YONGNUO TTL Flash Speedlite YN500EX with HSS 1/8000 for Canon

Excellent flash!

First of all let me say that I am not a professional photographer. I am someone who loves taking photos and experimenting with my Canon T4i. I was looking for an external flash mainly for off camera use (since my T4i already has a built in flash) so that I could continue on my path of learning and becoming more experienced. I looked at several models of flashes including original Canon flashes and cheaper alternatives such as this Yongnuo. I chose this model because it has E-TTL and it has a built in wireless receiver that works with the T4i's built in flash transmitter. I could have spent less on a manual (non TTL flash) but I am very glad I spent the extra money (about $40 extra) on this model as the built in wireless receiver, E-TTL, and HSS all make this a pleasure to use. *** Positive Points: *** - Has E-TTL which means the flash will automatically adjust its settings using information from the camera (cheaper models require you to guess how much flash you need and adjust manually) - Great build quality. I was scared that since this was "cheap" Chinese made flash it would not be a quality product but I was very wrong. This is built very well. - Built in Wireless functions work great with my Canon T4i (650d) and I do not need any external transmitters or receivers - It works well with the built in flash control menus on the T4i - The swivel and rotate head allows for a lot of flexibility in lighting your shots - The controls on back are simple and easy to use once you read the manual - The beep from the flash lets you know when it is ready for the next picture (this is great when the flash is off camera in a remote location. - LCD screen is relatively easy to read and the graphics are easy to decipher - The LED grid pattern that is projected really does allow the camera to focus faster - Comes with a nice sturdy stand for off camera use - Has a nice case for the flash - The contact points for the hot shoe mount are metal (though the ring is made of plastic) - Has a built in reflector screen *** Negative Points: *** - HEAVY. This adds a considerable amount of weight to the camera. The weight is not noticeable with the camera in your hands but if you leave it on your neck you will feel the difference - No battery meter on the display so you wont know if the batteries are weak until they are so low that the flash will not fire. - The screen is backlit for a few seconds if you press a button but sometimes this is not enough to see the settings. - The viewing angle of the LCD is poor when viewed from above - The Canon T4i still must have its flash enabled and fire a weak flash even when this external flash is set as the primary.

Excellent flash that I use for off camera lighting during wedding receptions.

Unbelievable quality with quality control too. Works flawlessly on my T5i DSLR by CANON. This is a dedicated CANON ETTL-II Flash. (Sorry Nikon users...) Please take note of that! All zoom, f stop and camera functions display right on the flash LED Screen. I have to say, I really love it! Can't wait to put it to good use. Seriously, this is a dead ringer for the Canon 430 EX-II. It even uses the same flash diffuser box purchased with the Canon flash! Thank you Yongnuo! Thank you Tomtop!

These are good but you got to consider you get what you pay for. They do get hot on full power so to solve that you buy 4 and place on a bracket and use all at 1/4 the power and get full power. You are still at 400 for 4 instead of 1 at 600 for the canon 600 series. Also mind you that the 600 canon has heat issues to. So to have the same solution you need 4 for 600 which comes in at 24. So this is a better choice. Or you can get one nissin the gm8000 which claims 1000 full power blast with no heat issue. So far I am happy with this. Also mind you if you use 1/32 power on 6 of these with the triangular brackets you can blast away 30 to 50 pictures within a couple of minutes and no heat and very fast recycle times. Good flash over all. I was working in the sun with the flash and I noticed that it is hard to see the settings in the bright sun. I like black and white led screens like youngnuo and other flashes have. The positive side is I took about 139 pictures and the flash did not even get lukewarm. This is a major thing. The flash runs cold. My youngnuo got very hot. The flash seems to be a performer. This flash is fully compatible with canon. I am able to enter all menus in the camera. I haven't found one thing I cannot access with this. But I can not be 100% certain for I never used any canon flashes that are 100% compatible so I don't see anything I would be missing. I use this on 2 60d bodies and one t3i. It works great. I done shoots macro all week and did not recharge yet. These are about 122 to 190 shots a day. I lie a little I skipped a couple of days where it rained all day but you get the gist of things 500 to 700 shots on charge. Eneloop baby.