SB-600 vs. SB-800???

[LR Max]

Ok, so, I have been using a SB-80DX flash for a few months now. External flash is da bomb!!! But I have decided that the lack of automatic functions is a little too annoying and the lack of optimization since the 80DX wasn't made for my D70s.

So I was wondering what the general consensus is between the 600 and 800. I have dismissed the 400 since it lacks commander mode (I've had to hold my 80DX and activate it and my camera via remote. Kinda funny to watch).

I know the 800 is quite pricey but if its worth it, then I am willing to throw down the cash. However if the 800 is only marginally more powerful then forget it.

No matter what, I WILL have a dome for the flash. I've heard only good things of this device.

Weight: I am kinda hoping to keep down the weight. The 80DX is kinda heavy. I looked and the 800 is about the same weight. However if the performance is worth the weight, then I'll go performance.

Thanks.

[britkev]

Since you have the D70 you already have a commander, so all the SB-800 will bring you over the 600 is a little bit more power, the ability to add a fifth battery for quicker recycling time, and a supplied diffuser and filters.

I've only had my SB-600 for a week or so and am highly delighted with it... recycle time with freshly recharged NiMH's is almost instantaneous after most shots in fill-in mode... a couple of seconds or so if it fires at 100% - the diffuser and filters can be purchased for a lot less than the $120 price differential so unless you really need the extra power then I'd suggest the 600 would be all you need.

[jcon]

It all depends if you need the extra power. I guess it depends what you shoot and where.

The recycle time is a big factor. For what I shoot I need a real fast recycle time, so having the extra battery compartment is very handy.

[LR Max]

Ok. Thanks for the feedback so far. So far the cycle time on the SB-80DX is pretty fast for my needs. I won't need anything faster than that. Also the power of the 80DX is well within my requirements.

Does anyone have that link that compared all the flashes against eachother in a giant chart? I think that'll give me a good idea at what I need to be looking at.

Thanks for all the replies. They have been most helpful.

[swgod98]

I don't have much to offer in this thread other than I just recieved my SB-800 Friday and I can't stop taking retarded self portraits of myself with the flash to the left...flash to the right...er, sorry :D :rolleyes:

Not really sure why I bought the SB-800 over the SB-600. Partially due to the extra power. But, many people recommended the SB-800 over the SB-600 under the caveat that it's "only if you have the money". Well...I didn't, but that never stopped me before :D

I thought I read there were some other modes the SB-800 supported, but I don't remember. It comes with a dome diffuser, a bounce card built in, some colored gels, and as mentioned, the extra battery pack, and some extra weight.

It really makes my D80 heavy!

No idea if the SB-600 has these, but they are mostly just extras...some people may use them under certain circumstances:

Modeling flash for studio work.
Repeating flash for funky effects.

And the LCD panel on the back is really nice.

I don't know if I can say it's worth the extra bucks, though. $300 for a damn flash is not cheap!

[LR Max]

Thanks for that extra information. I am still kinda up in the air about both. My deciding factor, "auto apeture" has been addressed in a new thread. I'll decide if that feature is worth the extra $$$.

But first I gotta find out what auto apeture is!!

[T06]

http://http://www.bythom.com/flashcompare.htm (http://www.bythom.com/flashcompare.htm)

[sbnr]

Get the SB-600. I just recieved mine and it's great!!!

I seriously doubt those extra modes do anything that is substational and/or that you will use them.

The bounce card you can buy serperately.
I suggest this here:http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=Search&A=details&Q=&sku=483218&is=REG&addedTroughType=search

The color gels can also be bought seperately.

[tcadwall]

This might be a bit late, I love the SB-600. It is probably one of those things where you might be able to do something different... but 90% of the time I end up letting the flash do its thing. Rarely do I try to tweak things much. I do like the capability of using it remotely but rarely even do that (the D70s WILL control the 600 remotely full i-TTL)

[swgod98]

Get the SB-600.
The bounce card you can buy serperately.
The color gels can also be bought seperately.

If you buy the SB-600 then all those extras separately, you will end up paying close to the same price and get a less powerful flash with no option for a 5th battery.

[sbnr]

If you are going to use a diffuser and bounce the flash, then why would you want a super-duper flash for more money. Buy the accessories that you need only and select the quality you need for less money [imo].

Plus, if you look at the stats, the SB-800 is not a whole lot more powerful to see a difference.

Show me the proof.

[jcon]

If you are going to use a diffuser and bounce the flash, then why would you want a super-duper flash for more money.


:confused: HUH??:confused:

So youre not suppose to bounce the SB-800 or diffuse it??? Sorry, but that makes absolutely no sense and is quite silly.

In all honestly, if you DO bounce and diffuse, youd want more power. Not to mention just the power, but there are other features that make the SB-800 worth the extra cash.

The SB-600 is plenty for some people, and thats perfectly fine, but if you need the extra features, the SB-800 is definatly worth the price!

[sbnr]

:confused: HUH??:confused:

So youre not suppose to bounce the SB-800 or diffuse it??? Sorry, but that makes absolutely no sense and is quite silly.

In all honestly, if you DO bounce and diffuse, youd want more power. Not to mention just the power, but there are other features that make the SB-800 worth the extra cash.

The SB-600 is plenty for some people, and thats perfectly fine, but if you need the extra features, the SB-800 is definatly worth the price!

What I meant to say was, if you are only interested in the SB-800 cause of it's suppose massive power, then you are going to be dissapointed. It is rated higher for flash, but come on....

As for the diffuser part, I thought the point of one was to soften or lessen the flash, so why would you want more power? I could be missing something there, but that's how I understand it.

I like the results I get with the SB-600.

By all means, get the SB-800 if it's your fancy. It's definately one of the best flashers.

[achuang]

What I meant to say was, if you are only interested in the SB-800 cause of it's suppose massive power, then you are going to be dissapointed. It is rated higher for flash, but come on....

As for the diffuser part, I thought the point of one was to soften or lessen the flash, so why would you want more power? I could be missing something there, but that's how I understand it.

I like the results I get with the SB-600.

By all means, get the SB-800 if it's your fancy. It's definately one of the best flashers.

A diffuser is meant to soften the light, and most often they do cause a loss of light. This is the reason why you'd want a more powerful flash as bouncing needs more flash power.

That being said, I have a SB-600 and it is a fantastic flash. I bounce my flash whenever I can and I have never found that I needed more power than what the SB600 has. I've bounced it off the ceiling of a very tall church during a wedding and it did fine.

If you've got the money then get the SB800, but if that's a bit too much of a stretch the SB600 is no slouch either and will be a huge improvement over the built-in flash.

Having the coloured gels is a good idea, and I know that you can get them aftermarket. During the wedding I shot (it was my first) I didn't have coloured gels and the background ambient light was rather orange because the flash colour is different to artificial lighting. Having the coloured gels would have made the flash photos look much more natural.

[Rooz]

i may be talking out of my ass here, but i could have sworn i remember seeing the recycle time of the 600 is actually faster than the 800 ?? :confused:

[achuang]

i may be talking out of my ass here, but i could have sworn i remember seeing the recycle time of the 600 is actually faster than the 800 ?? :confused:

You're not talking out of your ass at all, you are correct about that 600 recycling faster than the 800. The reason is because the 800 is more powerful so it does take longer to recycle. Remember that the recycle times given in the spec sheets of the speedlights are only for a full power flash and because the 800 is more powerful it does need more power to recharge and thus takes longer.

[tcadwall]

If you aren't at full power, chances are the SB-800 should recycle faster. The SB-600 also recycles quite quickly when not at full power. I am not sure what batteries they use for the tests / ratings, but I have clearly seen a difference among different battery types that I have used with regards to recycle times - as well as a difference in how many flashes they will produce before dying.

As far as the bouncing, diffusing. It is completely correct that you lose power when bouncing or diffusing, and it does require a compensation. Most diffusers will actually list how many stops they will take away from exposure.

[Ray Schnoor]

Actually, the SB-800 specs say that it recycles faster than the SB-600 if you use the included external 5th battery holder(2.9 sec vs 3.5 sec). Without it, though, the SB-600 will recycle faster than the SB-800 (3.5 sec vs 6 sec). These of course will change depending on the power of the flash needed for the shot.

Ray.