Neewer VK750-ii i-TTL Speedlight for Nikon Review
Rating: 4.5/5
Pros:
- Excellent i-TTL mode with consistent exposure
- Acceptable build quality
- Wireless slave functions perfectly
- Easy to use interface
- Bright output and speedy recycle time
Cons:
- Flimsy battery door and mushy buttons
- Zoom makes a lot of noise
- No automatic exposure in wireless mode
- No wireless commander mode
Summary: The Neewer VK750 II leaves me wondering why I bothered to buy expensive brand name flashes in the past. For 1/6th the cost of a Nikon SB-700, the VK750 II offers a nearly identical flash in form, power and function. If you understand the limitations of this flash, it’ll save you a ton of money and you’ll be just as happy with it as you are with the name brand alternative.
Where to Buy
Neewer VK750 II:
Amazon U.S.A. | Amazon Canada
Price at time of review: $49.99
Build Quality & Appearance
The build quality of the VK750 II is acceptable. It is made of thick, solid plastic and has no flex or creaks. It looks and feels nearly identical to a Nikon flash, save for button placement. The only thing that I am concerned about is the battery door – the battery compartment is of questionable quality and feels flimsy. Be careful with it and it won’t break. The screen is handy and shows useful information such as aperture and ISO. The hotshoe screws down and drops a little pin to lock it in place.
Features
The VK750 II has a few limitations that are worth noting. The manual mentions that the flash does not have High-Speed Sync, but I have found it to work. I have not been able to use this flash in commander mode with i-TTL, however it has worked as a manual slave and will trigger any other manual lights. Certain settings, like the sleep mode time-out, cannot be changed. Sleep mode will automatically disable itself when you half-press the shutter button, or when it detects a burst of light in slave mode. It has every other feature I can think of that I would ever need in a flash, including bounce/tilt, an 18-105mm zoom, and a diffuse shield. If you are fine with these limitations, you will love this flash.
Power Output
The VK750 II blows my older SB-600 away, exceeds my SB-700, and is a little less than the SB-910. While the power output on the box is slightly overstated, it manages to outshine its name-brand competitors with the exception of the high end expensive SB-910, which is an astounding feat.
Other Notes
The flash includes a cheap bag and a tripod adapter. It’s worth noting that the user manual for this flash is quite poorly translated, so it may take a few minutes to figure everything out.
Conclusion
At 1/10th the cost of some high-end competitors, the VK750 II is a no brainer. The only reason to get the brand name flash instead of this is if you absolutely require high-speed sync or master wireless commander mode, and Neewer even has a flash that does that for just a little bit more. Even with some small downsides, the value of this flash is quite high and it functions extremely well even disregarding the low price. If you are okay with the limitations, buy it, you won’t regret it.
Fred
November 13, 2016 - 7:02 am
Hi everyone;
I`ve been using this flash on my nikon 7100 for 3 month. last night I got an error ((tmph 1)) indicating on the LCD. and it is not flashing anymore!! replaced the batteries but no good.
Have experience like that? any solutions?
Thanks