Customer Reviews

Sunpak PF30XN Digital SLR Camera Dedicated i-TTL Flash for Nikon

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I'm a very enthusiast amateur hobbyist photographer and I used this on my Nikon D3000. I read all the time that everyone should get a flash, the on camera flash is never good enough; but of course i always thought my cameras look great(comparing to point and shoot). Over the last few months I've been looking for ways to take better pictures, i picked up a 35mm dx fast lens and it made a world of difference but while taking christmas pics I noticed there was never enough light so I decided to get a flash and after research settled on this one. let me tell you this flash is amazing; I uploaded the picture of my two year old that I took using this flash here so you can check it out yourself. that picture was taken with no lights on and one window partially open 15 feet away.

I have to say that I have read a bit about flashes prior to purchasing one and understanding guide numbers and how they are used, ttl, etc. I also looked at prices here on amazon, B&H and other random sites as comparisons and for the money I thought this flash was my best option and I was not disappointed. I have not seen any other flashes at this price or lower that performs as well as this flash.

As everyone said the one downside to the flash is the high charge time, however you can compensate for that with the proper batteries so after doing more research on the right batteries I bought Energizer Ultimate L91BP-4 Lithium AA Battery 4 Pack and it cut down the charge time to literally about 2 seconds.

this is a great flash and anyone looking for one in this price range should definitely look at this, being that Sunpak does have a history of making solid flashes plus the price point and performance I simply see it as a no-brainer for anyone in the market and on a budget. Before I ordered this one i added the SB600 to my wishlist hoping to buy it in a few months but I honestly don't know if i'll need to after using this one. That being said I don't do paid events and I only shoot for myself, friends and family.

I have to say, I am pleasantly surprised by how good this flash unit is. It works with TTL with my Nikon D-40, and the pictures it takes are very nice when using it for indoor bounce flash. The price can't be beat - and the unit feels more sturdy than I anticipated.

The one downside for some might be that it recycles on the slow side (8 seconds), so if that doesn't bother you (it doesn't me), then as always, YMMMV.

I included a set of pictures I took - one with this unit, and one with the built-in flash. As you can see, bounce flash is superior.

Pros -

Affordable

Great results

iTTL

Exposure compensation options on flash

Cons -

AA batteries

Recycle time

Overall this flash exceeds my expectations.

It's not a bad flash for most consumers. The recycle time is a little on the slow side (8-10 seconds) That should be acceptable for most photography. I've heard that if you use higher mAh batteries you can bring the recycle time down a little lower. I was using 2500mAh, fully recharged and I was in the 7-8 second range. I've thought about modifying the case to accept 4 batteries and see what that does to the recycle time. If you don't have the $200+ to spend on the Nikon SB600 this is a good alternative. If you have the coin, go with the Nikon.

This flash was meant to be a quick/cheap replacement for the Nikon

SB400 which was lost on location. The build quality leaves something to be desired, although I have not used it for a long enough time to comment on its durability. The flash performance, however, is excellent. Really impressed by the built-in diffuser. One serious caution is that it is a bear on batteries. The recycling time is slow (depending on batteries used, and discharge) as other reviewer have indicated, but I expected that, and am not complaining; but it does eat batteries.

Just for fun I tested the flash using regular carbon batteries. The recharge time was over 25 seconds and I could only get 3 exposures for the set of "new" promotional batteries I used. The lesson: buy nickel hydride batteries. I bought 6 nickel hydrides and a charger (added cost $25). I went through all three sets of batteries (and had to use my "reserve" set of alkalines) to get about 100 exposures during one evening's shoot. I was grateful that I had the foresight to purchase rechargeables.

In short, you get what you pay for, and I have no regrets, but as soon as I have more funds for photography I'll look for something better built, and less of a battery hog, and leave this flash for an emergency backup

i had intended to purchase the new Nikon flash when i was persuaded that since I had almost no experience using a flash it might be wise to learn using a functional device that cost a good deal less. So far it has been a prudent choice.

I purchased this item after looking originally at the Vivitar DF-383 for a Nikon.

I still have an old Sunpak auto 411 from my film days, but it is a MANUAL flash and too high a voltage across the hotshoe pins to be safe on the new digitals, so after deciding on the Vivitar, ran across the Sunpak PF30XN.

I switched to the 50.00 Sunpak figuring if it only lasts a month or is crap, I can chalk it up to experience and go back to get a Vivitar or Nikon Speedlight.

The little Sunpak is great. Yes, it only uses two AA cells, and yes it can take 7-8 seconds after a full power fire, but in most use it is like a .45 automatic, ready to fire again when you are.

I got over 130 shots out of a pair of eneloops that night, no problem. Spares stayed in my pocket.

It has a place in my APECASE under the D3000 and gets the job done, in fact recently used it for several hours taking pictures at an evening party with a 55-300 mm lens - shots from 50 feet across the room at 300mm turned out well lit.

I am totally happy with this unit, 100% pleased. If it dies on me today, it owes me nothing and I will opt for an SB-600 at that time.

This is great for taking pictures around the house or taking pics in your spare time. This flash isnt good for needing to take pictures fast for a photo shoot. This flash works good and makes the pictures turn out good but it takes a long time to recharge for the next picture.

This is a great little flash for everyday use. Doesn't recycle fast enough to capture fast moving events at a wedding, but for informal gatherings it has all the power you need to punch up those family candids and group shots. Controls are clean, simple, easy to use. I would recommend this.

I've mostly used Vivitar 283's that are reliable and powerful enough. I bought the Sunpak PF30XN for my Nikon D40x so I can have a fully automatic unit. This way I don't have to mess around when taking shots at family occasions where no one has any patience. This sunpak is almost as powerful as the 283's. I measured them with a flash meter and the PF30XN measures 18 for the Vivtar's 19 reading. It's that close. I'd say the rated 100 guide number (in feet) is accurate.

I tested the Sunpak by shooting my living room from about 25' out and about 35mm wide; everything was nicely lit. I also tested it with the SC-17 extension cord and it worked well with that also. It seems well made and I'm definitely happy with my purchase so far.

Very affordable works great the only thing is it east batteries like the cookie monster eats chips ahoy. The Recycle time isn't too bad but don't expect to take too many flash shots in consecutive manner aside from all that its still a great product so why not get it?