Finally, an inexpensive lighting tool for your kit Yongnuo 560

  Yongnuo..  I know, I know, it sounds like an oriental island in some exotic locale, but it's actually the name of a fast growing chinese flash manufacturer that is making knock-off strobes that look and feel like anything branded with Nikon or Canon's name.  After a few shooters I know began to use these, I tried one myself by picking one up off of Amazon for $58.  In short, I'm all in on these little dudes.

  If you look at the photo, you will see the various focal lengths listed from 24-105mm.  These also double as the power scale in manual mode for setting the output.  You simply press the + button to get more power and the - to decrease it.  So simple even I could figure it out as I hate reading the often comical instruction manuals translated in China.
  On the side where you can plug in an external battery unit, there is a PC outlet just like on the Nikon strobes so you Canon people should be excited about this--connecting a pocket wizard is a cinch with a $4 cord.
  But if you really want to be impressed, pick up a Yongnuo radio remote system for another $22 and just go cheap wireless.  It makes shooting the D600 really make sense as there is no PC outlet, but I digress...
  In the S1 and S2 modes, the power still is controlled by the LED's across the zoom range but a slave feature activates.  This allows you to put many of them in a light bank set to sync with a main unit.  the recycle time is very short even at full power; I'm using lithium AA's in mine and have had no problems with it overheating so far.  And this brings me to my last point:
  For the cost of one Nikon SB-910, you could afford to buy 9 of these 560's and still have enough cash leftover to pick up a cheap radio remote as well.
  Others will be quick to point out that there is  a LCD (vs. LED) version of this called the 580II but I actually prefer the straight 560 because the LED's are easier to see in bright sunlight and all of us have LCD's that no longer work anymore -- they don't do so well getting knocked around.  I believe that they are both the same output and performance--just the fancier back makes them cost more and get the II designation.  So far, I have shot two portraits with the Yongnuo and both came out pretty well, considering the cost.

This is my Yongnuo 560 into a medium Chimera on a simple portrait assignment the other day.  The light is consistent in terms of color temperature no matter where the power is set--another thing to like!