What a time to be a photographer! Just a few short years ago, the options for off camera lighting were fewer and much more expensive. Speedlights were primarily manufactured by Canon and Nikon, and unfortunately cost Canon and Nikon prices, and studio strobes were priced out of reach for many photographers to be able to afford. My first speedlights were Canon 430's, which cost over $300 a piece at that time, so a three light setup cost around $1k without factoring in stands, umbrella holders, cold shoes, triggers, and modifiers. I also picked up a few ancient manual flashes, like the 80's workhorse Vivitar 285HV , which are still being manufactured although lack a bit of the quality of the 80's originals. The Yongnuo YN560-III (left), the Vivitar 285 and the Nikon SB-26 Over the last few years, Chinese manufacturers have stepped up their game, challenging the big boys in both build quality and performance, while keeping the price points within reach of most novice p