SB-700 AF Speedlight Flash for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras, Standard Packaging

2/5/11: Final postscript: Sent the SB700 to Nikon; had to wait a month (according to Nikon, they had to wait to get parts shipped); but - they did repair the flash at no charge. Nikon's service has always been good. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12/25/10: Update to my review - today was my first real tryout of the SB700; and unfortunately; I have to report the battery door fell apart as I was changing batteries. The battery door design is different than past Nikon units. There is an actual pushbutton that you need to depress to release the door. As I was trying to open the door - it fell apart into 3 pieces. I'm not sure what Nikon was thinking; the old door designs seemed to work fine (aside from the SB800 w/ the removable door/battery chamber). On a positive note; I did not have a problem w/ thermal shutdown - but - that said; I'm very disappointed in the door design and am thinking I'll probably stock up on some SB600's while they are still being manufactured. While I hate the pushbutton setup on the SB600; at least I haven't had any reliability problems w/ the unit. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Just received the SB700 today from Amazon after a 3 month wait - I am not disappointed. I have been a Nikon user since the 70's, and have owned every F and D pro bodies, and associated flash units. I have seen all the reviews on the web criticizing Nikon for omitting the PC input and power input - they know if they included these features it would have killed sales of the SB900. Like others, unless I need maximum power from my flash (which is rare); I can get by with the SB600 and most recently, the SB400 for most of my (fill) flash work. I mainly use the flash for fill and have it on the camera 100% of the time. For "walking around" the SB400 works great due to its size and weight. When I need to use bounce flash, I typically use the SB600. I still own the SB800 and SB900 but find myself rarely using them. The SB700 fills the gap - the best features of the flash are the smaller size and weight (vs. the SB900); easier to use controls (I hated the SB600/800 controls); and finally the hard plastic snap-on color correction filters. Nikon needs to make these (hard) filters for the SB900 - trying to use their gels and holder in the field is crazy - you will either lose or damage the gels the first time you are working under pressure. Also the bounce dome is also smaller than the large unit that comes w/ the SB900. The SB700 is the first Nikon flash I've used that seems to get the exposure right on. Normally I have to set the flash exposure to -0.7 to get what I consider a normal exposure. I do not have to do this on the SB700. I also like the fact that Nikon has gone to switches (vs. menu) to switch from Auto to Manual exposure - I care less about the switch for the flash coverage as that's not a setting I change - but others who do change it will like the fact that it's easy to switch on the fly. Back to the power input and PC sync input - those who are fans of the Stobist are very unhappy about the inability to use their PC cords to their Pocket Wizards - most folks do not like using the PC - Hot shoe cords; one more thing to go wrong in the electrical chain. Personally - I miss the power input for the Nikon battery packs - and although I'm sure Quantum will come out w/ a battery adapter to use w/ their packs, I haven't use my Quantum packs in years since I've converted to using the Nikon external packs that use the AA's. That said - think the SB700 will become the de facto standard flash; and the SB800 will continue to sell on eBay and Craig's list for more then they sold new (I'm keeping mine) for the Strobist fans. As to the overheating issue; haven't had the unit long enough to see if it reacts the same as the SB900 - another review said that the unit slows down on recycle time before shutting down - I've had my 900 shut down; so I have to carry a backup just in case. As of today (12/13/10) looks like Amazon isn't even taking orders for the unit; if you are in a hurry suggest checking your local camera store - mine told me they were getting some in periodically - Bottom line: if you are in the market for a Nikon flash - buy this one!

Like many other reviewers, I am a huge Nikon CLS (Creative Lighting System) user. I shoot with a Nikon D300s, MBD10 Grip, 2 SB-900's, 2 SB-700's, Pocket Wizards, full line of Nikon lenses, clamps, etc... I photograph by the two L's: Light and Lens; light being the most important element. This is where Nikon Speedlights excel and the SB-700 is the perfect companion / compliment to the SB-900. The SB-900 is a very large high-powered flash. In fact, I was surprised when I first opened the box and soon came to learn it could be a pain to pack when I went light (as in weight). The SB-700 was a welcome sight since, at times, extreme portability matters. In short, I was looking for slightly less power than the SB-900, just in a smaller package. I considered any other features (such as commander mode) to be a bonus. This was on the heels of just purchasing two SB-600's (later sold on EBay), which I found counter intuitive due to the menu system and need to press multiple buttons at the same time to adjust settings. Plus, the light output from my SB-600's seemed a little harsh and warm in the center. The SB-700 is functionally the same as the SB-900. If you learn the SB-900, you know the SB-700. I measured power output of the SB-700 (92 feet spec) at less than the SB-900 (131 feet spec) and greater than the SB-600 (though specs say it should be a little less at 92 feet versus the SB-600 98 feet). Essentially, I use my SB-900's as key light(s) in most situations. So, it not only is a great compliment to an SB-900 but also a suitable replacement (in lieu of) for the SB-900 if you are on a budget. In fact, I judge the SB-900 to be overkill unless you are a semi-pro or pro photographer. The on-board flash controls are simply incredible. I also find the LCD screen far better than the screen on the SB-600 or even the SB-800 (old Nikon flagship flash). The flash is easy to adjust on the move and very intuitive. Build quality is what you expect from Nikon, which is very good to great, though I am a little concerned about the battery door. But, unless you are juggling your flashes, I do not seen anything to worry about. Plus, the SB-700 comes with a built in bounce card (needed by the way) whereas the SB-600 did not. Additionally, with the SB-700 you get filters, a decent case, diffusion dome, and stand. Word on the dreaded "thermal issue." The SB-900 contained a thermal shutdown feature to prevent the user from essentially melting the flash. The SB-700 will instead slow down recycle time to about 3.5 seconds compared to the rated 2.5 to control the temp. Trust me- most people will never encounter this situation unless they try. It's just something not worrying about. Therefore, this would be a great 2nd flash for advanced shooters and great first/primary flash for beginners to intermediate shooters. But, I do agree with Ken Rockwell that most users who buy non-professional (consumer grade) DSLR bodies could easily go with an SB-400 flash. So, if you are in this category, you may be able to save a few hundred dollars and get everything you need. If you decide to upgrade later, your equipment is scaleable and resell-able (Nikon gear retains value very well).

Considered getting the SB900 or the SB800 models. The SIZE of the SB900 is HUGE and considerably more expensive. It has a little more power, but for my purposes I don't need a MAX power system. I'm not trying to light up a school auditorium or sports arena. The SB800 was an option, but it is an older model. The SB700 had good reviews, and after seeing that it has a KNOB on the back to set it for "remote" or "commander" to wirelessly control other wireless flashes instead of having to drill down through menus to make those settings it was a no-brainer to choose this model. I use the SU800 wireless controller to control the SB700 wirelessly as well as the R1C1 macro lights. No cable running anywhere to get tangled up, short out, fray or develop loose connections. The flash has a built in wide angle diffuser that stores INSIDE the top lip of the flash head as well as a mini-bounce flash card. Handy. And it comes with custom molded color filters for incandescent and fluorescent lighting. There is a micro switch on the flash head that these filters activate to communicate with the camera to set white balance accordingly. (nice touch) Recycle times are FAST, especially if you turn the output power down a bit. Rarely do you really need FULL flash power... instead you are relying on the metering to cut OFF the power with iTTL (Nikon) metering. So... why not turn down the flash a little in the first place. Makes for MUCH faster recycle times and extends battery life. The flash head swivels almost 360 degrees on the body and tilts from a DOWNWARD angle of about 15 degrees to slightly over 090 degrees vertically. That covers almost every conceivable angle you'll need for a flash. I use this flash primariy with a Nikon D7000 body. But, it also works fine with the other bodies I use... a Nikon D70, D90 and Fujifilm S5PRO (which is actually a Nikon D200 with Fuji sensor and firmware). It works flawlessly with the SU800 wireless controller for off-camera use as well. Or, you can run it via a corded cable system like the SC series cord with or without the infrared focus assist module. I like the size and light weight. Plan to run NiMh rechargeable batteries in it. Some models of NiMh batteries now have a 15 quick charge capability to have one set in the flash and another set on the charger when shooting a major event (like a wedding or other event where LOTS of flash will be required). Summary: Similar feature set to both the SB900 and SB800, but better layout of buttons and knobs instead of relying so much on menus. Is smaller than the SB900 and similar in size to the SB800. Maybe a tad less power than either the SB900 or SB800, but not enough to be a deal-breaker for my purposes. Don't forget that it comes WITH the MOLDED COLOR diffusers for different lighting and will auto-set white balance with they are used. Nice unit.

Most importantly, I am not a professional photographer. I would say I am a very enthusiastic hobbyist when it comes to photography. That being said, I always do my research when it comes to photo gear. For the purpose of this review, I use the Nikon D5100 which is a "cropped" (DX) sensor. That is somewhat relevant when looking into gear and flashes. Overall, this is a great flash/speedlight upgrade to the built-in flash on your dSLR. There are cheaper and simpler options available, but if you want to buy a high quality product that has features that will let you expand your photography skills, this is a great option. Important general things you should be aware of when consider any flash/speedlight upgade: (Final "Pros/Cons" at the bottom) • Upgrading to an good mounted flash/speedlight will dramatically expand your options when using a flash as well as the overall quality of the photos taken with a flash. Keep in mind, a good mounted flash/speedlight like this can be used indoors AND outdoors to provide fill-light which is helpful when your subject is backlit or you are take shots in low-light. • One of the primary benefits/goals for upgrading to a mounted flash/speedlight is to obtain better fill-light and softer, more even lighting to reduce or soften shadows. In order to make sure you have the most options, you will want a flash that can rotate up/down as well as left/right. This will allow you to "bounce" the flash off of a ceiling, wall or other reflective surface. This is one of the keys to getting softer shadows and it is super-simple to take advantage of. The SB-700 is 100% capable of doing this, but be aware that some other Nikon or third-party flashes do not rotate or only rotate up/down. If you plan to shoot in portrait mode (vertical orientation) you will need to be able to rotate the flash left/right in order to point at the ceiling. • There are MANUAL flashes and "Automatic" TTL compatible flashes. The main difference is that MANUAL flashes require that you adjust the flash power/compensation yourself for each shot as the exposure changes and you zoom in/out. There is no "auto" mode like your built-in flash. Flashes that are more "automatic" are TTL compatible which means that use information from your camera (TTL = Through The Lens) to automatically calculate the amount of flash needed for a given shot based on other camera settings that determine the exposure needed. That being said, most experienced photographer comments/reviews I have scene will tell you that MANUAL is the way to go to learn and is perfectly suitable. However, I am sure many of you (like myself) are looking for something that is automatic most of the time, but gives you the option of manual adjustments, (This SB-700 offers both). Many of the cheaper (but not necessarily worse) flashes do not offer TTL or "Automatic" flash adjustment. • Manufacturers like Canon, Nikon etc have their own proprietary "lighting systems". Think of these lighting systems as a set of rules/standards by which their cameras communicate with "compatible" flashes to properly light a scene with one or more flashes. IMPORTANT: Not all flashes are compatible with these proprietary lighting systems. Nikon's system is referred to as "CLS" compatible which stands for "Creative Lighting System". This SB-700 is fully compatible with that system, but your camera may not all Nikon cameras have 100% of the hardware capabilities to take advantage of all of the CLS features. More on that later. Many third-party flashes do not offer compatibility with some of these proprietary systems. Some do, but I have read that there can be some compatible issues so be sure to do your research if you go the route of third-party flashes. • Not all flashes/speedlights (and cameras) are capable of using high shutter speeds (above 1/200 of second or so). In my research, this seems to be an issue with the mid-range dSLRs (Like the D5100 and others) due to the fact that they use a mechanical shutter as opposed to an electrical one. It all has to do with how quickly the shutter can open/close and react to the timing of the flash. I believe this is referred to as flash sync of xSync. What does this mean? Well, if you want/need to use a flash and are hoping to "freeze" fast motion (faster than average at least), some cameras will not be capable of utilizing faster shutter speeds above 1/200 of a second. The special flash/shutter mode that allows this is referred to as "Auto FP" or "HSS" depending on your camera, etc. Is this an issue for you? I was kind of bummed about this and found out about it AFTER I purchased the SB-700. That being said, it really isn't a huge deal. The drawback to using Auto FP/HSS (if you have it) is that is dramatically decreases the power/light of the flash to about 25%. So you aren't going to get a ton of light anyway with those higher shutter speeds. Plus, at that point, the speedlight is acting more like a constant light than a true speedlight (to FREEZE motion). Would Auto FP/HSS be helpful in capturing faster than average motion? Probably. Should the lack of Auto FP/HSS on your camera prevent you from buying a flash? Probably not. So, the SB-700 is capable of AutoFP/HSS, but you camera (including the D5100) may not be. • Master/Slave/Commander Stuff. You will definitely see info about master, slave, commander when researching flashes. This basically comes down to using one or more flashes off-camera (usually wirelessly) to achieve different lighting affects. From my "hobbyist" research, it basically involves a "Master" flash unit "Commanding" one or more "Slave" flashes. In order for a "Master" flash to control a "Slave" flash, the "Master" flash OR camera must have a "Commander" feature/capability. The good news is that the SB-700 is capable of being used as a master or slave flash, BUT the SB-700 does not (I believe) have "commander" functionality built-in (The SB-900 does). If you have a higher-end dSLR, you camera probably has "Commander" functionality built-in so you are good to go. Sadly, the D5100 does not have this functionality. What does this mean? If you want to use the SB-700 off-camera (but by itself) with a camera WITHOUT "commander" functionality, you will either need to use a hot-shoe cable from your camera to the SB-700 OR you will need to purchase an additional "Commander" unit (or the previously mentioned SB-900 mentioned) that attaches to your hot shoe and "adds" commander capabilities to your camera. The good news is that once you have "commander" functionality you can wirelessly control one or more slaves. Bottom line...if you are not concerned about using the SB-700 off-camera or with other flashes you don't need to worry about this, BUT options are available if you decide to expand you lighting. • Full-Frame vs Cropped Sensors (FX vs DX) and Flash Zoom modes. I won't get into everything about sensors (because I don't know everything about them), but I will say that not all flashes are fully compatible with both FX and DX format cameras/sensors. I THINK this ultimately means that the actually power and exposure of the flash will not be fully utilized by your camera if you have a DX camera (Like the D5100) and use a FX only flash. So if you buy a cheaper "high-power" flash, your DX camera may not get to use all of the advertised flash power. A lot of the time you will see stuff about GN or "Guide Number" this (I believe) has a lot to do with the flash power at different focal lengths and subject distances. The good news is that the SB-700 DOES support both FX and DX formats so you are somewhat future-proofed. WOW. Ok, so If you made it this far, I am sure you are serious about a new flash. Hopefully I help you and saved you some time. Below is my "summary" of "pros/cons: Pros: Very versatile flash/speedlight upgrade Can be used in "Automatic" mode OR Manual mode. Fully compatible with Nikon CLS system Supports both FX and DX cameras/sensors Can rotate vertically and horizontally (ideal for bouncing in landscape AND portrait orientation) Includes built-in diffuser and bounce panel Also includes mountable diffuser dome for direct flash use Supports automatic TTL and Manual modes LCD Display is clear, backlit and easy to use Offers master/slave capabilities for expanded lighting setups. No built-in commander though. Most professional features for a more reasonable cost Well-built and sturdy Nice, laser-like pre-flash for proper focusing and exposure From other reviews I have ready, it has a very fast "recycle" time which means you can take multiple shots with flash in quick succession. It seems to work well for me, but I have not calculated this myself. Cons: Pricey for non-professionals - although worth the price. Have to be careful to depress side button when rotating. A little stiff Definitely adds some size and weight to your setup. There are smaller/lighter options available. You can get MANY of these features from third-party flashes/speedlights for LESS money, BUT you sacrifice full CLS/iTTL compatibility and probably are not getting the same level of product. The other feature usually missing from third-party flashes is either an "Automatic" mode and/or full support for FX & DX sensors. For mid-range dSLRs (Including d5100), you can't utilize Auto FP or HSS for higher than 1/200 of a second shutter with the flash. Cameras without "Commander" functionality can't use the SB-700 as a master without the use of a hot-shoe cable OR a separate "Commander" unit. There is not ability to "trigger" the SB-700 via the built-in flash of the D5100 and many others. If you found my review helpful, please indicate so below or share a comment. Thanks.

Prior to buying this flash, I already have an SB-600 and 2 Yongnuo 560II flashes, I chose to buy the SB-700 because I prefer my on camera flash to be a Nikon. Also, since my SB-600 flash has been in heavy use for the last few years, I figure I would have play less important role as a back up flash rather than the main on camera flash. Given my experience with the SB-600, I will make review a comparison of the two flashes. Yes, this flash is a lot more expensive than a new SB-600 from a few years ago but I think for an extra hundred buck, it's worth the price. First, the head rotate 180 degrees both ways which could be quite helpful in some situation. The menu system is much more intuitive and I find that that the thump wheel in the back make it a bit easier to change power setting and I do like the Sb-700 screen better over all. No question that the SB-600 work very well and it has been my work horse for years but the SB-700 was definitely and upgrade. If you want to get into off camera lighting, the SB-700 can be an excellent master and it does offer much more flexibility than just a pop up flash. That said, I still prefer cheap radio triggers over the Nikon CLS system, but it is neat. The last thing that I like about the SB-700 is that is has the thermal indicator so you have a clue as to how hard you are pushing flash and if you have to slow down, I definitely want to be in the loop as to how my gear in doing while I am shooting. The bottom line is the SB-700 is definitely worth the price and it's excellent flash, If I have my choice, I would get an SB-700 for my main on camera flash, and more of the cheaper SB-600 for off camera flash but Nikon doesn't make the SB-600 anymore. That and I think asking $200 for a used SB-600 is a ripped off, that's how much it cost new, spend the extra hundred and get a new SB-700 instead.

This is the second full size Nikon flash I've bought. I needed a second flash to use with my SB-600 for off camera lighting. This flash is better in every way than the SB-600. The useability of this flash is amazing compared to the SB-600. The new power switch makes it really easy to switch between ttl/manual flash and between on-camera/wireless/commander modes. No longer is there any need to pull up secret menus to get to the wireless flash functions. The addition of the SU-4 slave flash mode makes this a worthy upgrade from the SB-600 alone. Performance wise, I feel that this flash gives me better exposures than my SB-600. I felt the SB-600 tended to overexpose by a 1/3 stop while this tends to underexpose by a 1/3 stop but with less hot spots. Both easy enough to adjust on with the flash exposure. Speaking of flash exposure though, the one gripe I have with the SB-700 is the flash exposure adjustment is more complicated than the SB-600. The big button on the back of the SB-600 was idiot proof. The two button system on the SB-700 just takes a little more time for minor adjustments. One other thing to be aware of is that the SB-700 defaults to TTL-BL for all photos unless center-weighted exposure is selected on the camera. Although I initially found this annoying, I found it was implemented much better than the TTL-BL used on the SB-600 which tended to give me improper exposures. Although the SB-700 currently runs ~$100 more than the SB-600, the additional accessories included with the flash make up for the difference. The included "stofen-style" filter and two color gels make for a great kit without having to buy additional 3rd party supplies. Also, I love having the built-in flash card. I know I could use a 3x5 card to do the same thing, but having it always there means I'm more likely to be able to use it when necessary. If you are looking at the SB-600 and SB-700, definitely swallow the extra cash and pay for the SB-700. You will not be disappointed. Adding an external bounce flash was one of the best changes I made to my pictures allowing me to really get the colors I wanted. ps - I learned today the flash is pretty resilient too! Fell over on a 6' light stand onto concrete with only a few minor scratches. Everything else works great.

I purchased my SB-700 two years ago at BH photo in NYC. I could not be happier. Dollar for dollar I think it is the best Nikon flash around. I now have a Nikon SB-910 in the kit and while I don't regret the purchase as it is a fabulous flash, and as others have mentioned it has a bit more power, I think the extra $200 dollars would better be spent towards another SB-700. I can only speak for my shooting style but I seldom need the full power pop from the 910 so the extra power while nice in the limited instances I need it would probably be made up for with a second and close to a third SB-700 for the price. This would open up even more options. I have added the Pocket Wizard FlexTT5 transceivers to the mix and the SB-700 performs perfectly. As though it was mounted on the camera with full control from both a D7000 and a D800 through flash compensation. I have lit entire gymnasium widths for dozens of people and not been dissatisfied. I think the biggest highlight for me is the battery life. I use three sets of Rayovac ni-mh AA in them and I can shoot for hours on a single set. I have only run into the thermal slow down a couple times and the use of the pocket wizards has eliminated that as it can cycle intelligently between two speedlights to beat the off occasion I have run into this. Update: I have since purchased another one and I love it. I don't have the need for the sync port or external power packs so I am avoiding the SB-900. I would rather buy one of these and another PocketWizard FlexTT5 than an SB-900. This fits my workflow. I work with photographers that wouldn't trade their 900s for anything.

Pros: Fast Recharge Intuitive Controls Good Feature set for Price Clip on gels Compact Cons: Restricted operating modes No "A" (auto thyristor) mode Only single CTO gel (doesn't have 1/4, 1/2, etc CTO available) Bottom Line: This is a great flash. Since I don't do a lot of the highly advanced flash setups or use more than 2 or 3 flashes, the SB700 was a fine choice vs the SB900. I do mostly bounce flash and felt that the SB700 was powerful enough. Exposures were always spot on. Recharge from a full power shot is only about 2 seconds with NiMH cells. The best part of the flash is I was able to pick it up and use it without reading the owners manual. The controls are even more intuitive than the SB900. I like that there is a simple slider switch to change between modes and beam patterns. The gels are easy to use (although they can be difficult to get lined up just right) and they are convenient. The flash is small compared to the SB900, which is a good thing. I am indifferent to the case design. It works great in my hard plastic case, but my bags are designed for flashes to slip in when they are opened so the reflector is pointing straight up, so consider this with your bag. At first my fear was the SB700 would not be enough flash for me after using a friend's SB900, but I didn't use the special features the SB900 had anyway, and feel that the power from the 700 is good enough for what I do that the SB700 was the better buy. I do not regret my decision.

やはり、純正品の安定感があります。

Easy and multiple function to suit individual when operating. Love this Nikon speedlight flashlight

All Nikon equipment is top quality, and the SB700 is no exception. Powerful and works brilliantly in tandem with a second flash. For a lot more money could have bought the model that works the second flash by remote but this model depends on both flahes being close to in line of sight. But in normal indoor settings the flashes work fine together. Everything you'd expect from Nikon.

Perfetto accoppiamento con la mia Nikon D3300. Consiglio l'acquisto del caricabatterie "Technoline BC 700" e un kit 8 batterie "Sanyo Eneloop AA", le migliori... L’unità flash Nikon SB-700 può operare nelle modalità più diffuse, tra cui i-TTL, automatismo particolarmente preciso e affidabile in ogni condizioni di ripresa, oppure Manuale “M” per assicurare la consistenza di illuminazione artificiale quando si ha il totale controllo della scena. Lampeggiatore versatile e di semplice utilizzo, compatibile con le fotocamere SLR formato FX e DX e con Nikon Creative Lighting System. Sorprendentemente intuitivo da utilizzare, è dotato di una gamma di funzioni avanzate che rendono semplice gestire la qualità e la direzione della luce. Grazie ai tre pattern di illuminazione, è possibile controllare totalmente la copertura del flash e il modo A:B, di semplice accesso, consente il controllo wireless di più unità flash. Dotato di un corpo compatto, è l'accessorio ideale da avere a portata di mano quando si desidera scattare in modo creativo oppure ottenere immagini più bilanciate in situazioni di illuminazioni difficile. Sistema automatico di protezione termica: avvisa dell'eccessivo surriscaldamento durante scatti ad alta intensità e, se necessario, ritarda la ricarica. Zoom motorizzato multi-step: copre un ampio angolo di campo da 24 a 120 mm. Funzionamento intuitivo: l'ampio schermo LCD di facile lettura e i comandi posizionati in modo pratico consentono di regolare le impostazioni senza difficoltà. È possibile selezionare i pattern di illuminazione standard, ponderato centrale e uniforme, per adeguarsi a qualunque situazione di ripresa. Accessori Inclusi Speedlight Stand AS-22, Soft Case SS-700, Diffusion Dome SW-14H, Fluorescent filter SZ-3FL, Incandescent filter SZ-3TN. Consegnato PRIMA della data prevista... OTTIMO SERVIZIO AMAZON

Having owned and still own the SB600 flash for 3 years I thought long and hard about buying this flashgun. I wanted an extra unit for creative lighting but was going to go for the more powerful 910. Well, for my needs the 700 does an excellent job. I was lucky enough to have dropped onto Amazon when this flashgun was being sold for an unbelievable low price so I took advantage and just grabbed the last one as they were disappearing before my eyes. I was a little concerned after reading reviews about the the 700's slightly lower power output compared to the 600, but in real world phtography this just is not the case. Where the 700 shines over the 600 is the quicker access to features such as ttl, manual control and Nikons excellent CLS off camera flash to name a couple. The head rotation and positioning are more flexible than the 600 and a bounce/catchlight card are incorporated into the flash head too. Extras include two clip on filters for different indoor lighting situations and a flash diffuser. Also the the 700 works as a commander for other compatible Nikon flash guns using the CLS system, this feature is not so important to me as I have it built into my camera, but for more basic Nikon cameras such as the D40/60 etc it is very useful. Another great feature on the 700 is its ability to be a slave flash, meaning it will fire remotely off camera triggered by any make of flash as long as that flash is set to manual mode. The 700 also features an automatic cut out should it start to overheat due to constant repeated use, but as the flash has a meter on the display monitoring the temperature of the flashgun I have never seen it rise to levels that become a concern. Recycle times are very good with rechargable nimh batteries fitted ( I use the Sanyo Eneloops) with the flash used at normal output being ready almost immediately. All round I find this flashgun a significant upgrade compared to the 600 for its ability to access control of different settings, flash output is very similar on both and the 600 is still a great flashgun. Build quality of the 700 is excellent and its extra control and features plus its excellent lighting capabilities makes it a great buy for anyone with Nikon camera equipment.