sb-400 or sb-600?

Tbini87

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Hey guys. I have been looking into some gear lately and have noticed some talk of using better flash than the flash that comes on my D40. I am relatively new to photography and mostly shoot landscape, but my wife likes shooting people and especially babies. I was wondering how helpful/useful a speedflash like the sb400 or sb600 would be.

Also, if a speedlight is necessary, would you recommend the sb-400, the sb-600, or something else altogether? I currently am using a D40. I don't want to spend a ton of money on a flash, but also don't want to wish that i had more power and options in a couple of months if i went with something basic like the sb400. Any recommendations and information would be great! Thanks.
 
welcome to the wonderful world of flash photography where you actually DRAW your subject :)

SB400 is a prettier version of your built in flash. It is more powerful but in terms of quality of the light = builtin (ok in a jam).
sb600 - allow you to ratate the head => so called directionality --> ability to shoot in somewhat of a ratio thus your image won't be flat and boring.
I'd recommend sb800 if you can find one - its more powerful them 600 but offers extra shooting options which in my opinion are more power/output consistent then ttl.
sb900 - its a 50/50 thing with some ppl loving it and other cursing at it for it shut-off tenancies.

There are some generic units out there with ttl capabilities, but again its a matter of preference to use those or not. Some ppl like them and others hate them.
 
welcome to the wonderful world of flash photography where you actually DRAW your subject :)

SB400 is a prettier version of your built in flash. It is more powerful but in terms of quality of the light = builtin (ok in a jam).
sb600 - allow you to ratate the head => so called directionality --> ability to shoot in somewhat of a ratio thus your image won't be flat and boring.
I'd recommend sb800 if you can find one - its more powerful them 600 but offers extra shooting options which in my opinion are more power/output consistent then ttl.
sb900 - its a 50/50 thing with some ppl loving it and other cursing at it for it shut-off tenancies.

There are some generic units out there with ttl capabilities, but again its a matter of preference to use those or not. Some ppl like them and others hate them.


Pretty much sums it up.

I would personally find an SB-800. It's a great flash and is just the right size. The 900 is huge! Or at least in my opinion it is. The 800 is powerful, has a ton of features, and is a great starting point!
 
welcome to the wonderful world of flash photography where you actually DRAW your subject :)

SB400 is a prettier version of your built in flash. It is more powerful but in terms of quality of the light = builtin (ok in a jam).
sb600 - allow you to ratate the head => so called directionality --> ability to shoot in somewhat of a ratio thus your image won't be flat and boring.
I'd recommend sb800 if you can find one - its more powerful them 600 but offers extra shooting options which in my opinion are more power/output consistent then ttl.
sb900 - its a 50/50 thing with some ppl loving it and other cursing at it for it shut-off tenancies.

There are some generic units out there with ttl capabilities, but again its a matter of preference to use those or not. Some ppl like them and others hate them.

thanks. i am shooting on a D40, so spending more on a flash than i did on my body is way out of my league right now. maybe i should pass on upgrading my flash for now and save for a bigger one? the 600 is def at the top of my budget atm.
 
The SB-400 can be tilted up so it can be bounced off a ceiling, but it can't be swiveled so the flash can still be bounced when the camera is rotated to the portrait mode.

So while an improvement over the built-in flash, for what it costs the SB-400 is still pretty limiting.

That's why the SB-600 is so often recommended. It has enough versatility to be a better value in the long run.

IMO Nikon kind of shot themselves in the foot with the SB-900 and it's cost, but I'm sure it helped SB-600 sales.

In all honesty, the features and capabilities of the SB-800 are usually lost on shooters that basically use their dSLR as a fancy P&S camera.

By the way, the camera body is usually the least expensive major component of a quality photo set-up.
 
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^^ i agree, body is cheapest, lenses are most expensive
 
The SB-400 can be tilted up so it can be bounced off a ceiling, but it can't be swiveled so the flash can still be bounced when the camera is rotated to the portrait mode.

So while an improvement over the built-in flash, for what it costs the SB-400 is still pretty limiting.

That's why the SB-600 is so often recommended. It has enough versatility to be a better value in the long run.

IMO Nikon kind of shot themselves in the foot with the SB-900 and it's cost, but I'm sure it helped SB-600 sales.

In all honesty, the features and capabilities of the SB-800 are usually lost of shooters that basically use their dSLR as a fancy P&S camera.

By the way, the camera body is usually the least expensive major component of a quality photo set-up.

thanks. i am def leaning towards the 600 since i don't want to be constantly wishing i had the 600 while using the 400.
 

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