Technically, the article is supposed to be known as “ Nikon Speedlight Comparison”, since Nikon calls their flash products “ Speedlights”. This article is created as an introduction to the current and old line of Nikon Speedlights, specifically the particular Nikon SB-300, SB-400, SB-500, SB-600, SB-700, SB-800, SB-900, SB-910 plus SB-5000. In addition to some basic home elevators each Speedlight, I will provide an assessment chart on the bottom of this article too, to make it simpler for our readers to comprehend the differences.

1) Nikon SB-300

The most basic of all Nikon Speedlights, the particular Nikon SB-300 is also the least heavy and the most compact one. It really is designed to be used only on top of the particular camera and cannot work in master/commander or slave/remote modes. Certainly more efficient than the on-camera pop-up flash, the particular SB-300 flash head can only become tilted upwards up to 120 levels for bouncing light. Unlike other Nikon speedlights, the SB-300 are unable to rotate from left to correct and vice versa, limiting choices for bouncing light off various illumination accessories. While it fully supports Nikon’ s i-TTL and various synchronize modes, it does not support some of the Nikon CLS (Creative Lighting System) functions such as High Speed Sync and Autofocus Assist. The SB-300 is a very light-weight flash that takes only 2 AAA Alkaline or Ni-MH electric batteries. The Nikon SB-300 costs close to $150 USD brand new.

2) Nikon SB-400

The Nikon SB-400 is another very basic flash device. It is very similar to the SB-300, except this only allows the head to be tilted 90 degrees upwards (which can be quite limiting). It also won’ t operate master/commander or slave/remote modes. Similar to the SB-300, it cannot rotate lateral either, making it impossible to jump the light off walls and other up and down surfaces, unless the camera lies in a vertical orientation. The SB-400 has a faster recycle time compared to SB-300, lasts longer and is slightly bigger in size. Nikon’ s i-TTL can also be fully supported, except for High Speed Synchronize and AF Assist. The Nikon SB-400 has been discontinued, so your just option is to buy it utilized.

3) Nikon SB-500

The SB-500 is the first Nikon speedlight to come with built-in BROUGHT lights for use as continuous or video light (the LED lighting can function independently from the main flash). With a guide number of 24m, it may not be as powerful as the higher end speedlights, but it is still a pretty able flash that can be used as a commander in order to trigger other flashes, or being a slave. Its head is quite versatile and can be either tilted as much as 90? or rotated from zero? to 180? just like the higher-end versions. Due to its limited power source composed of 2 AA size electric batteries, the recycling time is quite bad at 3. 5 seconds. Not really a bad flash to get into flash digital photography with and could be fairly helpful as a slave in combination with the digital camera pop-up flash operating as a learn. Fully compatible with the Nikon CLS system. Can be purchased new for $246. ninety five .

4) Nikon SB-600

Discontinued in 2011, the Nikon SB-600 is a very capable flash which has a flexible head for both slanting (up and down) and revolving (left and right). It can just be used either on-camera or off-camera as a slave (no master and commander mode). The Nikon SB-600 supports most Nikon CLS functions and uses four AA electric batteries with a good recycle time. Unlike the particular Nikon SB-300, SB-400 and SB-500, it has an LCD screen over the back of the flash for expensive setup options. When compared to the higher end SB-700, the SB-600 does not have a diffusion dome (useful for inside shots) and color gels. It can come with a stand though, which can be placed on a flat surface or mounted on the tripod when used as a servant unit (off-camera flash). The Nikon SB-600 will automatically zoom in/out for focal lengths between 24-85mm. It has no sync port, meaning that you cannot use it with triggers such as PocketWizard Plus II / 3 (a separate adapter for the synchronize cord needs to be purchased). New PocketWizard MiniTT1 and FlexTT5 units may be used with this flash. Although you cannot purchase the SB-600 new, it can be often discovered used in good condition under $200.

5) Nikon SB-700

The particular Nikon SB-700 is a major step-up from the Nikon SB-600 with a totally redesigned user interface, which is much more user-friendly and easier to use than the one at the Nikon SB-600. It fully facilitates all Nikon CLS features and moreover, can be used as a master/commander to activate other slave flashes. Compared to the Nikon SB-800/SB-900, the commander mode is certainly somewhat limited, with support associated with only up to two groups of sensations (Group A and Group B). Its recycle time is quick and the flash can automatically focus in and out for focal lengths associated with 24-120mm. It comes with a bunch of accessories like a diffusion dome, colors gels plus a flash stand. Similar to the Nikon SB-600, the SB-700 also does not have a sync port, so only the more recent PocketWizard triggers like MiniTT1 plus FlexTT5 can be used with it without any extra adapters. The Nikon SB-700 sells for approximately $325 new.

6) Nikon SB-800

The particular Nikon SB-800 was discontinued within 2008 after Nikon SB-900 has been introduced to the market. It is an excellent flash that also fully facilitates all Nikon CLS features like i-TTL, High Speed Sync and much more. Great duty flash that was designed to be taken for demanding professionals. The head is extremely flexible and can be tilted plus rotated for bouncing the light away ceilings, walls and other surfaces. This is a fully-featured master/commander and a slave that will supports up to three wireless organizations (Group A, Group B plus Group C). Thanks to the sync interface, the Nikon SB-800 can be used using radio triggers/transmitters, including the traditional PocketWizard models. The nice thing in regards to the SB-800, is that it comes with an extra electric battery compartment for the fifth battery, which usually helps in reducing the recycle period and it can take external battery packages for continuous flash shooting. The particular SB-800 also comes with plenty of components such as a diffuser dome, color gel and a stand for off-camera use. Nikon SB-800 typically goes for around $250-$300 for an used model in good shape.

7) Nikon SB-900

Before the updated SB-910, the expensive Nikon speedlight that replaced the particular SB-800 was the Nikon SB-900. The particular Nikon SB-900 is a very flexible gadget that can be used both as a master and also a slave, and fully supports all of the current Nikon CLS features. The particular SB-900 has a similar intuitive interface as the SB-700 and also comes with many accessories for on-camera and off-camera shooting. The flash zoom function covers 17-200mm, which means that you can include a very wide area or move in and cover a much smaller sized area for a more defined adobe flash look, similar to a mini-snoot. The particular PC/sync port is included and just like the particular SB-800, the SB-900 can also work together with external battery packs like SD-9. In terms of recycle time, although the SB-900 can only take 4 batteries optimum, it outperforms the Nikon SB-800 with the extra battery option. Regrettably, the SB-900 suffered from overheating problems, so its resale value rapidly dropped once the SB-910 became available. It may still be purchased for $250-300 within good condition.

8) Nikon SB-910

As pointed out above, once the Nikon SB-900 came out, it recently had an issue where it would shut down plus refuse to work when overheated. Could was not an issue for me, since I in no way abuse my flashes and try to place them cool by firing at reduced power (prefer to stay at 1/2-1/4 max), many photographers complained about this. There was no way to fix the excessive heating issue with a firmware update, therefore Nikon updated the model with all the newer SB-910. In addition to this hardware customization, Nikon made a few other changes towards the SB-910. It made slight adjustments to the body and control design, brightened up the LCD, replaced the particular soft plastic gels with difficult plastic ones and made several tweaks to the speedlight menu. The rest remained the same. It sold brand new for $550, but when Nikon launched the top-of-the-line SB-5000 model, it had been immediately discontinued. If you don’ capital t need radio capabilities of the brand new SB-5000, the SB-910 is still a great flash unit that can be purchased for approximately $300-$350 used.

9) Nikon SB-5000

The Nikon SB-5000 is the most current top-of-the-line speedlight within Nikon’ s arsenal of display units. It is the first Nikon speedlight to utilize radio frequency instead of infrared for flash operation, making the particular SB-5000 a versatile flash which you can use in daylight conditions without any disturbance. With a guide number of 34. five meters at 35mm position plus 55 meters at 200mm placement, the SB-5000 is the most powerful speedlight Nikon has ever made. It weighs about the same as the SB-910, but regardless of the added features, it is noticeably more compact in size. Its recycling time is very amazing at 1 . 8 seconds whenever used with hig-capacity Ni-MH batteries and in addition it performs noticeably better with AA-size Alkaline batteries. The SB-5000 works with all current generation Nikon Digital slrs, but the camera menu-based radio functions are only available on the latest DSLR versions such as the Nikon D7500, D500 plus D5 (WR-R10 or WR-A10 wi-fi remote adapter is required for stereo operation). The SB-5000 can manage up to 6 SB-5000 flash groupings (up to 3 flash organizations in 4 channels when using old speedlights) and has a special heat-reduction style that can handle up to 100 consecutive flash firings without overheating. Using its MSRP associated with $599 , it is the most expensive as well as the most versatile speedlight offered by Nikon.

Nikon Speedlight Comparison Graph

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