Nikon SB-600 Speedlight Flash for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

Without a decent flash you are at the whim of whatever light is available. Often times that light is simply inadequate to take a decent picture. The SB 600 (and 800/900) will increase your ability to take great pictures. Master the use of these and you may never need to visit a studio ever again. The only thing the studios have that 99% of us don't have is 100% control of lighting. A D40 + a 50/1.8 + a flash with a diffuser is all you really need to make great portraits.

The SB 600 is not a fun purchase for a lot of people, but it really is a requirement if you want to be serious about photography. Or, skip all this and buy a D700 and f/1.4 lens (about $3200 total) if you don't want a better flash.

I had been going back and forth considering several different flashes for a few weeks, wondering whether I should go with a less expensive Phoenix or the slightly more pricey Nikon SB-600. I have the Nikon D70, and wanted to get into some more professional looking portrait photography, so a flash was a must in the very near future. I have used both the SB-600 and the SB-800 at work (I am a wedding photographer) but had not used the Phoenix, and after reading many reviews, decided to just spend the extra money on the SB-600. Boy, was I glad! The SB-600 is extremely easy to use, it delivers the perfect results, and it has a nice solid body. I am very happy with my Flash so far, and you know the funny thing? I checked everywhere for prices of the SB-600 and Amazon gave me the absolute best price. Even eBay was charging more. Go Figure.

Love this flash, even though it took me a while to understand the difference between ittl fill flash and ttl normal triggering. I use the bounce feature with a diffuser for natural looking light. I bought inexpensive slave trigger lascr units to trigger a couple of cheap slave
flashes for varyied lighting arrangements. Got some great shots of black
steam engines in a dark building this way. I'm using a Nikon D40, and having a lot of fun with it.

I love this flash. You can set it and forget it. Every thing will work as you set it.

Performs very well, easy to use, recycle times are amazing. I've been punishing this thing for thousands of shots and it doesn't miss a beat. I've not used the SB800 or 900 so I can't compare, but this is definitely a good piece of kit.