SB900 vs 800

[errol young]

Is the 900 slightly less powerful than the 800 and does it recycle faster?

Specs seem confusing.

[eric friedemann]

http://www.photo.net/nikon-camera-forum/00Q1MQ

[ellis_vener_photography]

it is a bit more powerful.

[carl_johnson3]

Yes, it is slightly less powerful for the same zoom. SB-800 GN = 38, SB-900 GN = 34 for 35mm zoom. The SB-900 has a 200mm zoom however, the SB-800 only goes to 105mm

[frank_skomial]

NikonUSA web site upgraded information about the SB-900 GN=40 at 35 mm zoom, the last time I looked, so perhaps SB-900 is a bit more powerful ?

[eric friedemann]

The SB-800 has a guide number of 125 (feet) with the flash head at the 35mm (normal) zoom position at ISO 100. See Tech Specs:

 

 

http://www.nikonusa.com/Find-Your-Nikon/Product/Flashes/4801/SB-800-AF-Speedlight-.html

 

 

The SB-900 has a guide number of 131.2 (feet) with the flash head at the 35mm (normal) zoom position at ISO 100:

 

 

http://www.nikonusa.com/Assets/Flashes/4807-SB-900-AF-Speedlight/PDF/4807_SB-900_Sell_Sheet.pdf

 

 

The SB-900 is slightly more powerful. Whether this has to do with a different flash tube or better-designed light-focusing lenses in front of the tube is not known, but I'd guess the latter.

[eric_arnold]

besides GN, the biggest differences are that the sb-900 has internal circuitry that can recognize DX and FX bodies and covers a longer range, up to 200mm.

[bgelfand]

The BIGGEST difference between the SB-800 and SB-900 is price (with the current crop of cameras).

[rffffffff]

Two interesting points: If you are shooting DX, the sb-800 currently covers the "FX" area with the auto zooming feature. If you zoomed to the 'correct' setting, you could most likely use less power to achieve the same results, so the SB-900 should essentially use less power for a given 'DX' zoom.

 

Second, the expanded zoom range should give you more 'effective power' when using longer lenses.

 

So, even if they have the same guide number, I think the 900 will seem like it has more power for given situations on DX cameras, or on FX cameras above 105mm.

[eric_arnold]

"The BIGGEST difference between the SB-800 and SB-900 is price (with the current crop of cameras)"

 

not really. the pricing is well in-line with nikon's tiered speedlite system (sb-400 -$100; sb-600 -$175; sb800 - $350; sb-900 -$500). percentage-wise, that's roughly in line with the jump from the D300 to D700 or D700 to the D3.

 

nikon's thinking is simple on this one: if you want more features, they'll cost more. some people will adhere to this line of reasoning and always buy the top of the line stuff, even if they don't really need it.. there's no rule you have to spend $500 on a flash, but if you're using a D700 or D3 with a 70-200, i would think the extra reach would be useful.

 

hate to bring up KR again--hey, he's entertaining, at least--but he kind of nails it by saying wedding photogs and maybe PJs will be most interested in this expensive paperweight. also he points out the control panel seems fairly complex. if you want simple, though, there's always the sb-400.

[frank_skomial]

No difference in the max auto shooting range, that is 20 meters, or 66 feet, same for SB-900/SB-800.

 

Despite the longer auto zoom range for the SB-900 head, and the benefit of auto detecting DX/FX lens and adjusting

beam for it, the max auto range is the same for SB-800 and SB-900, perhaps mainly due to much more light

reflections needed internally to narrow the beam?

 

Since all that benefit is not expressed in any measurable numbers, is it perhaps mostly marketing thing with no

practical values?.

 

Or the in-flash auto sensor is unable to take advantage of the extra flash reach ?

 

Or the receiving camera iTTL system is not able to take advantage of the extra flash reach?

 

Or the Nikon marketing people are ? .. . you guess.

 

One would hope for longer automatic range with SB-900 when zoomed at 200 mm lens. Possibly higher intensity of

the concentrated light beam could provide a longer range in auto mode. In manual mode we need to know the Guide

Number at that 200 tele setting, don't we? What is it then?

 

If that new zoom and DX/FX adjustment benefits were the real thing, Nikon would certainly let everybody know about

it, by either stating longer shooting max distance in auto mode, and providing Guide Number that the flash has at

the 200 mm zoom when set manually ?

 

This part is important as it has practical implications:

 

Since the flash is mostly used in auto mode, and the max range is the same, one would naturally wonder: How

much better is the SB-900 then ?

[walterh]

Frank the SB900 is bigger than the SB800. This could be useful to impress people :-)

 

Since it is bigger one could attach a big price tag to it to impress people even more.

 

With my D3 the 70-200 (or any other f2.8 pro zoom attached) and the SB8000 on top of the D3 I can always pass

through into the front of the action without need to show any press ID (do not have one at present). This is

funny as I noticed real local press people with only a small point and shoot camera being stopped behind me on

several occasions.

 

On the serious side we need to wait for someone doing a first shootout SB900 versus SB800.

[bgelfand]

Eric,

 

That is a very nice analysis, but completely misleading. You are comparing apples to oranges - cameras, with considerably different function, to flashes.

 

In reality, at this moment, the SB-900 gives very little additional function over the SB-800. The SB-900 costs approximately $500 US while the SB-800 goes for approximately $300 US. That is an approximate 66% price increase for little additional function.

 

However the SB-900 does have the ability to upgrade the firmware. One never knows what may be announced, but is that worth $200?

[errol young]

So after all this, the only advantage that the 900 has is the menu selection. I think that 800's menus setup is useless.

[walterh]

"I think that 800's menus setup is useless."

 

Errol not completely. I know I have to press two buttons simultaneously to reset the flash. That is a very useful setup item for this flash - I use it quite frequently. :-P (sarcasm off)

[ShunCheung]

The SB-800's menu is a bit hard to use, but try the SB-600, which is a lot worse. I understand that Nikon is somewhat restricted by the number of buttons and small display they have on the unit, but I wish they would at least make the SB-600 menu consistent with the SB-800's.

 

I am afraid that it is very premature to evaluate the SB-900 before it is actually available for sale.

I would like to think that the $500 initial price will drop fairly quickly.