SB-900 update

Nikon has just announced the SB-910 flash. An update designed mainly, I imagine, to address the main problem that haunted both the SB-900 and SB-800 flashes: they readily overheated. The SB-800 would break; the SB-900 would shut down and beep.

So the SB910 will, I hope for Nikon shooters, do better.

But let’s say you are an SB-800 or SB-900 owner. It is relatively easy to avoid a flash overheating (which by the way my Canon flashes do not suffer from). Here’s a few ideas, and you can combine them:

  • Do not flash continuously. Build in a little pause between flashes.
  • Use multiple flashes instead of one.
  • If you have to, flash direct instead of via modifiers.
  • Use the flash in cooler temperatures.
  • Use lower power: get closer to your subjects.
  • Use lower power: increase your camera’s ISO.

Tip: Use the tools you have. Every tool has its limits. Know what those limits are and work with them, or work around them. Waiting for the ideal tool is not always the best idea: it will never arrive.

So if you now have, say, an SB-900: my advice is, keep it, work with it.

 

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