so i'm buying a flash... what accessories should I get with it?

[kmediavideo]

For ma nikon. Probably getting the SB-900, but I'm heavily looking at the 600. Is the 900 worth the extra money? What accessories do you recommend? It will be used as an on-camera flash for now (because my new lenses block the built-in flash), so I'll probably be getting a diffusor, some gels, and a shit-ton of rechargeable batteries.

Anything else I am forgetting that will come in handy?

[fast eddie]

from what i've read about the differences between the 600 and 900, the only real advantages of the 900 over the 600 are built-in Commander mode, lens coverage up to 200mm, having an optional power supply, an adjustable light pattern and overheat protection.

now, i'm not a professional photographer by any means. but if i had a camera that had the built in Commander mode, i wouldn't have any use for anything above a 600. my 600 lasts a long time on regular alkaline batteries with well over 100 cycles @ 1/4-1/2 power, the recycle time is shorter than the models above it, and it's way cheaper and weighs less than the models above it.

i wouldn't turn one down :lol: but i'm not going to break myself to get one, either.

as for accessories, build your own shit, it's fun and i got a slightly better raise at work for showing initiative for my position :D http://www.be-mag.com/msgboard/showthread.php/27387-my-DIY-ring-flash-and-sample-shot i should post a better sample shot, but i've been really busy lately. maybe tonight.

[ADLAVINSKY]

I've got the SB-900 and a 600. The 900 is significantly more powerful and refreshes much faster. The commander mode is OK but I find myself using my cybersyncs much more then using the gimicky infrared triggers.

The Gary Fong lightsphere is pretty standard. The SB-900 comes with a diffuser and gel holder which is pretty cool but very proprietary. You might want to think about getting a ttl cable for the flash and maybe a flash bracket too?

I barely use a diffuser per se on the 900 on camera, the flash itself has a white card that extends out from the top which allows you to use it as a bounce, very handy, and it gives a nice catchlight.

check out honl for other flash modifiers although most of them are kind of useless when used on camera.

[al dolega]

Buy the mint SB-800 I'm selling :)

[George Amos]

A pro photographer told me the best accessory for a flash, is tin foil mounted on card.

idk...

[George Amos]

this dude: http://www.timkent.co.uk/

nothing special but hey...

[rol SYR]

what are you planning on using it for? that will determine what accessories to get. we could all tell you to get a flash bracket, but if you plan on shooting skating thats not a good choice, know what im saying? gels are good, they are a pretty good multi purpose thing to have. a good bracket is a good thing to have, id recomend a stroboframe pro rl. a gary fong lightsphere is good to have. an off camera sync cord is definatly a great thing to have, and a must if you buy a bracket, also good if you shoot people with superwides because you can get the flash off camera. a honeycomb grid is another great thing to have for really getting a narrow beam of light. velcrow the shit out the flash so you can use white bounce cards, or black cards for blocking flash spill(if you use enough of the black ones you can make yourself a makeshift barndoors). a mini soft box is pretty clutch when you dont/cant carry a big one with you, i have a wescott micro apallo soft box, works great for small things. you can make yourself a much of things, ie., white bounce cards, black cards, a snoot. a cheap reflector is good also, you can use the flash on camera and bounce off the reflector to change direction of light....... the good ole photon bounce. good luck, theres a lot of options

[kmediavideo]

all great ideas, including Al's. How much are you looking to sell it for?

I will mostly be using it for run-n-gun shooting of people. I probably don't want to buy a bracket because I want to keep the camera a bit smaller, but I'm looking at gels, a lightsphere. The velcro idea is a good one, and I will probably do that.

I actually just was playing with my old SLR gear and tried out the SB-2 flash that I forgot I had, on my D300. It worked. I mean, it only has a low and high setting, but the recharge isn't terrible at around 3 seconds. And I have a sync cable for it too. I still want to get a newer, more controllable flash tho. Will the old SC-12 sync cable work with the newer flashes do you think?