Nissan Air 1 Commander & Air R Receiver at a glance:
- Wireless flash-triggering system
- Comes in Canon, Nikon or Sony versions G Compatible with Nissin Di700A
- Full TTL, HSS and manual control
- Price around £105
- Website: www.nissindigital.com
Nissin is one of the leading third-party producers of flashes and flash-related accessories. The Nissin Air 1 Commander and Nissin Air R Receiver kit are little gadgets that allow users to fire their flashguns off-camera. They work by attaching the commander to the top of the camera and the receiver to a flashgun. Both proprietary or third-party flashguns are compatible, providing users use Canon-fit flashes with the Canon receiver, Sony-fit flashes with the Sony receiver and Nikon-fit flashes with the Nikon receiver.
Arguably, the biggest draw is TTL metering with ±2-stop compensation available in 1⁄2-stop increments, which is useful for changing light conditions or when snatching a quick shot. In addition, there’s a manual option that allows users to control the flash from full to 1/128 of the flash’s power output. There’s also high-speed sync and second-curtain sync available, which are good for creative lighting and capturing fast-moving action with flash.
The Nissin Air system uses a 2.6GHz radio frequency so doesn’t require line-of-sight light like an infrared trigger. There are eight channels and A, B and C groups, so one can set up and control multiple flashes.
Nissan Air 1 Commander & Air R Receiver – key features
LED display
A small LED display on the top of the commander makes it very easy to see and change settings, especially for beginners.
AAA batteries
Power to the unit is supplied by two AAA batteries, which helps to keep the units small and compact.
AF-assist lamp
On the front of the commander is an AF-assist lamp, which helps with focusing, especially in low-light situations. This boasts an effective range from 0.7-5m.
Nissan Air 1 Commander & Air R Receiver – our verdict
During testing, the Nissin Air 1 Commander and Air R Receiver performed brilliantly, and the distance stated by Nissin of 30m appeared accurate. Providing the flash was within that distance, there were no issues with misfiring. The LED display makes it easy to alter settings, and using the set-and-scroll wheel, it’s quick to adjust and change what’s required. The kit does lack 1⁄3-stop-increment control and the range is limited compared to other wireless triggering systems. But for anyone just getting into off-camera flash, it boasts practically everything you could ask for and makes it easy to learn and use.
SCORE: 5 out of 5
You may also consider
Nissin Di700A
Price: £169
Website: www.nissindigital.com
Nissin’s first Air System product was the Di700A flashgun. This has the same technology as the Nissin Air R Receiver, allowing users to fire it from a Nissin Air 1 Commander. Why is this important? Well, this new addition has made the Nissin Air System more versatile. Users now have the option to use Nissin Di700A flashes and add their own flashguns into the system via the Nissin Air R Receiver. This also works in reverse. If a user owns the Nissin Air 1 Commander and Receiver kit, they can add a Nissin Di700A to their kit for around £169 without paying for a further receiver.
