What's Up with Nikon Speedlights?

[sween]

OK, I don't follow Nikon products day by day, mostly because I have enough already, not to mention having other things to do. However...

I was just cruisin' B&H looking to maybe buy a Speedlight as a present. What in hell happened to prices? The SB600 must have jumped about $40 in the last couple months and they no longer show the SB800. Instead, there's an SB900 that's nearly $500. Is the SB800 out of production?

Amazon still shows the SB800 but at $799! A few other on-line sellers have it at far more than that. Am I nuts?

I've been fond of Speedlights for a long time, but Nikon's pricing makes some third-party flashes look pretty darned good, especially since at least a few of them can deliver the same results.

Any thoughts?

 

[kundalini]

Nikon has decided to screw the pooch of late. All lens prices have jumped significantly and they discontinued production of the (best) SB-800. I'm just so happy that I got most of the gear I'll ever really need before the big FU.

I bought a used SB-800 from B&H a few months ago for a reasonable price. It does seem to be an older version of the one I already had.... but it works like a charm.

 

[Overread19 7]

I don't know about the SB800 but the price rises are from all the camera manufacturers - its because they are pretty much all based in Japan and whilst the £ and the $ have fallen in value the Yen has not - so we now have to pay more

 

[Sw1tchFX]

The SB-600 at $225 is still a pretty awesome deal considering the functionality, performance and that Canon's 430 EX is over $300.

 

[Phranquey]

I'm just so happy that I got most of the gear I'll ever really need before the big FU.

I hear you on that one...

I picked up a second 800 a few months before they announced it was discontinued. At the prices they are going for used on Ebay, I could sell one & pick up two 600's, but I think I would regret that later on down the road.

 

[kundalini]

^^ Phranquey.... keep the 800. I you want/need the 600, just buy it. As good as the 600 is, the 800 is that much better. I have no idea on the 900, but for 5 big, they can KMA.

 

[sween]

I hear you on that one...

I picked up a second 800 a few months before they announced it was discontinued. At the prices they are going for used on Ebay, I could sell one & pick up two 600's, but I think I would regret that later on down the road.

I get funky, inconsistent results at times with the 600. My 800 is far more intuitive, IMO. I think a Metz or Sunpak might be in my future. I have a couple Sunpak units from the good old film days, and found them to work quite fine.

Metz, once priced beyond some Speedlights, is starting to look more and more attractive.

 

[Sw1tchFX]

I hear you on that one...

I picked up a second 800 a few months before they announced it was discontinued. At the prices they are going for used on Ebay, I could sell one & pick up two 600's, but I think I would regret that later on down the road.

If I had an SB-800, that is exactly what I would do.

I don't really need the peanut slave, or the commander mode, the only two things that I might see myself using on the 800.

The extra 2/3rds stop more power would be nice, but gang up 2 SB600's and you've got a heck of alot more power then a single 800.

 

[benhasajeep51 49]

I just ordered 3 sb-600's and for the price I paid. I could have nearly bought 4 several months ago . I considered the SB-900 for a while but the price kept turning me off. Should have picked up a SB-800 while I had the chance. Now it's too late.

UPS actually tried to deliver the flashes 5 days early :shock:, the tracking said delivery on the 19th. They tried to deliver on Thursday and again Friday but no one home to sign for them. Was supposed to fly home today but thats not going to happen . Figured I would be home before they arrived. Going to have to wait till they try a third time on Monday, then the wife can go pick them up on Tuesday. For some reason when my wife calls the number to schedule them to hold items for pickup, it never works.

 

[Phranquey]

^^ Phranquey.... keep the 800. I you want/need the 600, just buy it. As good as the 600 is, the 800 is that much better. I have no idea on the 900, but for 5 big, they can KMA.

You're right, I've pretty much made up my mind that I will keep them both, but damn, it is tempting seeing used ones go for $400+ when I paid $275 & $290 for mine....

As far as the 900 goes, they can stick it, especially with all the overheating I have been reading about. Supposedly a software upgrade is helping with that, but to be their "top o' the line" unit, they screwed the pooch on that one. I know my 800's are time proven workhorses, and if one konks, I still have the other. So, yeah, if I need something in the future, what's another $225 after I add up in my head what's in my bag & studio....I really hate thinking about that number.

If I had an SB-800, that is exactly what I would do.

I don't really need the peanut slave, or the commander mode, the only two things that I might see myself using on the 800.

The extra 2/3rds stop more power would be nice, but gang up 2 SB600's and you've got a heck of alot more power then a single 800.

As stated above, it is/was tempting...but. I already have them, I know them, I know they work, and, hey, it's only a little more money....:er:

 

[Garbz]

I get funky, inconsistent results at times with the 600. My 800 is far more intuitive, IMO.

Inconsistent results is a worry seeing how it is the camera that meters, not the flash. All the flash does if fire a TTL preflash. The results between SB-800 and SB-600 should be identical assuming there is adequate power for the shot.

Nikon has decided to screw the pooch of late. All lens prices have jumped significantly and they discontinued production of the (best) SB-800.

Nope they discontinued the SB-800 because it was second best by a small margin. A much smaller margin than the price difference to the SB-900. Lets face it few here have considered the SB-900, and thus discontining it is just good business sense. Same reason they discontinues the Nikkor 80-200 AF-S, but left the 80-200 AF. The AF-S model ate into the Nikkor AF-S 70-200 sales, the AF was sufficently different.

They screwed the consumer, not the pooch