comments on Nikon SB-80DX?

I want to buy a Nikon SB-28 for macro & portraits. Then I learned

it's replaces by SB-80DX. Could anyone share some experience? Pros

& Cons? I'd especially appreciate a comparison between SB-28 and SB-

80DX. If SB-28 turns out to be better, I can still buy it on grey

market. Thanks in advance.

The SB-80DX replaces the SB-28 and SB-28DX. THAT should tell you all you need to know. The top of the line Nikon flash has been replaced with a new top of the line flash. Why would you even think that the '28 would be better?? The new '80DX includes a number of additions and improvements (better steel foot with lever locking mechanism, higher GN, built in slave) over the '28 and '28DX. There are no cons and not much else to discuss. By the way, you DON'T want a gray market Nikon flash, body or lens unless you also don't want a warranty. And why would you want something that is obsolete and discontinued??

You may find the SB-28, hardly an obsolete piece of equipment, to be more cost-effective for you. It's a fine flash (although I find it a bit hot--nothing a little compensation can't fix) and perfectly capable of most everything you'd need it do to. The only major downside I can see to its purchase is that it won't work 100% with the D1 or D100 (although it works fine with Fuji's S2, a close competitor to the D100).

 

Also, I wouldn't be quite as black-and-white about imported Nikon gear. It really all depends on your level of risk tolerance. For me personally, I buy USA bodies and flashes, but film and lenses come imported. The cutoff of tolerance for me is the high level of electronics that are more likely to fail in the bodies and flashes. YMMV.

 

Hope this helps!

Check this review:

 

http://www.bythom.com/sb80review.htm

 

It doesn't seem there are any drawbacks to the sb80dx v. sb28.

 

I would hesitate to get either of these without a one-year warranty. There is no reason to right now. With the rebate on the Sb-80DX, the grey and US version cost just about the same.

Clarifying my point above- "And why would you want something that is obsolete and discontinued??", I meant that if you had to choose between the '28 and the '80, (assuming that the price difference isn't an issue) why would you choose the '28? <p>

Yes, the '28 is certainly a capable flash and is completly suitable for your needs but you will be better off with the latest model, at least in this case. The '28 is obsolete for the reason that it can't be used with a digital camera. If you decide to "go digital" sometime down the road you again will be faced with purchasing another flash.

Julia, there's no appreciable difference in the power output of the flashes. Both offer tilt and swivel. Both offer Nikon's fancy multisensor TTL, plain TTL, auto and manual operation. You could go on and on through the list of features, and find a LOT of common ground.

The SB-80DX does offer some wireless capacity (you'd need the auxiliary SU-4 unit to do that with an SB-28 speedlight) and as Hal said the DX flash units incorporate Nikon's tweaks to work with digital cameras. There is a DX version of the SB-28 as well.

 

I don't think there's much difference in price, so I'd tend to agree with Hal that for pretty much the same money, you might as well get the in-production model as opposed to the discontinued-but-still-in-stock model.

 

You do get a warranty even with grey market goods, you just don't get the USA warranty.

 

Speedlights and electronic cameras can have hiccups. I second the advie you received already... for electronic doodads, I tend to pay the higher price paid for the option of more convenient warranty service.

 

Have fun,

True enough. In fact, I went back and did some price comparisons between the two, and right now with the $30 rebate for the SB-80DX, it's a heck of a deal. So I got one. Thanks for the head-rattling, folks.

 

Kind regards,