Showing posts with label sb-800. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sb-800. Show all posts

Tamrac MX5385 M.A.S. Flash Accessory Pocket - Large (Black) Review

Tamrac MX5385 M.A.S. Flash Accessory Pocket - Large (Black)
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Ordered this thinking it would hold my SB600 and a set of batteries on my MAS enabled bag. But when I recieved it today realized it is WAY too big for that flash. When you put the batterys in the front pocket they disappear down a long pocket also. I have a tamrac bag and like the way you buy these attachments. But this is so big it was too long for my camera bag and hung down below it about 5 inces and slid around. The build quality also was thinner than thier other accessories. So if you are getting this for a SB600 flash, forget it... too big and thinly padded. I am going to try the medium size next.

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Tamrac's M.A.S. Flash Accessory Pocket - Large is a fast access, foam-padded pocket perfect for a pro flash with a diffuser (such as Canon's 580EX II or Nikon's SB-800) or a light meter. The front pocket provides enough space for batteries or flash accessories. This pocket quickly attaches to our M.A.S. compatible products, our M.A.S. belt, or to any regular belt.

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Sto-Fen OMSB5 Omni-Bounce Diffuser Review

Sto-Fen OMSB5 Omni-Bounce Diffuser
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Simple, cheap, easy to use and works well. I also bought the gold tinted version, which has produced some very nice portrait shots.

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The Omni-Bounce creates a Diffused Bare Bulb Effect. Giving even coverage across the entire frame, with lenses from 15mm to 200mm in the 35mm format. (And equal in other formats as well.) The Omni-Bounce is easy to use and goes onto and off of your flash in seconds with custom fitting, except UNI, and No Velcro. Designed for years of service with out the bulk of some other Diffusers, it is small enough to fit easily into your gadget bag or pocket.

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Shoe Mount Adaptor - by alzodigital.com Review

Shoe Mount Adaptor - by alzodigital.com
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Not much to say about an aluminum adapter piece. Feels a little cheap but does the job.

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This shoe mount allows a NIKON SB-900 flash to directly mount to any of our Flip Flash Brackets, bracket kits, ultralight porta-flash kits and accessories. Side screw guarantees lockdown of flash. Includes 1/4" x 20 female thread mount.

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Nikon SB 80DX - Hot-shoe clip-on flash - 56 (m) Review

Nikon SB 80DX - Hot-shoe clip-on flash - 56 (m)
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Fantastic flash- very versitile. The various auto and TTL modes are much cleverer than I. Works supurbly with my D100. The only complaint I have is that you may need to sell a car to buy one. Otherwise this product is a 5.

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Designed for users of advanced Nikon SLRs and Nikon digital SLRs, the SB-80DX inherits all of the functions of the SB-28/28DX and adds some exciting innovations. The SB-80DX provides compatibility with D-TTL and 3D Multi-Sensor Balanced Fill-Flash control, and offers features such as a tilt-rotate flash head, a built-in wide flash adapter for 14mm wide-angle lens coverage, GN 38/125 (ISO 100, m/ft. at 35mm), flash coverage up to 105mm in 5mm zoom steps and an AF-Assist Illuminator. In addition, the SB-80DX enables modeling flash and wireless slave flash, and a new dedicated soft dome has been provided to create soft lighting. The Nikon SB-80DX offers photographers enhanced flash shooting flexibility for a wide range of applications.

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The Flash X-Tender (Better Beamer) FX-4 Flash Output Booster for the Nikon SB-600 & SB-800 Flashes with Lenses 300mm and Longer. Review

The Flash X-Tender (Better Beamer) FX-4 Flash Output Booster for the Nikon SB-600 and SB-800 Flashes with Lenses 300mm and Longer.
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A teleflash accessory like this one focuses the beam emitted by an electronic flash so that it carries farther and consequently illuminates subjects at a greater distance from the camera. Normally, even the most versatile flash unit is adjustable to no greater telephoto length than 85mm. or so. If one is taking bird photos (for example) using a long telephoto lens, however, much of the light emitted by the flash ends up wasted. Using a mounted fresnel lens, the "Better Beamer" creates a more narrow beam of flash-light, which consequently is effective at greater distances than the flash would reach otherwise.
The big advantage of the Better Beamer design is that the unit can be disassembled to fold flat when not in use. This makes it convenient to carry in the field. With a little practice it can be mounted on the head of one's flash unit fairly quickly.
When using this device to photograph birds or animals, it's really best to find a way to mount the flash at least some small distance up and away from the camera body. If the flash is simply attached via the camera's hot shoe, there is a danger that the photos will exhibit the animal equivalent of "redeye," which can turn out white, blue, or green, depending on the animal's physiology. This can usually be corrected in post-processing, but it's really better to find a way to avoid the problem altogether. There are various kinds of off-camera flash brackets made for teleflash; these are made by Wimberley, Really Right Stuff, and Kirk Enterprises, to name just a few companies.
It's also best not to use teleflash as the sole source of illumination for a bird or animal photo, if this can possibly be avoided. Photos that are lit only by flash look artificial. The teleflash ideally serves as in-fill light that also creates a bit of sparkle in the animal's eye(s). Mastering the art of combining ambient and flash illumination takes practice and sometimes a bit of luck. If one sets up exposure to allow generously for natural light in a low-light situation, there is a danger of image "ghosting," i.e., the animal might move a bit during the time the shutter is open, creating a double or blurred image. But if one using high shutter-speed synch to eliminate ghosting, the photo might end up appearing as though it were taken at night (not necessarily what one wants). This is a craft that requires practice and judgment.
Overall, the Better Beamer currently is THE standard unit for teleflash photography, and I recommend these units highly. However, as the subject line for this review indicates, the FX-3 is NOT ideally designed for the Nikon SB-800 and SB-600 flash units. There is an FX-4 unit that fits these flash heads nicely. You can create small cardboard shims to make non-fitting units function in the field (I did this for a while), but why not buy the correct unit to begin with?

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Now there is an easy way to have the extra "flash power" you need in the field. The Flash X-Tender packs flat, weighs less than 3 ounces and sets up in 30 seconds and your flash output is extended a minimum of 2 full f-stops! Bring your birds and animals to life with an eye highlight. Used and praised by nature photographers world-wide.When used with TTL (Through-The-Lens) flash metering, exposure is automatically handled by your camera and flash, and no special compensation is required.

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Nikon SD-8A High-Performance - Battery pack AA Review

Nikon SD-8A High-Performance - Battery pack AA
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There are many reasons for owning a external power source for your strobe(s). Advanced amateurs or pros alike will be very pleased with this unit, or the SD-9 (both are high performance battery packs).
I'm a professional photographer, travel extensively and find myself in remote locations from time to time. First, let me say that I only load these packs with eneloop AA batteries (fastest recycle times, longest shelf life) rechargeable.
I have several SD-8A packs... why? Well for example, I set up off camera strobe units (SD-800 & SD-900).... I put the strobe on a tripod and attach the SD-8a with a velcro strap on one of the legs.
The off camera strobes now have extended battery life and will shoot hundreds of full power cycles without hesitation. There is lots of buzz regarding the SD-900 overheating and turning off at the worst possible time as it cools down. The external batteries do not effect the strobe heat sensor and therefore does not trigger the high-temp cutout.
If you load the SD-800 or 900 and then use the modeling light function, this will draw from the strobe batteries only, not the external pack, so don't think that these packs will extend the modeling light function...
These packs fit perfectly into my front pocket, or suit jacket breast pocket just fine, with only the wires leading to your camera (if used with the hot shoe). The power cord is also long enough to reach the camera from a belt without too much restriction. If you wear a photography vest, then the battery pack sits nice and high for maximum movement freedom and this is the preferred location in my opinion... plus if you set your gear down, just leave it connected and park the vest with the camera.
After a FULL POWER discharge from the SB-900, expect a recycle time of 1.5 seconds.... so that's the longest you'll wait, assuming you have "eneloops in the system".
On average, you will have, based on my experience, about 300 fast recycle shots and then you'll notice plenty of slowing in the recycle until it just doesn't recover (load fresh rechargeable batteries). This is a lot of shooting and if you use a lower power setting, then expect up to 500 shots with a single load with little lag time.
I like the SD-9 (another external battery pack) because you can have fresh batteries loaded on a cartridge and ready to swap out in a pinch.
Sports photographers will find this handy. But this SD-8A must be loaded singly and you can't pre-load a cartridge.
When you load your SB-800 with 5 AA batteries (using the extra battery holder) and the additional 6 in th e 8A, you now have 11 AA batteries to draw upon. NICE!
So, in summary, I love it, it's the only external portable power source I would buy. They do not let me down and I have had zero technical problems or failures.. and trust me.. I abuse my equipment! The padded pouch it comes in, does a nice job of causing enough friction inside a pocket that it won't fall out when you are leaning over for that shot you just have to have. Also, should you drop it, the padded pouch also does a neat job of protecting it from moderate impact.
For off camera strobe setups, I find it indispensable to bring power where and when I need it.
Perfectly priced in my opinion. Easy to use, quick connect times... up and ready as soon as you turn your flash on.
Get one and enjoy extended shooting... in winter, it will warm your pocket after a burst.
Frederick Dunn (free lance photographer) Using Nikon gear exclusively

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Nikon SD8A AA Power Pack

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Nikon SW-10H Diffusion Dome - 4320NID Review

Nikon SW-10H Diffusion Dome - 4320NID
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This item works well with the Nikon SB800 Flash since that's what it was designed for. The only problem with it it breaks easily when it hits pavement, go figure. Good product.

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Nikon SW-10H Diffusion Dome creates a omni-directional diffused light effect. For wide-angle lenses up to 14mm wide

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Nikon SD-9 High Performance Battery Pack - External battery pack Review

Nikon SD-9 High Performance Battery Pack - External battery pack
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As a professional photographer, fast flash recycle times are often the difference between getting the shot and not getting the shot. One can use heavy units like Quantum but they often require expensive and unreliable accessory cables and are very expensive and if you are in the field with no power source, you are out of luck if you run down the charge. Since this unit takes AA's (I use rechargeables with Alkalines as emergency backup) this is not a problem and it provides very fast flash recycle times. A feature that allows this battery pack to be mounted to the base of the camera is a thoughtful addition. An excellent product.

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The Nikon SD-9 Battery Pack is designed for use with the SB-900 to shorten flash recycling time and increase flash capacity. It accepts 4 or 8 1.5V LR6 (AA size alkaline), 1.2V KR-AA (AA size NiCd), 1.5V FR6 (AA size lithium) or 1.2 AA size Ni-MH batteries.

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SU-800 Wireless Speedlight Review

SU-800 Wireless Speedlight
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First of all if you want a general purpose, reliable, long distance remote trigger, you really should look into Radio Popper, Cactus, PovertyWizard, and such. Don't get me wrong, there's a place and time to use RP, Cactus, PW, and the SU-800. They all have their niches. For example when I go shoot outdoors where I place the flash units far away from the camera, I'll use the PW-- you get superior range over the SU-800, and good reliability. However it is very expensive, and the older PW units don't have TTL so if you don't set your power setting correctly the first time you end up having to walk to/from different flash units to change their power setting. I've not used Radio Popper myself but I've heard good things about it since it preserves TTL functionality. As for Cactus, it's very cheap, but also has limited range and is not as reliable as the other alternatives. In all cases, these are 3rd party vendor solutions with yet one more piece of equipment (battery, configuration, etc) to worry about, and one more point of failure in your day-to-day shoot.
On the other hand... if you're shooting indoors, or doing on-site portrait work, this is THE remote unit to use. In the literature, the range of this commander unit is 66 feet. However, in practice, I've seen it vary between 30-50 feet, and almost always line of sight. If I'm indoors, I prefer this unit because it is very light and you will not feel any extra weight on your camera. So despite the lack of range, I still love the SU800. It offers a fully integrated Nikon CLS solution, and is simply easy to use when you do portrait work. i-TTL is built in with 3 channels so you can adjust power (or not have to think about power at all when you do portrait work). Sure, the built in commander flash in D80/90/200/300/D700 is nice, but they only have 2 channels, and frequently the pre-flash from those cameras makes people blink excessively. On the SU-800 there is no preflash so you can take pictures of people and pets without bothering them with the preflash, and you end up having more usable shots. In addition, this is a must have accessory if you're doing very low light, no flash, walk-around shooting using SU-800's discrete red light focus beam. Yes you can achieve the same on the SB-800/900 by turning off flash and only enabling the red AF-assist, but they weigh a lot more, and make the camera very bulky. Lastly, this is a nice item to have with the R1C1 kit, though not absolutely necessary since you can use the on-camera flash, and macros aren't usually affected by the on-camera flash.
The SB-800 and SB-900 have commander units too, and when you point them towards other flashes in the commander mode, the range is about 50% greater than that of SU-800: I've gotten about 50 feet of range with the SU-800, and about 75-80 feet of range with the SB-800 and SB-900. Clear line of sight (from the commander to the optical receiver) is the key. The down-side to using SB-800/900 as commanders is that they weigh a lot more, and they emit pre-flash making people blink more than necessary.
I'm giving it 4 stars because it does extremely well for what it was designed and built for-- indoor portrait commander device. If Nikon came out with a longer range radio unit, I'd give it 5 stars, but that was not what the SU-800 was originally designed for. For outdoor strobists, I still recommend radio signal commander/receiver alternatives, at a price of course.

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The multi-functional Nikon SU-800 unit forms the nerve centre of any i-TTL multiple flash-lighting situation.Capable of metering and triggering groups of remote Speedlights in the Nikon Creative Lighting System, a one-touch switch fully automates accurate exposures of small subjects instantly. Manual adjustment of the balance of each units output is simple to control through the comprehensive LCD panel.When using i-TTL compatible Nikon digital SLR cameras and Speedlight, user can divide the Speedlight units into three groups and control the flash output independently for each group Features a Commander function that can trigger wireless remote flash (SB-800, SB-600, or SB-R200) units without a master flash unit One-touch switching between close-up and Commander modes Two types of close-up operation: Dual-light close-up flash & Triple-light close-up flash.

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Nikon SB-800 AF Speedlight for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras - Old Version Review

Nikon SB-800 AF Speedlight for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras - Old Version
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I won't repeat the wealth of information the other kind reviewers have already given. I'll just focus on why I decided to cough up the extra $100 to get the SB-800 instead of the less powerful SB-600.
Compared to the SB-600, the SB-800 has the following extra features:
1) Much more powerful, as reflected in the GN.
2) Slightly faster recycle time with the standard four AA batteries. It also comes with a battery holder that holds a fifth battery which cuts down recycle time by 1/3 to 1/2.
3) The SB-800 has non-TTL auto and auto aperture modes. (More on this later.)
4) In wireless remote mode, the SB-800 can act both as the master and slave, whereas the 600 can only be a slave.
5) It comes with a useful diffusion dome, which won't even fit on the SB-600.
6) The SB-800 package also includes two colored gel filters.
7) The SB-800 can do repeating flash (in the same exposure), for a strobe effect.
Basically, both the 600 and 800 support Nikon's latest flash technologies, i-TTL (supported by the D70 and D2H only) and CLS (creative lighting system), in addition to all the TTL (through the lens) flash modes Nikon introduced in the past. The 600 is really a prosumer-level flash that's either TTL or manual, whereas the 800 is pure pro-grade with a lot of modes and options. The manual, evidently written by a Japanese manual writer, attests to its sophistication; understanding the manual will really require a Ph.D. in yoga so you don't stress yourself out.
The 800's auto modes are what won me over in the end. The auto modes can set the flash output automatically on Nikon bodies that do not support any TTL (through the lens) mode. On those bodies, with the 600 you'd have to resort to manual, which is simply a pain in the butt, not to mention prone to error. The two non-TTL auto modes on the 800 are auto aperture and auto. You'll need to study the manual very carefully to figure out the difference; I still haven't, but I'm already enjoying the auto aperture mode. The availability of auto modes also means the 800 can be used on a wide range of Nikon bodies than the simpler 600.
If you are deciding between the 600 and the 800 like I was, ask yourself the following questions:
1) Do you have an extra $100-$150 to spend? If yes, the 800.
2) Do you plan to use the external flash a lot? If yes, the 800.
3) Do you have Nikon bodies (usually older manual ones) that do not support TTL (you can find out in the camera's user's guide)? If yes, the 800.
4) Do you plan to do a lot of wireless flash photography and take full advantage of Nikon's Creative Lighting System? If yes, the 800.
5) If you want to get a diffusion dome that fits the flash, get the 800.
In the end, I think the SB-800 is a better long-term investment than the SB-600, despite the higher price. It's much more powerful and flexible, and even though it's an overkill for me right now, I imagine when my flash photography improves (and I'm trying very hard right now), it'll prove a very worthy investment.
Feel free to drop me an e-mail at hotmail with any questions. BTW, if anyone knows of a good web forum that discusses how to use Nikon's flash modes and the CLS, please let us know. Thanks.

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Nikon SB-800 AF Speedlight for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

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Ultralast Nikon Stand, AS-19, Speedlight Stand for Review

Ultralast Nikon Stand, AS-19, Speedlight Stand for
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This versatile speedlight stand has three positions on it to choose from for placing your speedlight.
It also has a 1/4 inch metal tripod socket underneath (same threads as your camera).
It can also be placed on a table or shelf by itself.
This will work with the SB-600 and the SB-800 speedlights.
Unfortunately, it will not work with Nikon's flagships speedlight, the SB-900.
The SB-900 comes with its own speedlight stand, the AS-21.
The AS-21 only has one position and the tripod socket is plastic.
However, the AS-21 is backwards compatible with many of the other speedlights and it is larger to accommodate the SB-900's bulk.
I would like to see Nikon update the AS-19 to work with the SB-900 or make the AS-21 with a metal tripod socket.
I think the metal tripod socket is a big plus, not to mention the three positions.
I deducted one star because of the incompatibility with the SB-900.

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For mounting remote Nikon Speedlights when used for wireless operation, can be attached to a tripod or light stand. Compatible with SB-800, SB-600, SB-80DX, SB-28DX, SB-28, SB-26, SB-25, and SB-24.

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Zeikos ZE-OCSCN Off Camera Shoe Cord for Nikon Flash Review

Zeikos ZE-OCSCN Off Camera Shoe Cord for Nikon Flash
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I am a wedding photographer and already have two Nikon branded cords but I needed another so I decided to give this less expensive brand a try...
I was nothing short of amazed at the build quality, expecting to get a flimsy cheaply made product but instead received a well made, solid accessory.
Highly recommended.
Al / Starlight PPS


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The Zeikos ZE-OCSCN Off Camera Shoe Cord for Nikon Cameras & flash is perfect for when you need to move your flash away from the camera for special lighting effects.

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SC-29 Ttl Coiled Remote Cord Review

SC-29 Ttl Coiled Remote Cord
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The flexibility this cable gives you is well worth the money. Especially when shooting in the dark. The off-flash AF-Illuminator lets you point the flash anywhere while still being able to paint your subject for autofocus.
The build-quality is outstanding - the cable is heavy and doesn't get "over-stretched" easily.

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The Nikon SC-29 Off Camera AF TTL Cord easily mounts to the camera's hot shoe and enables an attached SB-800 flash to accurately auto focus in low light when placed on a flash bracket. Great for beautiful shadowless lighting. The cord uses a new AF Illuminator at the mounting point that overrides the SB-800's AF Illuminator. This completely eliminates any possibility of autofocus discrepancies when using the SB-800 off camera. The SC-29 TTL cord with the SB-800 quick recycling battery pack can also be used as an off camera master controller in a multi-flash set-up.

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Nikon 4765 SC-28 TTL 9-ft. Remote Cord Review

Nikon 4765 SC-28 TTL 9-ft. Remote Cord
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I needed a remote cord for my D80 & SB800 when I purchased a "flip frame". I considered buying a non-Nikon cord, but upon close examination of the photos of the cheaper cords, I noticed that there are no strain reliefs (the little rubber covers)on the ends of the cord. Also, there was at least one report where an owner destroyed the cord and damaged his camera's hot shoe in trying to get the cord off.
I ordered my cord from Cameta Camera (highly recommended) and was impressed when I opened the box. The coiled cord is heavy duty... no wimpiness here! Also, both connectors fit perfectly. The connectors appear to be fastened with screws (not glued)... working in electronics, this leads me to believe that if the cord does break, I stand a good chance of making a repair.
Bottom line... Buy this product even though it may be pricier than some of the non-Nikon cords. In the long run, you won't be disappointed!

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Includes Nikon SC28 Cord.

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Nikon SB-900 AF Speedlight Flash for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras Review

Nikon SB-900 AF Speedlight Flash for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras
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I can't believe the amount of misinformation presented in customer reviews for this product.
First of all, it is true -- Nikon added a thermal cut-off that allows the customer to be absolutely certain that the flash never overheats. If that sensor is turned on, the flash can't shoot fast enough or often enough for professional usage -- particularly for weddings. Try shooting the bridal party introductions at a reception, for example. Even if you limit yourself to two flash pops per couple, by the time the third couple is walking in the door, the thermal shutdown will kick in, and you'll be swearing at the thing.
However, you can simply turn the sensor off. In my experience, the flash is no more delicate than previous Nikon and Canon speedlights. Every Nikon and Canon flash has a duty cycle carefully described in their manual that virtually all professionals ignore and exceed, and yet -- most of us get years of usage from the flashes with no problem. I can't tell you the number of times I've taken batteries out of my flashes that were simply too hot to hold, and the flash housing was burning hot too -- but the thing just kept on working. So I think, if you turn off the thermal cut-off, the SB-900 will behave just like earlier flashes like the SB-800, in terms of overheating.
So the simple answer is. . . if you turn off the thermal sensor, the SB-900 is at least as useful as a professional tool as it's predecessors -- no more, no less susceptible to overheating. I don't know why Nikon and Canon are so conservative in the duty-cycle ratings of their flashes, but I've talked with dozens of fellow pros over the years -- we all abuse the flashes, and we rarely have issues. I'm not saying that it's not possible to abuse these speedlights to the point where they will die -- I'm just saying I have used them professionally and repeatedly put hundreds of very fast, high-power pops on them, significantly exceeding the rated duty cycle, and have yet to kill a Canon or Nikon speedlight.
As far as batteries go, Nikon fully supports and recommends the use of NiMH batteries -- both normal and Eneloops. The chart in the manual shows NiMH as being the best combination for a good number of pops and the shortest recycling time. Only the expensive Lithium non-rechargeables have better battery life, but they have a recycle time almost double NiMH. Alkalines give the smallest number of pops, and have the second longest recycle time.
So fear not -- the SB-900 is the nicest speedlight I've owned yet -- I have three of them, and I like it far better than it's predecessors. Turn off the thermal sensor as soon as you take the flash out of the box, load it up with Eneloop batteries, and you will experience flash nirvana.
Finally, I highly recommend the SD-9 accessory battery pack. Load it up with Sanyo Eneloops, and you can easily shoot an entire wedding (actually, probably two weddings) without swapping batteries, while enjoying the fastest recycle time possible with this flash.
Update after using three of the SB-900s for a full wedding season: We encountered some flakiness (random flashing of the flashtube and AF assist lights) which I THINK is related to a loose fit of the SB-900's hot shoe base in the D700 camera's hot shoe. So far, it seems like applying Deoxit contact cleaner to both the camera and flash camera contacts makes the problem go away.

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D3)NIKON SB-900AF SPEEDLIGHT (4807)

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Nikon SB-600 Speedlight Flash for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras Review

Nikon SB-600 Speedlight Flash for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras
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This is the first time I have ever purchased a dedicated flash. I have used the Superb Vivitar 283 and 285 strobes for years with no complaints. However, after buying the Nikon D70, I felt the need for a TTL flash. The camera's built-in pop-up flash works OK, but I wanted something to get more control of.
The SB600 does 95% of what the more expensive SB-800 does for half the price:
Bounce Flash: Not only can you move the head vertically, you can rotate it 270 degrees to get some sweet sidelit effects. The iTTL makes bounce flash simple and accurate. When you manually zoom the lens, the SB 600 zooms the flash head to automatically match your focal length-and very quietly too.
Power: No problem here. It can easily light an average room. 4 AA batteries give plenty of juice, and the '600 powers itself down to energy saver mode. More important, it powers back up quickly when you're ready to shoot.
Goodies: You can manually dial the flash power down to 1/64 full output, and everything in between. This is perfect for fill flash. It comes with a built in diffusor for ultra wide angle settings. Nikon thoughtfully includes a little stand with tripod socket in case you want to use it off camera. The really nice part is that the SB 600 can be triggered remotely by the D70 or D2H's on camera flash! This gives you a "studio in a bag" using one flash and a Nikon DSLR. Very cool.
Ergonomics: Nikon's D70 set new standards in ergonomics, and the SB-600 matches that. The latch for the bounce head has a handy large rubber button to unlock it. All buttons are soft touch, backlit, and very responsive. The TTL display is lit as well. There is a smooth locking device to secure it on the hotshoe.
Instructions: Nikon includes a cool, full color book showing what you can do with the Sb-600 and 800. Each lighting setup has a corresponding page number for the 600 or 800 manual to tell you how to do it. The book is very helpful and very well printed. These are the kind of extras Nikon users have come to respect. I wish all digital cameras were as well documented as Nikon!
Summary: for the price, you can't buy a better flash for the D70. While less expensive than the SB-800, the SB-600 is lighter and recycles faster. This is more than worth the money, and a perfect mate for your D70.
ADDENDUM. Three years on this is still a great strobe for any Nikon DLSR made. I recently used it to demonstrate the off-camera remote control function built into most better Nikon DLSRs. The class I was teaching were amazed and the Canon shooters were left wanting. Check out the spontaneous group portrait I made of some students with this thing. Everyone wanted a copy!

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NIKON SB-600AF SPEEDLIGHT (4802)

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