Getting a Nikon d40x and have a ?

JulieLawsonPhotography

I'm going to be ordering my camera at the end of this week and I really want to get the sb800. It's a little more than I can spend right now and I found something on ebay that says it's an alternative flash for the sb800, sb600 and sb50. Are alternative flashes reliable, do they work as well as the real nikon flash? Any input that you can give would be helpful.

Thanks in advance,
Julie

nightowlcat

for my d50, till I can get the scratch together for the sb-800, I went with the SB-400, so far, so good.

ziggy53

Julie,

Since you haven't provided the information for us to know which alternate flash you looked at, there is no single answer for your question.

I would recommend the Sigma EF-500 DG Super NA i-TTL for Nikon. I have 2 of the Canon E-TTL version and I find it to be a very competent flash.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/352097-REG/Sigma_F149306_EF_500_DG_Super_Flash.html
http://www.sigma4less.com/sess/utn;jsessionid=1547b07ea9c1db4/shopdata/0020_Flashes/0010_Shoe+Mount+Flashes/product_details.shopscript?article=0290_Sigma%2BEF-500%2BDG%2BSuper%2BNA%2Bi-TTL%2BShoe%2BMount%2BFlash%2Bfor%2BNikon%2BAF%2Bwith%2Bi-TTL%2BOperation%2B%3D28SGEF500SUDNI%3D29

Otherwise, I recommend the Nikon SB-600 which lacks some of the advanced features of the SB-800, but still has enough power to be useful.

SloYerRoll

ziggy53 wrote:

Otherwise, I recommend the Nikon SB-600 which lacks some of the advanced features of the SB-800, but still has enough power to be useful.

Unless you have a need for the advanced settings. Your just spending extra money.

The differences between the SB-600 & SB -800 are minimal. For your use the SB-600 may be better since it has a longer battery life compared to it's big brother.

Make sure you buy nickel-hydride rechargeables now. Learn from all our mistakes that spent up to a few hundred before we saw the wisdom in rechargeable batteries.

Raphy

ziggy53 wrote:

Otherwise, I recommend the Nikon SB-600 which lacks some of the advanced features of the SB-800, but still has enough power to be useful.

+1 ... i was in the same boat... couldn't really afford the sb-600 and was considering the sb-400.....I'm VERY glad i got the sb-600 the left/right and up/down tilt alone makes is worth getting... I got mine with a rebate that nikon was offering until end of January and a gift card for my b-day so it made it a little easier to pull the trigger.

I highly recommend the SB-600

JulieLawsonPhotography

Thanks for the links. There really wasn't information for me to post with my original. I emailed the seller and all he provided me with was that the sb800 was stronger. So, because the seller was so vague, I'll not go that route. I did look that the REG/Sigma link and that looks like a really great deal.

ziggy53 wrote:

Julie,

Since you haven't provided the information for us to know which alternate flash you looked at, there is no single answer for your question.

I would recommend the Sigma EF-500 DG Super NA i-TTL for Nikon. I have 2 of the Canon E-TTL version and I find it to be a very competent flash.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/352097-REG/Sigma_F149306_EF_500_DG_Super_Flash.html
http://www.sigma4less.com/sess/utn;jsessionid=1547b07ea9c1db4/shopdata/0020_Flashes/0010_Shoe+Mount+Flashes/product_details.shopscript?article=0290_Sigma%2BEF-500%2BDG%2BSuper%2BNA%2Bi-TTL%2BShoe%2BMount%2BFlash%2Bfor%2BNikon%2BAF%2Bwith%2Bi-TTL%2BOperation%2B%3D28SGEF500SUDNI%3D29

Otherwise, I recommend the Nikon SB-600 which lacks some of the advanced features of the SB-800, but still has enough power to be useful.