as an analogue of a flash, used mainly when shooting video. Hence another popular name for such devices is “video flashes”. However, this name is not entirely correct due to the fact that the on...-camera light does not work in pulses, but in a constant mode. Simply put, this is a specialized spotlight mounted on the camera.

Flashes of this type use one or more diodes as a light source. Usually, LED-light is significantly inferior to xenon illumination in terms of luminous flux intensity, but at the same time it boasts high energy efficiency and reliability. LED flashes are mainly used as stationary lighting and are found in macro photography ( LED ring flashes) and on- camera.

Camera models that the flash can work with. Note that this parameter is usually indicated in the characteristics very approximately — only camera manufacturers are named, but there is no talk of models as such. Therefore, before purchasing a flash, it makes sense to separately clarify whether it will work normally with your camera — for example, on the manufacturer's website or thematic forums. This is especially true for devices from third-party manufacturers — for such models, the likelihood of problems is somewhat higher than for “native” flash cameras. At the same time, devices from the same company usually have the same requirements for connecting flashes, and therefore this parameter is with a fairly high degree of accuracy allows you to evaluate compatibility.

If the specifications of the flash indicate compatibility with several brands of cameras, this usually means that this model is available in several variations, each of which is designed for a different manufacturer.

It is worth noting that the "non-native" camera and flash may be quite compatible and work fine in most shooting modes. Nevertheless, support for TTL (see below) and a number of other specific functions in this case is usually out of the question, and in general, the reliability and efficiency of this combination is lower than that of a camera with a "native" flash. Therefore, it is better to choose all the same accessories with directly claimed compatibility.

Of t...he compatible cameras currently in use: Canon, Fuji, Leica, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic, Pentax, Samsung, Sigma, Sony.

The guide number is the main characteristic that describes the power of the light pulse of the flash. It is described as the maximum distance (in metres) at which, at ISO 100 and f/1 lens speed (aperture 1), a flash is able to illuminate an "average" subject sufficiently for a normal exposure; in other words, at what distance from the flash it will be possible to normally shoot the scene at the specified ISO and aperture.

There are formulas by which, knowing the guide number, you can derive the practical shooting distance for each specific value of sensitivity and aperture. The simplest formula used to calculate the distance at ISO 100 is: S=N/f, where S is the distance, N is the guide number, f is the aperture value. For example, for a guide number of 56 and an f/2.8 lens, this distance would be 56/2.8 = 20 m. Increasing or decreasing sensitivity by a factor of 2 would increase or decrease the specified distance by approximately 1.4 times, respectively. If you need to calculate the distance as accurately as possible, you should refer to more detailed formulas that can be found in specialized sources.

Separately, it is worth noting that the leading numbers of flashes, usually, are indicated by manufacturers for specific focal lengths of lenses. This is due to the fact that the shorter the focal length and, accordingly, the wider the viewing angle, the more light is needed to illuminate the scene being shot and the more powerful the flash pulse should b...e (at the same distance). Therefore, when choosing by the guide number, it makes sense to pay attention to the focal length indicated by the manufacturer and select a model with a power reserve — especially since guide numbers are often prescribed for rather “long-range” lenses (with a focal length of about 80-100 mm in equiv. 35 mm).

The standard brightness of the on-camera light (see "Type"). Usually, most of these models have the ability to adjust the brightness, so the maximum value is given in the specifications.

When shooting at a short distance, devices that are too bright can “overexpose” the scene, degrading the quality of the shooting (and it can be much more difficult to compensate for excessive brightness in post-processing than the lack of light). So when choosing for this indicator, it is worth proceeding from the specific conditions of use.

The number of light-emitting diodes (LED) provided in the on-camera light system (see "Type").

The abundance of LEDs allows you to achieve good brightness at a relatively low cost of the entire device — there are many light sources themselves, but they are relatively cheap. However, these models can be inconvenient to carry on camera and work in tight spaces. In turn, compact lamps with a small number of LEDs are more convenient, portable and "manoeuvrable", however, they are either inferior to more "multiply charged" models in terms of brightness, or are noticeably more expensive.

Flash units with TTL support. TTL is an abbreviation for "through the lens", i.e. "through the lens"; this is the name of the method of measuring exposure by the amount of light that passes directly through the camera lens.

In digital photography, TTL works like a pre-flash: before the main exposure, the flash fires one or more test flashes. The amount of light coming from the object being filmed is measured by special sensors, based on these data, the control electronics sets the necessary shooting parameters, after which the actual exposure takes place. This allows you to fine-tune the camera and get an image of optimal quality. The interval between the test and operating pulses is so small that it may not be visible to the naked eye at all (especially when the flash is synchronized with the front curtain or with a slow shutter speed).

Many modern camera manufacturers have their own developments and varieties of TTL technology, respectively, differing in name: for example, Canon has E-TTL and E-TTL II, Nikon has D-TTL (in early models) and i-TTL (in later ones) , Pentax has P-TTL, etc. Support for one or another variety is directly related to the compatibility of the flash with cameras (see above), and different formats are usually not compatible with each other.

The angle at which the main beam of light from the flash diverges. This parameter is not expressed directly, in degrees, but in terms of the focal lengths of the corresponding lenses, in millimetres: for example, a beam angle of 105 mm corresponds to the angle of view of a lens with the same focal length (35 mm equivalent). This makes it easy to select a flash for specific optics, so that it most effectively illuminates all the space in the frame. And the most advanced modern flashes can have a variable dispersion angle, allowing you to adjust them to different shooting features; this feature is especially useful when using zoom lenses. Changing the angle of dispersion is carried out by a movable lens installed in the flash head, it can be carried out both automatically and manually (for more details, see "Functions and Capabilities").

The angle of illumination provided by the on-camera light source (see "Type").

A large illumination angle, on the one hand, allows you to simultaneously cover a larger area, which is especially important when shooting long shots (at short focal lengths). On the other hand, to achieve sufficient brightness, this requires a large power of light sources, which accordingly affects the price and power consumption of the device. A small coverage angle, in turn, gives a small spot size of the light, but it allows you to achieve good brightness at a relatively low power.