First Impressions: Nikon SB-28DX Speedlight

I was in the market for a speedlight for my N80, but it’s not as simple as just ordering the current model. Film bodies require D-TTL, the original through-the-lens flash technology released in the mid 8o’s, and with the discontinuation of the SB-600, Nikon no longer supports D-TTL.


The latest technology, i-TTL, was developed specifically for digital cameras, and is not compatible with the old system. The D-TTL system measured light reflected from the film plane during the actual exposure. No film, no film plane. Sensors don’t reflect light the same way. So a new system had to be developed.

At first glance, the SB-600 might have seemed the solution, as it supported both D-TTL and iTTL. But what it gave up was good old Auto Aperture, which works with any camera. And many say AA worked better than D-TTL.

Then, the SB-900 came along, which restores AA capability, and adds CLS Commander capability, which the SB-600 also lacked. And, it rocks. It kind of eclipsed the whole thought of buying an SB-600.

So, my strobist mentor David Hobby convinced me to look into the now legendary flashes such as the Nikon SB-28DX and SB-80DX. And my “Like New minus” 28DX just arrived today, thanks to KEH Camera.

It was well-packed. Very well-packed. And for all intents and purposes, brand new; and that’s by MY standards. No box or manual, but that’s what the “minus” is all about. This speaks highly of KEH, and I would not hesitate doing business with them again.

I threw a set of NiMH batteries in it, attached it to my D90 (for which it was NOT specifically purchased), set it to A mode, and in moments I was shooting excellent photos, without reading a single line from a manual. Connected to the N80 in TTL mode, it speaks to the camera, and the camera speaks right back. The display is clear, the controls easy to understand. The SB-28DX came out in 1999, the N80 in 2000, so, they’re perfectly matched. And with manual control down to 1/64 and a pc socket, it will make a great off-camera strobist flash. The lack of a built-in slave doesn’t bother me, as I’d be using it with a Pocket Wizard or CyberSync anyway, and I can always add a Wein Peanut Slave if I need to.

I was half expecting it to be spartan, but all the bells and whistles are there; tilt and rotate, six zoom angles, built-in wide-angle adapter and bounce card, external power and pc cord socket. It’s pretty compact, too; just slightly smaller, but a lot less bulky than my Canon Speedlight 199A, which looks like a dinosaur by comparison. It even works perfectly with the Nikon Coolpix P5100, although it’s larger than the camera itself.

Another option would have been the classic Vivitar 285HV. With AA mode, it’s a “universal” flash, and would have worked satisfactorily with any camera. But, the 28DX has a much wider range of ISOs and apertures, horizontal rotation, motorized zoom head, built-in wide-angle adapter and bounce card, electronic controls, and 17 power settings (the 285HV has four). Plus, it’s larger than the 28DX, and a lot less reliable.

Getting the SB-600 just to be TTL-compatible with the N80 would have been overkill; The SB-28DX fits the bill nicely as a dedicated “Film/Strobist” flash.

Read the review »