Nikon SB-800 review

For the opportunity Nikon Speedlight SB-800 Flash Review many thanks to Ivan http://mcphoto.com.ua/.

Nikon SB-800 review

The Nikon SB-800 is a good old professional flash. Nikon's flash unit has been replaced by SB-900. The Nikon SB-800 boasts excellent power and all the necessary connectors, functions and features that professionals use.

Nikon SB-800 is small, very similar to Nikon SB-600. Nikon SB-800 is significantly smaller than Nikon SB-900. Nikon SB-800 will work perfectly in automatic modes with all Nikon DSLR cameras. In a nutshell, write about the Nikon SB-800, then this is a good flash with a bit outdated ergonomics. After SB-900 the old Nikon SB-800 seems like an incomprehensible 'brick'.

Main features and their use:

1. Nikon SB-800 can remotely control other flashes through protocol Nikon CLS. This is a very good advantage of the Nikon SB-800 over Nikon. SB-600, which does not know how.
2. Nikon SB-800 can work in slave mode and set off remotely using the built-in or external flash Nikon The flash can be used remotely. I really like remote control, for more details on how to configure and how to use this control, see the section Nikon CLS.
3. Nikon SB-800 can operate in the remote control SU-4. This means that the flash can be set on fire by any other flash, even the built-in flash on cameras that do not support remote flash control. For example, the SB-800 can be remotely started using the built-in flash. Nikon D3200. You can read more about SU-4 mode here. By the way, this mode does not support SB-400 и SB-600.
4. Nikon SB-800 supports high speed FP sync. This means that with this flash you can shoot at any shutter speed, even with shutter speed in 1/8000 of a second. For this, the camera must also support FP mode. Which cameras can work in FP mode with the Nikon SB-800 flash, and also what it is used for, you can read here.
5. The flash zoom is only 24-105mm, compared to SB-900, which has a 17-200mm zoom.
6. The flash has card diffuser и wide-angle diffuser. On the other side of the diffuser card is a short instruction on using the menu.
7. Nikon SB-800 may optionally use fifth battery... The battery is inserted into a special compartment-booster, which is attached instead of the usual battery compartment cover. An additional battery extends the flash life. If you do not install all 5 batteries at the same time, but only 4, then the flash will not turn on.
8. SB-800 works in standard modes TTL, i-TTL, D-TTL, BL, A, AA, GN, M, RPT. Nikon Diffusion Dome diffuser included
   SW-10H, nice carry case, colored nozzles, extra battery holder and shoe.
9. The flash head rotates 270 degrees left-right and 97 degrees up and down.

Features:

• The flash can work in D-TTLused by old film cameras, or, for example Nikon D100, D1, D1h, D1x. For many, this is very important.
• Nikon SB-800 flash can work in automatic mode without TTL. This is a damn useful feature. No one pays attention to it, but in vain, this is a very useful feature, which is not in any SB-600 not in SB-700. You can read more in the section Aperture-priority auto for Nikon flashes and auto flash mode without TTL
• The flash has a special connector for connecting an additional Nikon SD-7 power source or Nikon SD-8A booster.
• Flash has auto focus light. Why you need to read this here, but you can read about the configuration features here.
• The flash has a button for illuminating the subject with the flash lamp. The same can be done on other flashes if you press the depth of field preview button.

I recommend to see my article ''Why do we need external flash', but for those who choose flash for Nikon cameras, the article will be useful'What flash to choose for Nikon cameras'.

Conclusions:

SB-800 pretty old flashIt has all the basic functions for serious work. It takes a little time to get used to the management.

Help to the project. Thanks for attention. Arkady Shapoval.