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Nikon SB 900 AF Speedlight Flash for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

Powerful and versatile SB-900 works as a stand-alone flash, featuring wireless operation as a Commander or wireless remote light source. Expanded Auto Power Zoom Coverage – The SB-900 provides zoom coverage from 17-200mm in the FX-format and 12-200mm coverage in the DX-format. Choose from 3 light distribution patterns – Improve light quality by selecting Standard for general illumination, Center-weighted for portraits, or for groups or interiors. User-friendly firmware updating – Allows uploading of performance enhancement developments to the SB-900 with select Nikon digital SLR cameras. Color gel filter identification – The SB-900 automatically identifies mounted color gel filters and adjusts the camera’s auto white-balance setting with select Nikon digital SLR cameras. Flash Tube Overheat Protection – An added measure of safety is provided for sustained high-speed bursts. Drip-proof mounting foot cover (Water Guard) – for enhanced moisture protection (optional). Lens Coverage – 17 to 200mm (FX-format, Automatic mode); 12 to 200mm (DX-format, Automatic mode); 12 to 17mm (FX-format, Automatic mode with built-in wide-angle panel deployed); 8 to 11mm (DX-format, Automatic mode with built-in wide-angle panel deployed) Flash head rotates horizontally 180 to the left and right with click-stops at 0 , 30 , 60 , 90 , 120 , 150 , 180 Flash head tilts down to -7 or up to 90 with click-stops at -7 , 0 , 45 , 60 , 75 , 90 Output per set of batteries – 110 Alkaline-manganese (1.5V); 230 Lithium (1.5V); 190 Ni-MH (2600 mAh)

User Ratings and Reviews

1 Star sb-900 price
i remember the price on these SB-900 back then when were only $300.00 with free shipping… now the cost is almost to $500.00!!? i waited around because i was hearing a lot of bad comments on how this thing shut down in the middle of shoot. like weddings and stuff… so i thought and observed a lil bit more time that more people would comment and review on the SB-900. and from there i can make my final decision on getting one. now that i’m ready to pick one up, the price is just ridiculously too high now. i usually have seen electronics goes down in price after several months but this one just went up in cost. what is up with that?

5 Stars The Big Dog
I really love this flash! Now with that said you should know that buying cheap batteries and or rechargeable batteries is a no no for wedding photography. You really want to do your battery home work on this flash. I bought some energizer rechargeable batteries and they kicked in the thermal protection after about 10 min of heavy flash use. They work fine for day to day shooting but if your shooting an event buy some good batteries.

5 Stars Still learning
I have SB 600 that I find very easy to use. This is not a replacement to my old flash but an addition to my lighting system. I am still learning to use this flash but so far no complains with the unit. Love it.

5 Stars If you want to know the truth please read
Okay, here’s the (long winded) truth about the flash and it’s “thermal shutdown problem”.

First off, let me say that I have much experience in using different camera flashes and studio strobes as well as some repairing of them. I will start of by saying that this flash is the best portable camera flash in it’s class that I have EVER used. Nikon knows what they are doing. They have an extremely high standard of quality and reliability. When they see a quality improvement / guarantee need, they will apply it. In the case of the SB-800 to the SB-900 one of the biggest and least appreciated quality assurance guarantees is the thermal cut off feature. Which, by the way, can be turned off or on. So all of those who are b****ing about it, just read your manual and turn it off!

Okay, time for a cheesy quote: “With great power comes great responsibility”. Nikon knew this. (speculation) They also knew the general public would not really understand the limitations of the flash in hand. So they incorporated a safety mechanism: “Thermal cut off”, to prevent overheating due to extended maximum flash output. This sort of “circuit breaker” is also found in some pro studio strobes. Studio strobes usually use AC power and provide a much greater power output and are more likely to overheat and sometimes “blow out”, so it is common to see some kind of safety mech built in to them. Portable camera flashes run off batteries and do not produce any where near the kind of power output than said strobes; so there is usually no critical need for such a safety. With the SB-900 however (and SB-800), Nikon has managed to build a very compact flash (yes, I mean compact if you consider it’s power capability) that recharges very quickly and sustains a consistent powerful output. To do this, it requires a huge demand on the IGBT (like a capacitor) and sustained overheating would result in failure and eventually even damage to the flash. Of course they could have “pushed it” and programmed it to trigger at a much higher temp threshold or even eliminated the option all together. But it is good to have that feature. It’s not that the flash overheats “easily”, it’s that the flash is offering more than maybe it should. With that much more power, comes that much more heat. (Especially from a compact unit without any cooling fans)

Now for my silly analogy: “It’s like the difference between driving a car that only goes 65mph (other flashes) and driving car that goes 100mph (SB-900 / 800). With the 65mph car, you can’t get a speeding ticket (overheat / failure) on the freeway with the speed limit of 65mph. With the 100mph car you won’t get a ticket either, until you start driving 100mph for an extended period of time on the same freeway. Then you will likely be stopped for speeding. Then, having a radar detector (thermal cut off feature) will warn you when a cop is around the corner and that you should slow down from 100mph to 65mph. You may ask yourself: why that speed limit? Of course, safety: limitations of the car and driver. Then you may ask: why make a car that goes 100mph if it is not safe to go that fast? (here is where my analogy doesn’t follow exactly, but you get my point) You may have a need to go 100mph and it is good to have the ability. Often it may be fine to do so. Just know you are running the risks.”

If you really need to turn off the thermal feature and shoot at max output consistently, chances are it will function just fine. Yes, it will get hot, yes your batteries will drain faster, and yes you will wait longer for each subsequent recharge but nothing major will happen: because it’s designed to do that and it’s a Nikon made in Japan. Just know this: Nikon or not, all electronics still have to follow the basic laws of physics. It’s not ultimately good for the IGBT and circuitry to sustain such powerful flash firing as some do. You run the risk of degradation and failure. I’ve seen it happen, albeit rare.

Basically, you should feel confident about the performance and reliability of this flash. It doesn’t get any better…yet.

5 Stars BEST SPEEDLIGHT ON THE PLANET
HUGE AMOUNTS OF LIGHT, HUGE ZOOM RANGE, FAST- FAST RECYCLING, SYNCHS WITH SHUTTER SPEEDS TO 1/8000 sec, USER FRIENDLY OPERATION, SWIVELS & TILTS TO EVERY POSSIBLE ANGLE.

REASON ENOUGH TO SWITCH FROM CANON TO NIKON (Don’t even think about buying a cheaper flash, you’ll regret it all your life.)

Buy/More Info