Yongnuo 568 EX II

I needed a new flash for a wedding shooting for a friendly couple. But since i use a flash not very often i made up the decision between the original Canon 568 EX II or the Yongnuo 568 EX II. Mainly because of its pricetag and a couple of positive reviews the Yongnuo %&( EX II made. So this article is about my experiences with this flash.

I ordered the flash via amazon and it was delivered quickly, faster then the ordered radio triggers, but ok never mind.

Since i ordered a couple radio triggers the older model 568 EX would fullfil the requirements, but since the difference in price was very small, i ordered the newer model 568 EX II, since it able to be master flash in a multiple flash setup.

Included in the offer there was a little diffusor, which isnt realy usefull, because the surface area of the flash is not enlarged, and that is the only way to result in a softer light.

Behind the wideangle diffusor there is an integrated bouncer, very small though, which can be pulled up. Better just forget about it, and use an ABBC.

The flash itsself is of high qualitiy, nothing shaking ;-). Included with the flash there is a little stand and a fitting bag, just like the original Canon 568 EX II.

The flash is powered by 4 AA size batteries, but i prefer to use eneloop rechargeables. To me eneloops are the best rechargeable an in combination with a BC-700 charger they have a long life time.

The flash head is not locked in any position, so without loosing a knob or the head can be twisted up and/or sidewards.

Upward movement is a 100 ° sidewise in every direction a movement of a 180 ° is possible, so every position for indirect flash should be possible.

The flash works correctly with botht, the 5 D MK II and my 7D. The controlas on the rear of the flash have the same functions as the ones from the original 568 Canon systemflash.

Pushing the mode button the flash is switched from E-TTL to manual mode. Output performance can be controlled down a 1/128 of the full power. In addtion the flash offers the multi-flash option, but i haven’t tried this one.

Pushing the zoom button for a second the flash is set to master or slave mode. If you think, this is to complicated, you are right 😉 Just setup the required parameters in the camera flash menu.

Just to play arround with a little bit i set a Canon 430 EX to slave mode, the Yongnuo 568 EX II was set to master. In the camera menu the ratio between master and slave flash was set to 1:4, and it worked without any problems.

All in all the Yongnuo is worth its price. The configuration is almost identical to the original Canon 568 EX II and its compatible to all canon flashes. The only thing missing is long term experiences.

The only difference to the original is the missing option to connect an external battery pack to the flash, either to extend the number of flashes and/or reduce the charging time between flashes. A feature that i at least don’t miss.

What’s your opinion buying equipment not from the original manufacturer. Just leave me a comment/suggestion or any question.

ciao tuxoche