Speedlight Flash Review,Nikon’s mid-size Flash Impresses, but for a price
Nikon SB-700 AF Speedlight Flash
Speedlight Flash Review,He Nikon SB-seven-hundred AF Speedlight Flash is a extremely good mid-length flash designed for more moderen cameras within Nikon’s surroundings.
While it’s genuinely no longer the most inexpensive answer in the marketplace, it’s at the upper threshold of functionality, protecting pretty much every place that will be crucial to most photographers.
A slightly decrease guide range does particularly limit the flexibility of this flash in some situations, but this obstacle is quickly triumph over by a slew of other bells and whistles. Overall, Nikon offers lots at the SB-seven hundred to maintain each amateurs and professionals glad.
Speedlight Flash Review,Design: Premium top to bottom
Out of the field, the Nikon SB-seven hundred AF Speedlight Flash consists of a smooth case (which houses maximum of the contents), a variety dome, incandescent and fluorescent filters, a speedlight stand, warranty card, consumer guide, and of route, the tool itself.
We really favored the soft case and the way quite simply the whole lot folds up into an effortlessly portable package deal. This isn’t a budget flash, so it’s exceptional to see a few extra touches right here and there.
Moving directly to the device itself, the flash head includes the expected integrated jump card and extensive panel, even though the huge panel is surely a bit greater thick and sturdy feeling than we’ve come to anticipate.
Just underneath the flash head are discreet diffusion and filter out detectors, which communicate at once to newer cameras to allow them to choose the perfect white stability with none additional consumer intervention.
A slightly lower guide number does somewhat limit the versatility of this flash in some situations, but this limitation is quickly overcome by a slew of other bells and whistles.
Speedlight Flash Review,Premium top to bottom
In disturbing taking pictures situations with out a whole lot of room for error, we sincerely felt that little such things as this gave us a piece of an facet.
Lastly, on the side of the flash head, you will locate the release button, which we could customers pivot the head among the ninety seven stages of available vertical tilt and 360 degrees of horizontal rotation (a hundred and eighty degrees to the left, one hundred eighty levels to the proper).
Speedlight Flash Review
On the front of the flash frame, a pink translucent housing contains the flash-ready indicator to be used in Remote mode, and the AF-assist illuminator.
Around the facet of the tool are the battery chamber (which includes a lock launch button to save you unintended unlocking) and the light sensor window to be used with a wireless far flung flash. On the lowest of the device are outside AF-help illuminator contacts and the mounting foot lock lever, that is notably clicky and pleasurable to operate.
And ultimately, the rear of the device includes all of the controls vital for operating the speedlight. This a part of the Nikon SB-seven-hundred AF Speedlight Flash is a blended bag, by some means managing to make us feel that there are concurrently too many and too few buttons. More on that within the next phase.
Controls: Too many to count
On the top of the manipulate location, flanking the LCD display, are toggles that control the flash mode (at the left) and illumination sample (at the proper). The LCD, ZOOM and SEL buttons under, allow users control the zoom and the selected item highlighted at the display. A selector dial within the middle gives manage for changing any of the functions handy thru the LCD. The OK button within the center is used for confirming your choice.
Ultimately you get what you pay for, and in this case, that means great build quality from a reputable brand, comprehensive automatic control, and a full set of wireless functionality.
Flanking the dial to the left is a flash-prepared indicator, together with the Test Firing button and the Menu button. On the proper, you have the power switch and wireless mode transfer. The transfer obviously toggles between on and stale role, but customers should press the lock launch inside the middle to choose between the Remote and Master modes for wi-fi use.
Setup: Mostly intuitive by design
The Nikon SB-seven hundred AF Speedlight Flash capabilities a completely brief setup, in concept, requiring only that the consumer inserts the four AA batteries into the device and turns it on. For fully automated use on a CLS well suited camera, this might be all you need to recognize.
For anything else, however, users will need to spend a decent amount of time familiarizing themselves with the manipulate and operation of the tool. It’s not the most consumer-unfriendly layout we’ve seen, however it’s exceedingly dense and there is a lot to cover.
Features & Functionality: Perfectly optimized for Nikon’s own portfolio
One cause for the accelerated value of the Nikon SB-700 AF Speedlight Flash is its i-TTL flash manage. Like any properly TTL mode on a flash, Nikon’s i-TTL handles all factors of zoom and exposure manipulate to supply the correct amount of mild for any given scene without any consumer intervention.
This characteristic has a tendency to be plenty greater famous among event photographers working in eventualities with numerous lights who can’t come up with the money for to check and troubleshoot before every shot.
Manual manipulate is continually premiere in studio settings in which you want repeatable outcomes, but in scenarios where there is no flexibility and every shot is a can’t-leave out, it’s difficult to argue with the effects that Nikon’s solution offers.
Perfectly optimized for Nikon’s own portfolio
Users shopping for a full-featured mid-size flash to sit on top of their CLS compatible Nikon camera will be pleased with the Nikon SB-700 AF Speedlight Flash and all it offers.
Nikon gives users the option among balanced fill-flash which attempts to correctly expose the subject and background concurrently, and trendy i-TTL, which concerns itself most effective with the best exposure of the challenge.
Perfectly optimized for Nikon’s own portfolio
If the SB-700 is used along side a Nikon Creative Lighting System (CLS) digital camera and lens, ISO sensitivity, focal period, and aperture can all be robotically set primarily based on lens and digicam information approximately a given scene.
In Manual mode, the Nikon SB-700 AF Speedlight Flash gives users a incredible deal of facts at the LCD panel to help in taking photos.
Visible on-display is the flash output level, the effective flash output distance, an icon illustration of the flash’s orientation, the contemporary focal duration, and an indicator to expose whether or not a CLS compatible camera is detected.
Perfectly optimized for Nikon’s own portfolio
One criticism we had about the SB-700 is that incredibly vital settings consisting of the flash output degree are buried inside a series of wheel selector spins, SEL, and OK presses. It could were exceptional to have quicker manage over naked important functionality like this.
That stated, one place in which the Nikon SB-700 AF Speedlight Flash excels in its recycling time, or the time it takes for the flash to be ready to apply once more after firing. The SB-700 does this in just 2.Five seconds, giving customers lots of manage and flexibility.
Price: Premium device, but no longer for cheap
At an MSRP of $329.95, the Nikon SB-seven hundred AF Speedlight Flash is absolutely in greater premium tier of speedlights. It’s nowhere close to the sky-high pricing of the $599.Ninety five SB-5000 AF, however nonetheless leagues extra expensive than a low-value manual alternative just like the $60 Yongnuo YN560 IV.
Ultimately you get what you pay for, and in this situation, that means exceptional build fine from a good logo, complete computerized manipulate, and a complete set of wi-fi capability.
Nikon SB-700 AF Speedlight Flash vs Nikon SB-600
The SB-600 is the predecessor to the SB-seven hundred, and there are quite some points of differentiation. The SB-700 boasts a slightly stepped forward guide number, built-in soar card, faster recycling, and included light filters.
To its credit score even though, the SB-six hundred does have a less difficult manage scheme that many professionals might select, as opposed to the SB-700’s extra complicated and every so often overwrought format and layout scheme.
Final Verdict Premium option for the Nikon environment Users purchasing for a complete-featured mid-size flash to take a seat on top of their CLS well suited Nikon digicam could be thrilled with the Nikon SB-700 AF Speedlight Flash and all it gives
Specs
- Product Name SB-700 AF
- Product Brand Nikon
- SKU 182080480832
- Price $329.95
- Release Date July 2010
- Product Dimensions 2.8 x 5 x 4.1 in.
- Power Source 4 x AA Alkaline, Lithium, Rechargeable NiMH Batteries
- Guide Number 92’ at 100 ISO
- Exposure Control Manual, i-TTL
- Tilt -7 to +90°
- Swivel360°
- Recycle TimeApproximately 2.5 to 3.5 Seconds
- MountShoe
- Warranty1-year limited warranty