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The
Basics
The
Speedlight SB-80DX was announced at PMA in February 2002 along with the
Nikon D100. The press release for the new Speedlight wasn't particularly
revealing, and plenty of prospective flash purchasers asked the obvious
question: SB-28DX or SB-80DX?
After
some preliminary use, I don't think there's any doubt: get the SB-80DX.
Things that are new or changed over the SB-28DX:
- Slightly
Higher Guide Numbers. The maximum GN is 184 (feet; 56m) at ISO 100
and with the head zoomed to 105mm. While not obviously better than the
SB-28DX (164 max at 85mm), any boost in output is welcome. What's the
exact difference? The new flash is as powerful at 70mm as the SB-28DX
is at 85mm.
- Wider
Zoom Ability. Besides
the 105mm top end, the SB-80DX can zoom to 24mm (14mm and 17mm with
the fold-down adapter). You also get a Stofen-like "diffusion dome"
that automatically sets 14mm and softens light.
- Wireless
Modes. The
return of wireless control to the top-of-the-line Speedlight! In automatic
modes, the claimed maximum distance is 23 feet (7m), in manual modes
this increases to 131 feet (40m).
- Digital
ready. Besides
the obvious D-TTL modes, the SB-80DX also features the Auto Aperture
(AA) automatic flash mode first seen on the SB-28DX. Better still, the
FP High Speed sync mode is fully functional without having to do any
calculations (e.g., the display shows the shooting distance).
- Additional
features. A
functional modeling light, a redesigned and simplified button structure,
large letters on distance scale that are readable from several feet
(!), and the excellent flash foot from the SB-50DX. Not noticed by many
is the 1/128 power mode in manual flash or the ability to set up to
+3 EV flash exposure compensation. The autofocus assist lamp also works
out to 33 feet (10m).
This is all
in addition to the SB-28DX-like features. For example, swivel and tilt
are unchanged, as are power sources. In terms of size, it's almost identical
to the SB-28DX.
Nikon has
also endorsed NiMH battery use with this flash (4 second recycling).
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Field
Reference Card
As
usual, I've produced a two-card set of laminated field reference cards
for this new flash (US$14.95). A must for any SB-80DX owner. To order
a copy, click on the Add to Cart button, below.
Nikon
Flash Guide
The
Nikon Flash Guide was written prior to the SB-80DX's introduction, but
it still has plenty of information about how Nikon flash works, so you
might want to consider picking up a copy. Since the SB-80DX has the equivalent
of a built-in SU-4, the section on that accessory is relevant, as is the
entire front section of the book detailing how flash works and what all
Nikon's terms and modes mean.
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Handling
Just
like the SB-50DX, the SB-80DX has the best hot shoe foot of any flash
Nikon has made. The foot slides into the camera-side shoe easily, then
you flip a little lever and the flash is locked to the shoe. To get the
flash off the camera, flip the lever the other way and pull the flash
out. No more hassling with the knurled lock-down knob of older Speedlights,
which had the frustrating practice of jamming in the locked position.
If you can't get the SB-80DX on and off your camera instantaneously, you're
missing some fingers.
The
tilt and swivel mechanism hasn't changed from that of the SB-28DX, meaning
that you have to push in a button at the side of the head to move the
head. A series of click stops help keep the flash oriented, although the
only "locked" position is the default straight on one. Like
the SB-28DX, this new flash doesn't allow it's head to be rotated to all
angles, though the limitations aren't problematic.
A
convenient modeling light sits at the back of the head, just above the
LCD. The modeling light is a very fast, pulsed type that lasts just under
three seconds. A close distances it indeed works very much like a traditional
modeling light, letting you see how and where shadows will fall.
The
button controls have changed once again (the SB-24, SB-25, SB-26, SB-28DX,
and SB-80DX all have similar features, but Nikon has continually tweaked
the buttons). Separate buttons for Mode and On/Off flank a direction pad
at the center. Press the center of the direction pad for Sel (select),
the up and down directions replace the plus and minus (up and down) buttons,
and the left and right directions control zoom. The buttons are clearly
labeled (and backlit when the lighting is on!). If you're wearing gloves
of any thickness, you might have trouble pressing the right buttons, but
you also won't accidentally press them, either.
The
flash test fire button is easier to press than previous versions, though
you'll probably still need a decent fingernail to depress it.
In
short, if you're familiar with any of the previous top-of-the-line Speedlights,
the SB-80DX is going to be mostly familiar--you won't be running to the
manual to figure out where controls are and what they mean.
The
LCD doesn't use a distance scale with a moving bar any more. Instead,
we get actual distance numbers (as in 2.1-23 feet). But those numbers
are BIG and easy to see. Some will like the old method better, those of
us with presbyopia in our aging eyes will like the new method better.
Setting
some of the less often used controls (autofocus illumination light, meter/feet
switch, etc.) overburdens the three buttons on the back of the flash.
There's a cheat sheet on the pullout white bounce card, though it's so
cryptic you might want to study the manual before relying upon this shortcut.
For the first time, we have a flash complicated enough that it actually
has a reset function (press Mode and On/Off simultaneously).
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Product
Specification
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Guide
Numbers at ISO 100 feet (meters in parentheses)
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14mm
56 (17)
17mm 62 (19)
24mm
105 (32)
28mm 116 (34)
35mm 125 (38)
50mm 144 (44)
70mm 164 (50)
85mm 174 (53)
105mm 184 (56)
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Modes
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All
TTL modes, including D-TTL; Automatic, Auto Aperture, Manual flash
(1/1 to 1/128 levels), High Speed (FP) flash, Repeating flash;
automatic wireless; manual wireless.
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Size
and Weight
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2.8
x 5 x 3.6 inches (70.5 x 127.5 x 91.5mm); 11.8 ounces (335g) without
batteries
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Price
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US$510
(list)
US$380 (street)
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Performance
Yep,
there's a smidgen more power than my SB-28. Recycling and other performance
characteristics all seem unchanged. Nikon's published GN's are
a bit overstated, as usual, but in general are within a third stop in
my initial testing. I've seen other comments that express disappointment
in the overall reach of the SB-80DX, but I suspect this is not so much
an issue of the output of the flash as how it is used. If you shoot
outdoors and expect the SB-80DX to light something further away than
the SB-28DX can, you'll probably be disappointed. Remember, not only
is light falloff working against you, but there are no walls or ceilings
to reinforce what light you can throw. The 105mm setting for the flash
head helps a bit, but there seems to be a limit to how well the Nikon
heads can channel light over long distances. Nikon's manual doesn't
list distances over 66 feet (20m), just as with the older flash units.
The
supplied diffusion dome does a good job of softening light, though at
the expense of output (the highest GN with it attached is 52 [16m]).
Note that when you use any over-the-head accessory, such as the diffusion
dome, the flash automatically sets to 14mm. Some have questioned why
this is, but clearly Nikon is trying to throw light into all portions
of the dome and let the dome direct the light. With
close subjects, I've taken to stuffing gel filters into the dome to
get just the right color balance with my D1x. It looks a little kludgy
in operation, but the results are in the photos: nice, soft, and properly
colored lighting.
Battery
performance seems about on-par with the SB-28DX, which is to say, decent.
Using NimH rechargeables with the SB-80DX makes a lot of sense, as it
cuts consumable costs and provides faster recycling, at the expense
of slightly fewer flashes per charge than alkaline or lithium batteries.
Unfortunately, the battery compartment door hasn't been improved (though
there is a amateur-looking new "holder" that keeps it from
coming entirely off)--just like with the SB-28DX, I've managed to dump
my batteries on the ground about once a week by accidentally dislodging
the cover.
FP
High Speed sync mode no longer requires any calculations (at least on
modern Nikon bodies). You get a distance displayed on the LCD just as
you do with any manual flash mode level. Still not TTL, but getting
easier to use.
Another
small touch that some might enjoy is that you can set flash exposure
compensation up to +3 EV (previously we were stopped at +1 EV). This
last feature is a bit deceptive, as the flash may not actually be able
to fire at +3 EV due to long flash-to-subject distances or wide zoom
head settings.
One
area I found a bit problematic was the wireless trigger. Unlike the
trigger-happy SB-26, the SB-80DX needs the triggering flash aimed pretty
much directly at the wireless sensor, especially if you want to use
the automatic wireless flash mode (where the SB-80DX turns on when it
sees a remote flash and turns off when it sees the other flash turn
off). The sensor is on the right side of the SB-80DX. While this
means you don't have to have the SB-80DX pointed at the triggering flash,
the one-sidedness is a limitation.
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Wireless
isn't perfect. The placement of the sensor will bother some.
The range in automatic wireless mode will be problematic to others.
And if you use a digital SLR (D1, D1h, D1x, or D100), you can't use
the automatic wireless mode with a flash in TTL on the camera.
- Tilt/Swivel
could be improved.
Why does the SB-50DX tilt down further than an SB-80DX? The only lock
positions are the defaults. As with the SB-28DX, there's a couple of
positions you can't reach (135 degrees right, for example).
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No
High Speed TTL. It really shouldn't be that hard. After
all, Minolta and Canon have managed to do it...
- Best
Foot Ever.
A joy to put on the camera and take off. If Nikon makes another flash
without this foot, that new design better slice bread and purify water.
- 14mm
Coverage!
Wow, a flash that can provide flash when using the rectilinear 14mm
lenses on 35mm bodies. Sure, the GN drops to 56 (feet; 17m), but who's
lighting distant objects with a 14mm lens on the camera?
- Wireless
Ability. The built-in SU-4 is nice. I still don't know why Nikon
took it off the SB-28DX (it was on that flash's predecessor, the SB-26).
While somewhat limited due to the sensor position, nonetheless it makes
this flash very useful as a second unit.
- Lots
of little touches that are a modest step forward.
Doug
Payne [dwpayne@ist.waterloo.ca] asks: With regard to the placement
of the wireless sensor, why not just rotate the head 180 degrees in order
to use the flash on the other side?
Thom's
Response: If you're rotating the off-camera flash to position the
sensor, yes, that's not a huge issue, but it does add a set-up step you
must pay attention to, and there are positions that don't put the sensor
quite right. As distance increases, dead-on sensor positioning becomes
more important.
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Highly
recommended, definitely a small step forward from the SB-28DX.
 features
 performance
build
value
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