Nikon’s D3200 is a great starter DSLR for those new to photography. It’s affordable, it’s highly-capable, and you’ll learn the ropes pretty quickly by using this camera. To make the most of the photography experience you gain using the D3200, you’ll need to pair it with an affordable but highly-capable on-camera flash.
If you speak to experienced photographers, they’ll probably recommend Neewer’s TT560 as one of the best flash for Nikon D3200. Just as mentioned above, it’s affordable, powerful, and so easy to use, you don’t need to read the manual! The TT560 is a type of flash that photographers call a ‘Speedlight’ (sometimes spelt as ‘Speedlite’). That name simply means that it’s an on-camera flash. It’ll mount directly onto the D3200’s hot shoe, so wherever you go, the flash will be right there with you.
Neewer opened up in 2010 in Shenzen, China. Aside from the TT560 flash, the company also produces a wide range of specialised photography equipment and accessories.
Neewer’s TT560 functions mainly as an on-camera flash, but you could also use it as a slave flash. You can position the TT560 somewhere else in the room, maybe even on a stand of its own, and it’ll sync with your camera optically to fire whenever you snap a photo. Also, though it’s an affordable flash, it comes packed in a beautiful felt pouch which gives off a somewhat luxurious feel. The Neewer TT560 flash is the perfect companion to your Nikon D3200, and it’s got an excellent reputation in the photography world to back it up.
Performance And Functionality
Neewer has a wide range of flash products, as you can see on its official website. The company has positioned the TT560 as one of the more affordable options in that product category. Despite being on the lower end of their offering, the TT560 flash is jam-packed with loads of functionality that you can use in a wide variety of photography situations.
A No-Frills, Easy-To-Use Manual Flash
First and foremost, let’s get this out of the way: the TT560 is a manual flash. It is not a TTL (or ‘Through The Lens’) flash. So, instead of fiddling with the settings on your camera like you would when using an automatic TTL flash, you’ll be able to adjust the flash settings using buttons on the back of the TT560. As you’ll see below, controlling the flash is super easy.
Bounce Lighting
The Neewer TT560 is perfect to use when you want to add a little bounce lighting to your photoshoot. That’s because you can set the flash’s power to 8 different power levels. On top of that, you can even tilt the head in 90 degrees vertically and 270 degrees horizontally. That much flexibility will allow you to point it at the bounce surface, no matter where you place it in the room. When you use the TT560 for bounce lighting, the results you get will look better thanks to the softer light that lands on your subject. The result? Even with a starter camera like the Nikon D3200, you’ll have shots that look like they were taken by an experienced professional!
Built-In Light Reflector Board
Have you ever seen a professional photoshoot? Typically, you’ll have one or more people holding what’s known as reflector boards. These boards help the camera to gain the right amount of light exposure by creating a broader, more directional light source.
On the Neewer TT560, you’ll have a mini reflector board built right into the flash encasing! You can just flip it out and position your flash wherever you need it just to get much better exposure on your subject!
Wide-Angle Diffusion
Last but not least, the TT560 also empowers you with its wide-angle diffuser. Neewer built the diffuser into the upper part of the flash’s unit itself, so all you have to do is flip it out whenever you need it. When you do use it, you’ll find that the harsh light of the flash is softened and spread out more, making the lighting on your subject much more even.
Quick recycle time
When you’re taking a lot of shots back-to-back with your Nikon D3200, you need a flash that can recycle (basically, recharge) very quickly. That is an area where Neewer’s TT560 truly shines! It’s got a recycling rate that’s so fast that you’ll never miss a beat. With the TT560 on your D3200 camera, you don’t have to worry about the flash holding you back. All you have to do is focus on getting those fantastic pictures of your subject!
User Interface And Control System
One thing you’ll love about Neewer’s TT560 flash is that it’s so easy to use and control. That’ll allow you to focus more attention on your D3200 camera instead!
Here are some of the fantastic control features you can get from the TT560:
Flash Intensity And Mode Indicators
Before you change anything, you need to know what your current settings are. Neewer built the TT560 to display all that information very clearly right on the back. Here, you’ll see the flash intensity level and mode indicators. That way, you’ll know exactly what buttons to press and how many times to push them to switch settings quickly.
Eight Flash Intensity Settings
You also have a high degree of control when it comes to the flash’s intensity settings. On the TT560, the flash intensity comes in 8 different power steps. Individually, those power steps are 1/128, 1/16,4 1/32, 1/16, ⅛, ¼, ½, and 1/1. That’s a wide range of settings to choose from!
On top of that, adjusting those intensity levels couldn’t be any simpler. The TT560 has two buttons, one up and one down, for you to switch between the different flash intensity levels. With so much flexibility, you can ensure that the pictures you take with your D3200 camera are lit perfectly at all times.
Three Modes
Newer’s TT560 not only function wells as a standalone flash, but it also works well with others. You’ll probably be using it in its Manual mode primarily. In this mode, your hot shoe will trigger the flash to fire when you take a shot. Press the shutter button on the D3200 and the TT560 flash will go off instantaneously.
Still, you also have the S1 mode. This mode is for when you’re using the TT560 as a Slave flash. In the S1 mode, the TT560 will behave in what’s known as ‘first curtain sync’, or synchronously. That simply means that this flash will fire off at the same time as the Master flash.
However, you can also choose to set the TT560 to follow second curtain sync or asynchronous. In some cases, photographers prefer the Slave flash to go off just a little later than the Master flash.
As you can see, Neewer considered all the possible ways in which the TT560 could be used and decided to include these modes. That way, this flash caters not only to amateur photographers but professionals as well.
Test Button
Right next to the power and mode settings is the test button. See, this might not sound like an important feature to have. But in reality, any experienced photographer knows that it’s probably one of the most essential buttons on their flash. The reason is simple: you don’t want to be in a situation where you’re about to capture the perfect snapshot, only to have it ruined by having your flash too weak or too strong. Worse yet, you might have a flash that doesn’t go off at all!
So, with a test button, you’ll be able to test the flash intensity to make sure that it’s precisely the way you want it. Plus, that button lets you verify that you’ve actually got the TT560 turned on and that it’s working as it should be.
Tilt And Rotate Abilities
For a flash to provide you with the most control, it needs to be flexible. A good flash will be natural to tilt vertically and rotate horizontally so that you can point it at the right spot. The TT560 is pretty flexible, with the ability to tilt vertically by as much as 90 degrees. Furthermore, it can rotate horizontally by a total of 270 degrees. That way, you can quickly point it at your subject or even at a different surface so you can get some bounce lighting going on.
Build Quality And Design
Neewer built the TT560 well. Sure, there’s some room for improvement, but overall it’s been put together pretty well.
Slightly Bulky Design
If you’ve got smaller hands, you’ll notice that the TT560 flash is just a tad bulky. Some photographers enjoy slightly bulkier flash devices since they’re more prominent, so perhaps this is a matter of personal taste. Still, it’s dimensions are only 4 x 8.7 x 3.15 inches. That’s a little big but not excessively bulky to the point that it’s uncomfortable to use when attached to your Nikon D3200.
Lightweight
Here’s one of the best parts of the TT560: it only weighs one pound. That’s right! Despite the slightly bigger size and all the features packed into it, this flash is very lightweight. That’s perfect, considering the Nikon D3200 is also a pound on its own. SO, even if you have the TT560 mounted on the D3200 camera, the whole setup is still light. Your arms won’t get tired operating the two of them together!
Sync Port
On one side of the Neewer TT560 flash is a sync port. That’ll allow you to create a wired connection to other flash devices if you want it to.
Battery Port
On the other side is the flash’s battery port. The TT560 uses four AA batteries which is great since those are standard batteries that are easy to find. That’s another feature that’s easy to overlook. You see, if your flash batteries die out at any time, new AA batteries are cheap and quick to replace.
M-Sized Hot Shoe With Twist Lock
The Neewer TT560 is mounted using an M-sized hot shoe which fits perfectly on your D3200 camera. It also has a twist-type lock which allows you to fasten it in place and also detach it quickly. That’s important for photographers who are on the move and might need to pack up at a moment’s notice.
Final Thoughts
So, is this the best flash for Nikon D3200? Yes, it is. Here are a few reasons why:
Firstly, the Neewer TT560 flash is affordable, which makes it easy-to-get for both newbies and professionals alike. As a newbie, you’ll appreciate not having to take a long time saving your money just to get a useful flash to use with your D3200. Even as a professional, if you need a simple and straightforward flash to add to your repertoire, the TT560 will give you what you need without costing you much at all.
Next, the TT560 gives you loads of functionality and performance. Whether you’re using bounce lighting or need a diffuser or reflector, this flash has got you covered. You won’t need to get friends to stand around holding extra gear just to help you get that perfect shot. Of course, if you just want to point the flash at your subject and blast away, you can do that, and at eight different flash intensities, too!
Controlling this flash is easy. Sure, some people might complain about the TT560 not being a Through The Lens kind of flash device. But as a manual flash, the TT560 takes you back to basics. All the controls you need are right on the back of the device, and each feature has a button for you to control it. Once you get used to the layout of the buttons, you could probably operate the flash just by feel, while your eyes are focused on the D3200’s viewfinder as you frame your shot.
The bottom line is clear: Neewer’s TT560 is a must-have for anyone with a Nikon D3200. This affordable flash has a solid reputation with new photographers who are still developing their photography skills as well as professionals working in busy studios.
