Nikon SB-600 or SB-900?

ProG77

ProG77

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Hi All,

Firstly, apologies if this has been previously covered in this forum (in which case, I would really appreciate a link to the thread please)

Anyway, I recently took up the Nikon offer of a free SB-900 if I bought a D300s, which I did. Originally the plan was to sell the SB-900 when I received it from Nikon to offset the cost of the D300s body as I already have a SB-600.........that was until I received the SB-900!! :bonk:

Now I am not so sure about flogging the SB-900 and wondering if I should sell the SB-600 instead? Although I don't use flash that much, I do still use it from time to time and I am wondering if I will regret not keeping the SB-900 as my photography improves and I increase the use of flash?

As much as I'd love to keep both the 600 & 900, I really don't want to at present as I have never used 2 flashes at the same time and I think I would rather prefer the cash to go towards the cost of the actual camera body.

So, what do you reccomend? SB-600 or SB-900 and why??

All comments and views welcome. Thank you!
 
It's a tough one... the sb900 is a professional flash built to take serious abuse... are you going to give it that? If not, you're probably ok with an sb600...

You can get 2 sb600's for the price of one sb900 really, which kinda... makes it hard to justify if you're just going to be using it for on camera ttl or cls slave :/
 
are you going to keep the flash on camera? if so stick with the sb-600 as i dont think you'll get much value out of the 900
 
Thanks guys - Although majority of my flash use is on camera at present, one of my aims for this year is to venture more in to off camera use, especially for portraits, which I'm trying to get in to more. Saying that however, I could pick up an entry level studio kit for around £200, which would still be cheaper than the SB-900.
 
Doesn't it warn in the promo material of dire consequencies if you sell the "free" flashgun?
 
Flash In The Pan said:
:police: :lol:
Click to expand...

Ah, that one? I think what they mean is that you have to keep the camera body in order to qualify for the free flash i.e. a lot of people may have bought the body, sent off for their flash and once they received the flash then return the camera body for a refund and keep the 'free' flash.

In my case, I have now had the body for over 2 months and absolutely loving it, so I have no intentions of returning the body and pocketing the flash.
 
Sorry, just had to vent.
I'm still sick at Nikon for their shameless marketing-oriented discontinuation of the SB-800. In some respects it's superior to the SB-900 (Namely size), so pulling it from the market and replacing it with a much more expensive, much larger unit really really got on my nerves. The SB600 cannot be used as a CLS commander, as the SB-800 could,...

-tries not to rage-

Ok.

Calm.
 
there are some people (like the folks on dtown tv) who say that the sb 600 is beginners, sb 800 is an intermediate/commander, and the sb 900 is the professional beast used for strobism etc.
 
Denyerec said:
Sorry, just had to vent.
I'm still sick at Nikon for their shameless marketing-oriented discontinuation of the SB-800. In some respects it's superior to the SB-900 (Namely size), so pulling it from the market and replacing it with a much more expensive, much larger unit really really got on my nerves. The SB600 cannot be used as a CLS commander, as the SB-800 could,...

-tries not to rage-

Ok.

Calm.
Click to expand...

but the sb900 is not that much more than the sb800 was. I have seen sb800 selling for near the price of sb900 even though they are second hand. I have both the sb800 and the sb900, the sb900 is miles ahead of the sb800 in user friendliness as well as in functions.

To the op I would keep both for now and try some off camera flash, it is loads of fun, you will enjoy it.
 
Davec223 said:
but the sb900 is not that much more than the sb800 was. I have seen sb800 selling for near the price of sb900 even though they are second hand. I have both the sb800 and the sb900, the sb900 is miles ahead of the sb800 in user friendliness as well as in functions.
Click to expand...

:agree:

When they launched the 900 they were £290 and mint used 800s were £275 on Fleabay :cuckoo:
 
RRP of the 800 was lower than the 900. The 900 comes along and all of a sudden, that's all you can get and the used price of the 800 soars. Sadface. The 900 is more user friendly, yes, but I have no issue with the 800 and would prefer to save a few quid and a few cubic inches to put more 800's in my pack than fork out for the 900's.

As for the 800 being an "intermediate" flash, it was Nikon's premier professional flashgun for 6 and a half years. It was directly replaced with the 900, and does not sit in their product line as a "Middleman" as far as I would say. (Further indicated by the cads withdrawing it from sale completely!) The SB-800 RRP'd for £259 from Warehouse in 2008, wheras the SB900 sits at £329. That's a fairly significant difference, which is what makes me sad, along with the bulk of the 900, of which I'm not a huge fan. Ok it's no dealbreaker, but for the power the SB800 is a remarkably svelte unit.
 
Denyerec said:
RRP of the 800 was lower than the 900. The 900 comes along and all of a sudden, that's all you can get and the used price of the 800 soars. Sadface. The 900 is more user friendly, yes, but I have no issue with the 800 and would prefer to save a few quid and a few cubic inches to put more 800's in my pack than fork out for the 900's.

As for the 800 being an "intermediate" flash, it was Nikon's premier professional flashgun for 6 and a half years. It was directly replaced with the 900, and does not sit in their product line as a "Middleman" as far as I would say. (Further indicated by the cads withdrawing it from sale completely!) The SB-800 RRP'd for £259 from Warehouse in 2008, wheras the SB900 sits at £329. That's a fairly significant difference, which is what makes me sad, along with the bulk of the 900, of which I'm not a huge fan. Ok it's no dealbreaker, but for the power the SB800 is a remarkably svelte unit.
Click to expand...

ok, I prefer the sb900, but you argument is a little flawed, you are expecting a new product to sell for the same price as a product at the end of its retail life. You only need to look at its spec to understand, for example the communication between bodies and flash with gells in place. Also look at camera bodies between when they are released and at the end of their manufactured life, the body that replaces it will always cost more.
 
Perhaps I was a little unclear. What I'm gutted about is a product with functionality that is perfect for me, being replaced with a more expensive one (With features I do not need), without the original product remaining in the product line.

SB900 does more than I need and is too expensive.
--Current hole in product line where SB800 used to be--
SB600 does not do enough.

That, I think, is the crux of my annoyance :)
 
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