Nik SBxx v's SBxxx

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BazEP

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Chris
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Hi
always used available light or on cam flash but have been thinking about investing in off cam flash. Can anyone describe the difference between the two types of Nik flashguns, or point me in the direction of an explanation?

cheers
 
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In short the SBxx are the older, pre-digital flashguns, perfectly usable for Strobisty stuff and a lot cheaper than the newer SBxxx models. I've got a bag full of SB24/25/26 etc and the whole lot cost about the same as one of my SB900s......
 
Thanks Graham (or flasher???!!!)
what sort of limitations would I get if using the sbxx's on a d300? are there issues with using them as slaves/remotely or with ttl?
 
As far as I know they won't work with "iTTL" which I think rules them out of being used comprehensively on the shoe. You can use them in "A" mode, which may or may not be adequate. When it comes to off camera flash, this is irrelevant so don't worry about it as you'll just whack the flash in "M" mode and set your own power levels.

They don't have built in optical slaves but the SB-28 and SB-80, for example, both have PC sockets to allow you to easily attach remote radio triggers or optical slaves. There are no issues with using them in this fashion, I have 3x SB-28's and get a lot of use out of them as off-camera lights. I have an SB-800 that I use for events and on-camera macro stuff.
 
I've got an SB28 that works fine on my D2x, although it doesn't work in TTL mode. That's not a problem for me because I either use manual (setting the power in increments manually) or in Auto, which is pretty reliable. Same applied to my SB26, an even older flash.

I have an SB28DX, which works fully with my D2x and should work with other digital SLRs from Nikon.

The SB24/25/26/28/28DX/80DX all have PC ports for attaching receivers like Skyports etc. (not sure if the SB50DX has this). Not all of them have optical slaves though to be triggered without an add-on receiver unit - the SB26 does but I'm not sure about the others.

The older SB24/25/26 are bulky, old fashioned affairs with LCD screens that are easy to understand and with slider and button controls for easy use; sliders for mode and normal/rear curtain flash, buttons for f-stops and zooms functions. The SB28 has an all-button interface that's very good, plus it's more compact and much more like the more modern SBxxx flashguns, with the new flashes being very much like mobile phones in their menu systems (the Sb900 is very much like this).

Prices for the older flashes have risen steeply in recent years thanks to the popularity of Strobist.com. I've just paid £50 for an SB24 in good nick; expect to pay £40-£70 for a 24/25/26 and probably closer to £100 for a mint SB28. The DX flashes are probably £100+ used and then it's £150 minimum for the likes of the SB800.

The Strobist website is probably the No1 resource on the web for info on use, although for technical spec on Nikon flashes I think Mir.com and Ken Rockwell are worth a look.
 
Thanks guys - really useful info (when I've managed to digest it all). For on-camera flash are there additional limitations?
 
No probs :)

Really, for on camera work it's best to have a flash that's fully compatible with your camera. A flash with iTTL compatibility (SB600/800/900) will always give you the most seamless use, although they are pricier than older models. SB600 is a good starting point - about £150ish new and it supports Nikon CLS (i.e. it can be triggered wirelessly by the camera's pop-up flash).

Useful info on modern Nikon flashes here

Here's a list of Speedlight FAQs from the Nikon website that might be useful
 
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specialman said:
not sure if the SB50DX has this
Click to expand...

The SB-50DX doesn't have a sync port, just an optical slave, but in manual mode, it's fixed power. You can't adjust the power output. The only way you could knock it down is by the use of ND filters over the end of the flash head.
 
btw, the sb600's successor, the sb700, got launched today. Looks cute, a lot smaller than the existing line, and pretty easy to use :) Interestingly, they've brought back sliders...
 
Kaouthia, I thought it was a bit of an oddity among the majority of speedlights :). Suppose it was a similar in a way to the SB400, in that it lacked overall functionality to make it a really versatile flash
 
The only real problem I found with the SB-50DX was that it was on a fixed power setting.

The head went up n' down, optical slave was really reliable, I had 3 or 4 of 'em, and just put stuff over the flash to knock the power down.

not much use for a lot of stuff, but I was mostly doing products and smallish animals at the time, so I could take as much time as I needed to add and remove stuff from in front fo the flash to adjust the power. :)
 
thanks folks
hmm - think I'm back to looking at the SB600 then (and a few books - it's like learning a new sport!)
 
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