Beginner Flash for nikon

[Matthew Bromley]

Hi all

I'm wanted to buy a cheap flash for my Nikon D60 so I can learn the ropes of flash photography. I need the help of the Photoradar members. The follow are all around £100 pounds, but which to buy?

Nikon SB-400 Speedlight Flashgun

Jessops 360AFD Digital Flashgun

Sunpak Power Zoom PZ-40X Flash

Nissin Speedlite Di466 Flashgun

As I have not fully understood flash photography yet it makes the decision difficult, please help.

[OldBoy]

Sigma also do one for £119 for Nikon.

Out of the ones listed the Nikon SB-400 might be your best bet. I woundn't bother with the Jessops or Nissin but the Sunpak looks OK.

[jinky]

If you think you will be sticking with Nikon in the future and upgrading your body at some time a little more for the sb600 will give you off camera flash facility - but not with the D60 I understand. I also find that whilst the SB600 is generally fine and prompted me to buy 2 I did finally get a 2nd hand sb800 for off camera and on camera work as the SB600 lacked power in certain situations. he SB400 may lack power further again.
If you are sticking rgidly to your budget and buying new tough i would still get the SB400 as Nikon flash lighting generally is so good and fitting with the bodies - and it will hold good second hand value if you later sell.

[lynnedbears]

I have just today taken possession of my D90.Hubby wants to know what I want for Christmas and I thought a flash unit seemed like a good idea.
Help folks please! I have no idea about using the flash but want something that will last a while. Eventually I would like to buy a small studio set up, only if it is a relative good price though. Something like the Interfit beginners one perhaps.
Any advice will be gratefully taken on board. and Yes, I intend staying with Nikon. The D90 is my up-grade from the D50 and I have numerous lenses.
Thanks in advance.

[Matthew Bromley]

thanks for the replies guys.

OldBoy that sigma does look good, and a name I trust.

Jinky, I checked out that SB600 you mentioned. Its a little bit more expensive but very well reviewed.

I'v been reading up about flash which has helped understanding the reviews.

Lynnedbears maybe the Nikon SB600 is one for you (£140 ish) or another in the SB series if you have more cash.

[OldBoy]

Originally Posted by lynnedbears

I have just today taken possession of my D90.Hubby wants to know what I want for Christmas and I thought a flash unit seemed like a good idea.
Help folks please! I have no idea about using the flash but want something that will last a while. Eventually I would like to buy a small studio set up, only if it is a relative good price though. Something like the Interfit beginners one perhaps.
Any advice will be gratefully taken on board. and Yes, I intend staying with Nikon. The D90 is my up-grade from the D50 and I have numerous lenses.
Thanks in advance.

In that case the SB600 is your best bet, unless you can pick up a SB800 second-hand, as that works in commander mode, but haven't seen one second-hand yet.

[greenwing]

Matthew, if you're wanting to learn the ropes of flash as you put it, the SB-400 is probably not for you. The others you mention, the Sigma, and the Metz 36 AF-4N, may be better able to let you learn. The trouble I see with them, though, is that the specifications are difficult to get hold of, the instruction manuals are likely to be vague, and there's relatively few people who have experience with them so you'll find little help in learning to use them.

The SB-400 is, pretty much, a replacement for the inbuilt flash. In many cases, it's not even that. Cameras earlier than the D60 can't use it in any but i-TTL mode (no manual), and it can't do anything unless it's attached to a CLS capable camera's hotshoe. It cannot play any part in an Advanced Wireless Lighting setup. It's great to get the flash further away from the lens, and to have a little more power, and not to have to think too much about it (there's only a power switch on the SB-400) which is the market it was aimed at.

The 3rd party flashes that have been mentioned do i-TTL, but mostly also seem to have some kind of Auto and Manual modes controlled by the flash itself. Some may have inbuilt remote slave cells, but they're certainly not AWL capable. I'm not too sure about what the Sunpak can do. I found a sellers page that said it does D-TTL, meaning that it's not compatible with current cameras, but that may be a mistake.

The SB-600 may not have all of the features of the 3rd party guns - it has no Auto mode, and the inbuilt slave function works only with Advanced Wireless Lighting (AWL). But it can be an AWL slave, which gives it some kind of futureproofing. It can't control anything, but then neither can your D60, so to get an AWL setup you'll need an SB-800, SB-900 or SU-800 to be master/commander over the SB-600, or an upgrade to D90 which can do the commanding itself.

Matthew, if you can get an SB-600 for just £20 more than the Sigma, I'd say you should do that.

Lynne, I think the SB-600 is a good starting point for you. You can do off-camera iTTL flash with it, using your D90 as master. If the money's there, the SB-900 is more powerful, has better zoom coverage, and has more auto modes. As OldBoy said, the SB-800 is hard to find now.

Hope this helps
Chris

[PaulMontgomery]

If you want a second hand SB800, Greys of Westmisnter get them from time to time (I got mine from them). They have a thing where you can set up an e-mail notification when one comes in.

[lynnedbears]

Santa has just bought me a SB900.

[OldBoy]

Originally Posted by lynnedbears

Santa has just bought me a SB900.

That's a bit early as he isn't due until the 25th December!

You will love it one you get use to all the options.