Nikon flash advice

MIKEROPHONICS

MIKEROPHONICS

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Mike
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Sadly whilst skiing my sb400 bit the dust (snapped off when I slipped on ice) and I need a new flash.
Looking to try off camera flash with my d7K - so would have upgraded anyway.

Any advice from wise sages here as to sb 600 700 900? Not adverse to second hand as I believe these things are like tanks!

My photography is varied, but orienteering towards portraits and general street and city stuff.
 
You say you are looking at ocf, how will you be triggering? If simple radio triggers then any old flash with manual power control will be fine (and you can get a few for the same money as an SB 900). If triggering with an iTTL set of radio triggers then of course the functions of the SB*** come in to play. If the situation allows, you could also utilise the CLS system.
I've never needed more than an SB600 myself by the way
 
This post missed the forst line. "I was planning to use the on board flash to trigger the OCF" is this a bad idea?
 
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If you can justify the cost difference the SB700 is excellent. It's actually less powerful than the SB600 and a lot less than the 900 but it is very simple to use and stacked full of useful features. You can use it as a full commander on it's own for example. I think all of these will allow you full CLS iTTL control off camera simply using the on board flash and flash commander to control. Very quick and easy to use, just set the flash to remote slave, position it and you can then adjust everything from the camera.
 
MIKEROPHONICS said:
This post missed the forst line. "I was planning to use the on board flash to trigger the OCF" is this a bad idea?
Click to expand...

No, it works very well but you do need to factor in that the flash needs to be able to see the camera and be within a shortish distance. Indoors, it works brilliantly.
 
if its going to be off camera, why not buy 2 YN560 II

alot cheaper and if your using then off camera in manual mode
 
KieranSLR said:
if its going to be off camera, why not buy 2 YN560 II
Click to expand...

I've just taken delivery of one of these for use with my D200. Got it linked up to an RF-602 to use as OFC and having good fun playing at the moment. Also, works well on camera too (once I'd realised the 1/1, 1/2, 1/4 etc didn't relate to the shutter speed but the power of the flash............DOH!!!!)

From the brief play I've just had, I'd recommend getting one. Mine was £45 brand new from Amazon.
 
musicalbloke said:
I've just taken delivery of one of these for use with my D200. Got it linked up to an RF-602 to use as OFC and having good fun playing at the moment. Also, works well on camera too (once I'd realised the 1/1, 1/2, 1/4 etc didn't relate to the shutter speed but the power of the flash............DOH!!!!)

From the brief play I've just had, I'd recommend getting one. Mine was £45 brand new from Amazon.
Click to expand...

yes they also work well on camera with the bounce cant really see a issue only problem is TTL but you need to learn manual anyway

dont see the point in spending £££ on 1 flash when you can buy 3 and use them off camera with the same effect
 
MIKEROPHONICS said:
This post missed the forst line. "I was planning to use the on board flash to trigger the OCF" is this a bad idea?
Click to expand...

Not at all, as long as you are indoors and with line of site CLS is great in this situation.
However if outside and/or with anything in between camera and OCF it can be problematic.
 
I used the cls triggered by the on board flash on my d90. I have two sb900's and two nissin Di6122 mk II's. I also have the ir plate that sits in the hotshoe as well (probably unnecessary!). It works pretty well. Although I'm sure in time I'll upgrade my nissin for a Nikon flash/studio head. The nissin is a good flash especially if you're only using one light as the nissin's only operate on one channel.

An example


Hat's Entertainment, hat's entertainment! by Sir SR, on Flickr

S
 
That is a great portrait!

I kind of bought into Nikon because of its reputation for its superior CLS flash system. If I go 3rd party won't I negate all of that? To be honest because I only had an sb400 I don't know much about flash, but I got good results bouncing it. I was frustrated though at not being able to bounce from the roof in portrait orientation
I would like to put all my BBC tv lighting training to good use (key, fill, 3/4 back light etc). I suspect it looks like an sb700 is the way to go, and either augment when funds allow with 3rd party slaves or nikon slaves. I just don't want to buy twice...
 
MIKEROPHONICS said:
That is a great portrait!

I kind of bought into Nikon because of its reputation for its superior CLS flash system. If I go 3rd party won't I negate all of that? To be honest because I only had an sb400 I don't know much about flash, but I got good results bouncing it. I was frustrated though at not being able to bounce from the roof in portrait orientation
I would like to put all my BBC tv lighting training to good use (key, fill, 3/4 back light etc). I suspect it looks like an sb700 is the way to go, and either augment when funds allow with 3rd party slaves or nikon slaves. I just don't want to buy twice...
Click to expand...

The SB700 is the bees knees and is a better flash than most of the thrid party offerings but it comes at a price. I had until recently A Nissin Di622 MK2 and a SB700. I've now sold that SB700 as the Nissin did everything I actually needed including wireless TTL or iTTL I think it's called. It has none of fancy stuff that the SB700 had but when you wade through to what is actually useful it does everything and very simply too.
 
MIKEROPHONICS said:
That is a great portrait!

I kind of bought into Nikon because of its reputation for its superior CLS flash system. If I go 3rd party won't I negate all of that? To be honest because I only had an sb400 I don't know much about flash, but I got good results bouncing it. I was frustrated though at not being able to bounce from the roof in portrait orientation
I would like to put all my BBC tv lighting training to good use (key, fill, 3/4 back light etc). I suspect it looks like an sb700 is the way to go, and either augment when funds allow with 3rd party slaves or nikon slaves. I just don't want to buy twice...
Click to expand...

Thank you!

I think that if you're going down the CLS route then certainly as a first speedlight the Nissin is a good buy. If you have more than one nissin you have to have them set at the same power via cls as they recieve only on a single channel (the nikons operate on more than one channel!). Not necessarily a problem but not as flexible. The sb700 is a great flash. There are a couple of sb900's for sale in the classifieds at the mo - good/powerful/expensive!!

If i was starting again I might have one down the manual trigger route but I may save that til I get some studio heads!

Anybody you know got one you could try?

Shaheed
 
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