The Epitome of Nikon Flash Innovation

The SB-800 flash is the latest in a series of excellent flash attachments provided to users of Nikon cameras and it is a flash unit that has benefited from all of the collective knowledge accumulated by this company as it perfected its imaging products.

As the latest and most powerful strobe unit offered by Nikon, the SB-800 is fully compatible with all existing digital and film SLR cameras manufactured by the company. For users of the Nikon D70, D70s, D2H, D2Hs, D2X, D2Xs, D200 and the as yet to be released D80, this strobe (or its less capable and expensive sibling the SB-600) is MANDATORY due to the design interfaces between these digital cameras and the strobe units.

This flash was also designed to provide maximum capability for Nikon's newest flagship film camera body, the F6 (probably the last in the line since Nikon announced the near elimination of their film camera lines earlier this year).

THE MAIN FEATURES OF THIS FLASH:

In addition to the full compatibility for the Nikon models listed above, this flash provides i-TTL (for intelligent Through The Lens) balanced fill flash, Digital Through The Lens, Auto Aperture Fill Flash for older Nikon digital bodies and Non-TTL fill flash for older Nikon film camera bodies.

This flash can serve as a "COMMANDER" flash unit for those photographers who have set up a series of other, off-camera flash units. This function, a real advantage to photographers not possessing studio type strobes, also assists with multiple flash shooting while on location and is provided through 'wireless control' of the off-camera strobe units.

The on-camera Commander strobe features provided by this flash allow for individual settings for each of three banks/groups of strobes, allowing the photographer almost infinite possibilities for the control of flash output, another real creative lighting advantage not previously available.

FOUR FREQUENCY CHANNELS: prevent the commander flash from inadvertently setting off other photographer's flash units. This is an especially appreciated feature when one is shooting with other Nikon wielding photographers at fashion shows, press conferences, news events and so on.

Flash Value Lock: permits the maintenance of Flash Value for correct exposure of your image while zooming in or out or while changing positions relative to your subject. This is a really nice capability for those of us who "zoom with our feet," especially during those times when a prime lens is mounted on the camera body.

Auto FP High Speed Sync Mode: This feature delivers fill flash in bright light (daylight) up to a shutter speed of 1/8000 second (with cameras possessing this high a shutter speed).

Distance Priority Manual Mode: this feature controls the output power based on the distance and aperture settings chosen on the camera by the photographer.

Modeling Flash: like the SB-80 strobe it replaced, the newer SB-800 offers the user modeling flash, a feature that permits the photographer to determine where shadows will fall BEFORE firing the strobe.

LCD Screen: on the back of the flash is dot matrix and easy to read. Even without reading the user's manual, the interface is fairly intuitive, thereby allowing the new user to employ the flash within minutes of taking it out of the box and inserting batteries.


OTHER NICETIES AND INCLUDED ACCESSORIES:

With this flash unit, Nikon provides some really nice to have accessories that enhance your usage of this strobe.

Also included:

An SD-800 quick recycling battery pack. This is a small pack that holds an additional AA battery. It is installed by removing the normal door that covers the 4 battery compartment and inserting it (and the fifth battery) in its place. Nikon claims that this fifth battery reduces recycling time by more than 50%. Having used mine, I'd have to agree and it also provides additional flashes BEYOND the approximately 130 Nikon believes will be provided by normal alkaline batteries.

SJ-800 Color Filter Set: contains two different color gel filters. One is for balancing tungsten lighting and the other for balancing fluorescent lighting

SW-10H Diffusion Dome: the Nikon designed and provided dome. This opague piece of plastic snaps on over the fresnel lens on the front of the strobe and is used to soften flash output (and shadows resulting therefrom).

AS-19 Speedlight Stand: very useful and necessary for multiple strobe unit set-ups. This stand is provided with each SB-800 sold and negates the need for the use of the more costly SU-4 Slave Units needed for prior generation strobes used in multiple flash set-ups. This little stand also includes a tripod connector which permits the flash to be connected to various brand tripods for near infinite mounting combinations, again without the need for hard wired flash connections.

ADDITIONAL SPECIFICATIONS:

Guide Number (at ISO 100) in feet/meters: 38/125 at 35 mm setting to 56/184 at 105 mm setting (this is regardless of digital or film body usage).

Flash Coverage: Auto 24 to 105 mm zoom. 14/17 with the built in flash adapter. To 14 mm with the diffusion dome provided.

Bounce: Strobe head tilts downward to -7 degrees and up to 90 degrees. The head rotates on the horizontal axis to 180 degrees to the left and 90 degrees to the right.

ISO range for this unit: ISO 25 to ISO 1000.

Min. recycling time: approx. 2.9 sec. (Manual with Ni-MH AA batteries and the Quick recycle Battery pack attached, i.e. with 5 batteries). Recycling time increases (according to Nikon to approx 6 seconds with four alkaline AA batteries in the strobe unit.

Min. # of flashes (according to Nikon) 130. I have found that I normally receive UPWARDS of 150-165 flashes per battery set.

Unit Size Dimensions: 2.8" x 5.1 x 3.7"

Weight (w/o batteries): 12.3 ounces. With FOUR batteries installed: Approx. 1 lb.

Nikon's product # for this unit: 4801


My In-Use Observations:

This strobe is without a doubt the FINEST and MOST ADVANCED strobe provided to Nikon SLR users since the introduction of the Nikon F 35 mm film SLR in 1959. And it should be because it is also the company's most EXPENSIVE unit to date. At almost $350 per strobe, depending on where this item is purchased, this flash, like most other Nikon accessories is an expensive proposition. It also is the direct result of Nikon's company propensity for designing new products that all but demand a follow-on accessory upgrade.

For the cameras that I mentioned at the beginning of this review, this flash unit is MANDATORY. I do not use that word lightly! Using an older generation Nikon flash, even one as new as the SB-80DX could subject cameras like the D70, D70s, D2H, D2Hs, D2X, D2Xs, the D200 and the as yet to be released D80 to internal circuit damage, primarily as the result of voltage differentials between these cameras and older flash units.

I cannot say this EMPHATICALLY OR LOUDLY ENOUGH!!!!!

If you have one of the cameras listed, do NOT use OLDER FLASH UNITS! Buy the SB-800 or its less expensive (and capable sibling, the SB-600).

I have used my two SB-800s in the multiple flash scenarios described earlier and they worked impeccably! I have also used one unit as a "Commander" flash to fire older generation Nikon flashes to include an SB-80, two SB-50DXs and a single SB-28DX. All of the older flashes received the electronic firing command generated by the on-camera SB-800 strobe. The results I received were exactly what I planned for. I have employed the set-up on both my Nikon F100 film camera bodies and my newer D200 prior to my deployment to Iraq.

While overseas for personal use, I have tended to stick with one F100 and an older N90s and shoot film. The backwards compatibility of this unit is consistent with Nikon company policy for its lighting systems. Newer units ALWAYS work with older cameras. It is truly unfortunate that Nikon does not engineer its newer camera bodies to enable utilization of older strobe units.

When using government owned D2X digital camera bodies, this strobe is truly amazing and maximizes EVERY capability designed into Nikon's digital SLR flagship. When used in a multiple flash set-up, as demonstrated by Nikon staff photographer JOE MCNALLY, this is truly an amazing lighting tool (especially when used in concert with the D2X and D2Xs).

During the early part of this year, I purchased from Nikon military sales my first ever digital body, a new D200. the purchase of that camera necessitated the additional expenditure for the SB-800 Flash. Now that I have a camera body and flash that are designed to complement one another, I am almost always pleased with the final results.

Higher end Nikon digital camera bodies, as well as the F6 all but demand the best flash units available. If you own a D70 or newer body, you should be using this flash to obtain the best from your camera and your own personal photographic vision.


It may be expensive, but once used, you will realize that this is an all but indispensable tool in the Nikon photographer's camera bag.