cheap flash for a Nikon d3000. worried about trigger voltage.

[the.j129]

Hello! this is my first post..and i'm just a novice, so please forgive me for any mistakes I make here.

okay.. I'm looking to buy a flash for my nikon d3000. I'd like the guide number to be more than 20m at the minimum.

The inbuilt flash on the d3000 serves me brilliantly and I only need an external flash for some situations where I need more light. like at night, or parties and gatherings with insufficient light.

I'm worried about trigger voltage from Non-Nikon flashes... and i've read conflicting stuff on the internet..some say my camera supports 8v some say 250volts.. so i really don't know.

could you please recommend som flashes that would be cheap..but effective. since I'm not looking for something fancy.

what about these?- On Camera Flashes

so i guess my main questions boil down to-
1.I'm just looking for some recommendations in this range. (35-50)
2.whether they will be compatible with my d3000. in accordance with the trigger voltage
3.and finally what's iTTL? and how do these generic ones differ?

 

[MTVision]

Go to strobist.com and learn about off camera flash. Pictures taken with your built in flash don't usually look that great so I highly recommend reading up on lighting. Strobist also recommends flashes.

 

[sierramister]

1. I can't provide a recommendation because I don't use third-party flashes. 2. A flash that lists as compatible with Nikon TTL will work with the D3000. If you are concerned, or you just want to buy a really cool piece of inexpensive equipment that would eliminate any potential cross-circuiting, get a set of Cowboy Studio Wireless triggers ($25).

3. This is where it gets interesting. Nikon iTTL meters your scene and provides an good "guess" on the amount of flash you need for the scene. It is an autopilot for flash, and that is whats happening on your D3000. However, 99% of third-party flashes are NOT iTTL. You must set them manually. When I set manual flash, I'm stuck trying various combinations of flash output, shutter speed, and aperture (and sometimes ISO) to get a decent shot. It does take some practice, although it is do-able.

My suggestion: the SB-400.

 

[the.j129]

My suggestion: the SB-400.

if i had to buy a nikon one- that's the one i've decided to get.... BUT seeing as i'm probably going to use it once in a bluemoon, i'd rather get a cheaper one with a decent enough guide number...
Though the trigger voltage thing still worries me..and if anybody could shed some light on it, i'd really appreciate it.

how difficult is it to manually configure the flash? is it really worth the extra money?

 

[MTVision]

You can get some older nikon flashes to use manually. You can find then used for like 50+. If you checked out that link I posted it wouldve explained it all

 

[the.j129]

I'm still reading that link.. there's so much information...and i'm just a novice...so much of it doesn't even make sense to me.