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The Nikon D810 has filled up some big shoes by replacing the popular D800 and D800E. Taking the best of both, this 36-megapixel camera has excellent performance and a more comprehensive sensitivity range competing with other big wigs in the real estate
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There are reputable choices in the market for the best flash units for Nikon D810. However, the unlimited array of options from cheap flashes with limited functionalities to optimized flashes can easily throw off any photographer. In this article, I am going to go through the different options available and provide My recommendations.
The Nikon SB-5000 flash is the best-acclaimed flash for Nikon D810, with its Creative Lighting System taking Advanced Wireless Lighting to the next level. This flash is designed for fast shooting in real estate
The flash introduces streamlined operations due to its hot-shoe mount flash cooling system that supports 100 consecutive shots. It offers a new level of lighting control for the TTL shooters who want to focus on one thing.
Designed more for motion photographers, this flash is compact and easier to use. The smaller imprint provides streamlined access to functions such as the Flash Compensation Value, Flash Mode, and Zoom Head Position that are frequently used.
Its "info" button provides fluid operation when adjusting its settings. The SB-5000 can be used as a wireless- off-camera controlled by another Speedlight or your camera's built-in flash, or as Master Flash to control other remote Speedlights of up to 4 channels in 3 groupings.
The I-TTL optimized Nikon SB 700 offers the best performance, exposure, and portability for any real estate photographer on the go. It features a flexible head convenient for creative lighting in any shot. Its seamless lighting system achieves brilliant results by integrating a remote light source, hot shoe operation, or a wireless master.
With its streamlined user interface, the SB-700 offers full functionality access with ease. Its auto power zoom coverage allows the user to smoothly cover lenses over a wide area, such as 24mm to 120mm in FX-format. It automatically detects the DX and FX formats and selects suitable light distribution angles.
The flash temperature and recycling time are automatically increased or reduced accordingly to prevent overheating and improve workability. The SB 700 AF automatically transmits filter information to the camera for maximum white balance when detecting the type of hard-type color ( either incandescent or fluorescent).
The SB 700 has fantastic focal length ranges and illumination patterns. It provides a 'concentrated' flash setting at 35mm and an 'even' flash environment at 70mm. As for the DX formats, 28mm offers a complete set while 45mm provides an even one. These are technically no different flash settings; they just have different names in the firmware's user interface.
The Nikon SB 500 weighs only 273 g when with batteries and is relatively less pricey than the SB-5000, making it the best portable option for a photographer on the go. Its flash head rotates up to 180 degrees and tilts at an angle of 90 degrees, reducing the need for unnatural shadowing with additional accessories.
Smaller in size but high in functionality, the SB-500 can easily compete with other flashes. It offers the best brightness for dark interiors, flashlights, supports LED lighting in low, mid, and high temperatures.
The color information setting works smoothly to auto-balance the white balance when paired with Nikon D810. The interface is very user-friendly with buttons that are very easy to understand in place.
The SB-500 allows you to leverage on the i-TTL mode, Flash Color Information, FV Lock, etc., using the six features of Creative Lighting Systems. The flash unit also supports High-Speed Sync that captures scenes as you want them to. It can operate in two modes; Commander, where you can use the flash as a master flash with a compatible camera, and as a Remote flash, where the camera’s built-in flash acts as a master light.
Specially designed to complement the D2H digital SLR, the Nikon SB 800 AF supports many features such as Flash Color Information Communication, Auto FP High-Speed Sync, and Flash Value Lock. The D2H digital SLR 1005-pixel matrix metering sensor is optimized to calculate exposures.
The SB 800 is the heart of Nikon’s Creative Lighting System. Refined digital performance and advanced technologies make complex subsequent exposures as simple as using a single on-camera flash. The FV-lock function is vital in that it enables you to ‘latch’ a flash output over successive shots.
This flash incorporates Nikon’s advanced data communication technologies that power the advanced inter Speedlight unit communication. This flash unit is designed to make shooting with other flashes easier. The new system supports AWB (Auto White Balance), which does away with the initial reddening of shots taken in a distant duration of time.
Designed for DX and FX DSLRs, the Nikon SB 910 AF is an unparalleled lighting performance in the studio field. The SB-910 controls up to 3 remote groups due to its hot shoe mount Speedlight and a wireless Commander. Its versatile I-TTL metering for wireless flash control, or on-camera has the SB-910 operating as a remote unit.
The pro flash features, including a wide zoom range from 17-200mm, i-TTL flash control, streamlined menus, and controls, manual with Power ratio, make the SB 910 one of the best options for flash
It has an improved user interface, with illuminated buttons for control in dimmer lights and a dedicated menu button for more straightforward navigation. The hard-type-color correction features provide an auto white balance for situations where rapid shots are taken in sequences. Its improved thermal system prevents overheating and slows recycling instead of interrupting the flash altogether.
Even if the Nikon D810 is a full-frame camera, you might need to use an external flash to boost its performance in poor lighting.
The following features can help you choose a versatile flash that is compatible with the Nikon D810. The table below outlines some of the key features you should consider when buying the flash.
| Flashes | Recycle Time (Seconds) | Dimension (Inches) | Compatibility |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nikon SB-5000 | 1.8-2.6 | 2.87 x 5.39 x 4.07 | Nikon i-TTL |
| Nikon SB 700 | 2.5-3.5 | 4.1 x 2.8 x 5 | Nikon i-TTL |
| Nikon SB 500 | 3.5 | 6.93 x 3.43 x 4.57 | Nikon Cameras |
| Nikon SB 800 | 6 | 5 x 3.6 x 2.8 | Nikon i-TTL |
| Nikon SB-910 | 2.3 | 5 x 3.6 x 2.8 | Nikon i-TTL |
The camera flash requires high voltage to produce enough light to sufficiently eliminate the subject. The AA batteries or lithium-ion batteries used in camera flashes might not be able to release high jolts of power at once. Instead, they release small amounts of power for a longer period.
If you want to overcome this, the flash uses capacitors to store energy from the batteries. When the flash is triggered, the capacitors release this energy all at once. Recycling time refers to the time the capacitors take to recharge and be ready for the next discharge.
The smaller the recycling time, the higher the number of flashes the flash can flash within a short period. If you are taking your photos using the burst mode, it means the camera is shooting many photos within a short time. In such cases, you require a flash with a short recycling time, such as the Nikon SB 7000 AF.
In-camera flashes, battery life refers to how many high-powered flashes the flash can make on a full charge before the battery dies. In most cases, camera flashes use one or several AA or lithium-ion batteries. The batteries can also be rechargeable or not.
Rechargeable batteries give you more flexibility as you can simply plug in a flash to the power supply. On the other hand, non-rechargeable batteries tend to last longer than their rechargeable counterparts.
Keeping in mind that the camera itself is powered by a battery, you don't want a flash battery that will die even before the camera battery dies. Generally, consider going for a flash with extended battery life, such as a Nikon SB 910.
TTL is an abbreviation for Through The Lens. This is a technology used in modern camera flashes that helps to measure the amount of light going through the camera lens. This allows the flash to adjust the power depending on the available ambient lighting and camera settings.
With TTL, the flash sends an initial flash that helps the flash to determine the subject distance and the power it requires to sufficiently light up the subject and then fires the actual flash. If you are unfamiliar with the flash manual control, you should consider getting a flash with TTL support, such as the Nikon SB 5000.
The Nikon D810 camera supports eye detection focus when using the optical viewfinder, unlike the D800, which only supports eye detection when using the LiveView mode. Normally, eye detection, also known as face detection, is an algorithm found in advanced cameras that refers to changing focus points depending on what part of the frame you are looking at.
Yes, the Nikon D810 camera is still in the market, and it is worth buying, although it has been replaced by Nikon D850. The Nikon D810 sensor is still one of the best in the market due to its incredible image quality and sharpness, especially due to the 35mm format.
There are three types of camera flashes available in the market; an on-camera flash, a built-in camera flash, and an off-camera flash. The on-camera flash uses an external power supply, although it is attached to the hot shoe, while the built-in camera flash uses the camera battery to power its capacitors. The off-camera flash is not attached to the camera, and it uses external power.
Nikon D810 has become one of the most popular DSLR cameras around. Its ability to provide amazing high-quality images requires a flash that can keep up. Checking up on the budget and the features preferred, any of the flashes in the above list will guarantee excellent results.
