What’s Your Preference?

bigone5500 · #1 (**permalink**) 12-08-2009, 01:37 AM

Which should I get? I'll probably get one in the next 3 or 4 weeks and am wondering if it would be beneficial for me to get the SB800 over the SB600 flash. If the 800 has features that are only beneficial to larger cameras and has all the features that the 600 has then I think it would be best to go with the 600...but I don't know...

inkista · #2 (**permalink**) 12-08-2009, 02:17 AM

I'm a Canon shooter, and I'm mentally translating this as 580EXII and 430EXII

, but the benefits have little to do with the size of your camera and more about the size and control of your light. It's just a matter of more features that can make doing ceratin lighting tasks easier (or possible).

The general wisdom is if you can afford the bigger light with more features, go for it, you'll rarely regret having gotten the larger speedlight. But if you can't afford it, the smaller one will be a perfectly good workhorse flash until you can afford the bigger one.

Messageboards are rife with folks who thought they'd start with the smaller light who eventually purchased the larger one as well.

The SB-600 is more limited in a lot of ways: less swivel and tilt freedom, no PC sync connector, no SU-4 mode, no CLS commander capability, less power, etc. etc. Depending on how advanced your flash usage is going to get, the SB-800 can get you a lot farther.

The biggest advantages of the SB-600 over the SB-800 are cost and availability (since the SB-800 has been replaced with the SB-900, you can only find them on the 2nd hand market).

OsmosisStudios · #3 (**permalink**) 12-08-2009, 03:22 AM

Assuming you can find an 800 for relatively cheap and in good condition, jump on it. They're a great flash!

kirbinster · #4 (**permalink**) 12-08-2009, 11:34 AM

or... you might be able to find two SB600s for what an SB800 will run you.

OsmosisStudios · #5 (**permalink**) 12-08-2009, 02:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kirbinster

or... you might be able to find two SB600s for what an SB800 will run you.

Which is why I'm not stumping for a 900 to supplement my 800. The only thing is that the 800 is better on-camera than the 600 is.

firebox40dash5 · #6 (**permalink**) 12-08-2009, 06:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kirbinster

or... you might be able to find two SB600s for what an SB800 will run you.

What would he do with two SB-600s and a D60?

kirbinster · #7 (**permalink**) 12-08-2009, 07:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by firebox40dash5

What would he do with two SB-600s and a D60?

Don't see where he said he has a D60. Two works great with a D80/D90 or D200/D300 which can act as commanders. If he has a D60 he would need an SU800 as well to be a commander for offer camera use even with the SB600.

firebox40dash5 · #8 (**permalink**) 12-08-2009, 07:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kirbinster

Don't see where he said he has a D60. Two works great with a D80/D90 or D200/D300 which can act as commanders. If he has a D60 he would need an SU800 as well to be a commander for offer camera use even with the SB600.

I just recognized him from another thread where he mentioned he had a D60. THe SU-800 would work, but it seems a bit goofy to spend $250 for it, instead of spending the extra ~$100 to get an SB-800, and be able to do everything the SU-800 can, plus have an on-camera flash when using remote flashes, and have the extra power vs. an SB-600 too.

kirbinster · #9 (**permalink**) 12-08-2009, 07:34 PM

Not sure where you come up with the $100 difference. I assume we are talking about used equipment here, since they don't make the SB800 anymore. I got a pair of SB600 used for $250 total.