flash help

[jmyus]

ok, so i have another question...
i think i need a flash. all i use is the built in on my D60. i mostly take pics of my kids, and other people and im tired of all the shadows etc. can somone help me decide what i need? im not a pro, but i think i need to add this to my bag of tricks! budget, maybe $200 or less, if possible?!

[kcoppock]

I use a cheap Nikon SB-400. About $129 last I checked, and it works fairly well for simple things. The only issue I have with it is that it only shifts up or down (not left to right), meaning you can't really use bounce flash for vertical photos. For the price, you can't beat it, though.

[Shokinen]

Originally Posted by kcoppock

The only issue I have with it is that it only shifts up or down (not left to right), meaning you can't really use bounce flash for vertical photos.

That's the biggest problem of the SB-400. If you have the money, I would get and SB-600. There are tougher to find since the new SB-700 was released, but there is still a fair amount of store that still have some in stock. Definilty a good quality/usefulness vs cost ratio. Once you start getting use to it, you will want the tilt, and if you ever upgrade to a D90 or something above, you will have to ability to use it wireless (that right there is worth the extra money).

[zona5101]

There are also some aftermarket flashes that bounce and swivel and are ttl... like Metz & Sunpac...even Nissin

[inkista]

+1 on an SB-600/SB-700 or 3rd party alternative of same.

But if you want studio-type images, you could also consider going Strobist with an all-manual flash, a lightstand, swivel, and umbrella for roughly the same cost. It will not, however, be as convenient or easy to learn as on-camera flash with i-TTL.