Contemplating Speedlight Choices....

[charlie c]

I have a FM3A and considering getting a speedlight. With all of the

old/new ( ?/DX ) models out there and compatibility issues, it is

very confusing.....help!!!

 

My choices are narrowed down to the SB-30; SB-27 and SB-80DX.

 

The SB-30 from all of the threads and searching the web has shown it

to be a very compact flash and fairly inexpensive but may be a

bother because it seems to block the film rewind crank--hassle?

 

The SB-27 seems to be a good all around flash. Not too expensive

but my only concern iwth this flash is the fact that if I do end up

going to an AF SLR like the F80 or F100 later will it be enough?

 

The SB-80DX is only considered because of my intentions of going to

an AF SLR later on and thus only needing to buy one flash! The only

disadvantage I can see from this is that this will make the camera

very obtrusive when wanting to be light during travels.

 

Any comments, assistance or help or stories about use of these

flashes is greatly appreciated. Thanks to all in advance!!

[vgoklani]

what will you be using the flash for? fill flash? indoors? trick lighting? Also look into the SB-23, very portable, lightweight, and CHEAP (used)

[david_h._hartman]

An SB-24, 25 or 26 will do you fine. If you go to an AF SLR do yourself a favor and get an F100. The F80 is a step down in quality from the FM3a. The F80 won�t work with AI and AIS lenses that are best for the FM3a. Some of the AF lenses are quite at home on the FM3a like the AF 35~70/2.8(D) and AF 80~200/2.8D ED. The SB-27 will make a nice backup flash for the F100 or you could start out with an SB-28 or 80DX. You can also use the SB-15 and 16B on the FM3a. If you can afford it I�d go with the SB-80DX and plan on the F100 as a companion to the FM3a.

 

I don�t own an FM3a but do own the FE2 and F100. The FM3a despite its name is based on the FE2 not the FM2n.

 

Just my 2 cents,

[daniel rufer]

Hello

 

As as been said over and over: it depends on what you want to do most.

 

I own a F100 with an SB80DX and thats a really great combo (I got a DX flash because I have easy access to a D100 to use). But if I want to use that Flash on my FM2 (no TTL-flash) or my friends FM3A it gets rather top-heavy.

 

Also: if you do a lot of macro work, you won't necessarily need the power of an SB80DX for the fills and in case you have some sort of homemade flash-bracket (I use one somewhat similar to the one John Shaw describes in "Closeups in Nature") you will find the SB80DX too heavy for the bracket to hold it in place (and due to the lever: for you to hold the entire assemblage :)

So, for the macro work I bought a SB23 which has TTL, is very compact and light and can be bought rather cheap second-hand. But its not very strong.

 

If you want to do birds or other "far-away" stuff, use a flash extender or do a lot of indirect flash over not very reflective surfaces (caves, mineshafts etc) go for a powerfull flash. A SB28 is also a good alternative there if you don't need the DX.

 

Only one flash? Hmm... I wouldn't miss the lightweight SB23 on a extended hike where landscape and the occasional flower or critter-closeup is the main interest... a SB80DX is about 350-400g with the batteries. And having a SB23 AND a SB80DX lets me use the SB80DX as a wireless slave (built into the SB80DX, no SU-4 required), which can be nice, but then you have to carry 2 flashes... argh ;-)

 

One more thing: the SB80DX no longer has the screw-down locking mechanism to secure it on the hotshoe but some sort of extending holding-pin. Nor sure where or if this might cause a problem, but be aware of it.

 

Well.. hope it helps.

 

Daniel

[rick_campbell]

The SB-80DX locking pin is the best system to attach a flash to a hotshoe I've ever seen. The FM3A has the matching hole and it works great. I really like using the SB-80DX on my FM3A and the diffuser or bounce card work really well and the additional power is great for bouncing. It also uses AA batteries while the SB-30 uses a more expensive lithium. I'm using NiMH rechargables and it works fine.

[john_newell2]

I bought an SB-30 last winter. If you use it within its obvious limitations (lower power and therefore also won't do bounce or extreme wide angles), it's a terrific little flash. It is small and light and when using it with an FM2 I haven't had any trouble getting my big hands on the rewind crank. Since the FM3A is essentially identical in its layout, I don't understand the problem described.

 

Using the lithium batteries has a huge advantage if you are not using it all the time -- they have a nearly indefinite shelf life, and a very high electrical capacity. And, if you shop around on the web, you can often find very attractive deals on them -- I've paid as little as about a buck a piece in quantities of a dozen, a far cry from the price at your local photo store or Radio Shack, where they are readily available. Try putting NiMH cells on the shelf for 6 months and see how much of their charge they retain! ;-)

 

So, the SB-30 is not necessarily your best bet as your main flash unit, but it's a great little flash to throw into a travel bag or even the bottom of your regular camera bag. I've had excellent results using it with the FM2, which is non-TTL -- the sensor on the flash has given very good exposures.

 

If I were just going to buy one flash, though, I would probably buy an SB-80DX. It is a good balance between power and size. It is technological overkill on an FM3A because the camera won't take advantage of some of its advanced features, but that certainly won't cause problems (other than maybe paying for features you won't be using), but it's a flexible and relatively powerful unit that should cover most of your needs. If/when you need something more special, like the ability to light up the interior of St. John's Cathedral or a ringlight, that'll be a different topic.

[gordon_checknita]

Like some of the other responses, I would suggest the SB-23. It's sooo small and light. I just shot about 100 photos at a wedding with the SB-23 on camera. The flash still recycles within about 1 sec! A word of caution...there was slight redeye on about 10% of the shots but only visible when examining the 4"X6" prints with a magnifying glass. I was shooting with a Nikon FE2 with a motor drive set for single shot mode, 85mm and 50mm lenses, 400 ISO film, shutter speed set to 1/60 sec and I estimated the aperture based on estimated distance with a Flash Guide Estimate of 90ft with 400 ISO film. Every shot was exposed well and I never missed a shot because of the fast recycle time.