Flash for a D300 - with fill-in?

[TwentySixDays]

Hi, I am looking into a flash for my D300.
I had a quick look at the Speedlight flashes and toyed with taking the plunge on the sb900. I like the fact the it has a telephoto capability.
I would generally use the flash with my Nikor 18-105.

One thing that has stopped me is that I have an old Nissin 360tw (GN36), a real pain to setup with the camera as everything has to be done maually.

The one thing I like about the Nissin is that it has a fill-in flash independant of the main flash, which I can turn Off or On. This allows me to bounce the main light off walls or the ceiling and eliminate those side of face or under chin shaddows.

I am just looking for some thoughts at the moment on:
* whether there are other flashes I should look at.
* is the sb900 a lot more money for not much benefit for general flash photography.

I do tend to be a bit blinkered in that Speedlights are made for Nikons.

I definitly want a flash that interfaces with the D300 but maybe there are good aguments to look at something else.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks Stuart

 

[HoppyUK]

Hi, I am looking into a flash for my D300.
I had a quick look at the Speedlight flashes and toyed with taking the plunge on the sb900. I like the fact the it has a telephoto capability.
I would generally use the flash with my Nikor 18-105.

One thing that has stopped me is that I have an old Nissin 360tw (GN36), a real pain to setup with the camera as everything has to be done maually.

The one thing I like about the Nissin is that it has a fill-in flash independant of the main flash, which I can turn Off or On. This allows me to bounce the main light off walls or the ceiling and eliminate those side of face or under chin shaddows.

I am just looking for some thoughts at the moment on:
* whether there are other flashes I should look at.
* is the sb900 a lot more money for not much benefit for general flash photography.

I do tend to be a bit blinkered in that Speedlights are made for Nikons.

I definitly want a flash that interfaces with the D300 but maybe there are good aguments to look at something else.
Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks Stuart

Price. No other reason to look elsewhere. Nikons are absolutely top notch. Maybe look at the new top end Nissin - does everything and a fraction more power I think.

I know what you mean about the little twin-tube fill-in flash jobbie. However, you get the same effect using the built-in bounce card (hi-lite panel).

If budget is tight, maybe you could save a bit by using the D300 as the master controller and get a cheaper gun, still with full i-TTL auto (which is brilliant). But I wouldn't

Does Kerso do Nikon flash? He'll be cheapest if he does.

 

[barneyrubble]

As said above, the bounce card does a very similar job.

Just set the flash to bounce, raise the bounce card, and you have the best of both worlds.

 

[ozzy38]

Have a look at the metz-58 cracking flash for the price! well recommended as i have a D300

Ozzy

 

[TwentySixDays]

Thanks for the advice.

I have been reading Ken Rockwell review
http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/sb900.htm
He seems to be saying that the sb900 is too complicated for normal use and you end up pay a lot more for loads of stuff you will probably not use. Any thoughts?

 

[HoppyUK]

Thanks for the advice.

I have been reading Ken Rockwell review
http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/sb900.htm
He seems to be saying that the sb900 is too complicated for normal use and you end up pay a lot more for loads of stuff you will probably not use. Any thoughts?

That's Our Ken for you. He thinks the D40 is the best Nikon ever made.

I like him, and love the surreal way he can pick up on something and turn it around in a completely illogical yet plausible way to support whatever crazy point he's trying to make.

Anbody else could review the same gun and come to a completely opposite view on everything. Look at the facts that are important to you and then see if you agree with him. You might; it's just possible. Ken knows his stuff that's for sure.

 

[TwentySixDays]

Cheers Hoppy.
Probably the best play is go have have a look at guns 'in person' and, like you say, way up the pros and cons of what I really want.