Customer Reviews

Nissin Di622 Speedlight for Canon Digital SLR Cameras, Guide number 145

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I'm not a professional photographer so I really don't want to spend a lot for a flash. Then I read about Nissin Di622 which is manufactured by one of Japan's oldest camera flash manufacturers. As soon as I received this flash, I decided to compare it to my friend's Canon 430EX II which he highly recommends for my Canon XSi. So here are the reasons why I highly recommend this flash:

1) First of all, the price. Di622 is solidly built that cost almost half the price of the equivalent Canon 430EX II.

2) It comes with TTL (Through The Lens) flash metering system which you would normally find on a high end flash.

3) The zoom flash head can tilt/swivel and turn all the way back which I find a must have to create directional light shooting indoors by bouncing off the walls or ceiling.

4) Its also great slave flash. It synchronizes very well with the master flash.

5) It comes with built-in wide angle Diffuser and fill-in Reflector panel. I use the Diffuser a lot to create softer light.

6) It automatically enters sleep mode when it's not in use for 5 min and is reset with a touch of the shutter button or any button of the flash.

Overall, I find Nissin Di622 well made and equivalent to a Canon 430EX II. For the price difference, I decided to buy a Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Camera Lens.

I have used this flash for several weddings and just general use. And I have been VERY impressed. 4 regular AA batteries have lasted for nearly an entire wedding. The output is very consistent. I found no problems when used in Ettl and in manual. The recycle time is rather quick and as I mentioned the output consistent. One minor thing is that it has no 2nd curtain sync feature (if you use it).
It's NOT a EX-580 (I-II) but it is a VERY capable flash.

This is a terrific flash. As far as I can tell, it is 100% compatible with the Canon flash. The big difference? This Nissin costs a fraction of the Canon price.

Well made, huge amount of flash power, exposes perfectly when used with Canon 450D. Works well with a difuser (home made) and bounce flash.

I have not tested the unit in slave mode.

Placed order through Amazon and am delighted with their service and shipping.

I try very hard to use available light whenever possible. To that end, I have several relatively fast lenses, but even then, available light is not always there. I shopped quite extensively to find just the right flash for my needs, keeping in mind that cost was a prime consideration, as was a flash that could be softened with a built-in deflector plate and diffuser, along with tilt and swivel capabilities, and my search always led me back to this unit.

After using it for several months, I can honestly say that the research paid off. And since I have been experimenting quite a bit lately, I also discovered that the flash can be fired several times in rapid succession -- an unexpected bonus.

This flash even comes with a protective case, which means it can be stored and transported without getting the contacts dirty.

Solid construction, battery door stays closed, and no misfires... dollar for dollar, this was a great purchase and I have no regrets whatsoever.

Based on the good feedback this flash has received I was looking forward to using it as a backup for my SB-800. I originally was going to purchase another SB-800 but was surprised to learn that they've become the Rembrandt of flashes, going for about $800 on eBay! Unfortunately, my Di622 must have escaped Nissin's QC. The TTL function was defective when used with my D300 and the flash didn't work at all with my D200. I made sure I used fully charged, metered batteries and swapped them between the Nissin & the SB-800. I wrote to Nissin thinking they might have a simple work-around, but have yet to receive a reply and i have a job coming up soon. (I was surprised to learn that Nissin charges for firmware updates and refers you to your local dealer (!) for more information.) So I bit the bullet and will soon be the proud owner of a SB-900*.

Update: Turns out that Minox distributes Nissin, but this wasn't apparent on Nissin's website. Thus, corresponding with Nissin at first caused a delay in their response time. The terrific Minox rep offered to replace the strobe at no charge and was very helpful and forthcoming with information. Now that I know which manufacturers Minox represents and how good their customer service is, I'll check them out first next time.

*WOW! Been using the SB-900 for just a day and am blown away by its performance/features.

I purchased the Nissin Di622 flash for my Canon 40D as I was just getting into flash photography and wanted something cheaper than the OEM Canon flashes, yet still capable of throwing good light. I wanted an external flash for quite some time after playing with a friend's Canon Speedlite 430EX II Flash for Canon Digital SLR Cameras and Canon Speedlite 580EX II Flash for Canon EOS Digital SLR Cameras flash units. I was considering the Canon Speedlite 270EX Flash for Canon Digital SLR Cameras because it offered both a bounce mechanism and is more powerful than the pop-up flash. However, after playing with the larger flash units that had swiveling heads and AF-assist lights, the 270EX got pushed aside. After reading many positive reviews, I decided to give the Nissin Di622 a try as the price is about $100 cheaper than the Canon 430EXII.

The back of the unit is fairly simple, with a power switch, power-level adjust, mode select button, and pilot lamp button. The best part is that this flash features a built-in fill-in reflector and light diffuser! The slave mode works well when using a camera that has master/commander mode like the Canon 7D. The Di622 is pretty much all made of plastic, but has quite a solid feel to it. Compared to the Canon 430EXII/580EXII units, this flash feels a bit cheaper, but for the price, who can complain? Performance wise, I would say it probably equals the Canon 430EXII for light output. However, this flash is bulkier than the 430EXII. In eTTL mode the flash performed consistently. I used this with a Demb Flip-It bounce/diffuser and was able to get very nice photos.

The Di622 uses 4 AA batteries. I powered it with 4 Eneloops batteries and they seemed to last quite long in this unit. I don't recall how many shots I got on a set of batteries, but it was quite a lot.

PROS: Good power, inexpensive, built-in bounce card and diffuser, tilt & swivel head, manual power override, eTTL (Canon), carry bag, slave mode

CONS: High pitch noise when on (but mainly audible to just the shooter), slow recycle times, cheap feeling by comparison to OEM flashes, big

One thing that should be mentioned, and I had to learn the hard way, is that the Di622 will NOT work with any remote triggers. It doesn't matter if you are using inexpensive remotes like the CowboyStudio NPT-04 4 Channel Wireless Hot Shoe Flash Trigger Receiver for Canon EOS, Nikon, Olympus & Pentax Flashes Other products by cowboystudio (which BTW is pretty good) or high-end ones like Pocket Wizard FlexTT5 Transceiver For Canon TTL Flashes and Digital SLR Cameras, there is a physical design flaw in this flash, acknowledged by Nissin, that prevents it from ever being fired by a remote unit. You should bear this in mind in case you ever decide to start shooting with multiple flash units.

Overall, this is a very good, economical flash for people looking to get into flash photography with an external unit.

The unit is well made. Works very well. Has many features. It is a must have for anyone looking to add powerful lighting to their photography - indoors and out! Has nearly everything the Nikon SB600 has for a lot less money. I would definitely recommend this to other photographers. The best review I can think of is "I would buy this again"! Excellent unit!

I had no idea about nissin. and i asked gary fong what a great mounted flash was that was inexpensive and this was suggested i love it. but it will get hot after hours of shooting at a wedding!!

I had a Canon Speedlite220EX and it worked great but I was looking for more versitility in a flash so I started looking at the Canon SL430 & 580 models and they were about to break the bank after just purchasing a new camera so I looked for options. I compared two the Metz 48.1 and the Nissin Di622 and after a struggle I went with the Nissin Di622 and glad I did. It works just like described and as good as all the other reviews so the bang for the buck was huge in my case. The only part of the purchase came when the STO-FEN OMNI-BOUNCE diffuser that was offered with the flash. I decided to opt for it but when it got here it did not come close to fitting. After looking at what I could do I decided to soak the diffusere in boiling water and then streach it to make it fit. It took a couple of tries but it has now been formed to fit the Nissin Di622 Speedlite flash unit and the fit it snug so you will never have to worry about loosing it.The key here is to leave the diffuser on the flash overnight so it can form to it. I know you are thinking why not send it back well by the time you do that it cost you more in your time and aggrevation so I took a chance that it would work and that is why I added it to this review just incase someone has experienced the same problem and is stuck with it. Took 100's of pictures with and without the diffuser, with the flash difusser and in the off camera slave mode and this flash is the cats meow for the money. I am using the rechargeable 2440mAh Energizers and on the first charge was able to take 400 pictures so far and it hasn't been recharged yet so if you looking for extensive flash time go with the rechargeables.

Even though my Di622 is in for repair after only 6 weeks usage, I have had a very good experience with it so far. I think the quality of the product is excellent and easy to use. The quality of the pictures is excellent using the built in defuser or external defuser. It has plenty of power and range. Recycle time is good and uses either rechargeable or disposable batteries.

The Minox repair facility is user friendly and willing to please. I'm happy with the service they have provided.

I would recommend this product to any of my friends. Good value for the capability.