Nikon SB-28--A Small Portable Powerful Strobe!

The first flash I used on my Nikon camera was a Sunpak MZ 440AF, bought for under $100. This flash is substantially bigger than the Nikon Speedlight SB-28, about the same size as the old Nikon SB-26. Operation of the Sunpak is manual. Its zoom head must be set manually corresponding to the lens' focal length, quite inconvenient. It offers four zoom settings: 28, 35, 50, and 85mm. Unlike the SB-28, it does not have the LCD panel on the back. I thought, at the time, that the price of the Nikon SB-28 over $300 was outrageous. So I opted for the Sunpak flash instead. Thinking back I wondered how I ever managed to get good flash exposure at all with my Sunpak. With the Sunpak MZ 440AF, I only used it to illuminate the subject and nothing else. The only creative flash I could do with it was rear curtain synch.

Then it occurred to me: What is the point of owning a very good camera (N90S, at that time), if I cannot take full advantage of its advanced features in flash photography? It was then that I decided to invest in the Nikon Speedlight SB-28 and upgraded my camera to Nikon F100; and it made all the difference. I have never thought flash photography would change my entire view about the SB-28.

Having used a less robust and less featured laden flash, I have come to appreciate the Nikon Speedlight SB-28 tremendously. I slowly learned and understood the capability of this little but powerful flash. With it, I also learned a great deal about flash photography. Not only that the SB-28 is small and lightweight (especially when space and weight are the main concern for traveling light), it is loaded with features that open up a whole new world of flash photography. Also, due to its lightweight and small size, it doesn't seem to produce much stress or strain on the shot shoe mount. The SB-28 offers so much that I don't think I can cover all its features and capabilities here in this review. Therefore, I will discuss just the features and operations that I like and know how to apply.

In terms of features, it provides full automation. For example, the flash head automatically sets its focal length (in 24, 28, 35, 50, 70, and 85mm) corresponding to the change of the lens' focal length. In normal operation, it provides focal coverage between 24-85mm. It also has a built-in wide flash adapter for 18mm and 20mm. The ISO is also set automatically once it is connected to the camera when both are turned on. Its LCD panel provides complete information of flash exposure, such as zoom setting, f-stop, ISO, flash mode, TTL, distance range of flash output (in feet or in meters), etc. Even in manual exposure mode, the SB-28 will tell you the correct exposure in terms of distance, power output, and aperture setting. You can still see this complete information when shooting at night with its LCD panel illumination button. It even has the underexposure indicator to warn you if the picture just taken was underexposed and by how much, so you can correct it and retake the picture.

This SB-28 is the top-of-the-line Nikon Speedlight offering extensive features for both professionals and amateurs or advanced amateurs alike. If you need to do multiple flash photography through TTL, it can be connected to other SB-28 units via the TTL multiple flash terminal using the cord like SC-18 or 19. It also has external power source terminal to be used with external battery pack SD-7 or SD-8 for an extended shooting in a long session. It also has a PC terminal that can be connected to a camera that does not have the standard hot shoe mount. It also has autofocus aid light (AF assist) when photographing at night or in dim light.

In terms of operations, it provides full automation, full manual override or a combination of both. It provides four (4) flash modes corresponding to the type of lens used. For a D type lens (and with a camera that offers 3D matrix), the SB-28 offers:

1. TTL 3D Matrix (known as 3D Multi-Sensor Balanced Fill-Flash)
2. Standard TTL
3. M (with High-Speed Flash Synch FP operaion and Repeating flash)
4. A (non-TTL Auto flash).

For a non-D type lens, flash mode No. 1 becomes a simple Matrix TTL (Multi-Sensor Balanced Fill-Flash). When used with a camera that does not offer 3D Matrix (such as F4, N8008, N6006, etc.), flash mode No. 1 becomes simple Matrix TTL (Matrix Balanced Fill-Flash).

The SB-28 can set its power output independently from the camera, allowing complete control of the exposure. For example, in broad daylight, I can underexpose the ambient light and use the SB-28 as the main light to illuminate the subject to make the final photograph appear like it was taken at night. I can use slow or rear curtain synch (with shutter speed all the way down to 30 sec) to allow camera to correctly expose for the ambient light at night and use the SB-28 to illuminate the main subject. I can use repeating flash feature to make a photograph look like multiple exposure technique has been used. Nikon calls this stroboscopic. Although this feature requires some practice, the result is quite rewarding.

In full manual mode, the SB-28 will allow for output flash setting in power ratio of 1/2 all the way to 1/64. It calculates and recommends exactly what f-stop to use for distance coverage to produce a technically correct or well-exposed photograph. So even in manual mode, the SB-28 still does everything for you.

With my Sunpak MZ 440AF, I can never photograph in broad daylight, because it only provides shutter speed up to 1/250 sec and does not let me control the output of the flash (as a fill or a catch light). With the SB-28, I can use flash in broad daylight as a fill or a catch light in a person’s eyes. With its flash exposure compensation feature, I can set its exposure value in the range 1 to -3 EV in 1/3 step. With its standard TTL feature, I can meter for the correct exposure of the whole photograph and then set my SB-28 to -1/2, -2/3 or -1 EV (to reduce its power) for a catch light or just to fill in the shadow. It is capable of providing flash synch up to 1/4000 sec in FP mode (with Nikon N90S, F100, F5), making flash photography in broad daylight no longer an issue. In normal shooting mode in P or A, flash synch is in the range 1/60 - 1/250 sec. In Rear or Slow Synch mode, shutter speed extends all the way down to 30 sec. In High-Speed synch FP, shutter speed is in between 1/250 and 1/4000 sec. The application of this fill-flash technique is limitless, either in backlit or sidelit situation.

For 3D matrix, this SB-28 does wondrous. I often like to photograph my little boy playing on a beach with the setting sun in the background, and I often run the camera (N90S) and flash in 3D matrix and Aperture Priority mode. I was always disappointed with my Sunpak. Most of the pictures with my son as the main subject were completely underexposed. Even though the manual claims that the Sunpak is completely compatible with 3D matrix, the final photographs do not seem to prove that. When I first repeated this same procedure with SB-28 (again, in A-mode and 3D matrix, only this time with F100), I could not believe that making such a photograph was possible, easy and rewarding. It is in this type of situation that I really believe in 3D matrix and the capability of the SB-28. I also count on its full automation, because I need to quickly respond to my son's active movement and the changing light of the setting sun. And it was also due to the full understanding of the SB-28 capabilities and operations that I have learned flash photography and to be able to reproduce the same photograph in manual mode.

If you are not convinced that the SB-28 is really that good, I would like to invite you to visit my webpage at http://www.pa.msu.edu/~nong/photo/people2.htm. In this site, you can see three images of my son playing on the beach with the setting sun in the background. One of them was made by Nikon F100 with 24-120mm lens (over 2 years ago using print film, with my son off to the left) and the other by F5 with 35-70mm lens (this past August using slide, with my son off to the right), both with 3D matrix, A-mode. The third one (this past July, vertical shot with my son carrying a green pail) was made in manual mode using my Nikon F4 with 50mm f/1.8 lens (using print film). Well, the pictures are not that great, but the ability to use flash to render the final image to look so natural as if flash has never been used is amazing! (Note: In case you cannot find these three images, I may have updated the images and put new ones already. If still interested, please email me and I'll be glad to email you the images or put them up again.)

With N90S (or N90), F100 or F5, the SB-28 performs to the fullest! I have used it on N6006 and F4 with some limitations. The F4 does not have a rear synch feature and relies on the flash (such as SB-24, SB-25 or SB-26), but the SB-28 does not have this operation externally, because it in turn relies on the camera body. I have never tried it on the N70 or N80, so I cannot give any comments. But the SB-28 instruction manual includes the Nikon N70 in the F5, F100 and N90S camera group, and it seems to take full advantage of SB-28 except High-Speed synch (FP). Therefore, the N80 should fall in this category as well, with a few limitations similar to the N70.

For flash photography with the new D100 or the D1 series, Nikon offers SB-28DX for these digital cameras. The SB-28 and SB-28DX both have the same features, except that the DX version offers 3D Multi-Sensor Balanced Fill-Flash for D1 or D100. When used with Nikon film SLRs, the DX version provides full functionality of the regular SB-28.

On top of the advanced features, capabilities and operations, the SB-28 is also very well built. Although its outside body is covered with plastic, the whole structure is quite rigid and strong. Even its swivel head is firm with its one button operation for tilting and rotating for bounce flash. It has a clever design with two ridges on the side of the LCD panel to guard against scratches when the flash is laid flat on some rough surface. I accidentally dropped my flash once from about 2 feet high, and it landed on its back on rough concrete. A few light scratches and small dings on the edges and ridges (hardly visible), but the LCD panel is untouched, and it still operates like new. Also, all buttons are a bit recess, to prevent any accidental push.

Currently, there are many Speedlights being offered by Nikon, such as the new SB-30, SB-50DX and SB-80DX, in addition to the old ones: the SB-22S or SB-23, even SB-27. I am not yet familiar with the new SB-30, SB-50DX or SB-80DX, but I have seen and played with SB-22S and SB-27 and these two are the lower ends of SB-28. According to the specs, the new SB-50DX and SB-80DX are the alternative to the top-of-the-line SB-28DX for digital SLRs with a few advanced features added. In addition to full compatibility in digital flash photography, the newer ones have a built-in wireless slave flash control, and this time it is full TTL (compared to the non-TTL wireless slave of the SB-26). The new SB-80DX offers a wider focal coverage from 24-105mm in normal mode with guide number GN. 125 at ISO 100 compared to SB-28DX's GN 164 at ISO 100 and ultra-wide angle at 14mm compared to 18mm (SB-28DX). The SB-80DX has other fancy features like modeling flash or flash compensation from 3 EV to -3 EV in 1/3 step compared to SB-28DX's -3 EV to 1 EV in 1/3 step.

My recommendation is that if you plan on doing a lot of flash photography with your Nikon N70, N90, N80, F100 or F5, the Nikon SB-28 is still the best flash to have. All the fundamental features of flash photography are contained in this wonderful unit. More to the point is that you will be assured of full compatibility between camera and flash, because there are so much electronics involved when two units communicate to produce correct exposure. It seems rather intimidating, even outrageous, for a flash to cost almost the price of another decent camera body like the N70, and therefore getting an off-brand name flash seems a logical choice. But let me assure you that if you are into creative flash photography, the SB-28 is well worth it for the investment. At a price of about $300, I now realize it is not that expensive at all; and it really is worth more than three times the price of my Sunpak MZ 440AF combined.


Specifications: SB-28

Too many features to list them here. But this unit will perform virtually with all Nikon cameras: D1, D100, F5, F100, N90 series, N80, N70, N65, N60, N55, N50, F4, N8008, N6006, N5005, N4004, N2020, N2000, FA, FE2, FG, F3 series, FM2/N, and new FM3A.

However, 3D Multi-Sensor Balanced Fill-Flash is possible only with Nikon F5, F100, N90S, N80 and N70.