Nikon SB-800 Speedlight

The Nikon SB-800 Speedlight is Nikon’s top-of-the-line, high-power on-camera flash introduced in 2003 as a successor to the SB-80DX, fully supporting Nikon’s Creative Lighting System (CLS) with i-TTL Balanced Fill-Flash when used with compatible camera bodies and lenses. It’s a professional-grade flash prized for its strong output-to-size ratio and remains highly regarded by photographers today despite its discontinuation.

The flash offers a guide number of 125 ft. (38m) at ISO 100 and 35mm zoom, increasing to 184 ft. (56m) at the 105mm zoom position. An automatic zoom head covers a 24-105mm range, extendable to 14/17mm coverage with the built-in wide-angle flash adapter, or 14mm using the included Diffusion Dome, with an angle of coverage spanning 86° to 23° across the standard zoom range (114° with the wide-angle adapter). The flash head tilts from -7 to 90 degrees and swivels, giving photographers flexible bounce-flash positioning.

Flash exposure control includes i-TTL Balanced Fill-Flash with CLS-compatible camera bodies, D-TTL with digital cameras not compatible with CLS, and standard TTL Auto Flash with many film SLRs, reflecting the SB-800’s broad backward compatibility across Nikon’s camera lineup. Manual flash mode offers 8 power levels, and the flash supports Auto FP High-Speed Sync, enabling shutter speeds up to 1/8000 second. Flash duration ranges from 1/1050 second at full manual power down to as fast as 1/41600 second at 1/128 power. Wireless capability lets the SB-800 function as a commander or remote unit within Nikon’s CLS, along with repeating (stroboscopic) flash mode and a built-in AF-assist illuminator.

Handling includes an LCD panel for reviewing and adjusting settings, a flip-lock mounting foot, flash value lock, and flash color information communication to compatible camera bodies for improved white balance accuracy. Power comes from four AA batteries (alkaline, NiCd, or lithium), with recycle times of approximately 6 seconds on fresh alkaline batteries, improving to about 2.7-4 seconds when paired with the optional SD-800 Quick Recycle Battery Pack (which holds a fifth AA battery) or compatible Ni-Cd/Ni-MH cells.

Build quality centers on a compact, sturdy construction inherited from the SB-80DX, measuring approximately 2.8 x 5.0 x 3.6 in. (70.6 x 127.4 x 91.7mm) and weighing approximately 350g (12.3 oz.) without batteries. The SB-800 is compatible with Nikon Z, DSLR, and film cameras.

Key Features
– Professional on-camera Speedlight compatible with Nikon’s Creative Lighting System (CLS)
– Guide number of 125 ft. (38m) at 35mm; up to 184 ft. (56m) at 105mm
– Automatic zoom head, 24-105mm (14/17mm with wide-angle adapter; 14mm with Diffusion Dome)
– Tilt (-7° to 90°) and swivel head
– i-TTL Balanced Fill-Flash, D-TTL, and TTL Auto Flash compatibility (camera-dependent)
– Manual flash mode (8 power levels)
– Auto FP High-Speed Sync, up to 1/8000 sec
– Flash duration as short as 1/41600 sec (at 1/128 power)
– Wireless commander/remote operation within Nikon CLS
– Repeating (stroboscopic) flash mode
– Built-in AF-assist illuminator
– LCD control panel; flip-lock mounting foot
– Flash value lock and flash color information communication
– Runs on 4 AA batteries; recycle time approximately 2.7-6 seconds (battery-dependent)
– Compact, durable construction (approximately 350g, without batteries)
– Compatible with Nikon Z, DSLR, and film cameras