Nikon Speedlight SB-800 TTL Flash

Product Rating
4.54 of 5
13 reviews

Price Range
$300 - $333

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Product Description

Summary

Great flash for the money. Does everything I need it to very well at a reasonable price. Works perfectly with my D50 not one single problem. If you own a Nikon I don't think you could do better for the same price.

Strength

Cost, performance, flexibility, awesome battery life.

Weakness

None

Summary

Awesome product. Really, really awesome.

Strength

# 1 is that it works as an optical remote slave directly compatible with most Nikon DSLR's. That is just awesome for a photographer like me who's on a budget.

FAST.

Not too hard on batteries.

Weakness

Summary

I got one of these for my Old D2H when they first came out and it has stood me in good stead ever since and has seen off 3 body upgrades and the D200 second body so no complaints as to reliabilit, battery life is awesome. I have a second one now because the remote flash options are so useful, as has been said it's great as an ad-hoc studio. With the D200's built in flash this is a 3 head wireless battery powered set up I can keep in a small gadget bag. You can have as many as you like and even have 2 seperate groups of flashes So for instance to photograph wedding guests as they arrive you could have 2 different lighting moods set up in seconds depending on the type of picture you want and switch according to the subject.

With the 5th Battery recycle times are comparable to quantum packs on a hammerhead but with full TTL and sync speeds up to 1/8000. Its got enough power when you consider it's a 38-125 GN depending on zoom at ISO100 . This was also hammerhead territory not so long ago.

The controls are straightforwards but can be fiddly to get to. I'd like to see a direct position 3 position switch for normal, master and slave modes.

On it's own it performs very well and gives good well illuminated exposures including fill. As part of a wireless group it's sensational and the fine adjustment it allows is great.

If you need these functions and performance you will not be dissapointed, but if all you want is a corded or on camera flash there is better value for money out there and the price of the TTL cord is just a rip off.

Strength

Performance, accuracy of exposures, build quality, battery life. Wireless remote multi flash system.

Weakness

Price, silly price of sync cord.

Summary

After having two SB-600s and using them for portraits, I decided that I needed to get the SB-800 so I could control my 600s and set their power seperately. After already being familiar with the 600s, the 800 was pretty easy to figure out and get it running. Using it on my D70, I get the exposure I want and have had no problems with it.

I also use it on my D1h, and I love the high speed sync already!

The controls are easy to use and see, and the menus are easy to navigate.

I currently mostly use the setup doing product photography as well as portraits. I also wish I had gotten the SB-800s instead of the SB-600s for the features & extra power.

Strength

Powerful, easy to use

I-TTL BL is great for just slapping it on the camera and shooting, and is very accurate.

Build quality is good, it has a plastic body, but still feels pretty solid.

Weakness

None so far that I've discovered

Summary

After starting in digital with a D70 and 18-70 lens, I decided to get more serious. I was limited in digital to on-flash sensor shooting with my legacy SB-25 and even older Vivitar 285!

Years before I had learned to appreciate the incredible array of functions and capabilities that started with the SB-24, so this was a logical move. Its wireless capabilities, even when controlled with the D70's pop-up, were an unexpected benefit that turned out to be one of the most important features of this flash system.

Along with a second D70 body, I bought a second SB-800. This powerful duo takes over many of the jobs of my Portamaster studio flash system. Power is comparable to the Vivitar 285 and similarly sized flashes from Nikon and others - roughly GN110 with normal lens at ISO100 equivalent.

This one gave me such good service with NiMH batteries, that I decided to sell my Quantum external battery pack, thus saving another potentially tangling cord. I like to use the translucent dome that came with this flash, or one of Gary Fong's Lightsphere variants. I had been a user of Lumiquest light bouncers and soft boxes, but the SB-800 doesn't give you the same real estate for mounting the required Velcro pads. Lumiquest makes a tension strap, but that falls off at the most inopportune times!

I didn't bother with the SB600 because I wanted the extra power and functions, including the built-in sensor. I have found that you can never have too much flash power, especially when using light modifiers as I do.

This makes for a formidable multiflash system with one of the newer digital bodies from Nikon. However, its use is complicated and requires learning -- and practice. There are many more variables than simply setting the auto sensor to an f-stop, as on my Vivitar or my potato-masher Metz 60CT4.

I recommend that serious users also get Nikon's Speed of Light DVD. It shows this system in use, but is not a full tutorial. As of this writing, you're stuck with the manual. I can't overstress the need for test shots and practice to get this creative wireless lighting thing to work, but the effort will pay off.

This flash is largely controlled by menus, unlike the earlier flashes which had more buttons. Sometimes the menus don't come up as fast as I want, which makes me wonder of the buttons aren't working.

Interestingly, I had also been looking at replacing my old radio slave trigger, but that plan is on hold thanks to what the SB-800 an do.

Strength

Extremely capable and versatile, techologically advanced, excellent system integration, excellent scalability

Weakness

Learning curve, complicated enough to require rehearsal and practice before a serious shoot, menus sometimes slow to respond to buttons. Something this complicated should have some built-in help screens. A quick reference card should also be included because leafing through the big manual is not "cool" on the job.