Nikon SB-16A/B TTL Speedlight

A big sucker. I like the secondary wink light. But this thing is heavy and eats batteries. I have both A and B versions (F3 foot and ISO foot). The swivel feature is especially nice. The head also has bounce and zoom settings. Compared to an equivalent monster flash, like the Vivitar 285HV, the SB-16 only offers two automatic settings, full-power manual, and a motor drive setting which is essentially 1/16 power. Oh yes, and TTL, which is the main difference.

I've downrated the SB-16 severely on the value side because there are so many better flashes out there now, including those from third-parties. I've also downrated it on the overall side because of its limited functionality in manual mode - this is not a concern to most photographers (in other words, if you don't own a flash meter, you can ignore my rant). However, there's no question that the SB-16 performs admirably well. It's also a very elegant solution for the F3's oddball foot.

Bounce/zoom/swivel. If there's a surface to bounce from, you can hit it with this flash.

Gobs of power.

The MD (motor drive) feaure fires at 1/16 power to trigger studio strobes.

The Nikon flash accessory system is extensive and a benefit to using a Nikon-branded flash.

The wink light provides a nice touch of direct fill, so you don't get sunken eye sockets. Of course, this is nothing that a white index card rubber-banded to the flash wouldn't do, but it's still kind of nifty when you have to bounce off some odd-angle surface.

Interchangeable foot/base modules let you use the same flash on new bodies and the good old F3.

Eats batteries like crazy. Solution: use rechargeable NiMH batteries. I have used lithiums in mine (not recommended by Nikon), and that has worked fine too.

Has only TTL and two auto modes, and the only manually selectable output settings are full-power and 1/16-power (MD). While this is fine if all you do is TTL or auto, it is a severe handicap for manually controlling multi-flash set-ups.

Big and heavy. Yes, it's powerful, but so is the SB-28 at much less weight and mass.

The usual Nikon cool quality to the flash light; I use a Tiffen 812 practically as a matter of course when I use Nikon flashes. My Vivitar 285HVs, on the other hand, have a much nicer light quality.

Lots of Nikon flashes, plus the classic Vivitar 283 and 285HV.

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