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Nissin i60A review

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.

Nissin i60A review

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.

Nissin i60A review
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.

Nissin i60A review
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.

Nissin i60A review
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!

Nissin i60A review
Clear controls make adjusting settings easy

Right under the display you’ll find the controls like the on / off button and the status LED that doubles as a pilot button. The button can also be used to activate the HSS-mode in M, A or TTL mode by pressing and holding the button. In HSS-mode the display shows a small ‘H’ with a flash-symbol next to it.

The most important controls are the two round dials on the back. The left one controls the flash, mode, you have the following options:

  • Video light
  • Sf, optical slave mode for use with systems without pre-flash
  • Sd, optical slave mode for use with systems with pre-flash (for instance, digital camera’s)
  • A, camera controlled lighting without exposure compensation
  • TTL, camera controlled lighting with exposure compensation
  • Wireless channel A
  • Wireless channel B
  • Wireless channel C

With the right control dial you can adjust the flash brightness in manual mode or the exposure compensation in TTL mode. With the four-way controller inside the right control dial you can control some extra settings, like the manual zoom setting and activation of the HSS-mode (you can also activate HSS with the pilot button).

All in all the Nissin i60A has got a lot of functions. Because Nissin has used a smart set of controls combined with the display using all the functions of the Nissin i60A isn’t hard at all. Even without the manual at hand you will be able to use the most important functions of this Speedlight without a problem.

Nissin i60A review
i60A on the left, i40 on the right

Day to day use

The Nissin i60A for Sony-systems works flawless with my Sony camera’s, just like the Nissin i40 by the way. The communication between Speedlight and camera is just a reliable as it is with a Sony-Speedlight. In A and TTL-mode you can rely on fully functional TTL exposure control by your camera. In TTL-mode you can still adjust the exposure with the control dial on the Nissin i60A. The camera also sends the zoom-setting to the Speedlight, and the i60A immediately adjusts to changes in focal length.

Nissin i60A review
The i60A is a perfect match for the Sony A7 or other E-mount cameras, both in size and functionality

The Sony A7 sometimes overexposes your photos when you use the Speedlight in TTL-mode to light you subject directly, making the photo look a little flat and pale. With the Nissin i60A that isn’t a problem at all. With the right control dial you can adjust the exposure with just one click.

Despite the high power of the Nissin i60A it doesn’t overheat at all. The Speedlight does have protection against overheating, so even when you ask a lot of the i60A you don’t have to worry about damaging it. Because most users won’t use full power all the time they will probably never activate the overheating protection, but it is good to know the i60A does have it. I wasn’t able to activate it during my review, despite using it a lot and using maximum power a lot.

If you need continuous top performance from your Speedlight you might want to check out the Nissin PS 80 battery pack. With that external battery pack the Speedlight can recharge faster between flashes (ready to use after a full power flash in 1.6 seconds). Of course the external battery pack will last longer than normal rechargeable batteries.

When you have the Nissin i60A attached to your camera it stays active as long as your camera is turned on. When you turn the camera off or when it enters power save mode the i60A will stay active for 2 minutes, after that it also goes in sleep mode. When you reactivate your camera or when you press the shutter release button on your camera it instantly wakes up again.

The Nissin i60A supports High Speed Synchronisation (HSS) up to 1/8000th of a second. A great function when using the Speedlight to fill in photo’s in bright light, especially when using bright lenses.

New features of the Nissin i60A

The Nissin i60A is a lot more powerful than it’s small brother, the Nissin i40. The i40 has got a guide number of 40 meters (ISO 100 at 105mm), the Nissin i60A has got a guide number of 60 (ISO100 at 200mm). You can’t directly compare those guide numbers as the Nissin i60A’s guide number is measured at 200mm while the i40’s is at 105mm. But it still is clear the Nissin i60A is very powerful, especially when you take in consideration how small it is. The Nissin i60A is even more powerful than the much bigger Nissin Di700A, that has got a guide number of 54 meters (ISO 100 at 200mm)!

Nissin i60A review
i40, i60A and Di700A three Nissin units for E-mount

Of course power doesn’t say everything, but it does make the Nissin i60A more versatile. More power comes in handy when you want to take a photo of a big group or when you fill in a photo in bright light.

Besides the higher power the Nissin i60A is also compatible with the Nissin Air System (NAS). With NAS you can control up to 21 Speedlights wireless with full TTL support. The Nissin i60A has got the needed hardware built in, so to start using it for wireless strobist photography (off camera flash) you only need to add a Nissin Air 1 commander. The Air 1 commander is the part you mount to your camera that communicates the TTL-information of the camera to the paired Speedlights. It costs 70 euros. Using the Nissin i60A for wireless flashing with the Air 1 commander is easy. The controls on the Air 1 are very simple and I really like that the changes you make on the Air 1 are visible on the screen of the i60A in real time. So if you set a exposure compensation of -2 EV on the Air 1 the display of the Nissin i60A shows that immediately.

Nissin i60A review

One extra advantage of the Nissin Air System is that is possible to mix and match flash units for different camera brands and you still have full TTL-functionality. So you can use your Nissin Air 1 controller for Sony to control a Nissin Di700A for Nikon. And if you add a Nissin Air R receiver you can even add a Canon Speedlight to the mix and also control that with your Sony camera with TTL. So you can start experimenting with wireless strobist photography without breaking the bank before you find out if you like it.

Conclusion

The new Nissin i60A is an impressive set of kit. It is very powerful with a guide number of 60 (ISO100 at 200mm). Despite being a lot smaller it is as powerful or even more powerful than most of its competitors. Nissin has managed to increase the power without adding to much in size compared to the tiny i40. The bigger flash head now supports longer zoom ranges up to 200mm, making it more versatile. Because the Nissin i60A is built sturdier than the Nissin i40 it is better equipped to cope with (semi-) professional use. It is also compatible with external battery packs, adding functionality for professionals.

Because the hardware for the Nissin Air System is built in the Nissin i60A is also perfect for users who want to use it for wireless strobist photography. When you add just the Air 1 commander you can start experimenting with strobist photography without spending too much money. If you don’t want to spend the money for experimenting with strobist photography it is good to know the Nissin i60A also supports wireless optical slave mode.

As we’ve come to expect from Nissin the Nissin i60A is delivered as a complete kit. In the box you’ll find the i60A itself, but also a small stand, a softbox and a pouch that fits the Speedlight with the supplied accessories. All in all Nissin has managed to build an impressive Speedlight that has a lot of functionality in a small package that will appeal to starters and advanced photographers for a reasonable price.

Click here to buy the Nissin i60A at CameraNu.nl (affiliate link).

Or use one of the following links to buy it at Adorama (affiliate links):

Nissin i60A Sony

Nissin i60A Nikon

Nissin i60A Canon

Nissin i60A Fuji

Nissin i60A Micro 4/3

Nissin i60A review

27 thoughts on “Nissin i60A review”

  1. Hello Rick,
    What size is the flash head exactly? I would like to know If I can keep using my Gary Fong Lightsphere kit.

    1. Hi Michel,

      Sorry for the late reply, I didn’t have the i60A at hand to measure it. Now I do, the head is 7 cm wide, 3,5 cm high and 10 cm deep. I hope that helps!

      Rick

        1. Don’t know if it is a dealbreaker. In HSS mode the power is reduced (the Godox or other flashes will have the same problem) so I don’t know if using HSS in bounce mode with a smaller speedlight is a good idea at all. If the flash doesn’t have enough power it won’t improve the photo. I think Nissin has tested that thoroughly, since it is a software feature making the I60A shut off HSS mode when you tilt the head.

          1. michaelsewell949

            So the HSS mode is not to be used off camera I assume?
            Tilting the head allows a lower profile when placing the speedlight in awkward areas. And whilst the head may well be tilted, it may still be firing directly at the subject rather than being bounced.

            1. Hi Michael,

              As far as I know you can still use the HSS mode in combination with the Air commander. It just doesn’t work with the head tilted.

              Rick

    1. Just got this flash not being able to tilt head up to bounce when in HSS sucks. I have the I40 that is a weaker flash and you can bounce with it in HSS. Why would they make this not able to .

    2. My problem with the i40 is that the flash is very noisy if you zoom a little bit around. Also overall it’s much louder than any other flash (Canon, Metz) I’ve used. Is the i60 also very noisy? Thank’s in advance

    3. Is HSS mode available with the head tilted? Because on i40 it is not. And on Sony a6000, at a max of 1/160 sec it is a problem. Thanks a lot.

      1. Hi Roberto, from memory (as I don’t have the i60 anymore): When mounted on the camera the HSS-mode was disabled when I tilted the head. I’ve read somewhere it will work in HSS-mode with tilted head when using it off-camera. But I don’t know for sure.

        Rick

        1. Thanks a lot Rick. I think you are right. I don’t understand why HSS work off the camera and don’t work on the camera. Have no logic.

    4. Thanks a lot for your review! Do you know if it is possible to mix TTL and manual mode like you can with Nikon speedlites?

      1. Hi Tim,

        Thanks for your reply! You mean mixing TTL and manual mode when you use the Air 1 wireless controller? As far as I can remember you can only choose one method for all the different channels. You could use the speedlights connected to the Air 1 in TTL-mode and set the Speedlights you want to use in manual mode to optical slave mode, that way they react to the flash of the other speedlight and you still have full manual control.

        Rick

      2. Hi Tim, you will have to buy the TTL radio transmitter in May or June 2017.

        ATG & Nissin might be calling it, Gold AX Kim X or Air X or Air10 or Air10s.
        And if you get it from Adorama or B&H Photo, they may call it something else.

        The photography world like computer can get very confusing.
        ATG/Godox make them under many names.
        aka Adoroma, B&H Photo, Calumet, CheetahLight, Neewer, Interfit & so on.

        If one is a beginner to an amateur, the Nissin version will work with Air R, i60A and Di700A.
        Meaning you can have supported NAS in Canon/Nikon/Sony/Fuji/Olympus to shoot wirelessly radio flash. And HSS retained on certain model cameras.

        At the moment only two flashes have built-in TTL radio receiver, i60A and Di700A.

        If you have your existing flash like ie Canon 600EX-RT II/580EX II, Nissin Di866 Mark II; Nikon SB-910/900/800; Metz or Yongnuo (supported latest TTL)..then buy Air R with the new transmitter.

        Don’t be surprised if the transmitter going to be close to $200.00 USD.

        The ATG versions are going over $1,000.00 USD. Because if you need HSS, then pair it with Interfit S1 or Profoto B1. Unless you got ten or more i60A /or Di700A flashes.
        Or when you need the power of over 500ws.

        FYI:
        Only the ATG will have hybrid AF illuminator (assist beam) for Sony.
        Can’t get that on Broncolor, Interfit, Profoto or Phottix TTL transmitters.
        If you must use HSS, do so in limited bursts. Because it will burn and melt the Fresnel lens when shooting wide angle. At the same time move in close to your subject or you will loose more than 5 F-Stops (unless you got 10 to 20 flashes or couple of 500ws).

    5. Hi Rick,

      I just picked this flash up. Can you tell me if the color display is tack sharp or is the text supposed to display a bit fuzzy? It has a matte gloss screen, but I find the textual elements look almost out of focus on my own unit.

      1. Hi Junior,

        No, the display isn’t sharp, it looks a bit like looking trough frosted glass. You should be able to read the text though, if it is that unsharp you can’t read it you may have a faulty unit.

        Rick

    6. I believe you are wrong when you say a song air commander could drive a nikon flash on an air r. the air r documentation clearly states you require an air commander of the same type. you are right you can drive any i60a or di700a.

      1. Hi Neil,

        Thanks for you reply. My information came direct from the Dutch importer of Nissin, they’ve said the Air R should be able to mix and match brands.I haven’t tested it myself so I can’t be a 100% shure. I’ll ask them to check and if it isn’t correct I’ll edit the review.

        Regards, Rick

        1. no problems. I’ve just bought one hoping it would and it doesn’t. there small print is on their website – the Air R only works with a master of the same type. What does mix and match is the i60A and the Di700A you can use any type e.g. canon, nikon, fuji, with any air commander – this is great in itself and Im happy with the kit I’ve bought – but i was hoping to use an old canon 580ex flash in a Fuji setup. however while it will fire it – it wont change power let alone TTL. not blaming you – its remarkably difficult to find the statement on the website. i was hoping that given the roboshoots could do this – this could as well.. however no,, of course.. a future upgrade would be nice. 🙂

    7. Hi Rick! Great review!

      As far as I understand, you could not use the i60 as a master speedlight on camera? You necessarily need the air commander to trigger Nissin speedlights off camera?

      Bij voorbaat dank!

      1. Hi Vladi,

        Thanks for the reply! The i60A only has a wireless slave function, so it can only work as a slave with the Air 1 as a commander to trigger it and other speedlights.

        Ps. loved your website and the magnificent photos!

        Rick

    8. Here are something that can be helpful when using ATG/Nissin:

      1. Sony users, HSS is disabled once the head turns (on camera).
      This is because you will loose more than 4 F-Stop from flash to subject.
      This is not built for semi pros like Canon 600EX-RT or Nikon SB-910.
      Only the pro flashes like ATG/Nissin MG8000 Extreme/Metz 76MZ-6 can do
      HSS without overheat, shutdown nor melt the Fresnel Lens. But these are $1K+.

      2. If you really need to shoot HSS, then buy the Nissin Air 1.
      Place Air 1 on camera
      Set I60A into radio receiver TTL modes
      Use a walking tripod or position the I60A very close to your subject, remember
      3 to 6 F stop of decrease power (if flash parked onto camera)

      3. ATG/Nissin/Quantum battery pack can be used on I60 and DI700.
      You must get the correct cable.

      4. Shooting wireless radio ATG Auto2 modes with your existing flashes
      Your flash must have ATG Auto2 (sensor)
      ie: ATG’s inventions (Auto2) Vivitar 285HV, Metz 60CT-4, Quantum QFlash,
      Canon 580EX II/600EX-RT/600EX-RT II, Jinbei Caler 600EX-RT,
      Nikon SB-25/SB-26/SB-800/SB-900/SB-910
      Set Air 1 (transmitter) is on camera
      Set Air 1 to M
      Set your flash (existing flash) on Air R (receiver)
      Older flashes like Metz 60CT-4 and Quantum QFlash by PC Sync Socket
      Set your flash into ATG Auto2 (you select the F Stop that you like)
      Set camera dial to “M”
      Match ASA/ISO and F Stop from camera & wireless radio flash
      Set camera to flash sync speed
      Shoot & check exposure. Many time shooting in ATG Auto 2 is better than TTL

      5. Set your high power flash (Metz 60CT-4/Quantum Qflash) to full power
      You will smile now, you have can shoot beyond 200.

      So to be flexible your choices:
      – Air 1, Air R and I60A for starters
      – Air 1, Air R and I700A for amateurs
      – Air 1, Air R and ATG Gold Pro II for semi-pros (600ex-rt/sb-910)
      – Air 1, Air R and Nissin MG8000 Extreme (shooting in ATG Auto2) for pros
      – Air 1, Air R and ATG Gold MG8K Kim X3 for working pros

      Again, you can mix and sync with any flash if you have Air 1 and Air R.
      You will need to set the I60A into manual mode if you have Air R connected and use with your existing flash.
      While the transmitter (on camera) is set to M.

      ATG/Nissin have the best warranty over Canon, Interfit, Nikon, Sony, Olympus, Phottix and Godox (also by ATG).

    9. If you can wait the ATG & Nissin will come out with a better NAS TTL radio transmitter.
      Stores like Adorama and B&H Photo have pre-order/pre-paid hundreds on this.

      It should arrive in major camera stores in late May or June.

      ATG radio TTL ranges is 1K feet
      ATG is compatible with Hasselblad/PhaseOne/Fuji/Profoto B1/Phottix Indra500/C/N/S
      ATG is for the working professionals that need & use HSS.
      ATG Gold AX Kim X transmitter is around $1,100.00 USD
      Nissin radio ranges is 100 meters
      Nissin Air Xs or maybe Air10s transmitter is around $170.00 USD

      Imagine you only need one radio TTL transmitter and a few ATG/Nissin Air R with say flash like Canon 600EX-RT II, Nikon SB-910, Godox, Neewer or Pixel flash

      At the moment many shooters can afford the ATG’s Nissin Di700A /or i60A.
      Just wait & get the May or June transmitter for your camera.
      Then any Di700A /or i60A (that you’ve purchased) will work with your camera!
      Noticed the “A”?
      A = ATG + Nissin +NAS

      FYI:
      ATG Gold AX Kim X is a bargain
      If you have Profoto B1, you will need three transmitters (C/N/S). Over $1,200.00
      If you have Phottix Indra500, need three transmitters. That’s over $600.00!
      And both P & P DO NOT have ATG AF assist beam

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