Product ReviewsNikon Speedlight SB-50DX Shoe Mount Flash for Nikon

Small and light packed with all the features, not the fastest recycling tho

I am only giving this flash a 4 out of 5 because is not the most powerful flash in the Nikon lineup. However, it is an excellent flash and you can not beat the price-features when compared to its bigger brothers. Some people don't consider this a "professional" flash, because it doesn't feel as tough as other Nikon flashes, also because it is small and light in comparison too. However, the features are all there, matrix balanced fill, TTL, wireless operation, etc. I am a professional photographer with nearly 25 years of experience. For my needs nowadays the flash works ok, I have three units and they work well for me. I used to work for the news agencies sometime ago, perhaps if that is your line of work it may not cover your needs, the distance coverage is limited compared to other flash units, also it is light and may no handle the knocks of the press photo scrums very well. Recycling times are not the fastest compared to a "Pro" unit attached to a Quantum battery pack. For my needs, I currently work mainly in slower paced reportage work and don't get into the press conferences or other type of flash demanding work. My flash needs are generally to control lighting in some location shots and this flash does the job very well, I use a three unit setup in wireless and that controls most situations that do not require the use of studio flash. Also, it is great for editorial environmental portraits where fast recycling is not crucial. Its smaller size packs well in my camera bag. Some people are put off by the use of CR123 batteries which may be a nag sometimes, also they are more expensive than the AA or AAA's and that fact may discourage some potential buyers. However, I bought a dozen CR123 rechargeable with a quick charger and have never had a problem with that issue.Read full review...

Great Flash, just right

The SB-50DX is definitely not a professional flash by any means. However, for an ameture photographer or the weekend enthusiest this is a great flash to have in your bag. It's size is on the small end of flashes in its category. It holds most of the features of the larger, more expensive units. And it produces wonderful light that can be adjusted to most settings whether indoor or out.

I am using it on a Nikon N75 film SLR. The built in speedlight is not that great so I needed something with more oomph. This speedlight works very well with this camera body. Like I said before, perfect size.Read full review...

Great flash, lot of power for the size! A great value!

A great little flash, still learning how to use it... Imreallynlove the small size, and that's one of the reasons it requires the CR123 batteries. These batteries seem expensive, until you realize that they are everywhere (not just camera shops). The same ones power the ShurFire series flashlights. One drawback, is that the zoom only functions if you use the flash on normal angle. But I don't think that it is limiting, just something to get used to. I can take pics now that I couldn't before, and the small size means it's always in my camera bag!Read full review...

Low Price - Good Performance

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1-Low price: you can get this flash with around $50 and if you're lucky like me you can get ie with only $22.5..so the price is rlly good.
2-lightweight: it doesnt add too much weight on the camera like most of the speedlights.
3-it had a bilt in bounce and difuser.
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1-Compatibility:you can only use the maual mode when useing it with your digital camera (its only compatiable with very few digital cameras..such as D100).
2-in manual mode you can only fire at full power.
3-Batteries: they're too expensive and not easy to find like the AAs .
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finaly..this flash is great for its price.Read full review...

I bought this knowing that I wouldn't have full functionality.

I bought one used for my Nikon D3200 and will now be using it as a backup to my SB-400. This flash is good but I knew that when I was buying it that it would work in Manual and Rear Curtain modes only for my DSLR because it's an older model flash. One advantage of this in my particular case is that the flash always fires at full power so it's predictable when I bounce the light (but I have to make sure that I have the right settings because I'm shooting in Manual mode).

Yes, it uses CR123A batteries which aren't common but you can get a 10 pack of throw-aways from Amazon (and I'm sure on eBay too) for under $20. I don't how long the batteries would last under my situation shooting a full power full time (I didn't shoot pictures enough to kill the batteries) so I didn't rate the battery life.

It's a good flash if you don't need a lot of power, this will work well indoors (10' ceilings when bouncing).Read full review...

Great for my D1X....

It's made for the older Nikons, D1X, D100 etc. It works great and has TTL mode with these cameras. It's old but very good priced and a must have for these older cameras. Uses expensive batteries, not AA like most flashes. If you search on Ebay you can pick some up at a good price or go rechargeable. It cycles quite quick but not lightning fast....Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: steve_the_builder

cheap, light, simple to use ( at full power only) and looks good..

I would recommend this flash even for those people with newer cameras... it is light and compact and easy to use... you'll have to adjust exposure in the camera for the flash only fires at full power. it's fine with me.. and besides if ever you get the money to buy a newer flash you can always use this as a remote flash..for the price get one just for fun and try experimenting with it..Read full review...

Best Little Powerhouse

This is one of Nikon's best small and lightweight flash units for your film or digital SLR's. Powerfull shoemount flash for it's size, in manual and TTL modes. Can be utilized as a slaved unit when used with a second SB50-DX or other compatible Nikon shoemount strobes. If weght and price are a consideration, than look no further. You'll be you made the purchase.This is my second SB 50-DX unit.Read full review...

Great starter.

This is by no means a professional flash but for the price it has a ton of features. It is a great starter flash. It is great for someone who needs more light than the cameras stock flash.

sb50dx-great on 1st Nikon Dslrs

A super flash, with unique features ( allows use of camera's built-in flash at the same time, for example ). Made for Nikon's first series of Dslr, ( up to the D200), but can be used in manula mode on later models.

A great first ( for older models ), or second flash.Read full review...