Nikon SB-900 Review - Page 3
Standard Functions...
It's not really practical to visit every single function of a new flash gun (that's what the user manual if for!), so many things have been skipped over here. There are however a great number of features that people take for granted, and as far as I can tell, they pretty much have them all covered. Auto FP High Speed sync allows shooting up to 1/8000 of a second. Front curtain, rear curtain triggering, RPT mode for strobing at different speeds during a single exposure are all here.
So what about the physical attributes?
Apart from being physically larger than the older SB-800, there are some other significant differences. Firstly, the SB-900 requires only 4 batteries to recharge quickly. Nikon quotes recharge time for NiMH batteries at ~2.3 seconds, and 1 second when using the SD-9 battery pack. There is no option for a 5th battery (like the SB-800 has), which I consider a bonus. I hated the 5th battery because none of my battery chargers handle 5 batteries, so keeping 5 batteries together in a 'set' was tedious.
Gel Holder
Nikon have clearly been thinking about how photographers use gels, and have included a dedicated gel holder with the SB-900, so there is no more fiddling with elastic bands or velcro to hold gels in place. Even nicer is the fact that the included diffuser dome fits over the Gel holder so that both can be used at the same time.
The SB-900 includes an optical sensor that is triggered by the Gel holder and Nikon supplied Gels. Having read the 'code' from the Gels, the SB-900 will pass on this information to supported bodies, automating any white balance adjustments that may need to be made. Of course if you choose to use your own 'cut' gels then this feature will be disabled.
Foot Size
Like it's recent predecessors, the foot is metal, but for some reason Nikon have chosen to increase the thickness. This presents no problems mounting on a Nikon body (actually it helps make the connection a little more sturdy), but it does mean that some 3rd party hot shoe adapters may not be deep enough to allow the SB-900 to mount. You have been warned!
Carrying Case
In order to accommodate the larger size of the SB-900, the Carry Case is also bigger, noticeably bigger! What Nikon have done is allowed the diffuser and gel holder to be stored in a bottom compartment, accessible via a zip, allowing the SB-900 to be stored in the main pouch without needing to mount diffuser on the speedlight.
The gels have their own pocket inside the case, and the included stand is now placed in it's own pocket on the back (outside). Again, this provides easier access to all components individually, and is a nice touch. The other noticeable change from the SB-800 is the lack of the extra battery holder pocket, but this is a positive rather than a negative.
As with the SB-800, the SB-900 case includes a belt strap, which may or may not fit around your belt. I would have preferred to see an open ended LowePro style belt strap that opens up to allow you to pass the strap behind your belt without having to remove/undo your belt, and then velcro the strap closed for easy on/off. It's a little embarrassing to have to undo your belt in public in order to remove a case! Perhaps next time?
Conclusion
Given the differences, is the SB-900 worth the extra cash? My answer to that depends on how the additional size of the SB-900 over the SB-800 effects you, particularly if trying to travel with a small / lightweight lighting kit. If your SB-800 only just goes in your current bag, then you may have to buy a new bag to go with it! Other than that, I think the SB-900 is such a step up in terms of light quality and controllability that if the larger size is no big deal, I would take the SB-900 every time.
[Edit] It seems that since the introduction of the SB-900, the SB-800 has now been discontinued (2008), so the SB-900 is now the natural choice for photographers needing the extra features not present on the SB-600. For a comparison between the model go here.