Which Flash Should I Buy?

[jeremy_kochel]

<p>So I'm currently a student at University of the Arts in Philadelphia about to start a summer internship with a wedding photographer and I'd like to bring my own equipment and not have to rely on their stuff. Currently I have a D3 with a 70-200 2.8 and an older 28-200 3.5-5.6. If things go as planned and I'll be working allot of weddings this summer I will also purchase the 24-70 2.8 and a prime lens around 50 1.8. What I'm really lacking is a flash because the one I have is terrible and really deserves to be thrown out. I'm looking at the SB-900 but I keep hearing mixed reviews about weather it's actually better then the SB-800. Any advice?</p>

[richard_beisigl]

<p>I believe I read on this or another PN forum, that the SB-800 has been discontinued and the SB-900 has taken its place. </p>

[wesleyfarnsworth]

<p>I've used both and if I could afford it I'd buy the SB-900 flash. I find that you get better light and exsposure using the 900 compared to the 800. But the SB-800 is a good flash to use if thats all you can afford.</p>

[lightsmith1]

<p>The SB800 works great. The SB900 adds more power but the SB800 is more than adequate for most purposes and when it is not, I use a Quantum. The SB900 is bulkier and heavier than the SB800 and cost $100 more for features that many photographers will not benefit from in most uses but Nikon needs to make money and the dollar is weak so there is not a lot of choice other than to get a Metz flash which I would not recommend to most photographers.<br>

One thing that is irritating with regard to Nikon is how they keep changing the user interface on their flash units so if someone has a SB26, SB80DX, SB600, SB800, and a SB900 they will find themselves with 5 different modes for changing settings. When you are trying to quickly adjust your flash it is nice to have one interface and one set of quirks. When I got SB800's I replaced all my older units. Now I will be needing to get at least 2 SB900's to have one primary and one backup flash that work the same way and spend $900.<br>

But to answer your question, get the latest flash electronics you can buy as it will have the most recent tweaks for the latest cameras, like the D3 which was introduced long after the SB800. I would expect the SB900 to work slightly better than the SB800 with D3, D300, and D90 cameras for this reason. If you find yourself using the SB800 I would not worry about it. The exposure accuracy of the SB800 with the D3 far surpasses any Canon camera with the 580EX II strobe (why I came back to Nikon) and has more than enough power. Somehow people overlook that with ISO settings of 1600 and higher the amount of light needed from the flash is a fraction of what was needed just 2 years ago (with the ISO 640 D2x for instance).<br>

I used to think Canon flash units were overpriced now but Nikon has caught up to them with the SB900.</p>

 

[frank_skomial]

<p>I assume Jeremy can read from <a href="http://nikonusa.com/Find-Your-Nikon/Flashes/index.page">http://nikonusa.com/Find-Your-Nikon/Flashes/index.page</a> </p>

<p>that SB900 has Guide Number 34 meter or 111.5 foot at ISO 100, while SB-800 has 38 meter or 125 foot, at the same ISO. So, it should be obvious which flash has more power, right? - or is there some other gimmick to this that defies the published numbers? and makes people think otherwise? Bigger flash should not be assumed that it would be a stronger one.</p>

[steve_hovland]

<p>SB600 is not bad.<br>

It's cheaper and lighter, though slightly less powerful.<br>

You have full manual control.<br>

The head turns and tilts, which gives you a lot of creative options.<br>

It works as a slave to an SB900 or SB800 or the built-in flash on bodies like the D90.<br>

Sunpak also has some attractive units at a lower price point.</p>

[steve_hovland]

<p>If you plan to do weddings you need a backup body like a D80/90 and a second flash.</p>

[craig_gillette]

<p>According to the Nikon SB-900 sell sheet pdf from the link above, the Sb-900 has a guide number:</p>

<p>"40/56(ISO 100/200, m) (131.2/183.7, ft.) (At the 35mm zoom-head<br /> position in Nikon FX-format at Normal light distribution, 20°C/68°F.)"</p>

<p>and the SB-800 tech specs page says:</p>

<p>"38/125 (at 35mm) to 56/184 (at 105mm) (ISO 100, m/ft.)"</p>

<p>maybe Nikon hasn't made their mind up yet. Or maybe the power difference between them isn't all that significant, certainly not if comparing either to the SB-600. So it seems like there are some advances to the interface which may make it easier to deal with. You might ask the photographer you'll be working with what he suggests or is working with. Using the same flash may help with redundancy and picking up the operation of the flash.</p>

[fotografz]

<p>I use a Nikon D3 and D700 with both a SB800 and SB900. The 900 mostly on the D3 where it balances well, and the more demure 800 on the D700 which I tend to use without the battery booster.</p>

<p>There is one single feature of the SB900 that makes it a worthwhile consideration IMO: The SB900 user interface for remote triggering is an analog switch, where you have to go into the LCD menu of the SB800 and remember the sequence needed to use it ... which if used only occasionally is sometimes hard to remember in the heat of shooting a hectic wedding.</p>

<p>As to other functional qualities, the SB900 light source face is larger, and the zoom range greater (17-200mm) than the limited SB800 (24-105mm). 4 AAs will recycle faster and last longer in the SB900. The SB900 head rotates 360º (180º either way, the 800 does 180º only to the left). The 900 automatically detects DX and FX useage ... valuabe if using some DX lenses on an FX camera, or if you use a DX camera as back-up to a FX model as many Nikon wedding shooters do.</p>

<p>Design wise, the SB900 battery cover is more substantially connected to the flash body and less likely to fly off when hurriedly swapping batteries in some dim corner of the reception like the SB800 battery door has done to me repeatedly. The 900 is also more weather sealed than the 800.</p>

<p>The SB800 has a slightly faster method of +/_ compensation, and I'd like to see Nikon maintain current SB900 features while reverting back to the +/_ functionality of the SB800 in subsequent flash designs.</p>

[david_schilling___chicago_]

<p>"about to start a summer internship with a wedding photographer and I'd like to bring my own equipment and not have to rely on their stuff....."</p>

<p>Unless your money is burning a hole in your pocket, you might want to slow down and talk with the photographer that you'll be working with. The photographer will likely appreciate your consideration, you'll gain the benefit of his/her experience, and you may get a chance to try some equipment before you make a purchase.</p>

[david_garcia10]

<p>sb900. it works just like the su800 commander unit. can't go wrong. if you are worried about the unit overheating then don't change the setting of the flash. check out planet neil. he mentioned about this stuff. i don't really have the sb900 but i would get it if money is not issue. </p>

[wedding-photography-denver]

<p>If you use the 900 as a commander, it is better for most use. If you use it as a primary most times, the 800 does fine.</p>

<p>I have three 800's on 900 and a 600. As said, you have more work to get the 800 into commander mode, but I have been using it long enough that I don't really notice the difference too much, other than the fact it takes about 10x longer to get there than with the 900's switch.</p>

<p>Other thoughts are that the 800 is smaller/lighter than the 900, which I like if I am just using bounced on cam. The 900 has better recycle times and more zoom range. The 900 can be upgraded with firmware updates. The 800 will not swivel beyond 90 degrees unless you break it's neck (which I have on a couple of mine).</p>

<p> </p>

[jeremy_kochel]

<p>Money isn't a problem for me and neither is weight, I mean I'm already slinging around a D3 with a 70-200 2.8 lens so what's another pound? As of right now I don't plan on doing work with multiple flashes so the simple switch to change the 900 from being the commander to not or vice versa isn't that important. I'm more concerned about if the zoom range is worth while. I also plan on buying a battery pack so recycle times also isn't incrediably important. I basically want to know which one is more reliable because I want my flash to work when I need it because as I'm sure you all know as a wedding photog I'm only going to have one chance to get the shot.</p>

[jeremy_kochel]

<p>I just remembered that I posted on here about which flash to get so I thought I'd fill everyone in on my choice. I bought the SB-900, and I don't know why I ever thought of using anything else. This flash completes my kit like no other could. The recharge rate is amazing on rechargeables! Everything about this flash is top of the line and I'm so glad I got it, it's given me great shots already and I've only shot three weddings. As my experience grows so does my confidence in this flash.</p>