Note: This review was originally posted to my Epinions account.
When I first got a Nikon D50, there were a few things I wanted to get.
One thing I new I needed was a flash. This becomes evident mostly when
taking indoor pictures. My cat would often get those green eyes commonly
associated with pets. Pictures of rooms were yellowish or blurry. Even
with the flash, they weren't great. There were also times outdoors when
things would be backlit. I have a lot of pictures that would have
benefited greatly from a flash.
My three choices were the SB-400,
SB-600 and the SB-800. The SB-400, I'm told, is very basic. You can't
even swivel from left to right with it. The SB-800, I'm told, is more
expensive, but not worth it if you don't have one of the higher-end
cameras. The only big difference between the 600 and the 800 is in
setting up several flashes. I have no need for this, so I figured I'd
save myself a hundred dollars or so and go for the SB-600.
If you
do decide to get the SB-600, you'll need to buy four AA batteries. I've
had a set for a while now and they've lasted a while. I would recommend
keeping a spare set, just in case. I haven‘t had this one go out yet,
so I have no idea if the power reduces or if the flash just stops
working. (Note: Like most devices that use batteries, be sure to remove
them when not using the flash, as they will eventually leak.)
You
put the flash on using a hot-shoe adapter. Your camera should have a
hot-shoe protector, which you'll need to take off before putting on the
flash. Once on, the flash has a locking mechanism to help keep the flash
on. I have actually left the flash unlocked only to have it slide off
slightly.
The SB-600 is a bounce flash. This means that you can
have it pointing strait up, forward or anywhere in between. If you have a
light-colored ceiling, you can use it to diffuse the flash and give
more even tones. You also have the option of moving the flash to the
left or right. This is something you'll have to play around with to see
how well it works. I could probably write an entire article just on how
to use the tilt and swivel on a flash. The important thing is that you
have options not available to you with your onboard flash and those two
options do make a huge difference in your pictures. (You can,
technically, point the flash towards you, but I don't recommend this.)
On
the back of the flash is a display showing various settings and
options. The flash will adjust depending on the focal distance. (The
flash does have its limits and leaving the diffuser down causes the
flash to simply go to 14mm.) If you turn the camera off, the flash goes
to standby. You have to turn the flash back on before shutting it off,
which is a bit annoying if you're in a rush.
I can say that I
have yet to have a problem with the flash. The battery life has proven
to be good and my pictures are better. I have yet to get red eye (or
green eye) with it. Go to Flickr and look for pictures with the SB-600.
Most of the pictures I've taken with the SB-600 are tagged as such.
(You'll find some nice pictures, if I do say so myself...) The flash
gets four stars.
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