Flash Andoer AD-980II. Review from the reader Radozhiva

Overview of the Andoer AD-980II flash specifically for Radozhiva, prepared Alexey Ovoshchnikov.

Andoer AD-980II

Andoer AD-980II

Andoer flash overview for cameras with a standard flash mount. Version for Canon cameras. This is the most affordable solution for those who want to get E-TTL II and high-speed flash synchronization up to one eight thousandth of a second. There is a built-in radio synchronizer with the ability to control other flashes over the air. I will call the flash Andoer AD-980II just AD-980.

Technical specifications

Guide Number (Maximum Power) GN 58 (ISO 100, 180mm).

 

High speed sync Up to 1 \ 8000 with Canon EOS cameras
Remote flash control 4 channels in three groups
Zoom 18mm, 24mm, 28mm, 35mm, 50mm, 70mm, 85mm, 105mm, 135mm, 180mm
Pan / Tilt Angles 360 / -7-90
Modes of operation: E-TTL / M / Multi / Slave C / Slave N / S1 / S2
Light pulse duration 1 / 200s-1 / 20000s
Power setting from / to 1 / 128 - 1
External interfaces Hot shoe, PC port synchronization, external power.
Claimed recharge time 2,9 seconds (after maximum impulse)
Elements of a food Disposable or rechargeable AA type. 4 pieces.
Number of operations per charge 100-1500
Additional functions: audio prompt, rear curtain sync, power saving mode, overheat protection.
Contents of delivery The flash itself, a plastic stand holder, a plastic diffuser, a fabric cover, instructions in English and Chinese.
Shipping Weight / Flash Only 592 grams / 404 grams

Almost everything is clear from this plate. I want to note that the version for Canon and Nikon cameras is available.

Andoer AD-980II - large enough external flash, in size and weight goes well with advanced DSLRs such as Canon EOS 6D, 5D and 50D. On these cameras, I tested the observed flash. Everything worked ambiguously in some cases with this instance of the flash.

There are three not entirely clear points. When shooting in a series, the flash did not keep up with the 6D camera. I must say right away that the flash out of the box is completely new, and the batteries are proven. The first shot was well and correctly exposed, the second too, but the third was underexposed. This means that the electronics of the flash allows it to fire when not fully charged and an incorrectly exposed frame will be obtained. The fresher the batteries, the larger the series of correctly exposed frames. This introduces a number of restrictions on the practical use of this model. The second incomprehensible point is the inappropriate behavior of the flash in E-TTL mode with a 5D camera. The flash behaved as it pleased with the power exposure compensation in plus or minus. More specifically, it was as if she had not seen the correction settings from the camera. The shooting conditions were always the same. She then gave out a strong overexposure, then underexposed frames, even during unhurried time-lapse photography. Perhaps the algorithms for interacting with old cameras are not well implemented in this budget flash. On the same camera, the flash did not pick up the focal value (I checked it with three different lenses). It was even funny, the fix was 85 mm and the camera chooses the zoom of the head to 85, but then it fidgets 85-180 mm and still can't decide. With the same fix, but on 50D everything was fine and without a glitch.

As they say - miracles do not happen and for $ 50 we get a seemingly working, but very crude product. It is worth noting that the fast sync mode is not always adequate. Personally, on my Canon 50D the flash tried to overexposure the frame.

I also want to note one small minus with a built-in speaker. They clearly saved on it, or the marriage of this instance. Its sound has a rattling character, and not an even squeak like on other flashes. It annoyed me when taking pictures. The sound can be turned off completely, but then you will not know that the flash is charged after the next fire. I also didn’t like that the flash picks up only half a second after the test button light has already come on. That is, if you are guided by the sound you will slow down with this poorly implemented system ...

After all this, I was tired of testing the miracle flash and on 5Dmark 2 I basically did not hang it, because it's a shame. How the radio works and what stations of the Chinese radio you hear in your head, I have not tested and do not know. Having shot some frames for testing, I put this device aside. I hope I did save you from buying and wasting money.

Of good

The flash normally threshes in manual mode at a power of 1/4 or lower. The real charge time after a pulse of maximum power is 3-4 seconds. Normal result. With active shooting, it heats moderately and there is no problem with overheating, as is the case in older flash. Hard plastic case, good build. There are no backlashes and without unnecessary efforts everything turns and leans as you like. The diffuser and the white card are and are conveniently put forward in one motion. High-quality rubber plug for additional ports. Remote control options make it easy to use this flash as a slave.
From my experience, I can not recommend you this flash for purchase.

I bought on aliexpress from this seller. If you just need the first first flash on a Canon camera with adequate automatic modes and not spend too much, then look at the Viltrox JY-610C E-TTL. If you want a flash with fast sync, it’s better not to find the original flash.

You will find more reviews from readers of Radozhiva here.

Add a comment: BB

 

 

Comments: 15, on the topic: Flash Andoer AD-980II. Review from the reader Radozhiva

  • koba

    there are only 3 Chinese manufacturers of normal or even very good and excellent flashes - Godox, Pixel and Yongnuo. Pixel is made the best and debugged also the best, for a year of use I did not have a single (!!!) miss. Somehow I used Godox too, and also without fail. Yongnuo has never used flashes, so I can't say anything. All others, especially for $ 50, will work like this flash. There are from the exception of the above three manufacturers, when some of their cheap models also work satisfactorily, for example the Pixel x800 (not the Pro version, which also has a built-in radio transmitter and costs about $ 90). By the way, in China itself, local outbreaks are so widespread that in recent years I don't even remember when I saw an original outbreak in someone. Here very often I notice how people with expensive cameras and lenses get the flashes of one of these three manufacturers, and this is because they are fully working, or almost completely ... On Sony and Fuji cameras, probably in 90% of cases all over the world, Godox.

    • Novel

      There are only three normal manufacturers, I used one, the second only once, the third did not use at all. My claims are based ... on nothing.

  • Vitaly N

    At the expense of the aforementioned Viltrox - still that cat in a poke. On the D3200, I stupidly did not work at a distance of more than a couple of meters with any lens - overexposure by several stops. Build quality: crooked handles of collectors and molds, a large drop of solder dangled inside, which miraculously did not short out the condender. The consequences could be different, up to the explosion. Batteries climbed with difficulty, pulling out something else fun. I already wanted to throw it away, but it worked on the D7100. So to contact such under (d) trees or not - decide for yourself.

    • Dmitriy

      Heh. On a wiltrox, one day, an inter-circuit cable caught fire without a flicker, because the plus power supply through it went without any fuses, neatly pressed to the negative terminal of the battery compartment. The flash, however, still works, just instead of the loopback circuit board brutally soldered wires)

  • kingsler

    At one time I bought Triopo TR-586EX TTL Speedlite. The full analog of YONGNUO YN-568EX.TTL does not work adequately. If on an open diaphragm it more or less on an open diaphragm, with a correction of -0.7 -1.

    • US6IBD

      I also tried to save money in March 2018 and took Triopo TR-568n II TTL instead of YONGNUO YN-982EX. On the second day of use, I began to skip the IFC synchronization with the camera during spacing, on the third day - missed alarms when installed on the camera, on the fourth it was completely out of order.
      I took the proven YONGNUO YN-568EX III TTL, and put a “black mark” on Triopo.

  • V.

    So they already wrote about it somewhere. If you take Andoer then it is only for working in manual mode without the wonders of synchronization. My AD560 does a great job with background lighting. One minus, it goes into hibernation after a minute and wakes up only after pressing the control buttons.

    • Andrei

      I completely agree. I have an Andoer AD560IV flash. Syncs with Nikon D90 and D5100 only up to 1/200. If the shutter speed is shorter, then the bottom of the frame begins to flash. Moreover, the shorter the shutter speed, the greater the dark band. I use it only in mode S. I have to put up with the fact that it falls into hibernation. But at the same time it cost me half the price of aliexpress.
      But here's the nuance - with Nikon D70s it works fine up to 1/4000 sec. Most likely, it is somehow connected programmatically.
      I also use it with Sony A5100 BZK. There is only a built-in flash, but it ignites Andoer perfectly.
      And with Nikons only Yongnuo YN568EX, there in all modes it works without question.

      • BB

        It's simple: the D5100 doesn't have HSS, the camera doesn't tell the flash to switch to high-speed sync.

  • Ruslan

    I'll add my own 5 kopecks. There is a complete analogue of this Triopo TR-988 flash. I use with Nikon D610. There are no problems with the sound, it does not wheeze. If you bomb the series, then yes, the flash may not keep up, although the D610 cannot be called a reportage camera. In general, this flash is not suitable for reporters. By exposure: out of 10 frames 1–2 may have a different exposure different from other frames, but generally ok considering the price of the flash. I took it mainly for the subject and shooting in the open air, incl. and in the evening - it suits me. The bottom line is that it fits perfectly for unhurried shooting, the result is quite smooth, for reports it will do if you do not shoot in long bursts, it makes 2-3 frames in a row stably if the batteries are good. In general, he treats batteries sparingly. You can even shoot with ordinary LR6 batteries, 100 frames will be taken without problems (or even more), if you do not peel at full power. TTL mode tested with 85 1.8G, 50 1.8G, 18-200 3.5-5.6 DX lenses - no complaints about focal length detection. Even at 200mm focal length it helps with a dark 18-200 in a large university auditorium to remove a poorly lit lecturer, being 15 meters from the speaker. Remote ignition from the built-in flash also works without problems.
    It justifies its price of $ 50 at 100%.

    • Alexey Ovoshchnikov

      Thanks, very helpful comment. I myself have been using the TRIOPO TR 586EX for a long time. This is a very high-quality flash, I shot more than three thousand frames with it on Nikon over the past two years. The flash is simply amazing for the money. It can still be bought on aliexpress for $ 35. The Andoer AD-980II flash described in the review is apparently a complete copy of the Triopo and therefore was bought on the canon. In practice, it turned out to be a very, very different matter. Here it is the unpredictable quality of outbreaks from China.

      • BB

        I have such a Triopo - there is no stability of the result. Works on mood.
        3000 for flash is very little. An average concert with dance numbers, lasting 1.5-2 hours, I can easily shoot 1000-1500 frames (very much depends on the activity of the subjects being filmed).
        Of the Chinese, there is Nissin-866. Compared to Triopo, it is simply the pinnacle of flash building: fairly stable result, skipping / underlighting - less than 5% of frames. The flash mileage at the current moment is no less than 40000. Small backlashes of the head appeared, the grip tabs in the battery compartment broke off (it does not affect anything).

        • Alexey Ovoshchnikov

          Again, the uneven quality of Chinese products. Yes, 3000 fires for the flash is not a resource, but how I used it in serial shooting was a test. If the flash took a hundred frames per minute at high power and plowed for twenty minutes, then this is worth something. It’s a pity that you can’t see the mileage on the flash as it can be done on the camera.

  • CPU

    Where did the author of the review get the idea that there is a built-in synchronizer?

    • Novel

      By the way, yes. It can work as a master flash, but it is optical sync, not radio.

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