My dear hubby bought me a lovely Nikon D-7000, and the Nikon-SB-900 Speedlight.... I have been using my old faithful Nikon D-70 for years .... but now ... HOLY COW ... I read, re-read, the instruction manuals ... I have no clue what I am doing most of the time.... at a recent family wedding I bought both cameras & a professional photographer suggested that I watch You Tube Tutorial Videos .. Thanks for helping with your Video!! I figure that I shall learn this camera in 10 yrs if I am lucky!!
The problem is using rechargeable batteries....they heat up very fast. Shooting outdoor on the seychelles the sb-900 really got me mad....I almost threw it in the ocean. It turns off after 10-12 flashes in the sun. Glad to have the sb-800 along which fired over 200 at M 1/1 in the full sun. Besides the overheating and the plastic (!!!!) screw mount the sb-900 is brilliant...Nikon should start working together with PROs like me....
HI, TKS 4 THE VIDS, VERY INSTRUCTIVE, I`VE AN SB900 WORKING AS MASTER AND AN SB600 AS REMOTE, WITH MY D90, I`VE NOTICED THAT AFTER SEVERAL STEADY (BUT NOT TOO FAST ) SHOTS THE FLASH DROPS OUT ALL THE CHARGE AND THE PICS BECOMES VERY OVEREXPOSED (LIKE A GHOST) THIS ALSO HAPPENS WITH MY D40 BUT NO SO WITH MY D200, IVE UPDATED THE SB900 TO THE LAST FIRMWARE CONCERNING TO THIS MATTER BUT STILL HAPPENS, ILL APPRECIATE UR COMMENTS,REGARDS
Hi Dom, if I get up close (say about a meter) to my subject,can I use wide angle diffuser plus cap diffuser on my 900 to stop over exposed/flashed out effect on face?'oh by the way well done on getting a few snaps of Sir Sean !!
@Quazat depends on how hard you are using it, how many flashes, how poweful, how often, also depends on the battery type, rechargeable vs single use.... i havea load of videos on it check them out
HI Dom.. byyy ill tell ye, your a wealth of information and good on you for helping others as ( im still needing help and always look for MORE information sometimes clarifying what I suspected) and help seems to be a secretive thing with some 'photographers' now to the crunch, I have the flashes wee brother and will be buying the 900, at present have the D90 and funds only allow me to look at the 300s as i need another, tell me please, im assuming that the 900 might not work fully with d90?
How do I use SB-900 as a fill flash when I photograph birds? Flash often burns pics almost white. I use 400mm and SB900. Do you have recommendations how to use flash to get more light when shooting wildlife or just using it as a fill. And how does RPT mode difference from others? I see no difference, but I know it would flash many times in desired time. I can't see any change in my pics, does it just work on cameras where FPS is higher than 5 or 7. For example D3 on DX crop mode 11 frames?
@FinlandApollo thats a lot of questions. prt is taking lots of photos in a single exposure, you will only notice it if you have an exposrue for around a second or longer and you get yoru flash to go off during that. it will fire 2-10 tims depending on what hrtz you request. it has very few real world benefits. if your flash is burning out the image then you cant be using ttl.
@dombower I use SB900 in TLL-BL mode, and sometimes it still burns pics almost white. My camera is D60, would that be a reason that it can't meter so well. I bet D300s + Sb900 would work better due the size of metering. I use D60 area and spot metering mode. D60 focus spots are....too big... way too big in wildlife. I can send you few example pics if you want
Hi Dom, sorry to ask a question but i was so impressed with your demos etc that i went out and bought the d90 and the sb900 flash, i've coupled it with the 18-105 nikon lens but was wondering if you can suggest a setting for a wedding i have in a few weeks time, i dont understand technical jargon but need a basic setting that will give my friends some acceptable shots on the day, i'm pretty nervous about it too so can you advise me please.
@stinkyhound always shoot at f2.8 iso 6400, 1/8000th of a second flash on 1/245th of a power. gives brilliant pictures every time, inside our outside!
if you dont realise i am joking, then dont be taking photos at the wedding.
@stinkyhound@stinkyhound always shoot at f2.8 iso 6400, 1/8000th of a second flash on 1/245th of a power. gives brilliant pictures every time, inside our outside!
if you dont realise i am joking, then dont be taking photos at the wedding.
@dombower WOW! Wedding photography isn't a breeze (im a professional photographer and I dont feel comfortable walking into those jobs), why the hell did he accept to do that eeek, i hope it turned out alright for the lucky couple.
hi dom...ive seen almost all your reviews and it helps me a lot..i have nikon d90 and im using sb-900 flash..are all features of the flash compitable with d90?i tried turning off my built in flash in commander mode but it is still flashing is it a normal phenomenon? how can i set the flash into full power in remote mode?sorry to have asked so much questions...thank you very much for your informative uploads....
@jezreel2003 the nikon d90 is compatible with all the features of the sb900 except for fx mode simply because the d90 is a dx camera. If you turn off the built in flash while it is commander mode the built in flash will still go off to trigger the external flash. To trigger the flash at full power u must switch the group a (or what ever group its in) switch the mode to m ..and put it to 1/1 comp...any further questions u can ask me =) thanks
@jezreel2003 the nikon d90 is compatible with all the features of the sb900 except for fx mode simply because the d90 is a dx camera. If you turn off the built in flash while it is commander mode the built in flash will still go off to trigger the external flash. To trigger the flash at full power u must switch the group a (or what ever group its in) switch the mode to m ..and put it to 1/1 comp...any further questions u can ask me =) thanks
The only reason I bought the SB-900 is the capability to turn the head 180° on BOTH ways, I do alot of flash bouncing (on the ceilling) and the SB-800 was a pain because I was able to turn 180° only on the left.
I do alot of indoor and out door concerts dark and semi dark stage lights. What would be a good setting for me with speed to catch fast movement with the artist and dark light conditions? I use a nikon d5000 camera.. thanks
nice review, i am about to buy a flash. i need it for daily regular use, as well as portrait, event,fashion work and it obviously performs very well but i want to ask you is sb900 any good through a softbox or an umbrella. i know "proper" flash like profoto and elinchrom are the best but i don't have that much money, to buy these flashes and a huge battery. thanks!
proper flash? you think sb900 is not a proper flash? think you are getting confused.
check my video on why speedlights not studio lights and you will see the reasons for using these guy. also check up on joe mcnalley, very sucessful photographer with just speedlights
@dombower no i didn't mean like sb900 isnt proper proper its even bigger then my d700 :D im just calling these big flashes elinchrom profoto etc proper since i dont know their "official name". so is sb900 called speedlight and the others studio flashes or how does that work?
TTL means "through the lens" which basically means that the flash and camera work together automatically to determine the correct power the flash should...flash at. There is more to it but I don't feel like typing that much lol.
IMO, considering that you can buy an SB800 at LESS THAN HALF of the price of the SB900, it's a no-brainer to choose SB800 over the SB900 UNLESS you need the extended zoom feature.
where can you buy it now? also does anyone have any idea about how many flashes in a life time these are able to do? ie a d3 is tested to 300,000 shutter clicks, but what about a flash?
oops, actually, my bad...you CANNOT buy SB800 new anymore...the ones i see you can buy for about $220 is the SB600.
as for flash life...i have no idea. you'd think manufacturers would have this information readily...but i guess the life varies among samples...maybe...
Lol i love your reviews. Thanks im still debating whether to get the SB600 though because of the sheer price of the SB900, what do you think and what do you think of the SB600? Much appreciated.
dom! how goes it! I am very Inspired by your work , An as a subscriber I watch faithfully........Congrats an keep up the Excellent work P.S Thanx! a lot.
hi dom, first off i wanted to thank you for all your instructional videos.
second. id like to ask you for some info on metz speedlights wich are my second option since in my country nikon speedlights are WAAAY too expensive, also, are threy compatible with nikon d90 cameras?
You must ensure that your camera is updated with the latest software. Secondly dowload the SB-900 firmware from Nikon and follow the instructions provided. It's done while the flash is on the hot-shoe. Following the instructions is simple and straightforward.
This will sort any overheating issues om the SB-900.
when it is on manual you ahve to figure out the exposures. i had it on manual everything from exposure to flash. if you have it on programme or speed or aperture then it wont quite work as there is no communication between camera and flash before the actual flash is fired.
The answer to overheating in SB-900 is because people use rechargeable batteries. and I mean ANY rechargeable batteries.
The SB-900 overheats due to slow recycling time from low battery energy coming from rechargeable AA batteries.
The SB-900 will not experience overheating if you use more durable batteries such as Duracell Copper Top AA batteries or Energizer MAX AA batteries (both are alkaline batteries).
A lot of people argues that rechargeable batteries works better just because they don't actually do any researching
AA (Alkaline) batteries offer 1.5 volts with up to 3,000mAh (milliampere per hour) while rechargeable batteries offer 1.2 volts with up to 1,100 mAh (milliampere per hour). 3,000mAh is basically a measurement of electric currency within an hour of usage. Three thousand times milliampere is A LOT, we'd need to hire Albert Einstein to do the mathwork for us to show us how enough
Wrong. 1,100mAh means the battery can provide 1,100 mA (milli-Amps) for one hour before being depleted of charge.
I don't know where you shop, but it's not hard to find 2,600mAh rechargeable NiMH batteries.
There's no such thing as "electric currency." It's called current draw. Three thousand times a milliamp is 3 AMPS. It doesn't require Einstein to do that calculation, especially since the math for this came from before Einstein was born. You just need an engineer.
1,100mAh isn't enough and it will not hold up the electric currency very well which results in slower recycling time, again, that is what causes overheating.
Yes, that is correct, nonrechargeable batteries are more durable than rechargeable batteries in voltage and mAh. Honestly, I do not understand why people love to argue over something that is already proven and already written in books for a century.
Wrong. Your theory is invalid due to your lack of knowledge of the physics of electricity and of engineering. Or perhaps it's not your theory, but rather a theory posited by some other quack on the internet. That doesn't change the fact that it's wrong. If it were correct, then the software update would not have been able to fix this problem (that' right: a firmware update is a software update. This is coming from a person who's created firmware. It's called "embedded systems programming")
Since the SB900 is big, it uses the batteries for many different things, ALL at once.
1) The big window for AF Illumination and ReadyLamp uses more battery energy because there are three AF Illuminators instead of two little ones on SB600 & SB800.
2) The big flash tube in SB900 is exactly 2.3 times bigger than the flash tube used in SB600 & SB900. Even if you're using low power, that is similar to M1/16on other flash units. Again, it uses more battery energy.
3) The builtin recycling battery pack absorbs the chemicals from Alkaline batteries but it doesnt know how to absorb chemicals from other battery types. While it doesnt absorb the chemicals, the flash depend on the batteries only not working with the batteries and recycling battery pack altogether. Again, it drains the rechargeable battery energy very fast.
4) The TTL and other automatic operations gets the flash meter readings from two different places: Via the camera and
This is too funny. It "absorbs the chemicals"? I suppose you also believe the moon landing was a hoax? Batteries work via a chemical reaction. The chemicals don't get absorbed; they react with each other. This reaction is what instills the electron flow (which is what a current flow is composed of). The chemicals remain inside the battery, but have been reacted in the process of creating the current flow. What you're trying to say is that the circuit isn't designed to draw current at the
or via the flash window, which uses more battery power while using manual operations (Manual and RePeaT) does not get the readings from the camera and / or the flash window, which saves the battery energy.
5) The annoying PreFlash drains the battery slightly before firing the actual flash (to get meter reading for the flash when in TTL or any other automatic operations) while using manual operations does not prefire before firing the actual flash.
(...continued from reply to last comment) correct rate for the battery technology employed. This may be what the firmware update corrected, or it may have corrected a mishandling of other resources within the circuit. I'm sure, however, that Nikon's engineers aren't allowed to disclose the exact details of what was required, nor would they want to: it's a mistake, and hence a little bit embarrassing.
Yet, there is another reason that could cause this to happen such as old batteries (that sat on the shelf for a while, collecting dust), extremely low or high temperatures, moisture, humidity, smear / dust / fingerprint on the contacts inside battery chamber (who hell puts a finger in there anyways?), mixed brands / battery types, and / or mixed two new batteries with two old batteries.
Duracell Copper Top Alkaline AA Batteries are recommended by Nikon.
Thirty-Tooth lol...
leo140485 1 month ago
Can you use the flash in manual while ON Camera? What if the flash is set to manual but camera settings are set to TTL?
pjos111 2 months ago
Your videos help me so much, thank you for posting them!!!
You're the best =)
Jenz133 6 months ago
Have you done a comparison between the SB 900 and SB 700 flashes?
TheAndrevdw 7 months ago
My dear hubby bought me a lovely Nikon D-7000, and the Nikon-SB-900 Speedlight.... I have been using my old faithful Nikon D-70 for years .... but now ... HOLY COW ... I read, re-read, the instruction manuals ... I have no clue what I am doing most of the time.... at a recent family wedding I bought both cameras & a professional photographer suggested that I watch You Tube Tutorial Videos .. Thanks for helping with your Video!! I figure that I shall learn this camera in 10 yrs if I am lucky!!
Alexandra1214 9 months ago
The problem is using rechargeable batteries....they heat up very fast. Shooting outdoor on the seychelles the sb-900 really got me mad....I almost threw it in the ocean. It turns off after 10-12 flashes in the sun. Glad to have the sb-800 along which fired over 200 at M 1/1 in the full sun. Besides the overheating and the plastic (!!!!) screw mount the sb-900 is brilliant...Nikon should start working together with PROs like me....
Nilz4FR 11 months ago
HI, TKS 4 THE VIDS, VERY INSTRUCTIVE, I`VE AN SB900 WORKING AS MASTER AND AN SB600 AS REMOTE, WITH MY D90, I`VE NOTICED THAT AFTER SEVERAL STEADY (BUT NOT TOO FAST ) SHOTS THE FLASH DROPS OUT ALL THE CHARGE AND THE PICS BECOMES VERY OVEREXPOSED (LIKE A GHOST) THIS ALSO HAPPENS WITH MY D40 BUT NO SO WITH MY D200, IVE UPDATED THE SB900 TO THE LAST FIRMWARE CONCERNING TO THIS MATTER BUT STILL HAPPENS, ILL APPRECIATE UR COMMENTS,REGARDS
MrCUBALIBRE5 1 year ago
@MrCUBALIBRE5 sounds confusing. best take them both into a shop and show them and see what they think is the issue
dombower 1 year ago
I could get it NEW for 251 GBP (converter from swiss franks)
but I never used a falsh before, should i get it?
Because if it gets to hot on the automatic modes I'd simply buy a manual flash (YN-460 or something) they're buch cheaper
Spaeckli 1 year ago
Comment removed
Spaeckli 1 year ago
Hi Dom, if I get up close (say about a meter) to my subject,can I use wide angle diffuser plus cap diffuser on my 900 to stop over exposed/flashed out effect on face?'oh by the way well done on getting a few snaps of Sir Sean !!
RedWine2go 1 year ago
Great review. I have a question. How many shots would it take before the flash heats up?
Quazat 1 year ago
@Quazat depends on how hard you are using it, how many flashes, how poweful, how often, also depends on the battery type, rechargeable vs single use.... i havea load of videos on it check them out
dombower 1 year ago
Comment removed
sheelman31 1 year ago
HI Dom.. byyy ill tell ye, your a wealth of information and good on you for helping others as ( im still needing help and always look for MORE information sometimes clarifying what I suspected) and help seems to be a secretive thing with some 'photographers' now to the crunch, I have the flashes wee brother and will be buying the 900, at present have the D90 and funds only allow me to look at the 300s as i need another, tell me please, im assuming that the 900 might not work fully with d90?
voiceinyourdream 1 year ago
would this be good because i have an 18-200?
AZNFlipy12 1 year ago
How do I use SB-900 as a fill flash when I photograph birds? Flash often burns pics almost white. I use 400mm and SB900. Do you have recommendations how to use flash to get more light when shooting wildlife or just using it as a fill. And how does RPT mode difference from others? I see no difference, but I know it would flash many times in desired time. I can't see any change in my pics, does it just work on cameras where FPS is higher than 5 or 7. For example D3 on DX crop mode 11 frames?
FinlandApollo 1 year ago
@FinlandApollo thats a lot of questions. prt is taking lots of photos in a single exposure, you will only notice it if you have an exposrue for around a second or longer and you get yoru flash to go off during that. it will fire 2-10 tims depending on what hrtz you request. it has very few real world benefits. if your flash is burning out the image then you cant be using ttl.
dombower 1 year ago
@dombower I use SB900 in TLL-BL mode, and sometimes it still burns pics almost white. My camera is D60, would that be a reason that it can't meter so well. I bet D300s + Sb900 would work better due the size of metering. I use D60 area and spot metering mode. D60 focus spots are....too big... way too big in wildlife. I can send you few example pics if you want
FinlandApollo 1 year ago
um. what is the song in the beginning. haha
mrbobdude101 1 year ago
lol at 3:36 a 32th of power haha
AZNFlipy12 1 year ago
Hi Dom, sorry to ask a question but i was so impressed with your demos etc that i went out and bought the d90 and the sb900 flash, i've coupled it with the 18-105 nikon lens but was wondering if you can suggest a setting for a wedding i have in a few weeks time, i dont understand technical jargon but need a basic setting that will give my friends some acceptable shots on the day, i'm pretty nervous about it too so can you advise me please.
thanks friend
stinkyhound 1 year ago
@stinkyhound always shoot at f2.8 iso 6400, 1/8000th of a second flash on 1/245th of a power. gives brilliant pictures every time, inside our outside!
if you dont realise i am joking, then dont be taking photos at the wedding.
dombower 1 year ago
@stinkyhound @stinkyhound always shoot at f2.8 iso 6400, 1/8000th of a second flash on 1/245th of a power. gives brilliant pictures every time, inside our outside!
if you dont realise i am joking, then dont be taking photos at the wedding.
dombower 1 year ago 4
@dombower WOW! Wedding photography isn't a breeze (im a professional photographer and I dont feel comfortable walking into those jobs), why the hell did he accept to do that eeek, i hope it turned out alright for the lucky couple.
sacredgeometry 1 year ago
hi dom...ive seen almost all your reviews and it helps me a lot..i have nikon d90 and im using sb-900 flash..are all features of the flash compitable with d90?i tried turning off my built in flash in commander mode but it is still flashing is it a normal phenomenon? how can i set the flash into full power in remote mode?sorry to have asked so much questions...thank you very much for your informative uploads....
jezreel2003 1 year ago
@jezreel2003 dont know if the d90 is compatible.
dombower 1 year ago
@jezreel2003 the nikon d90 is compatible with all the features of the sb900 except for fx mode simply because the d90 is a dx camera. If you turn off the built in flash while it is commander mode the built in flash will still go off to trigger the external flash. To trigger the flash at full power u must switch the group a (or what ever group its in) switch the mode to m ..and put it to 1/1 comp...any further questions u can ask me =) thanks
bebofbs4l 1 year ago
@jezreel2003 the nikon d90 is compatible with all the features of the sb900 except for fx mode simply because the d90 is a dx camera. If you turn off the built in flash while it is commander mode the built in flash will still go off to trigger the external flash. To trigger the flash at full power u must switch the group a (or what ever group its in) switch the mode to m ..and put it to 1/1 comp...any further questions u can ask me =) thanks
bebofbs4l 1 year ago
The only reason I bought the SB-900 is the capability to turn the head 180° on BOTH ways, I do alot of flash bouncing (on the ceilling) and the SB-800 was a pain because I was able to turn 180° only on the left.
Alexvideoclip 2 years ago
I do alot of indoor and out door concerts dark and semi dark stage lights. What would be a good setting for me with speed to catch fast movement with the artist and dark light conditions? I use a nikon d5000 camera.. thanks
alvarez1977 2 years ago
@alvarez1977 good question. i just did a couple of really dark nightclub shoots
check my flickr dombower83 for shots
60th of a second with flash is fine
dombower 2 years ago
save your tooth fairy money. thats what I did! JK I just bout the SB900 :) I looove it. ITS SOO HUGE!
letsboogiehoe 2 years ago
nice review, i am about to buy a flash. i need it for daily regular use, as well as portrait, event,fashion work and it obviously performs very well but i want to ask you is sb900 any good through a softbox or an umbrella. i know "proper" flash like profoto and elinchrom are the best but i don't have that much money, to buy these flashes and a huge battery. thanks!
gilegraam 2 years ago
proper flash? you think sb900 is not a proper flash? think you are getting confused.
check my video on why speedlights not studio lights and you will see the reasons for using these guy. also check up on joe mcnalley, very sucessful photographer with just speedlights
dombower 2 years ago
@dombower no i didn't mean like sb900 isnt proper proper its even bigger then my d700 :D im just calling these big flashes elinchrom profoto etc proper since i dont know their "official name". so is sb900 called speedlight and the others studio flashes or how does that work?
gilegraam 2 years ago
can i use it for my D80 nikon camera?
i had sb-600 already.. so, what's the difference between them..
and what TTL means?
thank you..
r1f14 2 years ago
@r1f14 Heyy. What was the sb600 like? How come you are now wanting a bigger flash? Cheers
billyandtom 2 years ago
TTL means "through the lens" which basically means that the flash and camera work together automatically to determine the correct power the flash should...flash at. There is more to it but I don't feel like typing that much lol.
paintbasstard 2 years ago
IMO, considering that you can buy an SB800 at LESS THAN HALF of the price of the SB900, it's a no-brainer to choose SB800 over the SB900 UNLESS you need the extended zoom feature.
dalegaspi 2 years ago
where can you buy it now? also does anyone have any idea about how many flashes in a life time these are able to do? ie a d3 is tested to 300,000 shutter clicks, but what about a flash?
dombower 2 years ago
oops, actually, my bad...you CANNOT buy SB800 new anymore...the ones i see you can buy for about $220 is the SB600.
as for flash life...i have no idea. you'd think manufacturers would have this information readily...but i guess the life varies among samples...maybe...
dalegaspi 2 years ago
Thanks for the review, Dom.. but alass im too poor to purchase one haha
fallenembers08 2 years ago
Lol i love your reviews. Thanks im still debating whether to get the SB600 though because of the sheer price of the SB900, what do you think and what do you think of the SB600? Much appreciated.
EurghMatt 2 years ago
2:02
you use that lens all the time? :)
kingocarina 2 years ago 2
dom! how goes it! I am very Inspired by your work , An as a subscriber I watch faithfully........Congrats an keep up the Excellent work P.S Thanx! a lot.
QuarterCrawl 2 years ago
lmao at solidliqs comments. go get laid man.
DemonicGenocide 2 years ago
hey dom!
Was just wondering...
When using this flash, would you recommend using the built in bounce card or with a seperate diffuser?
hope you can get back to me soon.
Thanks!
By the way, what song is that in the intro?
Q124R 2 years ago
Kids by MGMT
zieg3rman 2 years ago
The song is 'kids' by MGMT, someone has prob told you anyway since that was 2 weeks ago lol
speckyprick 2 years ago
hi dom, first off i wanted to thank you for all your instructional videos.
second. id like to ask you for some info on metz speedlights wich are my second option since in my country nikon speedlights are WAAAY too expensive, also, are threy compatible with nikon d90 cameras?
martianhead432 2 years ago
no idea about metz or the d90
dombower 2 years ago
Does this flash work well with th Fuji S5 pro or is it best to stay with the SB 800 & SB600?
galast4 2 years ago
it works exactly the same on the s5 i have been using it all day today to shoot some male strippers
dombower 2 years ago
first things first, im a big fan of your work, thanks for the vids they are teaching me alot about photography. keep it up. x
now the question.
I have a Nikon D90 & was wondering if i could use a SB 800 & a SB900 together as 2 off flashes?
TheNikonMaster 2 years ago
guess so but not used the d90 so cant give much info
dombower 2 years ago
You must ensure that your camera is updated with the latest software. Secondly dowload the SB-900 firmware from Nikon and follow the instructions provided. It's done while the flash is on the hot-shoe. Following the instructions is simple and straightforward.
This will sort any overheating issues om the SB-900.
Great flash.
Cheers,
Murph
murphmuurprop 2 years ago
Old news... By this time I am sure that you updated to Firmware version 5.02?
I recently bought another SB-900 with SB-900 pre-installed. No problem with overheating what so ever!
Nikon fixed the overheat issue with the new firmware update. Let there be light!
Cheers,
Murph
murphmuurprop 2 years ago
oh didnt know that. ill google firmware.... never thought you could update the firmware in the camera... cool
dombower 2 years ago
When using it on manual like that, does the camera adjust itself and you still get the right exposures, or do you just have to keep a fixed distance?
darthsmidge 2 years ago
when it is on manual you ahve to figure out the exposures. i had it on manual everything from exposure to flash. if you have it on programme or speed or aperture then it wont quite work as there is no communication between camera and flash before the actual flash is fired.
dombower 2 years ago
Ah thats what i was getting at.
Keep up the good work dom, love your video's, your brilliant at explaining stuff and i love your work
Keep safe mate ;)
darthsmidge 2 years ago
Great song. Love the vid. Cheers!
messi181930 2 years ago
The answer to overheating in SB-900 is because people use rechargeable batteries. and I mean ANY rechargeable batteries.
The SB-900 overheats due to slow recycling time from low battery energy coming from rechargeable AA batteries.
The SB-900 will not experience overheating if you use more durable batteries such as Duracell Copper Top AA batteries or Energizer MAX AA batteries (both are alkaline batteries).
C4dor 2 years ago
that may be correct however that doesnt explain why putting the flash onto manual sorted the heating issue when i was shooting paparrazi style.
also surely the heating issue is with the filimate in the flash not the batterys
rechargeable batteres having slower recharge time would surely stop the over heating more than faster batteries... no?
dombower 2 years ago
The reasons why SB900 overheats due to weak batteries happen to be:
• Larger flash tube.
• Larger window for AF-assist illuminator and Ready-Light (for remote modes only).
• Have a builtin recycling pack that is capable of nonrechargeable batteries ONLY.
• TTL or any other automatic operations.
• PreFlash
For all four of these, it requires durable batteries because, of course, they use a lot of battery energy that rechargeable batteries cannot handle.
C4dor 2 years ago
A lot of people argues that rechargeable batteries works better just because they don't actually do any researching
AA (Alkaline) batteries offer 1.5 volts with up to 3,000mAh (milliampere per hour) while rechargeable batteries offer 1.2 volts with up to 1,100 mAh (milliampere per hour). 3,000mAh is basically a measurement of electric currency within an hour of usage. Three thousand times milliampere is A LOT, we'd need to hire Albert Einstein to do the mathwork for us to show us how enough
C4dor 2 years ago
Wrong. 1,100mAh means the battery can provide 1,100 mA (milli-Amps) for one hour before being depleted of charge.
I don't know where you shop, but it's not hard to find 2,600mAh rechargeable NiMH batteries.
There's no such thing as "electric currency." It's called current draw. Three thousand times a milliamp is 3 AMPS. It doesn't require Einstein to do that calculation, especially since the math for this came from before Einstein was born. You just need an engineer.
solidliqs 2 years ago
1,100mAh isn't enough and it will not hold up the electric currency very well which results in slower recycling time, again, that is what causes overheating.
Yes, that is correct, nonrechargeable batteries are more durable than rechargeable batteries in voltage and mAh. Honestly, I do not understand why people love to argue over something that is already proven and already written in books for a century.
C4dor 2 years ago
Wrong. Your theory is invalid due to your lack of knowledge of the physics of electricity and of engineering. Or perhaps it's not your theory, but rather a theory posited by some other quack on the internet. That doesn't change the fact that it's wrong. If it were correct, then the software update would not have been able to fix this problem (that' right: a firmware update is a software update. This is coming from a person who's created firmware. It's called "embedded systems programming")
solidliqs 2 years ago
Since the SB900 is big, it uses the batteries for many different things, ALL at once.
1) The big window for AF Illumination and ReadyLamp uses more battery energy because there are three AF Illuminators instead of two little ones on SB600 & SB800.
2) The big flash tube in SB900 is exactly 2.3 times bigger than the flash tube used in SB600 & SB900. Even if you're using low power, that is similar to M1/16on other flash units. Again, it uses more battery energy.
C4dor 2 years ago
3) The builtin recycling battery pack absorbs the chemicals from Alkaline batteries but it doesnt know how to absorb chemicals from other battery types. While it doesnt absorb the chemicals, the flash depend on the batteries only not working with the batteries and recycling battery pack altogether. Again, it drains the rechargeable battery energy very fast.
4) The TTL and other automatic operations gets the flash meter readings from two different places: Via the camera and
C4dor 2 years ago
This is too funny. It "absorbs the chemicals"? I suppose you also believe the moon landing was a hoax? Batteries work via a chemical reaction. The chemicals don't get absorbed; they react with each other. This reaction is what instills the electron flow (which is what a current flow is composed of). The chemicals remain inside the battery, but have been reacted in the process of creating the current flow. What you're trying to say is that the circuit isn't designed to draw current at the
solidliqs 2 years ago
or via the flash window, which uses more battery power while using manual operations (Manual and RePeaT) does not get the readings from the camera and / or the flash window, which saves the battery energy.
5) The annoying PreFlash drains the battery slightly before firing the actual flash (to get meter reading for the flash when in TTL or any other automatic operations) while using manual operations does not prefire before firing the actual flash.
C4dor 2 years ago
(...continued from reply to last comment) correct rate for the battery technology employed. This may be what the firmware update corrected, or it may have corrected a mishandling of other resources within the circuit. I'm sure, however, that Nikon's engineers aren't allowed to disclose the exact details of what was required, nor would they want to: it's a mistake, and hence a little bit embarrassing.
solidliqs 2 years ago
Yet, there is another reason that could cause this to happen such as old batteries (that sat on the shelf for a while, collecting dust), extremely low or high temperatures, moisture, humidity, smear / dust / fingerprint on the contacts inside battery chamber (who hell puts a finger in there anyways?), mixed brands / battery types, and / or mixed two new batteries with two old batteries.
Duracell Copper Top Alkaline AA Batteries are recommended by Nikon.
C4dor 2 years ago
Nikon are getting tired of getting socalled 'overheated' SB900's for repair / service due to human error.
Sorry for the long reply, I'm just trying to explain. Hope that helps. Cheers.
I'm a fan of your videos :)
C4dor 2 years ago
Any update on buying a 70-200 lens?
docrjay 2 years ago
i had my sb900 overheat twice!!!
OMG thanks for that overheat solution dom!!
sbs260 2 years ago
u sad lens two times :))) fun. It is nice flash, Im playing with it now. Cheers.
ekpest 2 years ago 5
i noticed that when editing. .....
i was testing all of you. to see if you would notice...... yeah thats it...
dombower 2 years ago
love your vids man i started with a E500 i going to the D300 looks good
iRoNaK696 2 years ago
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Cheers Dom
Recon9143 2 years ago