Customer Reviews

Nikon SB-400 AF Speedlight Flash for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

5 star:		(263)
4 star:		(79)
3 star:		(15)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

If you need a small flash that is a lot more powerful than the on-camera flash on your compatible Nikon camera, this is a great flash. More than anything, it's a better than on-camera flash that also has bounce capability, which none of the on-camera flashes do. For me, it doesn't replace a full-featured flash like and SB-800 or SB-600, but is a lot smaller and lighter for many times when you don't need the big mama. It's not powerful enough for instance to bounce if the ceiling is higher than 10 or 11 feet with lower ISO settings, where the SB-800 can still reach. I have found I don't use it as often as I thought I would, but that's really because I've not gotten into the habit of using a fill-flash as much as I should. That's not the fault of the flash.

It is fully automatic, which really means there's nothing to set or control on this unit. If your camera isn't compatible, basically this flash won't work for you. If it is compatible, it works great and seamlessly. I use it with a D200, D70 and CP8400, and it works great with all of them.

One thing to keep in mind is if you were thinking of using it as a "better" main flash on for instance a D200 in wireless remote flash mode, think again. Only the actual in-camera flash can be used in the remote commander mode on a D200. And, this unit is NOT capable of being a remote flash in wireless flash, either. So basically, don't consider it as part of wireless remote flash operation. It's a better than in-camera flash, not a wireless flash.

Also keep in mind as far as I know in the Coolpix line only the 8400 and 8800 are fully compatible with this. Most of the newer DSLRs are, though. If your camera isn't i-TTL, it's not the flash for you. Check the compatibility before you buy.

If you want a small and fully integrated flash for your Nikon digital, it's a great unit.

I'm a big fan of the Nikon CLS wireless flash system and I have several Nikon speedlights that I use for high quality portable lighting. Overall, the system works really well, and armed with a few flashes and some simple clamps, I can get creative off-camera lighting nearly anywhere (for on-camera flash, I tend to use the Quantum units). Yes, it's infrared line-of-sight and doesn't have the range of other radio systems, but for me, it's fine.

I have a pair of SB900 flashes and have been very impressed with them in terms of light quality, ease of use and so on - my only complaint is the bulk and weight. I also have a few SB600 units, which are more compact - but they don't offer the same even, high quality lighting I get with my SB900. For whatever reason, I always find the SB600 too hot in the center, and somehow "harsh". I end up using various diffuser attachments, and by then, I get all the bulk of the SB900, and only half the output.

I figured I'd try an SB700, hoping to get light quality of the SB900 in a smaller, more convenient package. So far, I haven't been disappointed.

Operationally, the SB700 is very similar to the SB900 - mostly the same menus, switches and options. This is a blessing for me because the older SB600 was so different from the SB900 that I'd have to spend a lot of time figuring out how to get it to do what I wanted.

The power, light quality and recycle time are also quite good on the SB700. I get recycle time under 3 seconds with Lithium batteries, and light output seems to be within about 30% of the SB900. All the SB900 options are available, including zoom, "even" flash (less falloff in the corners) and so on. The device weighs in at about a pound with batteries and it's notably smaller than the big brother SB900 (but heavier than the SB600). Construction quality is about what you'd expect, and there are even optional weather "boots" that cover the hotshoe contact so water can't seep between the flash and your camera in damp locations.

Some have complained about the SB900 and it's thermal shutdown feature. The SB700 seems to work differently - when it detects temperatures rising, it slows down the recycle time, giving the flash tube time to cool. I suppose this is better than the SB900 (which just stops working if the flash tube hits a certain temperature).

The one complaint others have pointed out is that there's no standard PC jack, making it difficult to operate the flash via a standard PC cord. There are various alternatives if you need this capability, including an add on device with a hot shoe to PC adapter, but it can be annoying if you have accessories requiring PC cord connections.

Otherwise, I think it's a fine flash that Nikon owners will appreciate. Definitely recommended, either as part of an ambitious system or as your only flash.

I really like this flash unit. The reason is simple: it is small and unobtrusive. Most flashes add weight and bulk to a camera, and I often find myself deciding not to attach the outboard flash to my DSLR. This flash, by contrast, is small and barely noticeable on my D80 or D200.

This is a no-frills flash that simply does its job and does it quite well. It supports Nikon's excellent iTTL flash system. Granted, if you are shooting a wedding or some other professional engagement, this would not be the flash of choice; the SB600 or SB800 would do better. But for casual shooting where more than the built-in flash is needed, this unit is extremely nice to have. And of course by using this unit instead of the built-in flash of one's camera, the user can get more shots from the camera since the flash does not drain the camera batteries.

The unit uses convenient AA batteries, which of course are readily available. I'll take this over those sometimes hard-to-find exotic batteries that some flashes use. It is well-constructed and with a guide number of 21, does a good job. Highly recommended.

You wouldn't, or shouldn't, be reading this if you do not have a Nikon with iTTL. It is compact and works flawlessly if you do not want to eat up your camera's battery when using flash. Advantages of bounce over the direct flash on whichever Nikon body you own, is overwhelming. Do not expect a flash unit of this size to bounce off of a high ceiling, but a large index card overcomes that problem. There is not enough offset from the lens for fill flash with a large lens hood, but you can't expect everything from such a compact unit. Although I have many compact non-Nikon flashes, the proprietary electronics of the present day Nikons almost requires using their flash systems to get optimum metering.

2/5/11: Final postscript: Sent the SB700 to Nikon; had to wait a month (according to Nikon, they had to wait to get parts shipped); but - they did repair the flash at no charge. Nikon's service has always been good.

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12/25/10: Update to my review - today was my first real tryout of the SB700; and unfortunately; I have to report the battery door fell apart as I was changing batteries. The battery door design is different than past Nikon units. There is an actual pushbutton that you need to depress to release the door. As I was trying to open the door - it fell apart into 3 pieces. I'm not sure what Nikon was thinking; the old door designs seemed to work fine (aside from the SB800 w/ the removable door/battery chamber). On a positive note; I did not have a problem w/ thermal shutdown - but - that said; I'm very disappointed in the door design and am thinking I'll probably stock up on some SB600's while they are still being manufactured. While I hate the pushbutton setup on the SB600; at least I haven't had any reliability problems w/ the unit.

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Just received the SB700 today from Amazon after a 3 month wait - I am not disappointed. I have been a Nikon user since the 70's, and have owned every F and D pro bodies, and associated flash units. I have seen all the reviews on the web criticizing Nikon for omitting the PC input and power input - they know if they included these features it would have killed sales of the SB900. Like others, unless I need maximum power from my flash (which is rare); I can get by with the SB600 and most recently, the SB400 for most of my (fill) flash work. I mainly use the flash for fill and have it on the camera 100% of the time. For "walking around" the SB400 works great due to its size and weight. When I need to use bounce flash, I typically use the SB600. I still own the SB800 and SB900 but find myself rarely using them.

The SB700 fills the gap - the best features of the flash are the smaller size and weight (vs. the SB900); easier to use controls (I hated the SB600/800 controls); and finally the hard plastic snap-on color correction filters. Nikon needs to make these (hard) filters for the SB900 - trying to use their gels and holder in the field is crazy - you will either lose or damage the gels the first time you are working under pressure. Also the bounce dome is also smaller than the large unit that comes w/ the SB900.

The SB700 is the first Nikon flash I've used that seems to get the exposure right on. Normally I have to set the flash exposure to -0.7 to get what I consider a normal exposure. I do not have to do this on the SB700. I also like the fact that Nikon has gone to switches (vs. menu) to switch from Auto to Manual exposure - I care less about the switch for the flash coverage as that's not a setting I change - but others who do change it will like the fact that it's easy to switch on the fly.

Back to the power input and PC sync input - those who are fans of the Stobist are very unhappy about the inability to use their PC cords to their Pocket Wizards - most folks do not like using the PC - Hot shoe cords; one more thing to go wrong in the electrical chain. Personally - I miss the power input for the Nikon battery packs - and although I'm sure Quantum will come out w/ a battery adapter to use w/ their packs, I haven't use my Quantum packs in years since I've converted to using the Nikon external packs that use the AA's.

That said - think the SB700 will become the de facto standard flash; and the SB800 will continue to sell on eBay and Craig's list for more then they sold new (I'm keeping mine) for the Strobist fans.

As to the overheating issue; haven't had the unit long enough to see if it reacts the same as the SB900 - another review said that the unit slows down on recycle time before shutting down - I've had my 900 shut down; so I have to carry a backup just in case.

As of today (12/13/10) looks like Amazon isn't even taking orders for the unit; if you are in a hurry suggest checking your local camera store - mine told me they were getting some in periodically -

Bottom line: if you are in the market for a Nikon flash - buy this one!

Most of the newer entry level Nikon DSLRs do not have commander mode to remotely control the flash OFF Camera. As the owner of both a D5000 and D3100 I wanted to be able to remote fire my SB-600. Now that I have the SB-700 I can do so very easily. The interface on the SB-700 is much more straight forward than the SB-600 which requires you to push two buttons at the same time to enter certain menus to control the flash. The SB-700 is easier and faster to setup and has more features than the SB-600.

The SB-700 also includes 3 flash covers: Diffuser, Tungsten and Florescent. These unlike gels that wear out come in handy in certain lighting conditions to get the shot you want without having to purchase aftermarket covers/diffusers/gels (nice touch Nikon!).

Though the SB-700 is slightly less powerful than the SB-600 I just find I rather shoot with the SB-700. The SB-700 also has the "Bounce Card" on top of the wide angle diffuser cover. I wish they put that on the SB-600 as it is very useful when you can't bounce light on a ceiling you can at least bounce the light off the card to light up the subjects eyes.

All in all I highly recommend this flash over the SB-600. I wanted to get the SB-900 but its just too big/heavy for "MY" needs and couldn't justify the additional cost.

Nikon has done a good job in positioning their newest flash units, which is to say that the SB-400 offers enough to make it a good choice for many people, while the SB-600 offers enough more to make it a better choice for others. Which one is right for you? Like everything, it depends.

I chose the SB-400 and probably keep it on-camera about half the time. Indoors the option to bounce the flash off the ceiling makes all the difference in the world, and I would almost never use the on-camera flash for indoor shots. Either bounce the flash, or use available light without flash, to get good photos of people. Outdoors, using the SB-400 for fill flash greatly improves pictures of people and many other objects being photographed at close range. The on-camera flash can be used for this too, but using the SB-400 gives much faster recharge times and more power, and is easier on the camera's battery. It is especially useful when you will fire a burst of several shots in quick succession, as the on-camera flash will not keep up. The SB-400 will usually give you several good clean flash shots without having to pause between them. For all these reasons I usually keep the SB-400 on the camera if I am planning to use flash for even some of my shots.

Unfortunately the SB-400 lacks a couple of fairly important features. Since the flash head only rotates vertically, it can be difficult or impossible to use bounce flash for vertical shots - you have to bounce the flash off a wall, which might not be conveniently located and might not be white. That minor inflexibility alone will be enough reason for some people to spend extra for the SB-600. The SB-400 does not work with Nikon's high-speed "FP" flash sync mode, which is important for outdoor photography because it means that you can not use a sufficiently high shutter speed to get narrow depths of field in portrait and other shots in good light: a true disappointment. Finally, the SB-600 offers much more control flexibility, including the ability to adjust flash exposure compensation right on the flash itself. This is important because it adds to the camera's flash compensation adjustment range - there are circumstances in which the +1 EV maximum flash compensation of my D90 is not enough, and since everything is controlled automatically Through The Lens (TTL), there is no way to over-ride this other than killing TTL control altogether and switching flash control to manual.

There are of course other features that the SB-400 lacks, but these are the three that have actually gotten in the way of ordinary photography for me at times, and the three that have made me think twice about whether I should have gotten the SB-600 instead. An SB-600 is now on my long-term mental wish list. Fortunately the SB-400 performs quite admirably most of the time, and it is a nicely designed unit. It is fairly small, very light thanks partly to the fact that it uses two instead of four AA batteries, and it does its job unobtrusively. With just a few added key features it would be perfect.

My advice is to think carefully about the trade-offs and consider the SB-600 instead if you think you will use some of the features I've mentioned. Considering the total cost of the camera/lens/flash system, it might be well worth the extra $75 or so to avoid missing some of those shots that the SB-400 isn't suited to helping with. For anybody looking for an easy-to-use flash, and who perhaps isn't familiar with the concepts of bounce and fill, I'd recommend learning a little bit about them, as they will let you very easily make almost EVERY shot better.

Just got this flash for my Nikon D80 and I couldn't be happier. It's a lot of flash in a small package for just over 100 bucks. It's easy to use, easy to store, arrived in a matter of days, and has literally transformed my indoor images. Sure, I could have spent a lot more for the 600 or the 800 and gotten more pro-level capabilities but I just couldn't justify the price. My logic: get this flash and see if it meets your needs. At this price, one can always upgrade later. So far, it's completely exceeded my expectations.

The Nikon SB400 is light, well-constructed, fully-automatic, very easy to use, runs on a cheap pair of readily available AA batteries, takes bulls-eye flash exposures and affordable to boot! I bought this to have a little more punch to my flash photography and to lessen the load on the camera's battery.

At first I thought I would need a sophisticated speedlight, knowledge of manual flash calculations or whatever it is that other photographers seem to know that I don't to get great flash photos. I thought only the more expensive SB600 and SB800 can do this with current Nikon DSLRs as the builtin flash just doesn't cut it. Was I wrong!

When I saw Nikon the SB400 and read reviews about it I knew I found an effective alternative. It delivered the goods with the finesse and the elegance of simplicity. It works like magic! It doesn't compete with the camera for weight. I can slip it in and out easily. Most of all it does not require elaborate setup to give WOW! results. With this speedlight I have shot portraits using bounce flash so natural my flattered friends thought it was only possible with ambient light. I have photographed small items up close without having a washed out image. I have used the excellent fill-in flash technique outdoors without worrying about over-expossure. I have easily used the SB400 as the main light at night without worrying of under-exposure. The results were just great! Unless you intentionally set out to mess it up it's hard to make a bad flash exposure with the SB400. Another feature I like is that, should I need more or less flash power than the default settings, I can easily adjust it on the camera. There are no other switches or buttons on the flash that I can possibly screw up. Perfect!

When I need flash light I just slide in the SB400 on the hotshoe of my Nikon D40, switch the lock and switch it ON and I'm good to go! All I have to do is select my shooting mode and the SB400 takes care of the rest. The SB400 is sized and designed in such a way that I like having it around.

Unless you are doing studio work or commercial location shooting (I am not), I couldn't think of any other situation that the SB400 will not fit nicely. But if you want more flash range, the facility to fine-tune the flash by hand or control flash remotely then you should consider the more expensive Nikon speedlights SB600 or SB800.

The Nikon SB400 fully covers my needs and it saved me money besides. An ideal pair for the D40. Highly Recommended!

What impressed me most when I opened package from amazon was size of the flash unit. Very small and light. I used to have regular size flash unit which was too bulky to carry around. This one I plan to carry around just in case if I need something more powerfull than build-in flash or bounce the light. In combination with wide apperture Nikon promised up to 20m usefull range. The head of the unit moves 90 degree so you can use bounced light to make portraits. Overall, I like the unit. Doesn't take space or weight.
Plus price is right.