Nikon SB-700 AF Speedlight Flash for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

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Most importantly, I am not a professional photographer. I would say I am a very enthusiastic hobbyist when it comes to photography. That being said, I always do my research when it comes to photo gear. For the purpose of this review, I use the Nikon D5100 which is a "cropped" (DX) sensor. That is somewhat relevant when looking into gear and flashes. Overall, this is a great flash/speedlight upgrade to the built-in flash on your dSLR. There are cheaper and simpler options available, but if you want to buy a high quality product that has features that will let you expand your photography skills, this is a great option. Important general things you should be aware of when consider any flash/speedlight upgade: (Final "Pros/Cons" at the bottom) • Upgrading to an good mounted flash/speedlight will dramatically expand your options when using a flash as well as the overall quality of the photos taken with a flash. Keep in mind, a good mounted flash/speedlight like this can be used indoors AND outdoors to provide fill-light which is helpful when your subject is backlit or you are take shots in low-light. • One of the primary benefits/goals for upgrading to a mounted flash/speedlight is to obtain better fill-light and softer, more even lighting to reduce or soften shadows. In order to make sure you have the most options, you will want a flash that can rotate up/down as well as left/right. This will allow you to "bounce" the flash off of a ceiling, wall or other reflective surface. This is one of the keys to getting softer shadows and it is super-simple to take advantage of. The SB-700 is 100% capable of doing this, but be aware that some other Nikon or third-party flashes do not rotate or only rotate up/down. If you plan to shoot in portrait mode (vertical orientation) you will need to be able to rotate the flash left/right in order to point at the ceiling. • There are MANUAL flashes and "Automatic" TTL compatible flashes. The main difference is that MANUAL flashes require that you adjust the flash power/compensation yourself for each shot as the exposure changes and you zoom in/out. There is no "auto" mode like your built-in flash. Flashes that are more "automatic" are TTL compatible which means that use information from your camera (TTL = Through The Lens) to automatically calculate the amount of flash needed for a given shot based on other camera settings that determine the exposure needed. That being said, most experienced photographer comments/reviews I have scene will tell you that MANUAL is the way to go to learn and is perfectly suitable. However, I am sure many of you (like myself) are looking for something that is automatic most of the time, but gives you the option of manual adjustments, (This SB-700 offers both). Many of the cheaper (but not necessarily worse) flashes do not offer TTL or "Automatic" flash adjustment. • Manufacturers like Canon, Nikon etc have their own proprietary "lighting systems". Think of these lighting systems as a set of rules/standards by which their cameras communicate with "compatible" flashes to properly light a scene with one or more flashes. IMPORTANT: Not all flashes are compatible with these proprietary lighting systems. Nikons system is referred to as "CLS" compatible which stands for "Creative Lighting System". This SB-700 is fully compatible with that system, but your camera may not all Nikon cameras have 100% of the hardware capabilities to take advantage of all of the CLS features. More on that later. Many third-party flashes do not offer compatibility with some of these proprietary systems. Some do, but I have read that there can be some compatible issues so be sure to do your research if you go the route of third-party flashes. • Not all flashes/speedlights (and cameras) are capable of using high shutter speeds (above 1/200 of second or so). In my research, this seems to be an issue with the mid-range dSLRs (Like the D5100 and others) due to the fact that they use a mechanical shutter as opposed to an electrical one. It all has to do with how quickly the shutter can open/close and react to the timing of the flash. I believe this is referred to as flash sync of xSync. What does this mean? Well, if you want/need to use a flash and are hoping to "freeze" fast motion (faster than average at least), some cameras will not be capable of utilizing faster shutter speeds above 1/200 of a second. The special flash/shutter mode that allows this is referred to as "Auto FP" or "HSS" depending on your camera, etc. Is this an issue for you? I was kind of bummed about this and found out about it AFTER I purchased the SB-700. That being said, it really isnt a huge deal. The drawback to using Auto FP/HSS (if you have it) is that is dramatically decreases the power/light of the flash to about 25%. So you arent going to get a ton of light anyway with those higher shutter speeds. Plus, at that point, the speedlight is acting more like a constant light than a true speedlight (to FREEZE motion). Would Auto FP/HSS be helpful in capturing faster than average motion? Probably. Should the lack of Auto FP/HSS on your camera prevent you from buying a flash? Probably not. So, the SB-700 is capable of AutoFP/HSS, but you camera (including the D5100) may not be. • Master/Slave/Commander Stuff. You will definitely see info about master, slave, commander when researching flashes. This basically comes down to using one or more flashes off-camera (usually wirelessly) to achieve different lighting affects. From my "hobbyist" research, it basically involves a "Master" flash unit "Commanding" one or more "Slave" flashes. In order for a "Master" flash to control a "Slave" flash, the "Master" flash OR camera must have a "Commander" feature/capability. The good news is that the SB-700 is capable of being used as a master or slave flash, BUT the SB-700 does not (I believe) have "commander" functionality built-in (The SB-900 does). If you have a higher-end dSLR, you camera probably has "Commander" functionality built-in so you are good to go. Sadly, the D5100 does not have this functionality. What does this mean? If you want to use the SB-700 off-camera (but by itself) with a camera WITHOUT "commander" functionality, you will either need to use a hot-shoe cable from your camera to the SB-700 OR you will need to purchase an additional "Commander" unit (or the previously mentioned SB-900 mentioned) that attaches to your hot shoe and "adds" commander capabilities to your camera. The good news is that once you have "commander" functionality you can wirelessly control one or more slaves. Bottom line...if you are not concerned about using the SB-700 off-camera or with other flashes you dont need to worry about this, BUT options are available if you decide to expand you lighting. • Full-Frame vs Cropped Sensors (FX vs DX) and Flash Zoom modes. I wont get into everything about sensors (because I dont know everything about them), but I will say that not all flashes are fully compatible with both FX and DX format cameras/sensors. I THINK this ultimately means that the actually power and exposure of the flash will not be fully utilized by your camera if you have a DX camera (Like the D5100) and use a FX only flash. So if you buy a cheaper "high-power" flash, your DX camera may not get to use all of the advertised flash power. A lot of the time you will see stuff about GN or "Guide Number" this (I believe) has a lot to do with the flash power at different focal lengths and subject distances. The good news is that the SB-700 DOES support both FX and DX formats so you are somewhat future-proofed. WOW. Ok, so If you made it this far, I am sure you are serious about a new flash. Hopefully I help you and saved you some time. Below is my "summary" of "pros/cons: Pros: Very versatile flash/speedlight upgrade Can be used in "Automatic" mode OR Manual mode. Fully compatible with Nikon CLS system Supports both FX and DX cameras/sensors Can rotate vertically and horizontally (ideal for bouncing in landscape AND portrait orientation) Includes built-in diffuser and bounce panel Also includes mountable diffuser dome for direct flash use Supports automatic TTL and Manual modes LCD Display is clear, backlit and easy to use Offers master/slave capabilities for expanded lighting setups. No built-in commander though. Most professional features for a more reasonable cost Well-built and sturdy Nice, laser-like pre-flash for proper focusing and exposure From other reviews I have ready, it has a very fast "recycle" time which means you can take multiple shots with flash in quick succession. It seems to work well for me, but I have not calculated this myself. Cons: Pricey for non-professionals - although worth the price. Have to be careful to depress side button when rotating. A little stiff Definitely adds some size and weight to your setup. There are smaller/lighter options available. You can get MANY of these features from third-party flashes/speedlights for LESS money, BUT you sacrifice full CLS/iTTL compatibility and probably are not getting the same level of product. The other feature usually missing from third-party flashes is either an "Automatic" mode and/or full support for FX & DX sensors. For mid-range dSLRs (Including d5100), you cant utilize Auto FP or HSS for higher than 1/200 of a second shutter with the flash. Cameras without "Commander" functionality cant use the SB-700 as a master without the use of a hot-shoe cable OR a separate "Commander" unit. There is not ability to "trigger" the SB-700 via the built-in flash of the D5100 and many others. If you found my review helpful, please indicate so below or share a comment. Thanks.

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The SB-700 is a very capable and powerful flash. I have used it on multiple venues, both casual and professional, with excellent results. I pair it with a Nikon D750 body attached and off-cam remotely. As an experienced shooter, I never felt I needed a larger flash to cover what I do. Most users may not need a larger flash for averge shooting conditions - this includes; groups, couples, individual portraits, products, industrial photography. Example, the SB-700 has plenty of reach for wider group shots out to 10-12 ft. coverage at 35mm/f-4 to f-5.6. I rarely need to go above ISO 400 for near dark conditions. Higher ISO quality camera bodies are now making larger flashes obsolete. If you are a novice the Nikon TTL system is as simple as set, point and shoot. As a beginner you will get fantastic results in full auto mode with most modern Nikon equipment. Do not be intimidated with an external speedlite as a beginner, they are fun, easy to learn and creative. Advanced users will appreciate the lightweight handling, flexible control options and battery efficiency. I rarely need to shoot at full power and am usually dialing power back. For daylight portrait work I pair this with a 24” octagon softbox for perfect fill light using remote triggers. The price of an SB-910/5000 can almost buy you two SB-700’s. That’s a great value. I can shoot any venue with a 700 and often use more than one for shadowing. The recycle is instant while off full power for hundreds of firings on the same batteries. Hey, the SB-700 works for me, put it to work for you. It’s a great tool and superior quality over aftermarket budget flashes. Now go shoot some pictures!

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Much cheaper than the 900 or 910, easy to use. Its plenty strong enough for portraiture. (Dare I say sometimes too strong even when dialed all the way down when you are in close quarters and cant move it back and your modifiers only modify so much?). Believe it or not, 1/128th of a second is occasionally a little more than I want. Ive used it at up to 30 feet (ish) at events and gotten some light on the scene. My true problem is that my cameras sync speed (1/250) isnt high enough to suit me for action shots shot with a wide open aperture in bright light, even with an ND filter and my camera doesnt have a flash sync override feature. Thats not the speedlights lack. I use plain old rechargeable AA batteries - no buying some esoteric hard to find or insert batteries. I used to shoot all day events for a park and always had plenty of juice left. The ONLY time I ever ran out and needed to swap in a new set, was when I shot 700+ pictures for a wedding. Ive read that the flash will slow down if it is getting warm (versus shutting off in the 900). Its never been a problem for me - any slowdown has been barely noticeable, if indeed, its even happening. But again, Im shooting mostly portraits or things that arent zooming around. If you are wanting to shoot stop action, multiple frames, over and over, you will likely get some heat-caused slowdown. (Nikon users, be aware that shooting in Jpeg instead of RAW/NEF and turning off Active-d lighting in your camera will bring back some frame speed for you-just an FYI). I bought my first around two years ago and have used it well - I do try not to ABUSE it however. Nothing has ever broken off, it still works great. Hence my decision to add another one for more light control thats portable. If you are looking to buy your first flash - I recommend it. It has more capabilities than the lesser versions and its not hard to learn. Get a Dummies book, or the DVD that Nikon put out on this speedlight if the manual makes you blind. You will outgrow a lesser flash faster than you think if you plan on using flash in general. The iTTL feature is nice. You will also have the choice of using it in manual or with your guide number. Ive since purchased Flex5 radio triggers by Pocket Wizard that will work without requiring line of sight and also work with the iTTL feature. Ive put out a little money on all this over the last two years, but not an exorbitant amount and my equipment is shaping up around my needs fairly well. (When I win Lotto, Ill finally buy a full frame camera) ;) The only thing I can really complain of, which users of even the 910 have posted - is "Nikon-why dont you put a battery charge scale on it?" Itd be nice to know.

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So, Ive had an SB800 for a decade or more. Still works. It has been in my camera bag and traveled with me around the world, literally and figuratively, for a lot of years. Got an SB-700 a year and a month ago. Ive used it a few times, not very many. About 1 week after the warranty expired it failed. Wont turn on. My camera bag got dropped, but the SB800, my camera, and everything else were also in it with no damage, but the 700 failed. $200 repair, one week out of warranty, and theres literally NO external damage. It looks like new, in fact, as Im much less hard on equipment than in years past when I always traveled with a camera. Functionally, it works OK. The pictures are fine, properly exposed, and it seems to communicate OK with the master when used as a remote slave. Practically, its a little hard to operate the on/off switch and get it into the right mode. I appreciate the physical switch as opposed to having to press and hold and scroll menus, so I get the idea, but its small enough that pushing the button and finding the right detent is kind of award. Feature set is adequate, though for this price... geez this thing is expensive. Way more expensive than it should be considering how its really a fragile consumer item, not a durable, professional tool. Ive been using Nikon products almost exclusively for 25 years, and am a fan of their Nikkor lenses. But this particular product is a sad disappointment for the price.

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If youre thinking about upgrading from your cameras integrated flash, then this unit is a no brainer. The quality of your pictures will skyrocket if you use this flash to provide additional light and bounce it appropriately off of the ceiling or wall. Its also a great unit that is flexible to accommodate your growing skill and equipment. The SB-700 has easily replaced my SB-900 for mobile lighting at events, gatherings, and while traveling. It offers nearly the same light output as its big brother while being imminently more portable. Its also much easier to use than the old SB-600s limited user interface. It also integrates well into a multi-light setup. I use a set of pocket wizards to trigger an SB-900 key light, and this SB-700 as a fill. Its a powerful and flexible setup that with a couple of cheap umbrellas and lightstands offers outstanding output.

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Its a little frustrating for me as I had a SB-28 for my old film Nikon, but it had to be used manually on my D90. This baby works wonders! It adjusts to the camera and ambient light with amazing ability. I shot a concert recently that wasnt lit for photography. I did some shots with the flash and some without. The flash gave my beautiful pictures without drowning out or lighting up everything. I no longer gets complaints about my flash being too bright.

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Prior to buying this flash, I already have an SB-600 and 2 Yongnuo 560II flashes, I chose to buy the SB-700 because I prefer my on camera flash to be a Nikon. Also, since my SB-600 flash has been in heavy use for the last few years, I figure I would have play less important role as a back up flash rather than the main on camera flash. Given my experience with the SB-600, I will make review a comparison of the two flashes. Yes, this flash is a lot more expensive than a new SB-600 from a few years ago but I think for an extra hundred buck, its worth the price. First, the head rotate 180 degrees both ways which could be quite helpful in some situation. The menu system is much more intuitive and I find that that the thump wheel in the back make it a bit easier to change power setting and I do like the Sb-700 screen better over all. No question that the SB-600 work very well and it has been my work horse for years but the SB-700 was definitely and upgrade. If you want to get into off camera lighting, the SB-700 can be an excellent master and it does offer much more flexibility than just a pop up flash. That said, I still prefer cheap radio triggers over the Nikon CLS system, but it is neat. The last thing that I like about the SB-700 is that is has the thermal indicator so you have a clue as to how hard you are pushing flash and if you have to slow down, I definitely want to be in the loop as to how my gear in doing while I am shooting. The bottom line is the SB-700 is definitely worth the price and its excellent flash, If I have my choice, I would get an SB-700 for my main on camera flash, and more of the cheaper SB-600 for off camera flash but Nikon doesnt make the SB-600 anymore. That and I think asking $200 for a used SB-600 is a ripped off, thats how much it cost new, spend the extra hundred and get a new SB-700 instead.

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Works great. Sips batteries and the flash recycles from a full-power blast remarkably fast compared to my older Canon 550EX that I came from. It seems a bit pricey for what it is, but overall Im pleased with the results and the build quality. One feature I miss is multi-flash capability. That is, sequential strobe output at a user-specified frequency. My 20 year old 550EX had this feature and could strobe from 1-200 Hz. Really useful for creative shots. I didnt use it enough, though and couldnt justify the significantly higher cost of the SB-5000 as a hobbyist. Some reviewers complained that the push-button on the side to allow swivel and tilt is difficult to actuate. The button has a rubber cap which does sort of mute any tactile feedback from the mechanism, but after a day or two I found it to be a non-issue. Would definitely make the same purchase again.

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I researched this light carefully and the many Amazon reviews were extremely helpful and that is why Im adding my two cents for others who are looking into adding an attachable flash to their Nikon camera (mine is the D3100). Im an 85 yr old trying to get more "serious" about doing really good photography. Im into flower macro photos, photos of my wife and family members, and anything else I can get in front of a camera that looks interesting. On the first few uses of this light indoors with my wife as subject and doing a lot of light bouncing, the results were astonishing. This delivers a very soft light and learning to bounce it is rather easy. Soon thereafter, I ordered the cable that enables you to remove the light from the camera, and also bought a light box ($13) that wraps around the speed light for use in macro and close up portrait photography. I do not expect to ever have more than one of these so the expansion cord was the most inexpensive way to get more latitude in where the light comes from on to the subject. It works well, though it will help to have a helper to hold it or a tripod for your camera while you hold the light. The Nikon light system is nothing short of amazing. Youll get better photos with this light even if you dont hardly know what you are doing.

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Im mainly an event photographer and I dont shoot directly into the sun very often, so these SB-700s are absolutely perfect for me. I use them mainly on camera or with radio poppers and they never fail me. In the past when Ive shoot with the SB-900 for weddings or other events, it would do the trick with power but its recharge rate wasnt as good as the recharge rate is on these. Choosing your photography gear has as much to do with the manner in which you shoot and the subject. If youre in need of a workhorse location flash...this is a great one.

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