Nikon flash advice

Ste_S

Well-known
Local time
11:22 AM
Joined
Aug 10, 2017
Messages
402
I'm possibly looking for another Nikon speedlight to use on the street for low light/night time to take street portraits. For use with Nikon af cameras.

I'll probably be using on camera to start with as I like to hold the camera with both hands. Current options are pop up for those cameras that have it and I have a SB30.
I also have a SB800, which is a great flash. However it overbalances some of the smaller SLRs I have, and I don't need to bounce so much on the street.

I have seen the SB23 which seems compact enough and has more power and (non annoying) af assist over a pop-up flash and also the SB30.

Thoughts ?
 
Should of probably stated this is for film (F65, F80, F4). I don't think the 300 and 400 work with film cameras.
 
Should of probably stated this is for film (F65, F80, F4). I don't think the 300 and 400 work with film cameras.

You are correct.

My SB-400 worked very well with my Nikon digital cameras; however, it did not work on my Nikon 35mm SLR cameras (F2, F4, N70), my 35mm film rangefinder cameras, or my medium format film cameras.
 
The SB-27 is funky but lightweight and has a decent guide number. Perfect for the program of the F4 and it's contemporaries.
Phil Forrest
 
I have a Nikon SB-28, and it has worked well enough on both a Nikon D750 digital, and any film camera that I have connected it to.

Steve W
 
I have two x Nikon SB-28 that I use in auto/manual mode and/or with Flash Wave III TX/RX as an inexpensive manual off camera solution. Maybe hard to find these flash units, but IMHO worth the effort... With the aforementioned trigger/receiver they work on many different cameras. I am using them with my F3P (hot shoe or wireless) and MP (wireless).
 
Are you sure? Those flash units are not backward compatible with a film SLR hotshoe?

They are probably compatible in manual mode (if they have such), but based on the reading I've been doing lately, of newer flashes, only the SB-600 and SB-800 are fully compatible with film camera TTL metering.

Something from Metz or Sunpack might be a possibility too. I've been working a lot with my SB-16 lately, it works well, and it has a fill flash tube which is a nice feature, but it's similar in size to an SB-800.
 
As these are all fairly early AF cameras, any flash from the SB24 up should be fully compatible with the lot.
 
Back
Top Bottom