With the introduction of the Nissin i40 Nissin showed they are able to build a Speedlight that is compact, powerful and has a lot of functionality (you can find my review of the Nissin i40 here). The i40 is a perfect Speedlight for smaller cameras with its compact body, but sometimes you just need a little more power. For people that are looking for a compact Speedlight with a little more power and functionality Nissin has introduced the i60A, with a higher guide number and the Nissin Air System for wireless flashing built in to the body.
The most important specifications of the Nissin i60A:
Guide number 60 (ISO100 at 200mm);
Compatible with the 2.4 GHz. Nissin Air System;
Colour display to check the most important settings;
Built-in video light;
Optical wireless mode possible (the Nissin i60A reacts to flashes of the master Speedlight);
Built-in reflector-card and wide-angle diffuser (up to 16mm wide angle);
Powered by 4 AA-batteries and compatible with external battery packs;
Supports High Speed Sync (HSS) up to 1/8000th of a second shutter speeds;
Comes with a pouch, stand and softbox;
The Nissin i60A is available for Nikon, Canon, Sony and Micro Four Thirds. In this review I’ll tell you more about the Nissin i60A for Sony, and I’ve used it with my Sony A7. The Nissin i60A costs about 299 euro’s in the Netherlands, making it about 50 euro’s more expensive than the Nissin i40.
Next to the Nissin i40 you can see the i60A has grown just a little despite the increase in power
Head
The Nissin i60A has got a bigger flash head than the Nissin i40, it is a little wider but quite a lot longer. That was necessary because the Nissin i60A has got a longer zoom-range, from 24 to 200mm (the i40’s zoom range goes from 24 to 105mm). The head’s mechanism is the same as with the Nissin i40, making it possible to adjust the head in all directions. The head can be adjusted up to 180 degrees to the left in 6 steps, 180 degrees to the right also in 6 steps. You can also adjust the head 90 degrees upwards in 4 steps. Of course you can combine adjustments in horizontal and vertical direction, making it possible to adjust it just right for just about every situation. With the flexible head, combined with the built in bouncecard you can bounce the light via the ceiling or walls, giving you a smooth and great looking lighting.
The Nissin i60A has got a flexible head
The heads mechanism is sturdier than it is on the Nissin i40, keeping it in place better when you put heavy accessories on it like a softbox. In general the Nissin i60A builds is a lot sturdier than the Nissin i40, making it better suited for (semi-) professional use.
Body
The body of the Nissin i60A is about as big as the body of the Nissin i40, and it has got room for 4 standard AA-batteries. Because the Nissin i60A works with normal AA batteries it is easy to buy some spares when you run out. The Nissin i60A works fine with normal alkaline AA batteries, but for the best performance can use powerful rechargeable batteries.
New on the Nissin i60A is that it has a connection for external battery packs, something (semi-) professional users will love. You can use the Nissin i60A with Nissin’s own PS80 battery pack. The Sony version of the Nissin i60A is also compatible with Sony battery packs. When you use an external battery pack the charging times between flashes are shorter, and of course you have more power for longer shoots.
The Nissin i60A uses 4 AA batteries
On the front of the Nissin i60A you’ll find the video light that has two powerful LED’s to add light when you shoot a video. You can adjust the intensity of the light in 9 steps. The video light is perfect for incidental video-use. For professional shoots you still have to buy an extra video light. Below the videolight is a small sensor the Nissin i60A uses for the wireless optical slave mode and a status LED. The LED can also be used for auto focus support, but unfortunately Sony doesn’t support external auto focus lights in their E-mount cameras.
Controls
The Nissin i60A is controlled with a few buttons and dials on the back of the Speedlight, and it has got a great little display that shows the most important settings. The display lights up when you use the Nissin i60A and dims when you don’t. Therefor it doesn’t blind, but is readable very well when you are changing the settings. Nissin has chosen a display with a black background and lighted numbers and symbols. Because the display has got a frosted glass-look the letters and symbols look really nice, I love those small details!
Clear controls make adjusting settings easy