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nikon sb600 vs sb800



 
 
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  #1  
Old November 16th 07, 10:48 AM posted to rec.photo.digital.slr-systems
Bohemian
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Posts: 7
Default nikon sb600 vs sb800

Hi all... any thoughts appreciated...

Seems like the SB800 doesn't have more going for it to justify a price
difference of $150 (eg 180 vs 320 at amazon)

I will be using it on a D80, bouncing and/or diffusing, often and most
demanding application would be shooting performances from 20 feet
back (or so), often using my 55-200 VR lens which is great for
available light musicians but dancers are too blurry at the shutter
speeds required by available lighting.

Thanks in advance for any wisdom
  #2  
Old November 16th 07, 11:25 PM posted to rec.photo.digital.slr-systems
Neil Harrington[_2_]
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Posts: 699
Default nikon sb600 vs sb800


"bohemian" wrote in message
...
Hi all... any thoughts appreciated...

Seems like the SB800 doesn't have more going for it to justify a price
difference of $150 (eg 180 vs 320 at amazon)

I will be using it on a D80, bouncing and/or diffusing, often and most
demanding application would be shooting performances from 20 feet
back (or so), often using my 55-200 VR lens which is great for
available light musicians but dancers are too blurry at the shutter
speeds required by available lighting.

Thanks in advance for any wisdom


The SB-600 is a terrific bargain at the price, no doubt about it. And it's
smaller and lighter than the SB-800. I have both, and it's usually the
SB-600 that I take with me when I'm going to need a flash. (I seldom use the
flash built in to the camera.)

Apart from its extra power, the SB-800 does have some nice features the
SB-600 doesn't have, like a built-in white card, Commander mode, the ability
to tilt down slightly for close-ups, the ability to add a fifth AA cell for
faster recycling, etc. But I don't think any of those are terribly important
for the average user. A white card you can easily add yourself with a bit of
paper and a rubber band, and your D80 has Commander mode built in. The
SB-800 also comes with a snap-on diffuser, but you can buy a Sto-Fen
diffuser for the SB-600 for about $17 that's similar and works very well.

If no special reason to get the SB-800 occurs to you, then get the SB-600.
If you decide at some later date that you do want an SB-800, you can buy one
and you'll already have the SB-600 to use with it as a remote flash, which
by then you would probably want anyway.

Also, you can download the user manuals for both of these flash units from
www.nikon.usa.com. This is a good way to learn all about the features of
both.

Neil


  #3  
Old November 17th 07, 06:30 PM posted to rec.photo.digital.slr-systems
ASAAR
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Posts: 6,057
Default nikon sb600 vs sb800

On Fri, 16 Nov 2007 17:25:07 -0500, Neil Harrington wrote:

Apart from its extra power, the SB-800 does have some nice features the
SB-600 doesn't have, like a built-in white card, Commander mode, the ability
to tilt down slightly for close-ups, the ability to add a fifth AA cell for
faster recycling, etc. But I don't think any of those are terribly important
for the average user. A white card you can easily add yourself with a bit of
paper and a rubber band, and your D80 has Commander mode built in. The
SB-800 also comes with a snap-on diffuser, but you can buy a Sto-Fen
diffuser for the SB-600 for about $17 that's similar and works very well.

If no special reason to get the SB-800 occurs to you, then get the SB-600.
If you decide at some later date that you do want an SB-800, you can buy one
and you'll already have the SB-600 to use with it as a remote flash, which
by then you would probably want anyway.


You're right, most users would be fine with the SB-600. But to be
slightly more complete it should be noted that the SB-800 is more
powerful, has an external power socket and (unless I'm mistaken) has
a more flexible commander mode than the D-80. If one expects to
have multiple flash units there would be a cost advantage if some
are SB-600s. But there are also advantages to having all SB-800s,
in that you'd only have to learn to use and become familiar with the
idiosyncrasies of one flash unit, and you wouldn't have to worry
that if one speedlight dies, you might be stuck without a speedlight
that could function as a commander. There would be other
considerations (pro and con) for the SB-600 and SB-800 if the camera
they'd be used with was smaller, commander-less D40.

  #4  
Old November 18th 07, 05:19 AM posted to rec.photo.digital.slr-systems
Neil Harrington
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Posts: 2,001
Default nikon sb600 vs sb800


"ASAAR" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 16 Nov 2007 17:25:07 -0500, Neil Harrington wrote:

Apart from its extra power, the SB-800 does have some nice features the
SB-600 doesn't have, like a built-in white card, Commander mode, the
ability
to tilt down slightly for close-ups, the ability to add a fifth AA cell
for
faster recycling, etc. But I don't think any of those are terribly
important
for the average user. A white card you can easily add yourself with a bit
of
paper and a rubber band, and your D80 has Commander mode built in. The
SB-800 also comes with a snap-on diffuser, but you can buy a Sto-Fen
diffuser for the SB-600 for about $17 that's similar and works very well.

If no special reason to get the SB-800 occurs to you, then get the
SB-600.
If you decide at some later date that you do want an SB-800, you can buy
one
and you'll already have the SB-600 to use with it as a remote flash,
which
by then you would probably want anyway.


You're right, most users would be fine with the SB-600. But to be
slightly more complete it should be noted that the SB-800 is more
powerful,


Yes, since the OP indicates that he'll be using it "bouncing and/or
diffusing," the extra power might be useful to him -- or not, depending
largely on the height and reflectivity of the ceiling, which we don't know.
At about the distance he mentions and a moderately high, peaked, white
ceiling, I've had good bounce results with the SB-600.


has an external power socket and (unless I'm mistaken) has
a more flexible commander mode than the D-80.


Personally I don't expect ever to use the external power socket on my SB-800
and my guess is only a tiny percentage of users ever do. I haven't used
Commander mode enough to know if the SB-800 has more capabilities in that
mode than the D80 body, but you may very well be right.


If one expects to
have multiple flash units there would be a cost advantage if some
are SB-600s. But there are also advantages to having all SB-800s,
in that you'd only have to learn to use and become familiar with the
idiosyncrasies of one flash unit, and you wouldn't have to worry
that if one speedlight dies, you might be stuck without a speedlight
that could function as a commander. There would be other
considerations (pro and con) for the SB-600 and SB-800 if the camera
they'd be used with was smaller, commander-less D40.


Sure, but we know the OP doesn't have a D40, and he probably isn't even
concerned about Commander mode anyway at the present time.

Neil


  #5  
Old November 18th 07, 08:59 AM posted to rec.photo.digital.slr-systems
ASAAR
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Posts: 6,057
Default nikon sb600 vs sb800

On Sat, 17 Nov 2007 23:19:36 -0500, Neil Harrington wrote:

There would be other
considerations (pro and con) for the SB-600 and SB-800 if the camera
they'd be used with was smaller, commander-less D40.


Sure, but we know the OP doesn't have a D40, and he probably isn't even
concerned about Commander mode anyway at the present time.


Sure, that's the reason why "would be" . . . "if" was used. Not
everyone reading this thread has a D80. In my case it's a D50,
slightly larger than a D40 but fairly similar, at least from a
speedlight's perspective. Left unsaid were considerations such as
these bodies having no commander mode, being top heavy enough when
used with the larger SB-800 to justify getting a bracket, etc.
Thanks also for mentioning that the SB-600 doesn't offer the slight
downward tilt. When I first started using the SB-800 I thought that
it was defective until I figured out that it didn't behave quite the
same way when the head was tilted down.

  #6  
Old November 18th 07, 02:50 PM posted to rec.photo.digital.slr-systems
Neil Harrington
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 2,001
Default nikon sb600 vs sb800


"ASAAR" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 17 Nov 2007 23:19:36 -0500, Neil Harrington wrote:

There would be other
considerations (pro and con) for the SB-600 and SB-800 if the camera
they'd be used with was smaller, commander-less D40.


Sure, but we know the OP doesn't have a D40, and he probably isn't even
concerned about Commander mode anyway at the present time.


Sure, that's the reason why "would be" . . . "if" was used. Not
everyone reading this thread has a D80. In my case it's a D50,
slightly larger than a D40 but fairly similar, at least from a
speedlight's perspective. Left unsaid were considerations such as
these bodies having no commander mode, being top heavy enough when
used with the larger SB-800 to justify getting a bracket, etc.
Thanks also for mentioning that the SB-600 doesn't offer the slight
downward tilt. When I first started using the SB-800 I thought that
it was defective until I figured out that it didn't behave quite the
same way when the head was tilted down.


The SB-800 is one marbelous piece of design and engineering, no doubt about
it. It'll be a while before I understand mine fully enough to really exploit
its capabilities.

Neil


  #7  
Old November 19th 07, 05:19 PM posted to rec.photo.digital.slr-systems
Neil Harrington[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 699
Default nikon sb600 vs sb800


"Yoshi" wrote in message
...

"bohemian" wrote in message
...
Hi all... any thoughts appreciated...

Seems like the SB800 doesn't have more going for it to justify a price
difference of $150 (eg 180 vs 320 at amazon)

I will be using it on a D80, bouncing and/or diffusing, often and most
demanding application would be shooting performances from 20 feet
back (or so), often using my 55-200 VR lens which is great for
available light musicians but dancers are too blurry at the shutter
speeds required by available lighting.

Thanks in advance for any wisdom


Apparently you've never used an SB-800.


Presumably that's why he's asking for advice.

Neil


 




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