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the light and your pictures will
look more pleasant to the eye and overall look really improve. The green
text below represents what you should have in mind when
choosing a Nikon flash. Of course, there are other aspects to
consider but everything boils down to your final personal use.
SB-900
(new, coming soon)
Coming soon, Nikon SB-900 flash
SB-800
This at the moment of publishing
this Nikon's top of the line in their flash system. This unit can be
used either as a Master/Commander as well as a slave unit controlled
by the built-in flash of your camera or the SU-800 commander unit.
This flash is aimed to professionals who demands a higher guide
number and faster recycling times. This flash is a beauty and works
like a charm with its 5th battery compartment. The 800 as many analog
film day units, has inputs that can be used with the SD8A
battery pack, SC-19 cables and other accessories not possible
with the 600 unit. To me this is a must have for what I do and these
extra features are worth the extra price on it ($329 approx).
SB-600
If you are an occasional flash
user that would like to take advantage of Nikon's CLS system, the
SB-600 at around $229 will do the job really well. With this
flash you can set any Nikon DSLR (post D100) in 'receiver' mode and
can be controlled with your pop-up flash for more creative and/or
better flash pictures. This flash has a guide number of 98 ft which I
do believe it might work really well for most users and most
applications. The 600 can be used as a slave flash but not as a
master/commander unit.
See hi-speed FP mode samples with this
flash here.
SB-400
This is the flash you'll want if
you wish to be on the go very light weight, or simply if you want
better lighting than that of the pop-up unit from your D40x, D50,
D70. Indeed is compatible with the rest of the DSLR line but this is
a good start for any of the models above. The flash can not be used
as a commander or slave within the CLS system. The flash head tilts
up to 90 degrees in 0, 60, 75, 90 click increments. The drawback in
my opinion is the inability to tilt the flash sideways. While this is
no big deal when shooting in 'landscape' orientation if bounced from
a ceiling, it limits the flash when used in 'portrait orientation'
creating more notable shadows because we are unable to bounce on the
ceiling. Nonetheless as I said, at $129 (approx) it is a great
start to flash photography.
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SB-800
-Guide Number:
(ISO 100, m/ft.):: 38/125
(at 35mm) to 56/184 (at 105mm)
-Minimum
recycling time:
Approx. 2.7
seconds (manual, w/R6 (AA) - size Ni-Cd or Ni-MH batteries, with
Quick Recycle Battery Pack SD-800), Approx. 6
sec. (manual w/FR6 (AA - size Lithium batteries)
Minimum
number of flashes: Approx. 150 (Alkaline, Ni-MH batteries) |
SB-600
-Guide number:
(at 35mm zoom-head position: 30/98
(ISO 100, m/ft), 42/138 (ISO 200, m/ft)
Recycling
time:
Alkaline approx. 3.5 sec.
-Number
of flashes:
Alkaline approx. 200 times |
SB-400
-Guide number:
(at 18mm zoom-head position, 20 degrees.
30m/98.4ft.
(ISO 200, m/ft)
-Flash
shooting distance range:
2 to 66
feet (Varies depending on the ISO sensitivity, zoom-head position,
and lens aperture in use)
-Number
of flashes/Recycling time (at full output with fresh batteries):
Alkaline-manganese (1.5V) 140/3.9
sec. Lithium (1.5V) 250/4.2 sec. Oxyride (1.5V) 150/3.1 sec.Ni-MH
rechargeable (1.5V, 2600 mAh) 210/2.5 sec. |
SU-800
This is the heart and should of
Nikon's CLS (Creative Lighting System). It is the master and
commander of both, the SB-600 and the SB-800. The possibilities with
this little device are endless as it can be used in flash groups of
1,2,3, and A,B,C for a lot of lighting situations as well as
creativity. The SB-800 can be used as a commander, but in some cases
it can leave unwanted residual light. As per my tests, the SU-800
almost doubles the commander distance range compared to the 800 flash
unit. Another plus is that the SU-800 menu is much more
straightforward than that on SB-800. This is one of the best
accessories I purchased in a long time with an approximate price tag
of $249.
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With pop-up
built-in flash |
With bounced
SB-600 |
With SB-800 commanding a
SB-600 |
All 3 sample pictures
taken with our Nikkor 35mm F/2
'D' lens.
See some more outdoor pictures with
CLS here.
*If you
have questions or if you'd like to discuss about this system,
feel free to sign
up to our forums.
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Nikon CLS System
front view |
Nikon CLS System
back view |
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