Photography is all about light, and sometimes you’ll find yourself in a position where there just isn’t enough of it. In these cases you’ll quickly find that the built in flash on your camera is pretty limited. With this in mind, maybe the most important accessory you can get yourself is a descent flashgun, that way you can be guaranteed of a plentiful supply of light wherever you go. Before we get into specific flash units, however, there are a few things you should bear in mind when using flash:

Light from flashguns is far more concentrated and much harsher than daylight and using direct flash can lead to some very unflattering portraits and washed out faces with demon like red eye. There are, of course, ways of avoiding this. Modern flashes are very sophisticated and you should get one that is “dedicated” for your camera, meaning that the flash will work in conjunction with your camera’s metering and auto focus systems to take into account any available light and the distance the subject is from the camera and then adjust its output accordingly.

Most flashes now have heads that can tilt and swivel which allows you to bounce the flash off a nearby wall or the ceiling giving a softer and more natural light. Also, if you get a compatible TTL flash cord you can move your flash away from the camera, giving you more scope to get creative. Some higher end flashes and cameras allow you to do this wirelessly. Moving the flash away from the camera greatly helps with red eye, although most DSLRs now have some sort of red eye reduction flash mode. So let's look at some of the flashguns available for Nikon cameras.

Lets start at the top with the money no object best you can get. The SB900 is Nikon’s new top of the range professional flash and incorporates every feature you could wish to find. For starters this flash is very powerful, it should cover 34 metres at 100 ISO, but that power is very controllable. Making it an incredibly versatile piece of kit. It has a zoom range for lenses from 17-200mm and zooms automatically as you zoom the lens. The flash recycles very quickly allowing continuous shooting. It works seamlessly with the camera’s systems in I-TTL mode, has full manual control, can be triggered wirelessly, if your camera supports this function, and can be used as the command unit in a multi flash set up with other Nikon Speedlights. A set up Nikon call their “creative lighting system”. You can even set the pattern of the light to either concentrate on the centre of the frame or provide a more even illumination. It also of course has a bounce and swivel head. If you can afford it, this is the best flash you can get for your Nikon DSLR. It has so many features that it may be a bit daunting for those new to flash photography. 

If the price of the SB900 is just that bit too much, but you still want a professional spec flash then the SB800 maybe the answer. It has many of the same features. It has a similar power output to the SB900 but the zoom range is reduced to 24-105mm, for wide angle lenses down to 14mm an attachable diffuser is included. It can be triggered wirelessly off camera, and it too can command a multi flash set up. I’ve been using one of these for a couple of years now and have found it extremely capable and reliable, so wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it. Could still be a bit daunting for beginners.

This would be the flash that I would recommend for most people. It really is an excellent compromise of price and performance and really is very good value for money. I use this flash as a back up to my main one, and it is perfectly capable in all but the most demanding or unusual of circumstances. And for most photographers this flash offers more than enough punch. Its marginally less powerful than the previous two flashes but will still cover 30m at 100 ISO and the zoom range is reduced to 85mm. It does however have the same I-TTL mode and AF assist as the SB800. It too can be used as part of a multi flash set up, but not as a command unit. It also features the bounce and swivel head. The interface and controls are greatly simplified, making the flash easier to operate and therefore a good choice for everyone from beginners to experienced enthusiasts. 

There is nothing of course that says you have to get a flash made by Nikon. Well actually the instruction booklet for your camera probably says exactly that, but then it would, wouldn’t it? Sigma have a good reputation and this unit offers a lot of power and features for its price. It’s very powerful, has dedicated TTL compatibility, wireless triggering, bounce and swivel head. It also has a modelling flash function that allows you to check highlights and shadows before you take the shot, much like studio flash set ups. It doesn’t feel as sturdy or well made as the Nikon units, and in my experience 3rd party products don’t work quite as well as the Nikon ones. But you can’t argue too much with these features at this price. 

If all you want from a flash is just a bit more power than your on camera flash gives you then this entry level Nikon flash is the one for you. It’s very simple, compact and basic. You just attach it to the hotshoe and off you go. Perfect if all you need is a little extra for night time shots or to add a bit of fill in flash to give a bit more punch to your pictures during the day.