Thanks to Degreef & Partner, Nissin distributor for France and Benelux, I could test the Nissin i60a
1 Presentation
1.1 Introduction
The Nissin i60a (269 eur official price) is the most powerful flash in Nissin range (Japanese company)
While being very powerful it stays very compact compared to traditional cobra flahses
Guide Number of 60@200mm @100ISO
Optical wireless mode in slave only
Radio control (Nissin Air) in slave only
Video LED, not compatible with AF assist on E mount (possible with native Sony flash)
Easy to use interface
Recycling time at full power is a little bit long at 5sec (1.7 to 3 sec for competitors)
1.2 Specifications
You can find an overview of its capabilities here below
Note :
Rear curtain work on the body but not in wireless (no flash except 2 from Sony for offer it
AF Assist light is built in , but not working on Sony E mount cameras (A6000, A7..) , this is the case for all flashes except 2 Sony ones. It can work on other brand like Fuji, Canon…
1.3 Build quality & handling
The build quality is very good
The fill in reflector system is very well thought and slide on the top of the flash
To fix the flash just push it into the hotshoe / there is a button “unlock” to unplug the flash
The head rotation system is unusual with a metallic articulation but is very handy and feels solid
There is the possilbity to plug in a battery pack from Nissin to extend the autonomy and shorten recycling time, but there is no USB port for firmware upgrade this will require you to return the flash to a service centre (fortunately there is very rarely a firmware upgrade for flashes)
1.4 Size
The Nissin i60a is much smaller than other GN60 flahses
Thanks to its compact size it could still be used on an APS-C body
Nissin Di700 left (GN54), Nissin I60 on right (GN60)
HVL-F32M on the left, Nissin i60 on the right
Left Nissin i40 / Right Nisin i60a
1.5 Ergonomics
Compared to the Nissin i40 , the i60a add a real LCD screen, but still with the same spirit of ease of use that is the key added value of Nissin
With a Nissin flash you almost never need to consult the user guide as all operations are quite clear from the interface
One dial for the mode : TTL, manual, RMT (in red , wireless remote) with TTL or manual, Video led
One wheel with directions keys for the settings and advanced functions: the selected settings and mode is displayed in a very graphical manner on the LCD display
Wireless mode
Manual mode, Automatic Zoom
TTL mode , with correction HSS activated, Manual Zoom set to 24
Manual mode
2 On camera flash
2.2 Bounce mode
In Bounce mode, indoor, we get with good results for up to medium-marge room and medium to large group of people but we often need to rise the ISO (800-1600)
1600 ISO, F3.2
400 ISO
1600 ISO
without flash
2.3 Direct Flash
Direct flash gives quite ugly results inside (like all flashes), but can be useful outside as a fill in flash to recover some shadows, particularly combined with the HSS mode to shoot wide open e.g. at F1.4 t & 1/4000 sec
with flash 1/200 F2.8
without flash
3 Wireless
Wireless Flashes combined with some light modifiers like an umbrella to diffuse the light (avoiding a harsh light) is the best way for me to use flashes, it allow to perfectly balance the flash with ambient light and to re create the impression of the natural light
To use this you can use a commander A (a flash like the HVL-F20M ) or the Nissin Air System (radio controlled) and 1 or several slave flashes (B)
Here is a sample of what you can achieve with 1 flash and 1 umbrella (taken with another Nissin Flash: the Di700a)
This technique is called strobism. It is a light and portable vs real studio lights that are much more bigger and heavy (e.g. with their external battery to carry) but also much more powerful and versatile
3.1 Wireless Flash
The Nissin i60 only works in slave mode, either with
Sony Optical wireless mode (max 5m),
group A = RMT TTL, group B = RMT2 TTL (for ratio usage) , group C – Manual
Nissin Air system (radio control : max 30m)
As slave with a Sony flash as commander it works directly and perfectly see below : Nissin i60 is the second on the right
4 Other flashes alternatives
What are the possible alternatives : you don’t find direct equivalent of the i60, as alternative are either less powerful for the same size or much bigger for same power
Sony HVL-F45RM (480 euros) : Radio control , as powerful very compact but very expensive
Nissin Di700a (199 Eur, 250 Eur in Kit with Nissin Air): as powerful , but more bulky , less expensive and also compatible Wirth Nissin Air System
Or take other wireless system such as Godox TT685s (179 Eur) or Sony HVL-F60RM (700 eur) but these are more bulky
5 Conclusion
The Nissin i60 (269 euros official price) is a very good , compact on camera flash, that can support regular usage, that is very easy to use and also at ease in a wireless setup with Sony flashes or the Nissin Air commander
Pro’s
Intuitive interface
Good build quality,
Compact
Compatible with Sony wireless optical mode as a slave
Compatible with Nissin Air System as slave
Price : more than half the price of Sony GN60 flashes
Con’s
No commander mode
No stroboscopic mode
Price of the flash : 30% more than Godox that also feature the commander mode but that is less intuitive to use
The biggest competitors of the i60 (269 Eur) is the Nissin Di700a that is offered at 199 eur alone or 250 eur in Kit with the Nissin Air commander
If you do a lot of wireless flash with lightstand, umbrella, soft boxes, the size of the flash does not matter , the then Di700 would be more recommended as offering the same functionalities for a cheaper price (199 Eur)
If you do a lot of on camera flash and occasionally wireless flash then the i60 (269Eur) + Nissin Air commander (85 Eur) will be a good choice
The i60 can also be a second wireless flash if you already bought a Nissin Air Kit (Commander + Di700a )
It will be good for Nissin to offer a pack i60+Nissin Air to have a ready to shoot wireless kit like they do for the Di700a
If you want more advanced function like stroboscopic, commander mode… you will need to go to Sony (very expensive easy to use) or Godox (cheap but somehow more complex to use)
Original post on: https://sonyalpha.blog/2018/04/27/nissin-i60-flash/
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