pixel X800N Standard review

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Pixel is still hard at work to establish itself as a leading name in the speedlite market. Not long ago i tested the X800C full featured flash, with incorporated 2.4Ghz radio triggers (Canon version) and found it to be extraordinary as far as ease of use and reliability.

It was clear at the time that Pixel puts a lot of time and continued effort into the interface and i can say that they have been very attentive to feedback from users, myself included.

So here’s the short version of this review: it’s a really good iTTL speedlite with advanced features and unbeatable for the price.

Get one of these and you’ve got power, versatility, consistent exposure, sturdiness to match the top units from Nikon, at a fraction of their price. Most importantly, the ease of use surpasses any other unit available in this market segment. Furthermore, Pixel is improving the interface with every model and i expect this to be included with firmware updates as well.

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Nissin Di700 (for Nikon) review

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Bobby_2014_08_02_0099139_Canon EOS 5D_100.0 mm_(S166-F8.0-ISO200-FY)

Flash photography is a complicated subject. As soon as you experiment with flash (and most likely that will be the incorporated unit in your phone or digital camera), you learn that pictures taken with flash are bad. That is true for DIRECT flash in low light conditions, however direct flash can also (and is absolutely necessary to) get wonderful results as fill flash, in contrasty lighting situations.

Enter big bulky flash guns with big displays and a lot of buttons, that you see on paparazzi’s cameras at the end of the red carpet. These look like you need a doctorate and another pair of hands to operate them.

That is definitely not the case with Nissin Di700, a $260 brilliant unit that is meant to do everything you need from a powerful flash gun, right out of the box, even if you have never held a flash gun in your life. And it achieves that objective with flying colours.

This review is based on a Nikon version which i have used as my main flash gun for more than a year, but the Di700 is also available for Canon and Sony DSLRs.

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pixel X800C review

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It’s barely been a year since Pixel surprised me with the news of a new speedlite with their logo on it and the evolution of that first model is already in my curious little hands for testing. And evolved it has, in almost every aspect.

Here’s the short version of this review: it’s really good and unbeatable for the price.

Get one of these and you’ve got power, consistent exposure, ease of use and every feature you can think of. Get a King trigger and you’ll be the flash master on a minimal budget. Skip the trigger and get a second unit, and then you can really have some fun and get creative. And you’ll still spend less than a main brand’s full-featured flash unit.

The Pixel Mago was not without it’s quirks, but the manufacturer has demonstrated the ability to bring a successful product to the market, and i can tell that they’re here to stay.

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indoor photography with one speedlite

flash, on technique, tehnica fotografica, טכניקת צילום One comment
DSC_5313

1/160s, f/10, ISO 640, Flash ON. Nikon D700, 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5 AF-S G at 24mm

A friend of mine decided to rent out her apartment and asked me to take a few pictures for her ad.

Always up for a few clicks, i was happy to oblige.

I like to keep things simple, so no tripods, triggers, no array of lighting, tilt shift lenses and crazy equipment. We’re talking budget amateur stuff: basic lenses (the widest you have to cover the smallest of rooms) and one off camera flash.

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pixel mago flash (for canon) review

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Bobby_2014_07_27_0098756_Canon EOS 5D_100.0 mm_(S83-F5.6-ISO400-FY)

If you’re into accessorizing your DSLR or studio lighting, then you definitely came across the Pixel name already.

Most famous for their King series of TTL wireless triggers, which brought this technology to an affordable price point, Pixel now brings us a fully featured flash gun with one of the highest GN on the market, ready to compete head to head with Canon 600EX and Nikon SB910, and the wide variety of high end flashes available from third party manufacturers.

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dance show photography – extreme low light challenges

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NIKON D700_28-300mm f_3.5-5.6 G VR_(S125-F4.8-ISO1600-FN)

1/125 F/4.8 ISO1600 Flash OFF

My daughter had her flamenco performance recently, as part of the successful year-end show of Shlomit Weissman’s Dance Academy, so I took my trusty D700 with the 28-300 and Nissin Di-700 (with large bounce card) to cover the event.

The task was much more difficult than I anticipated, and this should make for an interesting post.

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