SB 400, an under-rated flash.

[zac08]

Serious?
Tot this is a macro flash?

It is... but it's also able to be used for hair light or some accentuating light...

 

[pooQy]

Every product is designed with specific applications/usage/price range/target customers in mind. The SB400 has its place, its benefits and its limitations. If they don't meet your needs, go for another one e.g. SB600, 800 or 900. I have used all of these and basically select the 'right tool for the right job'. Don't expect one 'tool' to cover everything under the sun. Generally, I would recommend the SB600, 800 or 900 since these can be set up as remote wireless flash that can be controlled from the built-in flash on most Nikon DSLR except the D3/D3X which do not have the built-in flash.

Select the flash that best meets not shooting needs. That all there is to it. I use the SB400 when I just need some fill-flash to lighten up shadows but not really for 'big group' shoots.

Nikon has one of the best flash systems (in my opinion after being a Nikon user for over 40 years).

Fred

yes, very true. Every product is designed with a limitation (otherwise upgrades are redundant!)

oh, so meaning I can trigger off the SB6/8/9 00 w/o the need of purchasing another trigger?

 

[zac08]

yes, very true. Every product is designed with a limitation (otherwise upgrades are redundant!)

oh, so meaning I can trigger off the SB6/8/9 00 w/o the need of purchasing another trigger?

You can with the D90.

Read the manual for full details.

 

[pooQy]

Hi TS, I started with a SB-400 and later added the SB-800. My original intention was to sell the SB-400 after buying the SB800. After some thinking, I have decided to keep the SB-400 for several reasons. It is lightweight, compact, runs on 2 AA batteries and reasonably fast recycle time. It is great for usage indoor, e.g at home or places without high ceilings. For places with high ceilings such as the lobby of a hotel or exhibition halls, the bounce light will be rendered useless. However, I also have a Flip-it bounce reflector specially designed for SB-400. This allow me to use the flash when the ceiling is too high for bouncing off the flash light. You also need to keep in mind the limitation of the distance coverage. It works great for distance within 20 feet. Beyond that the power is quite weak. Even if you use exposure compensation, you cannot really achieve the desired lighting level for your exposure.

So there you have it...first hand experience. So long as you understand and use it within its limitations, you will find the SB-400 a useful little flash. Absolutely better than the built-in flash + many more benefits. It is in my bag all the time, together with the Flip-It reflector. If the SB-600 is out of your budget now, just go for the SB-400 first and add on later when you have the funds. Cheers!

Very useful! Yes, i'm totally aware of the distance limitation of this compact flash. Hey, it works on TWO alkaline batts, what ya expect? lol :bsmilie:

flip-it reflector is a good accessory.. but do you encounter any limitation when you need to shoot portrait? Or do you have a work-around for this?

 

[pooQy]

It is... but it's also able to be used for hair light or some accentuating light...

You can with the D90.

Read the manual for full details.

Cool, i'll go check it out the both points...
thanks! :thumbsup:

 

[ZerocoolAstra]

yes, very true. Every product is designed with a limitation (otherwise upgrades are redundant!)

oh, so meaning I can trigger off the SB6/8/9 00 w/o the need of purchasing another trigger?

You can with the D90.

Read the manual for full details.

Uh-oh... once you learn the 'power' of SB6/8/900 combined with D90 body, die la... you won't buy SB400 already

- under D90 menu, set the built-in flash to commander mode, then choose the channel and group.
- make sure the flash unit is set to wireless mode and to the same channel and group.
- you can also choose whether your D90's pop-up flash contributes to the total illumination or not.