Nikon SB-600 AF Speedlight

Georgelc

Overall Rating
 3 of 5

Value Rating
 3 of 5

Used product for
3 Months to 1 year

Visitors rate this review
2.00 of 5,
1 votes

Price Paid:  $180.00 from Local retail shop

Summary:
Operation and setup is very easy. Use it like the built-in flash after simply setting it to TTL mode and pictures will surprise you. It produces nicer pictures than the built-in flash.

But it's heavy and big. The four AA recharchable batteries that it requires almost doubles its weight and makes me nervous about the strength of the connection to the camera which is plastic.

I'm kinda' new to photography and am obsessed with it and this is my first purchase /venture into flash photography.

The SB-600 is a powerful flash gun that can light up large areas and also
surpringsingly produce very good, normal looking close up shots although you'd still be able to tell that a flash is used. With it, you'll never have to worry about low light situations again.

I think it's made to used with recent Nikon Digital SLR camera models like the D70 and so on. I have the D40 model.

Reading the manual made me crazy. It contains a lot of other information like how to use it in concerto with other flash units and that features that will only be visible for selection when connected to a particular camera model.
But it's also very usefull and I wish it was written differently.
Reading it, I was able to extend its range to about 50-ft. to light up a whole tree as if it was daylight at midnight in open air. The only problem was the camera lens not being able to autofocus since the autofocus assist light works to only about 30 ft. in total darkness.

Open air is very different from closed areas because there are no walls and ceilings to bounce and preserve the produced light. But that is another topic.

If your looking for a flash gun and have a Nikon digital SLR camera its best to stick with Nikon SB model flash guns.

If it weren't for its heavy weight with batteries and its auto focus assist illluminator going only up to 30ft., I'd give it a 5-star rating.

Strengths:
Simple to use and takes better pictures than the camera's built-in flash.

Weaknesses:
Has its own autofocus assist light to assist the camera but it only goes to about 30 ft while the flash's power is about double that.
Like, what good is being able to light up something 60ft away when the camera won't autofocus that far in darkness ? - bring a flash light along ? Even a pocket flash light can light up to 100ft for the camrea to autofocus on.

It's heavy with batteries. It makes me afraid that the whole unit might rip-off from the camera if swung daily.

The price is on the expensive side making me think that flash guns aren't really necessary if you're not into taking pictures. I mean, the camera's built-in flash is adequate for most indoor shots.

Axle

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
3 Months to 1 year

Price Paid:  $330.00 from Henrys

Summary:
The cheaper cousin to Nikon's SB-800, the 600 is by no means the lesser. With enough power to use in large spaces (such as a sanctuary) and the ability for it to be used in the Nikon CLS (Creative Lighting System) anyone looking for a cheap strobe setup for their nikon should consider the SB-600 for the slave units.

However the SB-600 does lack some features that are found on the 800. The 600 cannot be used as a commander unit, so either a CLS body (D70s, D80, D200...ect) or an SB-800 flash will be needed. The missing bounce card is not much of a loss, however the lack of plugs for a sync cord would be an issue for some, but with the CLS ability that is negated.

Strengths:
* Fast Recycle time
* Standby mode extends battery life
* Same range of motion on the flash head at the 800

Weaknesses:
* Not many off camera modes (TTL, Manual)
* No plugs for sync cords

Similar Products Used:
SB-28
SB-800

Customer Service:
None required.

Mule

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
3 Months to 1 year

Price Paid:  $0.00 from Local Camera Shop

Summary:
First a bit about the reviewer... I shot a lot of 35 mm from the late 70's to late 80's. I shot for a newspaper and college. I took off about 20 years and just re-entered the digital scene.

I have used the flash with good results. Beats the flash that comes on the D80.

Strengths:
Provides a powerful enough burst for most indoor use. Bounce the flash off the ceiling to soften the effects.

Auto feature puts the flash in sleep mode after a while of non-use which has been helpful as I tend to forget I have it on.

The battery life has been good. Still using original batteries with a quick reload speed.

Weaknesses:
Wish the manual was better. I'm sure this flash can do a lot more than I have done with it but the directions are slim.

It apparently has a weak battery signal that only comes on when the battery life is near the end. It would be nice to see a regular status of battery life (unless I just haven't figured out that option).

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Visitors rate this review
1.00 of 5,
1 votes

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
I have been extremely happy with my SB-600 unit. It is one of the better units out there for the price. It's consistent and dependable, and has great battery life.

Strengths:
Nice tilt and swivel. I like the "wide angle" feature. Flash adjusts for focal length.
The auto-hibernate drastically lengthens battery life. One set of 2,650 mAh Nimh will last through en entire job and then some. Not so with other units.

Weaknesses:
Hot shoe attachment makes me nervous, like I need to be careful not to crack the shoe off. (Has not happened, just a feeling due to past experience with other units).

I'd love to have a bracket version of this unit.

Stupendous Man

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Used product for
Less than 1 month

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5,
2 votes

Price Paid:  $195.00 from Local camera store

Summary:
Thanks to the generosity of uncle sam returning some of my own hard earned money, I was able to purchase the SB-600 for my D50. All I can say is "wow".

I used to hate flash so much, because of that $#%!@ pop-up flash blowing directly into the eyes and face of the subject. With the SB-600, I can bounce it off the ceiling, even in vertical orientation, and the light is soft and natural, and no red eye! This has opened up a whole new interest in indoor and portrait photography for me.

Now that I have "seen the light" with how bounced flash can work, I honestly dont know why manufacturers even put pop-up flashes on cameras. I just wish the D50 had the ability to control it wirelessly off camera. (hmmm....there maybe a D80 in my future!)

If you hated flash as much as I did, try the SB-600 (or SB-800). You will gain a whole new perspective.

Strengths:
The settings look intimidating at first, but I found it quite easy to use. I find it best to set the camera to one of the semi-auto or auto modes, which allows the flash to be used in automatic mode. Attach it to the camera, turn it on, and fire away.

I have not tried anything serious in manual flash mode, but it looks strait forward enough to figure out without the need for the user manual.

The ability to aim the flash can never be overstated!

Weaknesses:
None - but the SB-800 has a bit more power, and a few more options (which also come with a higher price tag)

Similar Products Used:
None (except the built-in pop-up flash on the D50)