SB 600 or SB 700?? :confused:

[ryancellan]

Hi everyone! Need your advice here. My camera is Nikon D90 and I thought of buying a speedlight. What is the advantages or disadvantages of SB 600 and SB 700 and which is the best. It's great to hear an advise from you guys before I'll be getting a flash.

Thank you.

[zona5101]

sb600 is discontinued, replaced by the 700...

[sk66]

IMO, the only real reason to get the 700 over the 600 (other than availability) is that the 700 can be used as a commander for other strobes.... The D90 has that capability built in so you don't really need it.

[kirbinster]

You can pick up a used SB-600 for around $150, that is a big reason to go that route.

[inkista]

SB-700 is newer, more expensive, and has more features. The SB-600 is cheaper, slightly more expensive/powerful, and is compatible with film cameras, but has a more limited feature set.

To me, if you plan on using the flash on-camera, you want the SB-700, because it can do 360° swivel, vs. 270° with the SB-600. This not only gives you more choices in bounce surfaces with on-camera flash, but also can eliminate the need for a flash bracket when going into portrait mode.

If you plan on using the flash off-camera, there's slightly less advantage, but for me, personally, I'd still pick the SB-700 over the SB-600 simply because it has SU-4 mode. This is a "dumb" optical-slave mode (as opposed to CLS), which means it can be simply added to any Strobist setup regardless of brand or triggering system, and can even be used with some P&S camera pop-up flashes as off-camera lighting. The SB-600 does not do SU-4.

A good comparison between the SB-600, SB-700, and SB-900 is here at speedlights.net.

[kirbinster]

What you say about feature is true, but..... The SB700 goes for about $329, so one has to determine if it is worth the money, versus perhaps buying two SB600 for that price or just saving over $150.

[inkista]

Originally Posted by kirbinster

What you say about feature is true, but..... The SB700 goes for about $329, so one has to determine if it is worth the money, versus perhaps buying two SB600 for that price or just saving over $150.

Also the risks of purchasing used vs. purchasing new with a set price, return policy, and warranty.

I agree that for most folks, an SB-600, particularly if the majority of the usage for it is going to be as a second or third flash in an off-camera multiple light setup, that an SB-600 might be the better choice over an SB-700. But then, so could getting four YN-560s with radio triggers for that same price.

I just generally think that a higher-end OEM strobe as a first or only flash tends to be a better choice, simply because of the additional flexibility in how you can use it both on and off camera, and the additional feature advantages. Then again, to me, $150, in terms of camera gear spending, isn't really a huge savings.

[ccting]

Originally Posted by sk66

IMO, the only real reason to get the 700 over the 600 (other than availability) is that the 700 can be used as a commander for other strobes.... The D90 has that capability built in so you don't really need it.

WOW, a commander! that's great! a nikon commander alone could costs more than USD300! That means I can use it to channel for my D5100? Sorry i am a noob for speedlight, and going to receive my very first speedlight YN465 today..and i bought it for around USD160.. ;|

[sk66]

Originally Posted by inkista

I just generally think that a higher-end OEM strobe as a first or only flash tends to be a better choice, simply because of the additional flexibility in how you can use it both on and off camera, and the additional feature advantages. Then again, to me, $150, in terms of camera gear spending, isn't really a huge savings.

I agree to a point...A flash that can take advantage of all of the capabilities of the system is the base point...
But it may never advance beyond basic on camera use or forward bounce...then what's the point of the extra 90* rotation, an extra stop, or commander mode(especially if it's built into the camera)....

I own 2 SB600's, 1 SB800, R1C1 kit (2 SB200, 1 SU800) and I can afford to replace all of the strobes with SB900's. But 98% of the time I am fine with one SB600 (but I use the 800). What I "could" accomplish is irrelevant.

[sk66]

Originally Posted by ccting

WOW, a commander! that's great! a nikon commander alone could costs more than USD300! That means I can use it to channel for my D5100? Sorry i am a noob for speedlight, and going to receive my very first speedlight YN465 today..and i bought it for around USD160.. ;|

I'm sorry. I don't understand the question.