Nikon SB-400

wud

Senior Member
Having nervous ticks about the weather forecast for this weekend, I ended up looking at flashes. Came across the SB-400 for a price I can pay (and pickup soon enough). But I know nothing about flashes, so just wanted to hear if any of you know it?

Read a few reviews and people sound pretty happy with it, at *forbidden place* he says: "No sideways tilt, so bounce goes horizontally for vertical shots. If it's a problem, tape a small mirror to the SB-400 or spend one cent and build a softbox."


Is it really that simple? And will I be able to figure out to do a softbox?
Since I have only used flash 1 time, I'm not really sure what you need and what you wont know you need, until you realize ;)

 

Mfrankfort

Senior Member
You should be fine. Nikon makes great flashes. Sell the D3 and buy 200 of them. haha. Their are a bunch of companies that make softboxes for lfashes. I got some from cowboy studios super cheap and they work awesome.
 
I think you will feel very limited with the SB400. Go ahead and save your money up and get the SB700. There is so much more you can do with it without have to try to do something else to make it work.
 

wud

Senior Member
I think you will feel very limited with the SB400. Go ahead and save your money up and get the SB700. There is so much more you can do with it without have to try to do something else to make it work.

Yeah, I just saw the thread below mine. So this 700 can do it all, more or less?
 
Yeah, I just saw the thread below mine. So this 700 can do it all, more or less?

I don't use flash all that often but the couple of times I needed to I just stuck it on there and set it to program. Then bounced it off the ceiling and got great results. The last time I used it I put the diffuser that came with it on the flash and again bounced it and got even better results. Setting up an outdoor shoot soon and will be using it as fill flash and I think I will like it.
 

crycocyon

Senior Member
SB 700 definitely....it is for most applications as capable as the 800 and 900, with basically just a lower guide number. You would get so much more for your money with a used 700 than a new 400. I got my SB-800 second hand on Ebay and it was like new and works great.

For example: Nikon Speedlight SB 700 AF Shoe Mount Flash FOR Nikon 18208048083 | eBay

$168? So it is like $50 more than a new SB 400, at least at the present bid level but there are others to be found hovering between that and around $220.

Your D3 deserves a pro-level flash.
 

RockyNH_RIP

Senior Member
Mai, I also endorse the 700. The 400 has limited power, not all the bounce functions, no commander mode and I do not know how compatible in a remote mode. I have 2 700's!! If you buy a 400 (and use it) you will soon lust after a 700. You will find it so much better for portraits (human and Dog!) You will eventually want off camera capabilities and the 700 shines there also!

Pat
 

WayneF

Senior Member
Yeah, I just saw the thread below mine. So this 700 can do it all, more or less?


Yes. Maybe it was me that scared you away from the SB-400. But you have the D3 and some great glass, and it would seem the cost of a good flash would not be a problem. This is one time to spend it.

At 50mm zoom, the SB-700 has double the power of the SB-400 (they are more equal at 24mm zoom- the SB-910 would be more powerful overall). We always need all the power we can get for bounce flash. Plus the SB-700 head swivels, for bounce when the camera is up on end in portrait orientation too. SB-400, won't.

Even if some situation does not need double power, it will be working at a lower power setting to do same thing, and will recycle much faster between shots (more power converter, more batteries, so it is loafing, and faster than the tiny flash working hard).

The SB-700 is an actual flash, that is, it will work off camera, like in umbrella (but the SB-400 does not even have a menu, and requires connection to the camera hot shoe to even work at all).

And with multiple SB-700s, one SB-700 in hot shoe of D3 can be Commander, and can control a couple of other SB-700 (like in umbrellas) as remote wireless units. It also has is SU-4 optical slave mode, for remote manual flash.

The SB-400 cannot do any part of that, cannot even work remotely - No room for growth.
 

Mfrankfort

Senior Member
YN-568EX. Under 200... does almost everything the 710 does, for 1/2 the price. I got one a few months ago, and it's amazing. Powerful, consistent, and has a sync port.
 

Browncoat

Senior Member
Although if you can afford the 700, go for it.

He has a D3. He can afford it.

Seriously, wud? Don't put a 400 on there. I'll cry. That's almost sacrilege. If you're really in a pinch, send me a PM and I'll get you a link to a great flash that has the power of an SB-900 for 1/2 the price. It's manual though.
 

AC016

Senior Member
Having nervous ticks about the weather forecast for this weekend, I ended up looking at flashes. Came across the SB-400 for a price I can pay (and pickup soon enough). But I know nothing about flashes, so just wanted to hear if any of you know it?

Read a few reviews and people sound pretty happy with it, at *forbidden place* he says: "No sideways tilt, so bounce goes horizontally for vertical shots. If it's a problem, tape a small mirror to the SB-400 or spend one cent and build a softbox."


Is it really that simple? And will I be able to figure out to do a softbox?
Since I have only used flash 1 time, I'm not really sure what you need and what you wont know you need, until you realize ;)


I almost bought the same unit. It is a very good flash, but is obviously limited. I think if you are wanting to get more creative with flash photography, you need something a little further up the food chain. Don't settle for it just because that is all you can afford at the moment.
 

wud

Senior Member
He is a she ;)

Thank you so much for your replys, you are right. I did even read reviews from users and not from sellers, but none wrote as you do but of course, if I get a flash, I want to be creative with it, as AC016 also writes.


I am having a hard time figuring out the differences with these flashes, why are the SB-700 very good, but the SB-600 no one suggested?

Not close to bankruptcy but my husband lost his job (his boss suddenly got a mental breakdown) but he already found a new job :) Will take a little time to get back to busy again, why I wanted to keep low on the power shopping for now.
Buuut, he too values good quality, so I'll do some more reading on flashes and think I'll go talk to a shop about this 700. My work owe me money as well, actually almost the price for a 700 ;)
 

slowpoke

Senior Member
They don't call me slowpoke for nothing.lol Wud I got bothe the SB400 and the SB700.Don't waist your money on anything but the SB700.IT's the best for the buck and you'll love it.:D
 

WayneF

Senior Member
I am having a hard time figuring out the differences with these flashes, why are the SB-700 very good, but the SB-600 no one suggested?

Because the SB-700 is still in production, but the SB-600 and SB-800 are no longer available, except as used. I have two SB-800, which is still the best one ever made IMO, but it is no longer in production, so hard to recommend it. But either of those two would still be excellent, just not in stores now.

SB-600 and SB-800 have one special feature of backwards compatibility, their automation can work on film cameras (TTL) and on earliest Nikon digital cameras (D-TTL) or on current digitals (iTTL) ... can do whatever any old Nikon camera can do.
Newer models (SB-700) only work with with current iTTL cameras, like your D3.

The SB-700 has some features the SB-600 does not (has commander and optical slave and GN mode). Only downside is that the SB-700 is slightly less power than some, but it is greatly more flash than the SB-400. SB-700 can do about anything you would ever want. The SB-910 is bigger, but really, its main added feature is ability to use an external power supply (more battery, faster recycle), which is popular with event photographers taking hundreds of pictures, but not normally needed by most of us, and IMO, its price is too high.
 

crycocyon

Senior Member
Plus the SB-910 goes into some kind of cool-down mode when it overheats (the SB-900 was known to overheat), the SB-800 does not. What is also interesting is that the SB-800 has a higher guide number than either the SB-900 or the SB-910. It also can rely on an external battery pack, but has in addition an add-on compartment for a fifth battery which by itself I think helps recycle times a lot. And many of the diffusors are made to work with the larger SB series Nikon flashes, but not with the SB-400. So you would be very limited in terms of creative lighting. Sometimes it is just a matter of whether you want direct, bounce, or diffuse light and the SB-400 won't give you that choice, at least effectively. For bounce flash, you can never have too much power. Anyway, the SB-700 is the next best thing and I was myself recently shopping around for a good second-hand SB-700 as a second flash.
 

wud

Senior Member
Thank you sooo much! So happy you wrote about the 900 too, as I was offered it used, for the same price as the new 700.
Guess whats in my bag :)
 

WayneF

Senior Member
Thank you sooo much! So happy you wrote about the 900 too, as I was offered it used, for the same price as the new 700.
Guess whats in my bag :)


It will be great too! It will do anything you may want to do with it.

For photos around the house of family, begin with Bounce Flash. Aim the hot shoe flash head up vertically at 70 to 90 degrees up. Pull out the white bounce card, maybe half way out. Don't forget the card, train your fingers when tilting the head up to automatically reach for the card. :eek: Card adds slight forward fill (never allow too much, don't obliterate the bounce lighting), but specifically it adds catchlights in eyes to add vitality and liveliness to your subject.

Flash TTL mode. Speaking indoors, so set camera to camera M or A mode, at f/5, and 1/60 to 1/250 second shutter. (TTL flash mode is fully automatic flash exposure in any camera mode, including camera M mode. M mode simply also lets you set shutter speed. Flash does not care about shutter speed, but it can control the degree of orange ambient you allow into the picture).

For general fail-safe mode and faster recycle, set ISO 400. This will "just work" under any normal white ceilings 10 or 12 feet high (3 to 3.5 meter high ceilings). Lower ceilings (8 foot, 2.4 meters) could use higher aperture, or lower ISO, but higher ceilings need the flash power. If pushing the limits of power, watch the Flash Ready indicator in viewfinder for flashing warning immediately after the shot, which says the conditions require more flash power (wider aperture or higher ISO). Try one test shot at impossible f/22 bounce, to see this warning, it is your friend. This is TTL, so when and if any seem to need a little more or less flash exposure, just use Flash Compensation to dial it in.

Don't stand too close, at least 2 meters back, but zoom in all you wish. You gotta try this to see it, wonderful lighting. See Four Flash Photography Basics we must know - Bounce flash, Bounce cards for more.

FYI, the relative power levels of the Nikon flashes are shown here
Comparing Power Rating of Flash Units with Guide Numbers

At 50mm zoom, the SB-900 FX is 2/3 stop stronger than SB-700 FX, which in turn is 1.1 stops stronger than SB-400.
One stop is double power.
 
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wud

Senior Member
Thank you for such great advice! I love the part about the white bounce card. Ill go through your links now.

And the flash works! Did some testing in the kitchen while my husband were cooking, so I got to try out different settings, great :)

Phew, I feel way more calm now. And got a few days to practice.
 

wud

Senior Member
Okay tried out some different settings and it looks like the flash wash away some details if its to bright (even though I pointed it up and also to the sides).
Do you often use flash exposure compensation?

How come in program mode, shutter max is 1/60? I used manual too, just wanted to see what the camera went for.
 
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