SB-600, SB-800 or SB-900?

[tom_becker8]

<p>I have 2 D700's and I've been living on borrowed time by using the built-in flash especially when I'm using the 24-70mm at 24. I only use on camera flash a few times a year because I tend to go to extremes to light weddings with monolights even if it means hanging them from ceiling fixtures.<br>

Anyway, I need to get a strobe and I don't want to SPEND a lot. I just need it to cover and for it to allow me to reduce power, etc. I'll be taping gels to it.<br>

I have an SB-24 but it's useless for this, obviously. <br>

Advice? SB-600, SB-800 or SB-900?</p>

[ShunCheung]

<blockquote>

<p>I need to get a strobe and I don't want to SPEND a lot.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Exactly what is "spend a lot" to you? It would be much better if you could provide a $ (or Euro, Pound, yen ...) amount.</p>

<p>And that one requirement should give you a good idea which flash to get.</p>

[trevans]

<p>Do you need it to control more CLS strobes? Then it's the 800 or 900 for you.</p>

<p>Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the 800 is the only one that will work with every digital SLR AND most modern Nikon film SLRs. So if that's a selling point, there you go.</p>

<p>What's a lot to spend? $200? $300? more?</p>

[ShunCheung]

<p>The SB-600 is also TTL flash compatible with all Nikon DSLRs and a lot of film SLRs. The SB-600 and SB-800 are the only two that are both D-TTL and i-TTL compatible.</p>

<p>See: <a href="http://www.photo.net/equipment/nikon/guide-to-ttl-flashes/">http://www.photo.net/equipment/nikon/guide-to-ttl-flashes/</a></p>

[trevans]

<p>Ah yes, thank you Shun. I knew someone would know this.</p>

[eric_arnold]

<p>if you want to cheap it out, get the 600, but for your purposes, the 800 sounds like it would be better for you overall.</p>

[tom_becker8]

<p>I think Shun resolved the issue for me. As long as the 600 will do TTL with the D700 bodies, I'll be good to go. Thanks</p>

[heimbrandt]

<p>Why not get a used SB-800? That would give you the biggest band for your buck.</p>

<p>Another thing to note is that the SB-900 is, physically, much larger than the others but it still features a lower guide number than the smaller SB-800.</p>

[Peter_in_PA]

<p>SB800, since it's discontinued, seems to be artificially bloated in price anyway.</p>

<p>I'd get the SB600, if you get something more later, it'll control the 600 as a slave.</p>

[oskar_ojala]

<p>If you don't need max power, PC sync contacts and/or optical slave functionality then get the SB-600 -- it's small and inexpensive yet will do the basic tricks like TTL, swiveling, manual control and gives enough output.</p>

[john_deerfield]

<p>Let me just say that the SB900 has a gel holder and with a D700 the camera will know what gel is in the flash (provided you use the Nikon gels). The SB900 will accept external power, such as a Quantum Turbo battery, and also has a PC terminal for a Pocket Wizard or other wireless trigger. For me the extras are worth it. I truly wish Nikon would introduce a sub-$300 flash with a PC terminal and external power (I bought a couple SB800 when they were discontinued as that's all I could afford at the time!). Now the used prices on a SB800 are just silly.</p>

[rob_wall]

<p>You can totally use your SB-24, on A mode. </p>

<p>I have an SB-800 but keep an SB-25 (basically the same as the SB-24) as a backup at weddings.</p>

[froymar_diaz]

<p>SB 400 is small and affordable. Very flexible and underestimated.</p>

[Peter_in_PA]

<p>SB400 is also impossible to bounce vertically... rendering it, imho, a bad choice for just about anybody.</p>