Nikon SB-800 AF Speedlight for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras - Old Version

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I fried my sb900. Yes I turned off the overheat feature but only because I needed to take more than 20-30 images before waiting 20 minutes for it to cool off...haha. The cost to have it repaired (not through Nikon) was $145 plus shipping with a 90day warranty...or grab an older used sb800 which is a completely capable speedlight that is smaller, lighter and has almost the same power as the 900/910 for $200 (I think I caught a good deal)??? Yep...thats a no brainer!!! And to be completely honest I actually prefer the controls better on the 800. I never liked the wheel adjustment button, especially when adjusting the power levels. The 800 lacks several of the bells & whistles of the newer units but I never once used them anyways!

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Probably the best Speedlight ever. The card died a little while ago and every photographer I asked about it said to spend the $$$ to get it fixed. So I did and even the camera store said they have more people send this to Nikon to get fixed ($150 aver bill) than get a new one because they are that good. I agree it throws out tons of light, fires multiple shots quickly and has never let me down during a shoot.

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I wont repeat what many other reviews have already said, other than the flash is great... its ueber powerful...great built in features...slave capable...and yes, you probably want to read the manual if you are not familar with how to use a powerful flash on flesh tones. I use this flash typically with bounce when in doors. It creates some great natural-looking lighting when the real thing is not available. HOWEVER, on more than one occasion I have used the 5th battery pack for faster recharge times during high usage events (think: awards banquet), only to find that after about 20 minutes my recharge time has slowed down anyways. Ive then opened the battery compartment only to find that my Lithium Energizer batteries looked like they were about to explode from their contact ends! They were literally bubbled out. This has happened on more than one occasion using numerous different packs of batteries. So I have to assume that they werent bad batteries. Perhaps I received a faulty unit... but I figured it would be safer to send out a warning. Again, this has only happened when using the 5th battery pack...which is supposed to give the unit more voltage to allow it to recharge faster.

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This unit is the fullest featured strobe Ive had for a camera. Powerful output will supply enough light for most enthusiasts and works nicely in combination with other flash units, even if theyre not Nikon CLS compatible. I sync a 400WS studio monolight from the SB-800 as my camera does not have a PC Sync connector and this works seamlessly--even if I only want the monolight to fire. In true NIkon fashion, this flash will do everything for you or allow you to manually control everything down to 1/128th power. Also works very nicely with the Nikon SC-29 off camera cable which includes focusing lamps on the hot-shoe connector so that your camera can focus effectively in low light. I use the SC-29 to keep the flash off of the camera 99% of the time and it allows me to hold the SB-800 behind a diffusion screen with one hand while I shoot with the other--amazing effect for a small flash like this. Recharges quickly and uses power judiciously so that batteries last longer than in other flash units (through a combination of iTTL metering and zoom capability). You wont be disappointed with the SB-800.

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This product was purchased for my wife who is a semi-professional photographer. She shoots indoors and out and is glad shes upgraded to this flash. Its powerful enough to get illumination far (100ft) back indoors and doesnt burn through batteries as fast as one would expect. We use this flash with a Nikon D300 and have a battery pack to increase flash cycle-time - I would recommend a battery pack if youre using this for faster shots. Im considering getting two more for studio shots since this can run on commander mode to control up to three flashes total. Youll be glad to own this instead of the SB-600 or 700 as you will read from other reviewers here. My wifes old photography school used this in their school as well. Nikon archived this product so get one while you can!

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After reading the reviews I bought the 800 over the 600. After reading the manual I was about to send it back (too complicated), but decided to give it a try anyway. Dont let the manual and all the things this flash will do scare you off. Just put it on your camera and in about 5 minutes you will figure out the basics, and the basics are amazing: Pefectly exposed shots with color to match. Straight, bounce, diffused, it doesnt matter. As has already been noted, this model comes with a diffuser, which is a nice touch and a way to remove the harshness from flash photos. Like "natural" makeup, this flash can make your photos look more natural. After all, photography is all about light, so youre not really cheating -- just using all the tools at your disposal.

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The flash works well, but the 5th battery housing was corroded so bad that it was unusable. It looked like a battery leaked so bad that it was on the outside of the housing and the contacts inside were ruined. Fortunately, I had a spare from a broken flash that fit.

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Nikon designed this unit to exploit the possibilities of their latest digital SLRs while still being compatble with their oldest F-series cameras. The SB-800 is more expensive than the SB-600, but it gives you more control and more light. You may find more light to be critical if you want to use bounce flash to soften shadows. I would have given the SB-800 five stars if the user manual had been a little better. Nikon obviously tried very hard to provide good documentation, and to make the user interface as intuitive as possible. But, a unit with so many features and modes inevitably will require effort to learn, and will present cases where you are working against the built in automation. Expect to make a large number of experimental shots if you really want to learn how to use this unit. My chief plea to Nikon would be for a more straight forward explanation that cameras like the D50 DO NOT HAVE TTL FLASH. The so called i-TTL uses pre flashes and computation to set up a calculated flash rather than a real time measurement during the exposure to quench the flash. One would normally expect the same result, but not if a slave flash is used. One of the beauties of the SB-800, however, is that it can be used as a slave unit using its own sensor to determine when the master unit is firing, even if (as in the case of a D50 using its built in flash) the camera and the SB-800 are not communicating i-TTL info via IR pulses.

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If you are looking into buying the SB-800 (Overkill for most non-professionals, and even some professionals, but great features) then buy this full kit. I was not able to find the items that came in this kit anywhere else for less than $100.00 more. The bracket adds an element of versatility and creativity I never thought possible with flash. I was raised that if you are relying on your flash for a good photo youre going to be disapointed. Sorry Grandpa, but thats just not the case anymore. The bracket w/ included remote cord puts the speedlight off camera preventing red eye and a host of other on camera issues. It has six different mounting points on the base so you can utilize a tripod with the bracket. Its hefty, but not uncomfortable and it is well balanced. The design of the adjustment parts is smooth and allows for an infinate number of different positions (Top, Angles, Sides) when combined with the tilt and pan capabilities of the speed light. The Batteries are effective out of the box (I havent had a chance to drain them yet, but Ive taken lots of pictures) and the extra battery cases are extremely convenient. Overall this is an outstanding package and a GREAT DEAL as far as I could find. Shipping was also extremely fast, especially considering I am currently at an overseas APO.

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Three great features of this SB800 Flash: 1. Very Powerful and with the standard diffuser which is part of the unit can produce enough light for very wide angle lens. Great for indoor photos if you want to show what the house looks like. 2. Can be used as a slave unit in its remote mode, being triggered by the camera built-in flash (without a cable). When the camera built-in flash on my D300 is set to the "Commander" mode the flash communicates with the camera through the lens to provide proper lighting for the subject. 3. Even though the flash set-up is quite complicated, Nikon service provided via telephone is out of this world. You can always get to talk to a Nikon representative within minutes and the guys know what they are talking about and take you with great patience through every step necessary and make sure you do what you need to properly. Other manufacturers can learn from Nikon what good customer service is all about. 4. I later purchased the SB-900 and there is no comparison. The 900 is much more user-friendly and I am using it almost exclusively. I keep the 800 as a back-up, and when I need a second remote flash for additional lighting. It is permanently set on "remote" and is ready to go when needed. And about Amazon - The purchase arrived on the day promised, nicely packed. I have been recommending Amazon to all my friend and will be a repeated customer for sure. Thanks Amazon.com

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