What Flash to Buy?

[anton frid photography]

I have Nikon N65, and was wondering based on your experiences, what

would be the best flash to buy for my camera that would cost no more

than $150. I do all kinds of shots. Basically, something that would

work well in a low light situations, such as living rooms and

reastaurants, as well as, something that would work well at dusk

when outside.

 

Thank you

 

Anton

[hal_bissinger]

The Nikon flash that I would recommend if you are on a budget is the SB-50DX. It's made to work with the built-in flash of your N65 and provide the best performance. I wouldn't even consider third party.

[richard_cochran]

The SB-50DX uses CR123a lithium batteries, probably the worst

choice for someone who's cost-conscious, unless you plan to

use the flash only a couple of times per year. The

meager power and lack of swivel head limit its capability.

<p>

Fortunately, there are a plethora of alternatives for those

who will consider a third party flash. The tough part is

choosing among them. For indoor use, you want a bounce and swivel

head, and for outdoor use, you want lots of power (high GN).

For one possibility, the Sunpak 433AF gives you twice the

power of the SBDX at about half the cost, runs on more

cost-effective AA batteries, offers bounce and swivel,

and is designed to work properly with your AF Nikon

camera's TTL metering. There are many other

alternatives, of course. Search the B&H website

for flashes dedicated to Nikon to get an idea of

what's available.