YN-460ii or SB-24

I wanna try out doing some OCF. I am interested in some cheaper solutions but am curious on which flash units to take a look at. As of now, I have no flash.

I know that the YN-460 II are getting good recommendations but have had a few complaints with a minor amount of DOA or short life.
OR
I also see that Nikon SB-24 gets alot of recommendation with off camera use but noticed that people stated that they are "older" (Don't understand why yet cause i know they will be used in Manual mode) It seems that the build of these are much better than the YN-XXX.

I don't plan on using one on camera so ETTL is kinda useless for me right now. (Might get into it later...) And i want to stay in the sub $100 range until I get the hang of what I am doing. I also thought it might be a good idea to stick with a single model of units if i decide to purchase more later on. Any recommendations? Am I missing anything crucial to consider?

Thanks!

I had 3 (Sold 1) YN46-II speedlights and they have all worked flawlessly after 1 year. I think you would be pleased at how much pop you get for such a low price.

I have a SB-24 it matches the power almost of my Canon 580EXII and its a tank. I had mine fall to the tile floor just broke the red plastic that covers the sensor. Everything else works great. It is very solid of a flash.. I would recommend it or a sb-26, sb-28.... The 26 and 28 have a wide angle screen. Never have used YN flashes. I have heard they have sone quality control issues and some die early..

The SB24 does have even more Power, but the YN-460-II has a real-world GN of 34, which is really not bad either. Keep in mind the SB-24 was introduced in 1988 and replaced by SB-25 in 1992, so any SB-24 you buy today is at least 19 years or older.

Which is not a problem per se, just make sure you find a good unit, preferably not used by a pro before. I stay away from used flashes that have velcro attached or look beat-up or have other possible signs of professional use.

fransener wrote in post #11816318
The SB24 does have even more Power, but the YN-460-II has a real-world GN of 34, which is really not bad either. Keep in mind the SB-24 was introduced in 1988 and replaced by SB-25 in 1992, so any SB-24 you buy today is at least 19 years or older.

Which is not a problem per se, just make sure you find a good unit, preferably not used by a pro before. I stay away from used flashes that have velcro attached or look beat-up or have other possible signs of professional use.

I got mine from the b and h used department.. They seem trustworth..

So would you say the SB-24 580EXII and LP160 are close to equally as powerful? I have not been able to see a real difference between them I own all 3....

fransener wrote in post #11816318
The SB24 does have even more Power, but the YN-460-II has a real-world GN of 34, which is really not bad either. Keep in mind the SB-24 was introduced in 1988 and replaced by SB-25 in 1992, so any SB-24 you buy today is at least 19 years or older.

That is what I was thinking. I know they are old but the build on them seem to be amazing from i have been reading.

bhursey wrote in post #11816345
I got mine from the b and h used department.. They seem trustworth..

That is actually what i was planning on going. For ~$80 a unit, doesn't seem too bad.