Sb 400 for a complete beginner. Is it a bad idea??

[brett23]

As the title says

I am looking to buy my first flash. Looking on Kenny Rockwell he rants about the SB 400.

Most of my pictures are candid snaps are on family nights out etc.

Is it worth buying.

Cheers guys

 

[Trig's]

Thought about the Nikon SB-600 :shrug:

 

[mh photography]

Its an ok flash, just dont expect miricles from it. I've owned one and sold it after a few months. Mainly because it only bounced up, you cant bounce to the side or behind you so I out grew it fast!

It isn't the most powerful flash on earth either, much better than the built in one though. It also has no controls so making flash power adjustments is a bit long winded as you have to do it in camera.

I would seriously think about the Sb600 instead, it has much more to offer.

I guess it depends what you want. If it really is just snapshots and you dont intend to take you photography much further then you will find the sb400 an improvement over the on board flash. Hope this helps.

 

[cambsno]

It is a good flash and ideal to drop in pocket but sb600 gives you so much more as others have said.

 

[brett23]

Thought about the Nikon SB-600 :shrug:

I have thought about the bigger ones but am a bit put of by the size to be honest. They look very professional sitiing on top of the camera

It was the idea odf the SB400 being quite small that attracted me to it

 

[Ian D J]

I own a SB400, and I think it is surprisingly powerful for a diminutive little thing. For instance, I used it with my D40 with a 300 mm sigma zoom lens inside a hall. It still lit up the subjects on the stage from where I was at the other end of the hall (about 30 meters away).
Very happy with it and feels like there is no need for me to get anything bigger.

Here is a "sample" image, where I used the SB400 with my D40 and 300 mm lens, this was taken from 20 meters back and it was very dark inside that hall (everything was all in black!).

 

[Zetec]

Brett I have just bought a Nissin Di622 which has a slave mode so you can use it off the camera without buying any other equipment to do so.

 

[brett23]

Ian thanks for showing me the pic. Looks great and the flash looks plenty strong enough.

Now the wait until someone puts one up for salle.

Cheers guys

Brett