Am looking at getting 1 or 2 camera mounted external flashes, just after any advice as to what to get/what not to get?
I really like the effect in the eyes that a ring flash gives, but am not sure if this will be effective for anything other than that?
Then am looking at getting one that i can bounce off walls etc, but really don't know what to look for
@kirsterellie Look for something with a great range of adjustment, along with manual zoom controls for the flash, it gives you a lot of control.
Ring flashes can be good for macros but there are a lot of great DIY solutions out there for them, one guy converted a blank CD spindle case in to an onboard flash reflector - it reflects the light down a funnel and out in a ring around the lens.
Also building slave flashes from disposable cameras isn't too tricky - along with ring flashes. I've been considering building a set of antlers with flashes mounted on them for my camera, for nicer group shots...
This one is pretty easy, but it'll cost some money. I also have Nikon, and despite all the new strobes I have kept my three Nikon SB-80DX's. They are great little strobes with both automatic and manual settings. They can be fired remotely by a simple setting built-in that tells the strobes to fire when they detect another strobe fire. So, you can use your built-in strobe on your camera to fire these remotely.
These strobes can be found on eBay for about $150 a piece.
As for a ring flash, once you get these strobes look into getting a light modification kit. This costs about $80 and comes with a snoot, honeycomb, beauty dish, diffuser, and a few other accessories.
The SB-80DX's can also be swiveled, so you can use them to bounce off walls or ceilings while mounted to the camera or stands.
These were the first strobes I ever bought, and I've kept them over the years. They have served me great, and even when I buy new strobes, I buy these.
I have an SB-600 and I love it. I use a Gary Fong diffuser on it 90% of the time. I want to get an SB-900 in the near future too. Good luck making your choice
@killerjackalope@jasonbarnette@esostizzo
Thanks so much, everyone! This has definitely given me a jumping off point.
The modification kits seem like a great idea, and will have to try the DIY projects once I get a bit more daring!
I'm shooting with a Nikon D-80, and have an SB-600.... but I'm really rather a novice with it still - and don't know alot about using it - we may have to share tips! I really do like the ability to set it off camera and create some great lighting effects.
Thanks @canberrabec@kwakefield !
Wow, @jasonbarnette really wasn't lying, flashes can get quite expensive!!
Does anyone have any opinion on the SB400? Ken Rockwell seems happy with it and it's a lot cheaper (149 instead of $449 for the 600 or $899 for the 900 :( )
so thinking I might try this one out, then move onto more advanced flashes once I get the hang of this one?
@kirsterellie Kirsty, let me warn you about something that I fell for as well: Ken Rockwell is a great photographer with an awesome website, but he is Nikon's "guy". In other words, Nikon gives him all their equipment for free as long as he writes glowing reviews about all of it. In fact, I've known him to not like a single piece of Nikon equipment, so that makes his reviews highly unreliable unfortunately.
The SB400 is considered a joke for Nikon. Even Nikon jokes about it. It's the worst strobe they ever made, it was only on the market for a mere four months before being replaced.
I'll warn you: it has all kinds of problems. It only takes 2 AA batteries, which means it dies quickly. The light output is half that of any of the other strobes (SB80DX, 600, 800, or 900). It has no manual controls, so you have to rely on its automatic settings which can lead to all kinds of problems. In short, this was the worst strobe Nikon ever made.
As I said, I'd recommend the SB-80DX as a starter for around $150. In fact, it has 80% of the same light output as the SB-800 and SB-900, which is why after all this time I never bothered with them. Those later models are just too expensive.
@kirsterellie They are about 5-6 years old by now, so you won't find any new. However, I bought all three of mine second-hand off eBay, I've used them on hundreds of portrait shoots and events, and never had any problems with them. Nikon built them to last.
@kirsterellie I'm going to guess that you're located in the US (for pricing etc) It looks like the SB-700 (the replacement for the SB-600) is selling for $330.
If the budget only allows for one flash I wouldn't recommend the SB400. It doesn't have as much as much power or features as it's big brothers. If the Nikon made flashes are not in the budget and you feel you can live without some of the fancy Nikon features then consider 3rd-party flashes that are compatible with Nikon (at least one major photo store's website lets you refine your search based on the camera brands the flashes are compatible with ... I'm sure some other's will have a similar feature).
When comparing flashes look at the Guide Number (power output), tilt and rotate positions, recycle time, and if it's capable of being triggered remotely (you'll eventually want to get the flash off of the camera).
If you haven't checked out the Strobist website I strongly recommend grabbing a coffee and checking it out ... tonnes of great information ... he's not limited to discussing any one particular brand and is no stranger to doing things on a limited budget. Here's a good place to start http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101-start-here.html (no affliation, just a happy, long-time reader). There's also lots of good tidbits to be found in the comments of the Strobist's posts.
@kwakefield thanks for the reply, I read about the SB-24 and just picked one up from eBay for $70, so we'll see how that ones goes!
Am still trying for an SB-80DX, too.
Gosh, this is an expensive hobby!
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Ring flashes can be good for macros but there are a lot of great DIY solutions out there for them, one guy converted a blank CD spindle case in to an onboard flash reflector - it reflects the light down a funnel and out in a ring around the lens.
Also building slave flashes from disposable cameras isn't too tricky - along with ring flashes. I've been considering building a set of antlers with flashes mounted on them for my camera, for nicer group shots...
These strobes can be found on eBay for about $150 a piece.
As for a ring flash, once you get these strobes look into getting a light modification kit. This costs about $80 and comes with a snoot, honeycomb, beauty dish, diffuser, and a few other accessories.
The SB-80DX's can also be swiveled, so you can use them to bounce off walls or ceilings while mounted to the camera or stands.
These were the first strobes I ever bought, and I've kept them over the years. They have served me great, and even when I buy new strobes, I buy these.
Thanks so much, everyone! This has definitely given me a jumping off point.
The modification kits seem like a great idea, and will have to try the DIY projects once I get a bit more daring!
Check out http://www.strobist.blogspot.com/ for great lighting tutorials and info for small flashes.
Wow, @jasonbarnette really wasn't lying, flashes can get quite expensive!!
Does anyone have any opinion on the SB400? Ken Rockwell seems happy with it and it's a lot cheaper (149 instead of $449 for the 600 or $899 for the 900 :( )
so thinking I might try this one out, then move onto more advanced flashes once I get the hang of this one?
The SB400 is considered a joke for Nikon. Even Nikon jokes about it. It's the worst strobe they ever made, it was only on the market for a mere four months before being replaced.
I'll warn you: it has all kinds of problems. It only takes 2 AA batteries, which means it dies quickly. The light output is half that of any of the other strobes (SB80DX, 600, 800, or 900). It has no manual controls, so you have to rely on its automatic settings which can lead to all kinds of problems. In short, this was the worst strobe Nikon ever made.
As I said, I'd recommend the SB-80DX as a starter for around $150. In fact, it has 80% of the same light output as the SB-800 and SB-900, which is why after all this time I never bothered with them. Those later models are just too expensive.
I tried looking for the SB-80DX but was obly able to find it second hand on eBay, do they still make them?
If the budget only allows for one flash I wouldn't recommend the SB400. It doesn't have as much as much power or features as it's big brothers. If the Nikon made flashes are not in the budget and you feel you can live without some of the fancy Nikon features then consider 3rd-party flashes that are compatible with Nikon (at least one major photo store's website lets you refine your search based on the camera brands the flashes are compatible with ... I'm sure some other's will have a similar feature).
When comparing flashes look at the Guide Number (power output), tilt and rotate positions, recycle time, and if it's capable of being triggered remotely (you'll eventually want to get the flash off of the camera).
If you haven't checked out the Strobist website I strongly recommend grabbing a coffee and checking it out ... tonnes of great information ... he's not limited to discussing any one particular brand and is no stranger to doing things on a limited budget. Here's a good place to start http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101-start-here.html (no affliation, just a happy, long-time reader). There's also lots of good tidbits to be found in the comments of the Strobist's posts.
Am still trying for an SB-80DX, too.
Gosh, this is an expensive hobby!