SB900, more power, big,can handle 3 groups of flashes, possibility to connect external battery pack (SD-9).
SB700, button for flash pattern, can handle 2 groups of flashes, no gels but caps (orange and green).
There're perhaps a few more differences but these matters to me.
I've been in this conundrum for a while and there are a lot of ways for a new buyer to go.
I have the SB900, SB600 and 2 YN-560's. I primarily use the 900 off camera or with a Lumiquest Quick Bounce, Lumiquest Softbox III, or with a Honly Speed Snoot.
For wedding work, I use the SB900 and taking great care not to overtax the thermal circuits (work at higher ISOs).
For portrait work, when I need portable diffused light, I use the SB600 + 2 YN560's on a Triflash Sync in a Westcott Apollo and can get about F8 at 5 feet/200 ISO.
I've been looking at the SB700 for the size, but for my uses, with a power output below the SB600, that was a deal breaker for me since I typically fire them off at 1/2 power when I have them in softboxes. For the price of single SB700, I can pick up 3 flashes at more than triple the output, but granted, that's an easy decision when you already have your primary flash taken care.
The only con I can see with the SB700 is the lower power output and lack of a pc sync input, but it comes with a lot of plusses like, better thermal shutdown performance (the SB900 is extremely sensitive to high temps), smaller, sort of cheaper, built in commander with an intuitive user interface.
The SB900's a lot of flash, and it's literally everything and the kitchen sink, but to keep my kit somewhat portable I opted to go SB900 + 1 CLS slave (consider getting an SB800) + 2 more dumb slaves for accent lights.
Hope that helps some.
ss
FYI - for what it's worth, I typically use a reflector and a flash for portrait photography - just something to consider when you're deciding on what to purchase.
Chris Dees wrote:
SB900, more power, big, can handle 3 groups of flashes, possibility to connect external battery pack (SD-9).
SB700, button for flash pattern, can handle 2 groups of flashes, no gels but caps (orange and green).
There're perhaps a few more differences but these matters to me.
That's basically it in a nutshell, along with the fact that after a couple of hours of lugging around, the SB-700 is going to feel a lot lighter. I have both of these flashes, and 9 out of 10 times, the SB-700 gets the job. It really is a wonderful, light option for when you don't need the extra reach or trigger the extra remote group the SB-900 gets you.
Just buy a used SB800. When buying a flash you really want the most power you can get and the 900 is unnecessarily large and expensive for no more power while the SB700 is overpriced and less powerful (even less than the model it replaced).
I shoot with a pair of Yongnuo 560s, but because I don't use them to overpower the sun, they're enough for me. I've played around with the 900 and 700 plenty, and the 900 is admittedly pretty sweet, but the 700 would make me happy enough. Maybe best to just go straight for the 900 and bypass future "HMMM DO I REALLY WANNA UPGRADE..."s.
Wow I didn't realise the SB700 had less power than the SB600. Definitely won't be getting that then.
I use an SB600, a Yongnuo 560, and a Metz 60 CT-4 for most of my work - also have various Vivitar 283's lying around.
It looks like my next flash is likely to be a Yongnuo 565 (due out next month) iTTL with my Nikons, power similar to an SB900 (and the same as my existing 560), and hopefully a good price tag.
SB-700 gets my vote, for the simple reason that the flash head can be rotated 180 degrees to the left and to the right. That is invaluable in my books! (for events photography)
I guess the question you should ask yourself is what are you really looking for. How many do you need? All off-camera? Some on-camera? Is TTL needed? Then you can gauge from there.
4160 - as an alternate POV, check out strobist.com his site is indeed "really fun" and you'll save money, and be alot better with speed lights in the process.
I think I'm gonna go with an SB-900 on camera, and then buy 1-2 off camera flashes.
Make sure going the multiple SB route makes sense for you before you throw all that money at it. I'm saying this as an owner of 3 SB-800's. If you don't prize portability over everything else you might be better off getting a set monoblocks from Elinchrom, Alien Bees, or some other brand.
It's just something to contemplate when you start building a flash system. The monoblocks have a lot more power, work better with large modifiers, and give you a lot of bang for your buck if you don't need TTL and the battery operated small-ness of SB's.
The SB700 has a better developed thermal overload protection system that progressively slows down the shooting rate rather than letting it go longer and then stopping it completely.
Jammy Straub wrote:
Make sure going the multiple SB route makes sense for you before you throw all that money at it. I'm saying this as an owner of 3 SB-800's. If you don't prize portability over everything else you might be better off getting a set monoblocks from Elinchrom, Alien Bees, or some other brand.
It's just something to contemplate when you start building a flash system. The monoblocks have a lot more power, work better with large modifiers, and give you a lot of bang for your buck if you don't need TTL and the battery operated small-ness of SB's.
+1. I have one SB-900 and one PCB Einstein -- both for manual flash. Looking to add either another SB-900 or two flashes made by a third party. Or two AB800's. Oh decisions, decisions....
