Customer Reviews for (Unknown)
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(Unknown)
Average Customer Rating:
(34 Reviews) 34
Rating Snapshot 34 reviews
5 stars
18
4 stars
7
3 stars
1
2 stars
4
1 star
4
26 out of 34(76%)customers recommend this product.
Customer Reviews for (Unknown)
Review 1 for (Unknown)
Overall rating
Just right to travel light....
PostedJune 5, 2013
Photo Mojo
Location Maryland, USA
Age 45-54
Nikon Family 21+ years
Role Serious passion, hobbyist
I've used this for a few weeks now and it works great for indoor family shots, outdoor fill, any situation where you might need some extra illumination but don't want to carry a larger speedlight. Most of the time I like to keep it simple, pare down on equipment and rely on a fast prime. Usually, I prefer to shoot without flash but there are times when existing light just isn't enough and carrying a full sized speedlight adds weight. This device fills that space nicely. If you're looking for a pro or prosumer level speedlight, look to the larger Nikon devices but with some experimentation and imagination, this product will deliver inspiring and stunning results!
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0points
Review 2 for (Unknown)
Overall rating
Great Little Flash
PostedJune 2, 2013
Faboo
Location Toronto, ON, Canada
Age 35-44
Favorite Subject Nature
Nikon Family 6-10 years
Experience Less than a month
Role Serious passion, hobbyist
This flash is great especially for my Nikon Coolpix p7700. I can rotate the flash to full 90 straight up; or different angles. takes 2 AA batteries I use rechargeables, and has a small profile which suites the camera just right. I do own the Nikon SB-700 speedlight also, but I found the sb-400 crates a much better and softer light than the harsh on board flash. The SB-400 keeps a lower profile my travel camera the Nikon coolpix p7700. Another great product from Nikon.
Here is some pic's showing the SB-400 on the Nikon Coolpix P7700 and you will notice the low profile of the flash
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0points
Review 3 for (Unknown)
Overall rating
Pluses and Minuses to this lens...
PostedMarch 8, 2013
vickun
Nikon Family 2-5 years
Experience 1-3 months
Role Occasional user, memory keeper
Plus :
small, light, just 2 batteries, variable angle flash (light itself tilts up/down), relatively inexpensive
small, light, just 2 batteries, variable angle flash (light itself tilts up/down), relatively inexpensive
Minus :
Kind of an "incomplete" rather than "conclusive" negative because...
Mine was kind of broken on first receipt...at first I thought bad batteries caused the flash to not work...so
I just put it aside for a loooong time...when I finally got around to using it, my testing seemed to indicate it had a loose connection to my camera shoe, and that's why it was not working...but of course now it's out of warranty...
Kind of an "incomplete" rather than "conclusive" negative because...
Mine was kind of broken on first receipt...at first I thought bad batteries caused the flash to not work...so
I just put it aside for a loooong time...when I finally got around to using it, my testing seemed to indicate it had a loose connection to my camera shoe, and that's why it was not working...but of course now it's out of warranty...
Maybe purchase of a better flash would have meant better construction...I don't know...but I'm just an occassional "mounted flash" user, so this price/size/convenience would have been ideal, but I just can't give it a conclusive review unless it worked properly...
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-12points
Review 4 for (Unknown)
Overall rating
SB400 Won't Fire - Owned it for 6 monhs!
PostedJanuary 17, 2013
SAR
I really like SB400 for my D3100 but recently it stop working. Put new batteries but nothing happen. So disappointed.
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-2points
Review 5 for (Unknown)
Overall rating
Brilliant little guy
PostedDecember 30, 2012
Carioca
Age 35-44
Favorite Subject Portrait
Nikon Family 6-10 years
Experience Less than a month
Role Semi-professional photographer
Strong little guy, the recycle is pretty fast, need new or freshly recharged batteries though. the ability to bounce makes it infinitely better than the in body unit, it cannot swivel however. This is all you need if you are not doing weddings!
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+4points
Review 6 for (Unknown)
Overall rating
Fantastic
PostedAugust 12, 2012
Mikey
Location New England
Age 55-65
Nikon Family 6-10 years
Experience 6-12 months
Role Occasional user, memory keeper
I bought this back before Christmas to try on my D5000 as the built in flash just wasn't enough a lot of time. I expected it to be better than the built in but for the price I didn't expect much more.
I was amazed! The flash is fantastic. Indoors I just angle it up and it gives a great fill. It cycles fast and isn't anywhere near the battery hog I expected. If this thing were to break tomorrow, I'd buy another one instantly to replace it.
My daughter needed a flash on short notice for her D40, and I looked for another one of these but they were sold out everywhere in the week I needed it quickly, and had to settle for another brand, which I won't mention. This thing blows it away!
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+23points
Review 7 for (Unknown)
Overall rating
Great little flash
PostedJuly 13, 2012
Lone Ocean
Age 45-54
Favorite Subject Nature
Nikon Family 0-1 years
Experience Less than a month
Role Serious passion, hobbyist
Let's start by saying I am a hobbyist not a professionnal photographer by any means. I recently received the SB-400 as a father's day gift to complement a growing camera equipment list. I did a lot of film photography back in the college day. Now after 25+ years of other activities (marriage, kids, career, life in general) I have started back into it with Digital products and the fun is all coming back to me. :)
Upon opening the box, I was amazed at the size and weight of the Nikon SB-400. it is really compact which is great to carry around. It is well built and the metal shoe and lock are a great feature. matched with my D5100 (a Christmas gift) it's a great way to get back into photography.
True it doesn't have all the bells and whistles of the higher end models. But if it's simplicity and compact size you're after or are just looking to compliment your on camera flash with something a little more powerful and versatile (with the tilting head for bounce function) this is the flash for you. Sure there are other brands, but nothing works with Nikon like Nikon.
Right from the box, with 2 AA batteries I was shooting with fill flash to control shadows in a couple of minutes. and the pictures were fantastic. Better that comparison shots I took with the on-board flash all due to the control available by tilting the head.
I can't speak to durability yet as I have just started using it less than a month ago, as long as it doesn't fail I guess I won't be adding to this review.
Nothing in life is perfect and the SB-400 is no exception. The one drawback I found disappointing with the SB-400 is the "manual", if you can even call it that. It is a large folded map type of arrangement in 3 languages (English, French and Spanish). A good quality product should not have one of these map like fliers for a manual. As for the content of the flier, apart from the legal mumbo jumbo Nikon has to put into these instructions to protect itself, there is some nice information and tips to be had from it and a little booklet would suit it better.
Overall a very nice product. Simple, fast, light and compact. A booklet type users manual would make it perfect.
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+25points
Review 8 for (Unknown)
Overall rating
Especialmente eficiente.
PostedMay 17, 2012
WPaiva
Age 18-24
Favorite Subject Nature
Nikon Family 0-1 years
Experience Less than a month
Role Serious passion, hobbyist
Como estou começando na fotografia é um flash rápido especial, irá me ajudar muito em ambientes escuros e assim aperfeiçoando as minhas técnicas no ramo da fotografia.
Eu lhe digo, esse flash vale ouro.
Eu lhe digo, esse flash vale ouro.
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-8points
Review 9 for (Unknown)
Overall rating
Nikon SB-400 Flash: Small Wonder
PostedMay 9, 2012
JargonTalk
Location Manhattan, New York, NY, USA
Age Over 65
Favorite Subject Travel
Nikon Family 21+ years
Experience 3-6 months
Role Semi-professional photographer
There's a lot to like about the Nikon SB-400. It may be small and compact, but that's where the beauty of this small wonder starts. It's the beginning, entry-level unit of the Nikon Creative Lighting System (CLS), and though limited in many functions that the larger Nikon Speedlights offer, such as the SB-700 or flagship SB-910, this unit make up for it in size and surprisingly good results for an on-camera accessory flash unit.
I've personally used it with my P7100 and D5000, along with my aging D200, and the performance has been excellent with each of these, primarily because of the i-TTL mode. The SB-400 was made to work with contemporary Nikon DSLRs made since 2004. It's small and it's not cheap, but its performance is surprising.
Pros:
• Excellent construction quality; the SB-400 has a metal hot shoe
• Uses just two AA cells; excellent battery life
• Fast recycling, about 2 ½ seconds
• Shooting range 2 ft. up to 66 ft.
• i-TTL fill-flash with CLS-compatible cameras
• Bounce capabilities: 4 steps, to 90 degrees
• Uses just two AA cells; excellent battery life
• Fast recycling, about 2 ½ seconds
• Shooting range 2 ft. up to 66 ft.
• i-TTL fill-flash with CLS-compatible cameras
• Bounce capabilities: 4 steps, to 90 degrees
Cons:
• No sideward head tilt
In Use:
The first thing that you'll note about the SB-400 when unboxed is the precision feel to the unit. I was surprised to see that it had a metal hot shoe, as so many flashes today have gone to plastic. There's also a lock lever on the rear, and it has indicators so that you'll know if you forgot to lock it. There's an excellent little zippered soft case that will store your flash and keep it from getting dinged up in your camera bag. The flash uses only two AA batteries that can be purchased almost anywhere, and though I'm not carefully measuring it, I get about 200 flashes per pair of batteries. I'm getting a recycle time of just over 2 ½ seconds with a pair of Sanyo eneloop Ni-MH 2000 mAH rechargeable batteries.
The tilt head is excellent, and if you're using your Nikon in horizontal (landscape) mode, it offers four vertical positions of 0, 60, 75 and 90 degrees. But if you're holding your camera in the vertical (portrait) mode, then you'll have to shoot with the flash straight on or bounced off of a wall. It's a tilt head, and doesn't have a swivel head like the more costly Nikon SB-700 offers.
The angle of coverage on the SB-400 is 18mm (DX-format) and 27mm (FX-format). For reference, this is the equivalent of about a 28mm lens on 35mm film camera. The flash coverage is excellent and generally well distributed. Tinting the head for a bounce effect will give you a softer effect, but if you need more, using a bounce card or any number of third-party diffusers for Nikon SB-400 will work.
Suggestion:
For many, the SB-400 may be all that's needed as an excellent step upwards for Nikon DSLR owners who need more than their built-in flash offers, but some may be perhaps looking for more. As stated earlier, this flash is the beginning, entry-level unit of the Nikon Creative Lighting System (CLS). It supplements my aged Nikon SB-600 in that respect, but in truth I use the SB-400 far more on a day-in, day-out basis.
Summary:
The Nikon SB-400 is an unpretentious, high-quality flash with all the features that many will actually use. But do you actually need one of these, considering that the built-in flash on contemporary Nikon DSLRs (and the P7100) are so good? Maybe not, but consider the SB-400 if you want an easy-to-use bounce flash, if you want faster recycle times than your camera may offer, and excellent coverage with your ultra-wide lenses. You'll also get more shots per camera battery charge, since your camera's built-in flash uses 2-4 times as much power; using the SB-400 means you don't use the built-in flash. Other flash features can be gimmicks that may even interfere with taking pictures, and will slow you down rather than get the job done. Considering all that this small wonder does, it's highly recommended.
My product recommendations
SB-400 Speedlight Unit
(33)Share:
+53points
Review 10 for (Unknown)
Overall rating
Died just after hardly 18months of use
PostedApril 1, 2012
D5000-owner
Location Northern, VA, USA
Age 35-44
Favorite Subject Family & Friends
Nikon Family 6-10 years
Experience More than a year
Role Occasional user, memory keeper
I bought this flash from Best Buy in 2010 for my wife to go with D5000 camera. She is a very careful and light user. Mostly uses for our kids birthdays, any school shows etc. We haven't used it much outdoors in too much sun or even in cold. Two weeks ago, it just stopped working. Very disappointing. After spending $130 for a simple flash, I would expect that to last for a few years. Nikon should be ashamed of the accessories quality, especially when they charge such a premium. I might as well buy a 3rd party flash for less than third the price and toss it after a few years. We are planning to go to NewYork this week for spring break and stuck without a flash. Now I have to shell out more money to get a poor-quality flash.
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-27points
Review 11 for (Unknown)
Overall rating
Compacto e eficiente
PostedMarch 29, 2012
Maragogi
Location Vitória - ES, Brasil
Age 45-54
Favorite Subject Nature
Nikon Family 11-20 years
Experience 6-12 months
Role Serious passion, hobbyist
Leve e eficiente para a maioria das situacoes no dia-a-dia como entusiasta nao-profissional. Evita o aspecto algo agressivo de flashs maiores quando usados por um amador como eu. Direcionado para o teto,o efeito fica muito simples e agradavel, mas existem muitas outras situacoes onde o flash traz gratas surpresas. A inclinacao se da somente para cima, o que representa um ponto negativo, mas no geral estou bastante satisfeito. Para profissionais existem flash mais eficientes; como amador gosto deste SB-400 que uso na minha D5100.
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+9points
Review 12 for (Unknown)
Overall rating
$100 and no Swivel Head
PostedMarch 26, 2012
Disappointed
Nikon Family 21+ years
Role Semi-professional photographer
Could be a great compact flash if not for the lack of a swivel head. Too bad Nikon engineers don't have the forethought to realize that sometimes we need to change the direction of our flash, not just up to the ceiling, to improve bounce lighting. I doubt that a swivel head would increase the cost of this flash buy even $5 or $10 dollars in total. Oh well!
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-11points
Review 13 for (Unknown)
Overall rating
Exactly what I needed
PostedDecember 28, 2011
draddie
Location Washington
Age 35-44
Favorite Subject Family & Friends
Nikon Family 2-5 years
Experience 6-12 months
Role Occasional user, memory keeper
Nikon makes a decent camera flash, but I needed to bounce it off the ceiling more. I did use the inexpensive reccomended lightscoop, but it was a quick fix. This flash has made a world of difference on all my inside photos.
It does only move in an up down dimension and sometimes it'd be nice if I could turn it sideways as well. Now that I have used this so much, I'd consider spending more for that extra function which I didn't think was important when I was first shopping for it. This was my first flash I have bought for my DSLR, so I didn't know what I would find important or not. Price factored in this time....next time I will make sure I get one that has the full rotation since I do find that a bit lacking. I knew that before I bought it however, so it doesn't minimize how great this flash is :D
If you are just wanting something better than the on board flash, but trying not to spend alot, you cannot go wrong with this lens. If you have some money to upgrade it to one that rotates both directions, then I'd go for that one instead.
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+23points
Review 14 for (Unknown)
Overall rating
Disappointing
PostedNovember 3, 2011
CharlesMJr
Location Dallas, TX
Age 45-54
Favorite Subject Travel
Nikon Family 2-5 years
Experience 6-12 months
Role Semi-professional photographer
When I first purchased the Speedlight SB-400 I was anxious to see how it would work on my D700 and D50. It's small size was very interesting. Unfortunately after very little use, it just died. It was not damaged, I changed batteries, and still would not come back to life. Basically I was very disappointed.
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-15points
Review 15 for (Unknown)
Overall rating
Sweet!
PostedAugust 16, 2011
fault2ground
Age 25-34
Favorite Subject Nature
Nikon Family 2-5 years
Experience 1-3 months
Role Occasional user, memory keeper
I got this little flash to finally replace the built-in flash on my D70. Because of the built-in flashes limitations, I barely have any indoor photos of my dog who has one blue eye and one brown eye. (I don't have any photo manipulation software.) As you might imagine, the red eye/green eye situation is a nightmare. For the money, this little flash is perfect. Powerful, fast, and bounce capability. And! It's great to fill in when the subject is back lit. Huzzah! I finally have an affordable alternative to the semi-professional flashes out on the market.
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+24points
Review 16 for (Unknown)
Overall rating
PostedAugust 3, 2011
foodphotograher
Age 55-65
Favorite Subject Travel
Nikon Family 2-5 years
Experience Less than a month
Role Semi-professional photographer
I bought this flash because the built in flash on the D3000 had a few limitations. First, it vignetted pictures by being too close to the lens. Second, the color balance wasn't quite right.
Adding this little flash solved both problems and it added very little weight or bulk to my camera. While I still try to use available light, the SB-400 is very useful as a fill-flash and the recycle time is quick.
The small size is very handy as it fits in a small pocket of my camera bag.
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+13points
Review 17 for (Unknown)
Overall rating
SB-400 is most excellent!!
PostedMay 15, 2011
Some old guy out in Arizona
Location Scottsdale, AZ
Age 55-65
Favorite Subject Travel
Nikon Family 21+ years
Experience More than a year
Role Serious passion, hobbyist
I love this flash! I got it because the built in flash on my D80 would leave a shadow across the bottom of the picture when using the 18-135mm lens. Nikon says the SB-400 will cover an 18mm lens, but this one never leaves a shadow even when used with my Sigma 10-20mm at 10mm. Fill flash is excellent and I rarely have to do any after-the-fact Photoshop color adjustments.
It's so simple, the wife can use it on her D40 without an 'instruction session' every time. On my recommendation, my daughter got one too, and loves it.
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+16points
Review 18 for (Unknown)
Overall rating
All you'll ever need
PostedApril 18, 2011
jjb-13
Location Providence, Rhode Island
Age 55-65
Favorite Subject Travel
Nikon Family 21+ years
Experience More than a year
Role Serious passion, hobbyist
While it is generally true that the built in flip flashes supplied on higher end Nikon DSLR's have matured from being toys to being actual tools worth using, the battery drain of a day's worth of fill flash shooting could potentially leave one high and dry. Add to that the ability to adjust the SB 400's flash head vertically for bounce and you now have more flash than the average advanced amateur ever needs in a small, easy to carry package. Now, if it would only adjust horizontally somehow it would be just about perfect.
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+26points
Review 19 for (Unknown)
Overall rating
A lot packed in this small flash
PostedApril 15, 2011
Mooshie Moose
Location OKC, OK
Age 45-54
Favorite Subject Nature
Nikon Family 21+ years
Experience More than a year
Role Semi-professional photographer
Using this flash with the new series of small Nikon DSLRs is very much a treat. It is extremely easy to use but still allows full manual operation. I use it for my multiple stobe set up in studio to trigger the flash banks and add in a key light fill. Outside, it gives me perfect fill light light for nature close ups and portraits.
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+17points
Review 20 for (Unknown)
Overall rating
Too dark images
PostedApril 15, 2011
CAD Guru
Location New jersey
Age Over 65
Favorite Subject Family & Friends
Nikon Family 6-10 years
Experience 3-6 months
Role Occasional user, memory keeper
I bought this for use on my Nikon d300S. Set to automatic exposure the flash always produces images that are too dark. Every one requires image changes using Aperture.
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-15points