flash flash flash

[quad b]

hello...
i've been thinking lately about doing some portraits and i don't own a flash. i own a d70 and was looking at the sb-600 and 800. now, because i don't have any flash experience, would all you kind people let me know the major differences between these two and what i should be considering with flashes.

basically i just need help in deciding whether i need a flash or not, and if the sb-600 would do.

much appreciated...

 

[Big Mike]

I believe there was a thread last week, asking the same thing. Try a search. If not, this has be questioned many, many times and Google will turn up many results.

 

[fmw]

I won't get into a comparison of the two because the Nikon site will do that well enough. I will say that you should get an extension cord for it so that you can use it off-camera. The Nikon numbers are SC-28 and SC-29 for these cords. The last place you want your light source is at the camera.

 

[mysteryscribe]

to add only to fmw when i got the longer cord, I would look for an L bracket with a flip top so that you can turn your camera verticle and still bounce of the ceiling or a bounce card. Otherwise you will wind up shooting everything horizontal which isn't always the best use of pixels.

 

[kugy5]

here is a link to a flip bracket. that comes recomended by a coleage who shoots events and weddings, http://alzodigital.com/online_store/digital_camera_flip_flash_bracket.htm

 

[DepthAfield]

I will say that you should get an extension cord for it so that you can use it off-camera. The Nikon numbers are SC-28 and SC-29 for these cords.

I thought the D70 had a “Commander Mode”, making those extension cords obsolete…

 

[JIP]

I thought the D70 had a “Commander Mode”, making those extension cords obsolete…

not really because to use the ttl cords all you have to do is slip the flason the cord and hook the cord on the camera with commandermode you have to change several settings on both cam and flash and also use the pop-up flash as commander

 

[DepthAfield]

with commandermode you have to change several settings on both cam and flash and also use the pop-up flash as commander

A bit more button pushing using the Commander Mode, but the benefit of not having your speedlight leashed to the camera via a cable outweighs that minor inconvenience.