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Product Reviews:
Why I chose the SB-800 over the SB-600, January 21, 2005
Reviewer: Gadgester
I won't repeat the wealth of information the other kind reviewers have
already given. I'll just focus on why I decided to cough up the extra $100
to get the SB-800 instead of the less powerful SB-600.
Compared to the SB-600, the SB-800 has the following extra features:
1) Much more powerful, as reflected in the GN.
2) Slightly faster recycle time with the standard four AA batteries. It
also comes with a battery holder that holds a fifth battery which cuts
down recycle time by 1/3 to 1/2.
3) The SB-800 has non-TTL auto and auto aperture modes. (More on this
later.)
4) In wireless remote mode, the SB-800 can act both as the master and
slave, whereas the 600 can only be a slave.
5) It comes with a useful diffusion dome, which won't even fit on the
SB-600.
6) The SB-800 package also includes two colored gel filters.
7) The SB-800 can do repeating flash (in the same exposure), for a strobe
effect.
Basically, both the 600 and 800 support Nikon's latest flash technologies,
i-TTL (supported by the D70 and D2H only) and CLS (creative lighting
system), in addition to all the TTL (through the lens) flash modes Nikon
introduced in the past. The 600 is really a prosumer-level flash that's
either TTL or manual, whereas the 800 is pure pro-grade with a lot of
modes and options. The manual, evidently written by a Japanese manual
writer, attests to its sophistication; understanding the manual will
really require a Ph.D. in yoga so you don't stress yourself out.
The 800's auto modes are what won me over in the end. The auto modes can
set the flash output automatically on Nikon bodies that do not support any
TTL (through the lens) mode. On those bodies, with the 600 you'd have to
resort to manual, which is simply a pain in the butt, not to mention prone
to error. The two non-TTL auto modes on the 800 are auto aperture and
auto. You'll need to study the manual very carefully to figure out the
difference; I still haven't, but I'm already enjoying the auto aperture
mode. The availability of auto modes also means the 800 can be used on a
wide range of Nikon bodies than the simpler 600.
If you are deciding between the 600 and the 800 like I was, ask yourself
the following questions:
1) Do you have an extra $100-$150 to spend? If yes, the 800.
2) Do you plan to use the external flash a lot? If yes, the 800.
3) Do you have Nikon bodies (usually older manual ones) that do not
support TTL (you can find out in the camera's user's guide)? If yes, the
800.
4) Do you plan to do a lot of wireless flash photography and take full
advantage of Nikon's Creative Lighting System? If yes, the 800.
5) If you want to get a diffusion dome that fits the flash, get the 800.
In the end, I think the SB-800 is a better long-term investment than the
SB-600, despite the higher price. It's much more powerful and flexible,
and even though it's an overkill for me right now, I imagine when my flash
photography improves (and I'm trying very hard right now), it'll prove a
very worthy investment.
Feel free to drop me an e-mail at hotmail with any questions. BTW, if
anyone knows of a good web forum that discusses how to use Nikon's flash
modes and the CLS, please let us know. Thanks.
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Perfect flash for D100, December 1, 2004
Reviewer: David Bock "javaguy"
I just recently bought this flash for my D100.
My wife wanted me to take a bunch of photos of her grandmother's small
antique objects - pieces of jade, little carvings on ivory, some vases,
etc. I have never been happy with the D100's built-in flash, and my local
camera shop suggested the SB-800 over several other Nikon models (after I
told them I would also use it for photographing pets and some indoor
photography while sightseeing).
This flash is great. First of all, the color is natural... The photos I
have been taking of jade, ivory, small glass objects, and even my pets
(and my wife as a test subject) come out evenly exposed with no hot spots,
especially when using the diffusion dome and pointing the flash up at the
ceiling (when mounted on the camera, the flash can be turned, and tilted
90 degrees in about 10 degree increments).
Second of all, it is FAST. It contains 4 AA batteries, with the option of
adding a 5th in a small addition (so you can trade off between weight and
recharge time). With all 5 batteries installed and fresh, it can keep pace
with my camera's rate of 3 pictures a second for 5-6 flashes. After that,
it needs less than a second to be ready to go again.
Third of all, it makes using a flash brain-dead simple, At least attached
to my D100 (and presumably the D70). It automatically adjusts itself based
on the characteristics of my lens, the zoom, the distance to subject,
backlighting, etc. I can still manually futz with settings if I want, but
I don't have to to get a great shot.
One accessory I would consider a 'must' for the flash is the 4 foot cable
that lets you use it off-camera. Especially since my main purpose is to
take photos of small objects, having side-lighting is crucial to bringing
out the relief on things like carved jade. It doesn't come with the flash.
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SB-800 AF Speedlight for the D70 & other Nikon SLR Cameras
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