Nikon SB 600 Shoe Mount Flash

As a pro-photographer, for many years, I have previously used the Metz45 professional flash.

After switching to Digital Nikons, first trying the Coolpix 5700 & later "maturing" to the D-50,
(I stopped doing pro-jobs, by then)I I searched for a SMALL, quick, but flexible flash. I bought the SB-600 on Ebay for $182 & was surprised at its small size.
Yet the performance & flexibility are the REAL innovation: it weighs next to nothing & is small enough to be packed in a side-pocket. The possibility to swivel, turn-around & literally aim at almost ANY angle PLUS the speed of filling the capacitor [for the next shot] surprised me, after years of having to wait... and wait. Yet the most amazing fact about this Not-professional-looking flash was its PERFORMANCE - the "TTL effect", if you like, is quite a lot more than I expected.
I use my D-50 [mostly] in its Program Mode - it enables most simply to shoot with "under" or "over" exposures, divided into 1/2 or 1/3 f-stop very easily. The SB-600 is SO precise, in its response to these minute changes, that shooting with the flash feels almost "natural" - with hardly any sense of added inconvenience.
A small, sturdy, solid feel & a precise, easy to aim to almost ANY direction, makes this the BEST TTL I ever had.
The price has changed little over the last few years, but while the smaller model [SB-400] is a bit too "limited", the prices for the stronger models [SB-800 and above] are quite a lot higher...
and for MOST photographers - not really necessary. For its price, precision, ease-of-use & speed,
this is the BEST Nikon TTL flash for the money!!! No competition at all, in fact. Try to get it for less than $200 & you will be very happy with all it can do.

The SB-600 is a great flash. While not as functional as the much more expensive SB-800 and 900 units, the SB-600 can do a lot of things.

*Bounce and tilt allowing you to diffuse the light or aim it for whatever photographic effects you are going for. This really can make the difference between harsh direct light from the pop up or cheaper flashes, and the softer more even lighting from professional shots.

*High speed sync (on select cameras) is another great thing. This also works in remote mode as well.

* Remote mode. I love these SB-600 to use as remotes. You can control the SB-600 speedlight from select cameras or from an SB-800 or 900. Since you can easily buy 2 600's for the price of an 800, it makes a lot of sense to buy 600's.

* Color balancing. This flash takes Nikon color gels (avialable seperately) allowing you to avoid ugly color shifts between the forground and the background. Your pop up flash probably doesn't do that. For example, if you are shooting some people in an office building, the people will look the proper color, but further back, you'll see a green cast to the picture. These color gels are another thing that really helps improve the look of your photos.

I'd highly recommend this flash to anyone. If you are an amatuer, then this is a great flash to start out with. The more expensive 800 or 900 should be saved for later IF you want to use the 600's as a remote outside. If you are a pro, especially using remotes or studio lights, buy some of these for your work. I can use these on location when shooting skateboarders and other extreme stunters; try doing that with cords and batteries running all over the place.


My only caveat, and this really isn't the flash's fault, is that your onboard pop up, if it has a commander mode, is generally useless outside. I'd recommend getting the 800 or 900 to use as a commander. If you do that, you will have tremendous freedom to position the 600's where you see fit. Radio poppers not required!

I've got 4 of these things now and I really like them.

In my nearly 40-years of experience with Nikon products, I have always been pleased with the quality & durability of camera bodies & lenses. This is my first Nikon flash unit, purchased specifically because it electronically integrates with my new Nikon D5000 DSLR. To date, this flash unit functions precisely as expected.

I particularly like the ability to increase or decrease the flash output by merely pushing a "+" or "-" button for 1/3-stop increments. This is quite handy for macro-photography of light-colored or dark-colored subjects.

The built-in, drop-down wide angle, prismatic diffuser allows corner-to-corner flash coverage with my wide-angle zoom Nikkor lens. as with any flash, illumination drop-off is apparent at distance, but the automatic exposure coordination of flash output, (camera) ISO selection, & aperture (f-stop) is quite helpful, resulting in far less bracketing.

The illuminated control panel is great for day or night use. The unit internally shifts light pattern to match angle selection of Nikkor zoom lenses (TTL accomodation), or full manual output can be quickly selected.

Overall, I know that I made the correct choice in purchasing the SB-600.

This flash is by far the best flash that I have found for my Nikon. For the first time external flash user, it can be a little intimidating at first (it is a completely new world of photography to learn). It is very tempting to just use the automatic settings every time you need your flash but I assure you that your photography will suffer for it. It is definitely in your best interest to fully learn this flash's capabilities. With this being said, the product manual is very user friendly!

This flash can be set to fully auto or manual. Being able to adjust the compensation of the brightness of the flash as well as the zoom as been a life saver for more times than I can count. Another great option is the ability to swivel the flash both horizontally and vertically. Bouncing the flash off of walls or ceilings instead of dead shooting your subject allows for much better compensation and greatly reduces unwanted back shadows. This feature also allows you to play with intentional shadows and light direction.

The last feature that I would like to touch on is the recharge rate of the flash. I was very impressed with the speed at which I could take pictures. You will not miss that special moment because you are waiting for the flash to recharge. This flash takes 4 double A batteries and seems to conserve the energy of them very well. You should be able to get through a night's shooting without replacing these batteries but it is always a good idea to have extra on hand just in case.

I hope some of this info helps you along with your decision when choosing a great flash for your Nikon!!

The Nikon Peedlight SB-600 TTL Flash is a state-of-the-art piece of equipment for the amateur or professional photographer. Not only does the SB-600 offer a wide range of features, it performs well in studio and most in-the-field lighting situations where full lighting gear is impractical or impossible. The product is easy to use, highly portable, versatile and aesthetically pleasing. And there is no need to buy expensive remote triggers as the SB-600 can be triggered in command mode when paired with the pop-up flash on DSLRs like the Nikon D-90. The Nikon SB-600 is a valuable tool in any camera bag. The best part is the price. Beginning and amateur photographers won't be forced to take out a 2nd mortgage on their house to break into the exciting world of DSLR photography. With the average Nikon Speedlight SB-600 TTL Flash ranging in price from $175 (used) to $250 (new) it is a real possibility for most budgets. And if you've been told by the major players in the game that you can't get good pictures without the best, most recent Speedlights like the SB-800 and SB-900, then consider this: not so very long ago, the SB-600 was the best that money could buy. The pros who used the SB-600 when it was new were taking amazing pictures then. So why wouldn't it still be up to the task today? It is still very much up to the task. Go and see for yourself!