I've got a D5100 and have been wanting to get an external flash for a while. My question is what do you guys have and what do you recommend?
Does anybody have a SB-28, because I could get one of those second hand and cheap but I don't know how well it works with a DSLR.
Any help would be greatly appreciated =] Thanks
I have an older sb-25 and an sb-600. I only use the Sb25 in manual mode for soft boxes and umbrellas off camera. I'm pretty sure the older flashes only work in auto mode and no ttl flash functions are available as on newer flashes. I know if i want to use the old sb25 on camera then i have to set it to auto and then set the iso and the aperture on the flash for it to get the correct exposure. Every time you change aperatures you have to manually change the aperture on that flash so it can figure out the amount of flash it needs. The new flashes 600, 700, 800 900 910 all automatically adjust based on your settings and use ttl metering so if your bouncing flash off a ceiling or wall you get really good exposures automatically because it meters through then lens. Having said all that, i do alot of off camera lighting and i pretty much use just manual flash and set the settings my self and because of this i use the cheap older flashes because im not really using all the features of the newer expensive flashes. So i guess it all depends on how you want to use them. Hope this helps, im no expert but strobist.com has lots of info on everything flash related.
SB-28's are 8 years old, and if I am correct, do not work in TTL, which is good to have. Bear in mind that strobes do NOT have an infinite life, anbd you may be investing in one that is at the end of it's days. I would look into the SB-600.
@soia@cluvlj Thanks for the insight, its very helpful. I'd need the flash most for event and nightlife photography so you're right that TTL would be crucial.
The SB-600 has been the one I've had my eye out on so far but its a bit more than I'd like to spend. I don't suppose you know of any equivalent flashes in other brands that work with Nikons?
@axel My thinking, I would stick with the Nikon for the money. A nice strobe like, Metz 58AF for example, would cost more. That would be the only other one I would recommend. Not because I think the other ones are junk. Just because it is the only other flash I have used with good results.
what are you wanting to do with it? aside from take photos :) some setups an sb-600 or 800 is best, being able to have more control. if you are using them off camera with remote triggers, using manual mode, you can get by with vivitar 285's or even the old school sunpak 611 baseball bats. am a bit of an odd ball with that, but i like the old school look of the sunpak's and if a crowd gets rowdy you have a good weapon. if it is general use, and starting out i would say the sb600 or 800 is a good bet.
When I first got started with photography I bought three Nikon SB-80DX speedlights. I still have and use these today, although I do also have two SB-800's as well.
The SB-80DX is just as powerful as any other Nikon speedlight. The later models, which cost as much as $400, are slightly more powerful and recharge slightly faster, but I cannot see any real difference. The SB-80DX can usually be found for around $150 used. I got mine for around $100 each.
The real benefit of the SB-80DX over almost any other speedlight is a remote triggering feature built into the speedlight. You can turn this feature on and when the speedlight detects another flash it will fire. This means you can put the speedlight anywhere inside a room and use the built-in flash on your NIkon camera at 1/128 power to trigger the SB-80DX remotely. This is a powerful feature because it means you don't need to buy expensive radio remotes.
I always recommend this speedlight to new photographers.
@cchambers@jasonbarnette It all depends on what I can find. Ideally I'd get an SB-600 second hand. The thing with the SB80DX is the lack of ttl. I can understand its value for off camera lighting and such but when I want fast use on my camera, I think ttl will be quite crucial. Thanks for the input, its really helping me get an idea of whats on the market. Next step is to actually find some models to try!
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The SB-600 has been the one I've had my eye out on so far but its a bit more than I'd like to spend. I don't suppose you know of any equivalent flashes in other brands that work with Nikons?
The SB-80DX is just as powerful as any other Nikon speedlight. The later models, which cost as much as $400, are slightly more powerful and recharge slightly faster, but I cannot see any real difference. The SB-80DX can usually be found for around $150 used. I got mine for around $100 each.
The real benefit of the SB-80DX over almost any other speedlight is a remote triggering feature built into the speedlight. You can turn this feature on and when the speedlight detects another flash it will fire. This means you can put the speedlight anywhere inside a room and use the built-in flash on your NIkon camera at 1/128 power to trigger the SB-80DX remotely. This is a powerful feature because it means you don't need to buy expensive radio remotes.
I always recommend this speedlight to new photographers.
this is the flash I purchased for my nikon d3000. great flash for not a lot of coin.