ok, so admittedly I know nothing about flashes. What's all this hype about the SB700 about? Teach me!

+1

poster said:
You people amaze me. Seriously. Go to the store and check it out yourself. The menu system is fine. It's easy and it's not a labyrinth of dead end alleys. Sure SB 900 is so much better in it's design, but are you really sure that you need all of that power. For people who won't be shooting to make a living, SB 600 will be more than adequate. But by all means go ahead and get yourself SB 900 because "you read somewhere something".

You people amaze me. Seriously. Go to the store and check it out yourself. The menu system is fine. It's easy and it's not a labyrinth of dead end alleys. Sure SB 900 is so much better in it's design, but are you really sure that you need all of that power. For people who won't be shooting to make a living, SB 600 will be more than adequate. But by all means go ahead and get yourself SB 900 because "you read somewhere something".

I was quite worried about the menu system when i got my SB-600 but depending on the use the concern is overblown.

I have a D60, therefore no commander mode and the menu system seems just fine. all i really care about is changing power, zoom and checking underexposure levels. All of this is obvious

Im assuming the CLS stuff is a pain, but if you don't need it, the menu seems fine to me.

My reading on the SB600 suggests the menu system is less than friendly and that the SB900 is a much more consumer-friendly piece of hardware.

I need a flash now so I'm tethered to actually buying one before the SB700 release -- this means that I'm likely to buy an SB900 and either stick with it or downgrade by selling it later and buying a (hopefully smaller) SB700 when it's released.

Yeech. That last post is less articulate than my earlier one. It's too late on a Friday afternoon.

Jonny - in my experience the pop up flash does not have the CLS range that the D800 or D900 has. In a studio or close in setting, no problem. Once you collect a few flashes, and want to place them in creative locations, the pop up becomes less effective.

What I really probably should have said was, if you plan on doing multi-flash work, it would be a good idea to have at least one 800 or 900 (or SU800), to obtain maximal flexibility of the system.

It was so much easier to just say, buy the 600 but be awaare that it can not work as a commander flash.

Oh, D80 D90 D200 D300 and D700 series cameras have built in commander mode.

People buying a single SB-600 couldn't use it in commander mode if it had it since they'd have nothing else to control. Just curious, which cameras don't do commander mode for CLS?

Yeah - I couldn't wait any longer and got the SB600. BUT I am not using it as my primary flash. Be aware that it can not operate as a Master flash to run a CLS setup. If you don't need that, then no big deal.

My advice, for what it's worth, is to get the SB600 now. If Nikon ever actually comes out with the SB700, you can pick one up to be your primary flash and use the 600 as a secondary. SB900 is nice, and I'm not really that concerned about the overheating issue, but it is BIG.

Thank you all. Till next time.

NikoDoby said:
Don't EVAR open up a flash unit if you don't know what you're doing. You can get a bad shock even if you take the batteries out!

x2

Indeed, I would advise that if you do decide to open your flash at any point, make sure it discharges completely beforehand. Take out the batteries and let the flash's capacitors discharge. I let it sit for few days just in case.

I most certainly would. I can wait on a lot of things.

Don't EVAR open up a flash unit if you don't know what you're doing. You can get a bad shock even if you take the batteries out!

Let me tell you something about the warranty for flash. It's useless. My flash was broken. I went to see how much it would cost to be repaired. And I got a price quote of $150. That's pretty much how much a flash SB600 cost here(used) I was so pissed that I opened the flash up myself and fixed the little thing myself.

Honestly don't wait fro SB 700 if you need flash now, just get the SB600. They work like a charm.

I have a Nikon Sb 28 that works great. It's been through hell. Still works. These flashes are workhorse just get one and call it a day.

We've been waiting for an SB700 since 2008 :^(

Just get a SB-600 or SB-900. They are both quite good. I have 3 SB-600's and I love them all.

Ask warprints about the SB-700. ;-)
then: http://nikonrumors.com/forum/topic.php?id=28
now: http://nikonrumors.com/forum/topic.php?id=1672#post-28619

Hi All,
Any idea on the ETA of the SB700 and how much it will be?

I have a D700 and want to buy the correct flash to suit my camera.

The other thing is, I live in Australia and all professional DSLR equipment is quit expensive here. I have bought tripods and accessories from Adorama but I'm concerned about the warranty for a flash.

I guess my next question would be how may of you have had problems or faults with your SB900, would it be safe so save $200 dollars and buy it overseas?
Cheers for your input