Flash for D7000

[TFergus]

You can pick up a SB400 and chances are you'll never need more unless you're shooting at 100'

...or if you want to bounce off the ceiling when shooting camera in portrait > poisition, since the flash won't fire at that angle

Incorrect, the SB400 tilts just fine, it just doesn't swivel but it does tilt for bounce off the ceiling

Wrong.
No it doesn't.
Not when the camera is in portrait position.

For that matter, it won't bounce off walls either... unless it IS in portrait position.

 

[Ring A]

You can pick up a SB400 and chances are you'll never need more unless you're shooting at 100'

...or if you want to bounce off the ceiling when shooting camera in portrait > poisition, since the flash won't fire at that angle

Incorrect, the SB400 tilts just fine, it just doesn't swivel but it does tilt for bounce off the ceiling

Wrong.
No it doesn't.
Not when the camera is in portrait position.

That's your choice to choose a pre set camera mode and thus a limitation of the D7000 not the SB400. This is not a limitation of the flash by itself.

I have both, the SB600 and a SB400 .... The SB400 has plenty of spunk, it's lighter, smaller so it's easier to pocket. This makes it easier to have on hand more often than a larger, heavier flash gun.

If you find the need to use a automatic camera mode that's your choice.

A camera flash is a misnomer. It is a light that turns on, lights up the intended area for your camera to see, and then shuts off. It happens so fast that to the human eye it seems like a flash and that's where it gets it's name. My home has rather large rooms, one 30' x 40'. Sorry, the SB600 is a fine unit, but the SB400 is adequate even using bounce.

For that matter, it won't bounce off walls either... unless it IS in portrait position.

--
'I don't necessarily believe everything I say'!

 

[WFulton]

2) Skyline during night time and pictures are so blur and useless (someone recommended using tripod, remote and flash for this issue)

? I may not understand the goals, but flash is NOT going to help nighttime skyline pictures. Flashes have limited range, ten feet, maybe 20 feet, maybe 50 feet in some cases, but hardly city skyline distance. Seems the wrong plan.

Which flash is much like which car to buy? Some may claim Ford hubcaps look funny and so are unacceptable. Some may claim Toyota is in some lawsuit about infringement on bumper design, etc. Someone else says pickups are always better. Everyone has opinions, and their own goals. There is usually little to gain from such discussions.

But the big deal is, How Will You Use This Product? Does This Product Match Your Needs? The discussions need to be about goals and features.

Many users cannot imagine using anything more than direct hotshoe flash, like the internal flash. They may think they need more power, but they have no understanding of any of the features. Many will never try to achieve any understanding. These users will never miss any features, except that if they use TTL, they do need it to match the cameras system (Nikon iTTL).

Those that progress with their photography skills soon discover that bounce flash is much superior lighting, in the situations it can be used. This needs a flash head that tilts and rotates, and needs substantially more power than direct flash (a bigger flash unit). If you plan to use bounce, you will need these additional features.

Those that progress even more learn about off camera lighting, umbrellas and such.
The D7000 has a Commander which can control two such remote flashes.

If you plan to use the Commander, you definitely need a flash that can support it (which rules out most models). If you cannot imagine doing off camera flash, you don't need the features. All the current Nikon flashes except SB-400 do support it however. Some other brands do too, in a few models, but you have to pay attention to choice, about features, about how you will use the flash. If you will never use the Commander feature, then you can make do without the corresponding flash features.

 

[pansycan]

I agree that a flash that tilts and swivels is the most versatile. The SB-600 seems like a great place to start if OP is looking for simplicity and budget.

Harvinder, I think that once you get a flash you'll want to learn how to use it.
This link talks about bounce flash so you can see what people are talking about.
http://neilvn.com/tangents/2009/08/28/directional-bounce-flash/

I can also recommend Niel van Niekerk's book On-Camera flash. It says it's for wedding photography, but much time explaining bouncing flash in party halls and churches, very applicable to what you are trying to do.
http://neilvn.com/tangents/about/book/

You will get the most use out of the book if you choose a TTL flash (like SB-600), or an off brand that supports it. The theories are useful for people using manual flash too though.

Flash is helpful to light a person in the foreground whose movements may become a blur with long shutter speeds required to expose a skyline. Maybe that could have been why someone suggested a flash for your night shots.

 

[TFergus]

You can pick up a SB400 and chances are you'll never need more unless you're shooting at 100'

...or if you want to bounce off the ceiling when shooting camera in portrait > poisition, since the flash won't fire at that angle

Incorrect, the SB400 tilts just fine, it just doesn't swivel but it does tilt for bounce off the ceiling

Wrong.
No it doesn't.
Not when the camera is in portrait position.

That's your choice to choose a pre set camera mode and thus a limitation of the D7000 not the SB400. This is not a limitation of the flash by itself.

I have both, the SB600 and a SB400 .... The SB400 has plenty of spunk, it's lighter, smaller so it's easier to pocket. This makes it easier to have on hand more often than a larger, heavier flash gun.

If you find the need to use a automatic camera mode that's your choice.

What the... ?!

What does auto mode have to do with anything ?

When you rotate the camera so it's in the portrait position... you can NOT bounce the flash off the ceiling. It doesn't swivel. Honest. Try it !

Has nothing to do with any camera whatsoever... it is a complete limitation of the flash.

I'm not sure what's so hard to understand about that ....

 

[jquagga]

The Nissin 622 doesn't support the D7000 according to the Nissin page:

http://nissin.weblogs.jp/download/Nissin_Compatibility_Chart_rev2.pdf

I'm sort of in the same boat. I have a D5100 and I was thinking of buying a new lens with some of the Amazon gift card money I have. Then I noticed it was starting to get dark ...

I'm probably going to get the Sigma. I've looked at the Nissin, the Yougnuo, and the SB-700 (since I'm limited to buying at Amazon to use up all of these gift cards and the SB-700 is basically the same as the SB-600 there). I go back and forth between the SB-700 for the CLS support and the Sigma. I really think I'd be fine with the Nissin Di466 baby flash as a bigger version of the SB-400 (who's price keeps going up), but that flash doesn't support the D5100.

CLS is cool and tempting, but costs twice what the Sigma flash costs. The Sigma is a big step up from what I have now (pop-up) and introduces me to a new world. I don't really have much experience with real flash so I figure this is a cheaper intro. I'm still pondering though.

 

[Patco]

You can pick up a SB400 and chances are you'll never need more unless you're shooting at 100'

...or if you want to bounce off the ceiling when shooting camera in portrait > poisition, since the flash won't fire at that angle

Incorrect, the SB400 tilts just fine, it just doesn't swivel but it does tilt for bounce off the ceiling

Wrong.
No it doesn't.
Not when the camera is in portrait position.

That's your choice to choose a pre set camera mode and thus a limitation of the D7000 not the SB400. This is not a limitation of the flash by itself.

I have both, the SB600 and a SB400 .... The SB400 has plenty of spunk, it's lighter, smaller so it's easier to pocket. This makes it easier to have on hand more often than a larger, heavier flash gun.

If you find the need to use a automatic camera mode that's your choice.

What the... ?!

What does auto mode have to do with anything ?

When you rotate the camera so it's in the portrait position... you can NOT bounce the flash off the ceiling. It doesn't swivel. Honest. Try it !

Has nothing to do with any camera whatsoever... it is a complete limitation of the flash.

I'm not sure what's so hard to understand about that ....

I think Ring A may think you mean the "Portrait" setting in the "Scene" modes when you say "portrait position".

The rest of us understand that you mean holding the camera 90 degrees from the horizontal, or landscape, position.

--
Patco
A photograph is more than a bunch of pixels

 

[Patco]

The Nissin 622 doesn't support the D7000 according to the Nissin page:

http://nissin.weblogs.jp/download/Nissin_Compatibility_Chart_rev2.pdf

But the Nissin Di622 Mark II does.

--
Patco
A photograph is more than a bunch of pixels

 

[Ring A]

You can pick up a SB400 and chances are you'll never need more unless you're shooting at 100'

...or if you want to bounce off the ceiling when shooting camera in portrait > poisition, since the flash won't fire at that angle

Incorrect, the SB400 tilts just fine, it just doesn't swivel but it does tilt for bounce off the ceiling

Wrong.
No it doesn't.
Not when the camera is in portrait position.

That's your choice to choose a pre set camera mode and thus a limitation of the D7000 not the SB400. This is not a limitation of the flash by itself.

I have both, the SB600 and a SB400 .... The SB400 has plenty of spunk, it's lighter, smaller so it's easier to pocket. This makes it easier to have on hand more often than a larger, heavier flash gun.

If you find the need to use a automatic camera mode that's your choice.

What the... ?!

What does auto mode have to do with anything ?

When you rotate the camera so it's in the portrait position... you can NOT bounce the flash off the ceiling. It doesn't swivel. Honest. Try it !

Has nothing to do with any camera whatsoever... it is a complete limitation of the flash.

I'm not sure what's so hard to understand about that ....

I think Ring A may think you mean the "Portrait" setting in the "Scene" modes when you say "portrait position".

The rest of us understand that you mean holding the camera 90 degrees from the horizontal, or landscape, position.

That's correct, live and learn, never heard that definition used that way

--
Patco
A photograph is more than a bunch of pixels

--
'I don't necessarily believe everything I say'!

 

[Mediocre]

If the OP wants a new and under $200 "simple" flash, take a look at the Sigma EF 610 DG ST for about $165US street price. Works great as a TTL flash, head swivels both ways, very powerful. That is it. Nothing else. No wireless, no manual power modes worth mentioning.

I've got one, works very well and has held up well. It is not a SB-900, but is isn't intended to be! MUCH MUCH simpler and also much cheaper.

If you want fancier, look at the 610 Super for about $260. It adds wireless and some actually usable manual power controls. I have no personal experience with the "Super".

Hope that helps
--
Tom Ferguson
http://www.ferguson-photo-design.com

For those in Canada, The Camera Store in Calgary is selling the 610 Super for $216.49 plus shipping ($10 in Canada) and applicable taxes (as of December 1, 2011). This is significantly better than any other price I've found for this unit.

I was looking for an SB-700, but this is a little more than half as much as the usual Canadian price for the SB-700 and less than half the new SB-910. It's not a Nikon, but it offers off-camera wireless slave functionality and quite a bit of power. It can be controlled by the on-camera flash of the D7000 (supposedly - I just picked it up at the Post Office, and I haven't tried it yet).

This price is also well under the usual $255 for the 610 Super, so I took a chance.

We'll see.

 

[Mediocre]

For those in Canada, The Camera Store in Calgary is selling the 610 Super for $216.49 plus shipping ($10 in Canada) and applicable taxes (as of December 1, 2011). This is significantly better than any other price I've found for this unit.

Oops. My brain seems to have jumped ahead to tomorrow. The price is correct as of November 30. With luck, it will still be correct on December 1.

Sorry.