Anyone using a Nissin 866?

digitalfailure

digitalfailure

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Hi All

Any of you lovely people using a Nissin 866 flash gun?

I've had one delivered today and first impressions are very very good, :)

The display is colour and it rotates when shooting portrait so the info is always the correct way up, and boy has it got some power!

I bought it to use mainly as an off camera flash but the feature set is on par if not exceeding the canon 580exII :eek:

I'm loving the mini sub flash which provides a nice bit of fill when bouncing.

One thing from owners though....... do you notice the flash zoom to be a tad noisy compared to the Canon units?

I'll try and do a review of it when time allows.
 
first impressions are..... do it

I have a 580exII here to compare it to and so far the Nissin is getting the edge, not tried to get them or my 430 to talk to each other via the wireless yet though :D
 
Have a look for Damian McGillicuddy Brian. Cracking commercial and portrait photographer and he swears by them. Give him a google, some great stuff on his website.

Oh sod it here is the link ;)

http://www.damianmcgillicuddy.com/
 
I know Damian Ali, and I know he uses he 866 is preference to the SB's.....Can't remember for the life of me what his sounded like when zooming though :D
 
I had one on approval for a short while and yes the zoom mechanism is noisy - almost reminiscent of an old dot matrix printer. Their other flashes, the Di622/466 also have noisy zooms.

I was quite pleased with it, but using it as a Master wirelessly to control other flashes using ETTL on my 7D, I recall I had a few shot failures, but I only had it a very short while and may not have set it up correctly.

Certainly if it does all what it says on the tin, they are very good value.
 
Cheers :thumbs:

The description sounds spot on :D

I use radio triggers on the whole as my body doesn't even have a pop up flash.....never mind a commander mode, so misfires are rare. Might see if I can make it take orders off a 580exII and give orders to a 430ex though.
 
As lostsoulal2 said, the zoom it rather noisy and it's been commented on in several reviews; but on the plus side at least I can hear that it's working!

One downside is the plastic hot-shoe foot, which I chipped a corner off some time ago, but now one complete side has gone after a knock. Hopefully I'll manage to get it repaired under warrantee, which is still valid.

Apart from that it's a cracking bit of kit for the price, especially when you consider the subflash and that it's virtually comparable to the 580II.
 
Yup, it'll take the standard Canon pack, or HK alternatives.

The reason that the Nissin one is so much more expensive is that it takes a solid Ni-MH battery rated at 60k flashes with a recovery of 0.7 sec at full power, whereas the Canon version uses multiple AA's.
 
I have the Nissin Di622 and I am also very happy with it. I have just made a diffuser for it as mentioned HERE
 
Plastic hotshoe isn't a problem for me, I've managed for years with them :D

I'm loving the av mode on it
 
yeah they do its the Mk11 dedicated for Sony :thumbs:
 
digitalfailure said:
Plastic hotshoe isn't a problem for me, I've managed for years with them :D

I'm loving the av mode on it
Click to expand...

I didn't think that it'd be a problem for me either until yesterday! :lol::lol:

AV is cracking, and using it as daytime/early evening fill flash is a piece of pee.
 
Anyone worked out how to check the firmware level?

A guide on the net said press the on/off button and then the pilot switch, all that seems to do is set the flash off :D
 
Ctrl Alt Del .................... :p


Hold down the on/off switch and then press the pilot switch very very briefly. If you hold it down for too long the menu screen will go blank (white) and you'll have to reboot by removing the batteries.
 
is this with the flash off or with it already on?
 
managed to get a glimpse of the firmware screen....... and it was just a glimpse :eek:

But line C says 2 so that means it's on the latest level :)
 
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