What Would You Suggest?

baturn · Dec 13, 2015

I have an SB-600 that no longer works. It doesn't turn on at all. I have neither the funds nor the desire to purchase a new replacement Nikon product. Would it be better (not necessarily the most cost effective) to have it repaired or replace it with one of the less expensive brands?

SCraig · Dec 13, 2015

Check the battery contacts down in the battery chamber. They will sometimes flatten and when the batteries are put in they don't reach all the way to the contact in the battery door. A plastic knitting needle can be used to pull them up.

When mine did that I read somewhere that just whacking it against your hand sometimes fixed the problem. It worked fine with mine.

Derrel · Dec 13, 2015

Also, try different battery brands. I once had the oddest experience: Duracell Coppertops would *****not**** power up either of two Nikon MD-12 motor drives, while Everyready Energizers would power the MD-12's just fine. The difference as I could ascertain at that time ('86 or '87) was that the brand that worked had a very tiny little bump, almost nipple-like, on the positive contacts, which made a set of two batteries end-to-end just a tiny bit longer overall. The MD-12 took four sets of two, which layed in a horizontal orientation in the battery chamber. I had ALWAYS bought Energizers, but there was a big sale on Coppertops, so I bought a large supply of them on sale, took them home, and loaded up all three of my cameras with them...and the two MD-12 units would NOT function, but the Nikon F3's MD-4 DID work with them!! This was a perplexing and memorable scenario.

I noticed subsequent to that,over a couple of decades, that "some" Asian-market manufactured batteries had this tiny,tiny little nipple on them, while most domestic USA-market batteries were a totally flat on their positive contacts.

jaomul · Dec 13, 2015

If it's broke a yongnuo yn 568 ex should do the trick

baturn · Dec 13, 2015

SCraig said:
Check the battery contacts down in the battery chamber. They will sometimes flatten and when the batteries are put in they don't reach all the way to the contact in the battery door. A plastic knitting needle can be used to pull them up.

When mine did that I read somewhere that just whacking it against your hand sometimes fixed the problem. It worked fine with mine.

Derrel said:
Also, try different battery brands. I once had the oddest experience: Duracell Coppertops would *****not**** power up either of two Nikon MD-12 motor drives, while Everyready Energizers would power the MD-12's just fine. The difference as I could ascertain at that time ('86 or '87) was that the brand that worked had a very tiny little bump, almost nipple-like, on the positive contacts, which made a set of two batteries end-to-end just a tiny bit longer overall. The MD-12 took four sets of two, which layed in a horizontal orientation in the battery chamber. I had ALWAYS bought Energizers, but there was a big sale on Coppertops, so I bought a large supply of them on sale, took them home, and loaded up all three of my cameras with them...and the two MD-12 units would NOT function, but the Nikon F3's MD-4 DID work with them!! This was a perplexing and memorable scenario.

I noticed subsequent to that,over a couple of decades, that "some" Asian-market manufactured batteries had this tiny,tiny little nipple on them, while most domestic USA-market batteries were a totally flat on their positive contacts.

If either of you are correct, I'll shoot myself. I've been dwelling on this problem for a couple of years. "shoot my self" will be with aD7100.

Derrel · Dec 13, 2015

Here in my town there's a used SB-600 listed for $79 at a big pro photo supply house, which seems like an okay price. That seems like a fair price for such a flash. I'm not the person to ask about third-party speedlights, and I have never had to repair a speedlight, which is why I didn't offer any comment on that part of your OP. I really hope it's just something super-simple, like the contacts not making good enough contact due to being a bit bent down.

goodguy · Dec 13, 2015

jaomul said:
If it's broke a yongnuo yn 568 ex should do the trick

"Jaomul" is correct, Yongnuo 568EX is a fantastic flash and great value for money.
I have one and I am very happy with it.

greatchimney · Dec 13, 2015

baturn said:
I have an SB-600 that no longer works. It doesn't turn on at all. I have neither the funds nor the desire to purchase a new replacement Nikon product. Would it be better (not necessarily the most cost effective) to have it repaired or replace it with one of the less expensive brands?

Hi, I suggest that you have it check first by an expert in repairing a camera then if it will cost too much and then I guess, it would be better to replace it even with a less expensive ones as long as the one that you would purchase is better than what you have now.

tirediron · Dec 13, 2015

Yep, definitely try the "whack it against your palm" SB600 fix; I have one that needs this on a regular basis, but if that doesn't work, and it truly is dead, then I would look at some of the YN models.

desertrattm2r12 · Dec 14, 2015

When I was beginning in the pro professional world in the early 1960s I rarely bought Nikon (Nikon F was THE camera for news photography then) lenses and strobes. I bought Vivitar and Spiratone and Sears and Soligor brands. I have a truly swell photo of the Beatles at a "secret" press conference during their first tour of the West Coast and it was taken with a Spiratone 105mm f2,5 pre-set lens. You set the f stop where you wanted it to be then there was another ring you turned to open the lens up all the way to focus then you had to turn the ring back down to your pre-selected fstop to take the photo. An extra step, but much cheaper than a Nikon lens. I generally used that lens wide open, at f2.8 so didn't have to worry about the pre-set thingamabob. You don't need all the most expensive cameras with all the bells and whistles if you look around at what camera will do what you need done.