Reviews for Nikon Speedlight SB-600 AF Flash Light

Nikon Speedlight SB-600 AF Flash Light

Strengths: Autofocus, fast, can be used as slave flash, very smart in automatic mode works very well with Coolpix 8800. Offers a multitude of manual configurations for advanced users. Std. AA batteries.

Weakness: Cannot be set as master for advanced wireless lighting. A bit too big, but that's ok.

I own a Coolpix 8800 and found the build in flash not powerful enough on many occasions. I decided to purchase this flash based feedback from friends and review recommendations and it does what they say. It is very flexible yet simple to use. When set as i-TTL and the camera controls it, even a half brained photographer can't go wrong, unless you want to bounce the light in the sky for indirect lighting :-) Pictures come way better in dark environments when compared with the ones taken with the built in speedligh. The flash auto-focus based on the camera's zoom really works. This is a very sophisticated flash unit compared with some $70 units that claim to do be similar. The extra money you pay makes difference. I believe most of us won't go wrong by choosing it, unless you do really advanced lighting studio work.

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Perfect flash for D70

Strengths: Quality & Features

Weakness: Weight & Size

This a great flash to have...it's a must have!!! The on board flash on the D70 is decent for fill flash and all but the SB600 does wonders. You can zoom from 24-85MM and has TTL, TTL, TTLBL and Manual modes. I personaly use manual mode because I like to crank up the power of the flash to 1/1...that's the brightest. I control the brightness of the flash to match my aperture settings It's also a wireless flash as well with up to 4 channels and 3 groups meaning you can add up to 10 wireless flashes going off at the same time.
It's NOT the same as the SB800...SB800 is more powerfull and has more features such as an extra battery capartment on the side of the flash which gives faster recycle times. That's why it costs more money. Recommend buying a double AA battery charger though. One that holds 4 batteries.

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Very good flash

Strengths: quality, wireless operation, zoom, automatic operation

Weakness: size, weight

This is a very good flash that works quite a bit better than the small flash on my D70. Everything works automatically with it without any problems, including wireless operation. The biggest problem is that its a bit too big in my opinion, but its still portable. It has definitely improved the quality of my pictures.

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Excellent Flash

Strengths: very quick start up and decent shot to shot, easy to use

Weakness: a little big and doesn't bend past straight ahead

this is my first external flash and so far i really like it. i bought it for my nikon 8800. it slips on easy and syncs automatically with the camera. it exposes very well and moves seamlessly with the zoom. the only problem is that its af light isn't compatible with the coolpix line, only the dslr, so it doesn't help improve low-light focusing in my camera. otherwise, it's a great powerful flash.

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Nikon Speedlight SB-600 AF Flash Light

Strengths: Great flash! Good color.

Weakness: None

This flash is the answer to all my lighting needs. I use this on the D70 and the D70's onboard flash leaves me frustrated with the flash output and flash power. This flash provides all I did, especially when using the bounce flash. It allows me to fill in shadows and it is very functional with the D70. I would recommend for anyone who has the D70!

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Bright not Shiny Faces

Strengths: bounce and side flash options. Uses conventional AA batteries

Weakness: size - it's a bit bulky, can eat batteries quickly!

I purchased this unit for use with a Nikon D70. The ability to bounce flash either from above or beside the subject is major step up from the limited options offered with the built in flash. For the CPU lens the flash automatically reads the zoom of the lens and confirms it on the easy to read display. If the unit is attached to the camera, it will power-up and down in conjunction with turning the camera off and on.

Getting more natural shots of people, instead of those created by head on flash illumination is great. The majority of the pictures that I take are daytime and outdoors, so deciding on this flash over the more expensive SB-800 made sense. Outdoors the use of fill flash can help better balance pictures that have a wide natural range between the lowlights and highlights.

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Nikon Speedlight SB-600 AF Flash Light

Strengths: Bounce effect - I like that I'm able to rotate the flash to bounce the light off of the wall or ceiling; Flash Control System; Batteries - AA instead of the 3V

Weakness: On high speed shooting, I can only get 4-5 shots with the flash. I then have to wait for it to reset. Not as robust as the more expensive sb-800 model.

This is the first flash that I actually bought and I'm happy with it so far. I've used other flashes for shoots and this one is definitely a keeper. The flash control system is a nice feature. I'm using it with a film SLR so I can't take advantage of all the features until I get a digital. It's not too heavy; and I am tempted to take advantage of the wireless feature, but we'll see.

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By member: fraczekp - Jan 18, 2005

Nikon Speedlight SB-600 AF Flash Light

Strengths: Functions, AA batteries and more...

Weakness: Bit bulky, head does not tilt down for close-up/macro shots, can not be used as a master unit when applied to the Advanced Wireless Lighting

Even though the main purpose of this unit was to accompany the D70 camera I use it (with much success) on my FM and N75. The functions of this flash are great -- the rotating head that can be tilted left and right, nice LCD with easy setup, built-in diffuser... All perfect to get the pictures looking more natural and well balanced with light. The only real drawback of the flash is that it is little bulky, but than again, if it wasn't it would not pack 4AAs that really cut down on the costs of using the flash. Second, the flash does not allow for simultaneous use of the built-in speed light along with it (like the 50dx does). Not a big deal I guess, after all the main idea behind buying this flash is to replace the one on the camera!

Overall, I find this unit a gem. Since I plan on acquiring the D70 (or alike) one day, this looks like a good unit that will not outgrow the technology (i-TTL) for the next 2-3 years. As an alternative, if you don't plan on owning the D70 (or alike), consider the 50DX for bit cheaper or if you can really afford it, go with the SB800 to get extra power (beyond 85mm -- max of this unit) and functions such as the ability to be the master flash unit. Either way, you won't be disappointed!

**EDITED**
Ah, don't forget to read the manual -- especially the part about firing your built-in light few times a month! After getting additional flash such as this one, built-in lights get abandoned! Using them once in a while prolongs the life of your built-in speedlight!!!

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Nikon Speedlight SB-600 AF Flash Light

Strengths: intergration w/ D70, quality of the I-TTL lighting system overall, compact size relative to power

Weakness: lack of external batt pack, inability to use as a master remote flash, head doesnt't swivel down like most nikon speedlights for macro work

Overall this is a great flash and intergrates well w/ the newest generation of Nikon digital SLRs. THe TTL control is the best I've ever seen, and the flash level adjustment is fantastic. I just wish Nikon and kept to the backwards compatabilty they're so famous for and let my SB-26 work as TTL for th D70.

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Nikon SB-600

Strengths: Nice compact flash that works seamlessly with Nikon cameras.

Weakness: Build quality may be questionable.

I will start that I love this flash. It performs well and has plenty of power for the non-pro user. If you have a nikon camera; stay with a nikon flash to take advantage of the compatability.

The only downside to this flash is maybe the build quality. I had to return two units before I got one that worked properly. One didn't flash at all and other had a broken on/off switch. Maybe just bad luck?

Overall I am very pleased with the flash.

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Nikon SB-600 --- Excellent Flash for D80

Strengths: Ease of use -- works great just letting it work on "auto" with the camera or you can set features. Great addition to photo quality and bounce ability is a plus.

Weakness: It is a little big on the camera - but easy to get used to. I have no real complaints.

I am very pleased with the pictures I have taken with this so far -- the bounce and angles I get with it have given me more photo oportunities than with the built-in flash. I looked at the SB-800 verses the Sb-600 and the differences were not worth the money unless you are a professional photographer. I would recommend this flash to the casual photographer or the pro -- it is just that good!

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A nice-to-have for all serious flash photographer

Strengths: Powerful and flexible. It has almost all the feature that most users would need. I also get addicted to its built-in wireless functionality.

Weakness: Does not come with color filters or other external diffusers.

I am using this SB-600 with my Nikon D300. Its built-in wireless sync function gives me the power to shoot my subject with multiple flashes without purchasing additional equipment. This makes my flash photography experience a lot more fun. Moreover, I find the SB-600 full speed auto-sync very useful when I want to use a high shutter speed with large aperture. This is a nice-to-have for any serious flash photographer.

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