Nikon SB-400 Speedlight i-TTL Shoe Mount Flash Imported
Remember the Essentials
Batteries are not included. Please make sure to purchase batteries to operate the device.
The Nikon SB-400 Speedlight is an intelligent and versatile external flash unit that provides i-TTL flash operation in a super-compact and ultra-lightweight body at an affordable price.
Designed as an entry-level external flash, this flash is ideal for the compact D-40 digital SLR camera, but it is also useful for hobbyists and professionals looking for a handy i-TTL flash unit offering an effortless bounce flash function. When combined with cameras that are compatible with the Nikon Creative Lighting System, the SB-400 is controlled in i-TTL and D40's M (manual) mode.
- Multiple Flash Exposure Modes
-
- i-TTL Balanced Fill-Flash with compatible cameras (e.g. D40)
- Manual Flash with D-40 only
- Bounce Capability
- Flash head tilts up to 90°.
- Shooting Range
- The SB-400 has a flash shooting distance range of between 2' (0.6 m) to 66' (20 m) depending on the camera's ISO setting.
- Improved Safety
- Safety lock on flash shoe.
| Type | Shoe mount |
| Guide No. | 98' (30 m) ISO 200 at 18mm position (digital SLR format) |
| Angle of Coverage | 56° (digital SLR format) |
| Vari-Power | No |
| TTL Dedication | Yes (i-TTL) |
| Bounce Head | Yes |
| Swivel Head | No |
| Zoom Head | No |
| Off Camera Terminal | No |
| Recycle Time | 2.5 Seconds with fresh alkaline batteries & full power |
| Power Source | 2x 1.5-Volt "AA" batteries |
| Dimensions | 2.6 x 2.2 x 3.1" (66 x 56 x 79mm) WxHxD |
| Weight | 4.5 oz (127 g) [w/o batteries] |
REVIEW SNAPSHOT®
by PowerReviews(based on 399 reviews)
Ratings Distribution
98%
of respondents would recommend this to a friend.
Pros
- Lightweight (347)
- Easy to use (284)
- Fast recycling (240)
- Consistent output (202)
- Durable (148)
Cons
- Weak output (15)
- Slow recycling (14)
- Not interchangeable (6)
Best Uses
- General purpose (320)
- Fill flash (189)
- Portraits (157)
- Night photography (91)
- Photojournalism (38)
- Reviewer Profile:
- Photo enthusiast (143), Enthusiast (65), Casual photographer (55), Semi-pro photographer (40), Semi-professional (24)
- Was this a gift?:
- No (164), Yes (19)
Most Liked Positive Review
Glad I found it
When I need flash to perform wedding, portrait, macro, still life, or interior architectural photography, I use one to three flash units that are optically linked or radio linked. I did not ...Read complete review
When I need flash to perform wedding, portrait, macro, still life, or interior architectural photography, I use one to three flash units that are optically linked or radio linked. I did not think I needed a flash like the SB-400 until a colleague of mine accidentally left one behind at an event we were shooting. Before I returned it to her, I had the opportunity to play with it and here are the things I liked:Pros1. Flash communicates very well with my digital body for fast and accurate flash shots2. Works well for taking fill-flash shots in available light3. Tilting flash head has four positions: direct, 60 degree, 75 degree, 90 degree4. Tilting flash head is useful for bouncing flash off ceiling5. Simple to operate6. Does not need safe-sync like my older flash units do7. Perfect for the times when I only need to carry one flash unit with my digital body8. Small size and low weight makes it easy to carry9. Unlike the camera’s built-in flash, the SB-400 has its own power supply and therefore does not drain the batteries in the camera body10. Uses two standard AA batteries instead of proprietary batteries11. Locking feature securely attaches flash to hot shoe12. Covers wide angle lenses well13. When the SB-400 is mounted in the hot shoe, its flash head is slightly higher and slightly forward when compared to the built-in flash. As a consequence, it does not create as large of a shadow when used with certain lenses.14. SB-400 flash casts a much smaller shadow than the built-in flash does when used with my 14-24mm f/2.8 lens set at the 14mm focal length.15. SB-400 flash casts a much smaller shadow than the built-in flash does when used with my 20-35mm f/2.8 lens with lens hood when set at the 20mm focal length.16. Very useful for close-up and macro shots17. Works well with the manual focus 105mm macro lens up to a 1:2 reproduction ratio. In aperture priority mode at ISO 100, at 1:2 reproduction ratio, the exposure is correct from f/2.8 to f/32.18. Works well with the pre-set aperture 105mm short mount macro lens provided the exposure mode is set to manual and the correct non-CPU data is set.19. In aperture priority mode, works well with 105mm macro lens from 1:2 to 1:1 reproduction ratio provided tilting head is placed in 60 degree, 75 degree, or 90 degree bounce flash position and a bounce flash card is used.20. Shoe mounted SB-400 and second flash connected to camera via PC sync cord both sync properly21. SB-400 and radio controlled remote flash will synch correctly when transmitter is connected to camera via PC sync cord22. Light output (f/11 at one meter at ISO 100) is one stop brighter than built-in flash 23. Good balance when mounted on camera (my bigger flash units are top heavy when mounted in the hot shoe)24. Plus/Minus exposure compensation also controls SB-400 flash exposure25. Plus/Minus flash exposure compensation controls SB-400 flash exposure26. Slim design is very attractive both on and off the camera27. Custom fitting protective case is very useful28. The price is reasonable Here are the things I did not like:Cons1. Does not work on my Nikon 35mm SLR cameras (F2, F4, and N70/F70)2. Does not work on my 35mm rangefinder cameras3. Does not work on my medium format cameras4. Not suitable for the times when I need to use multiple flash units5. Cannot use commander mode to trigger remote flash units6. Does not work well for fill-flash shots with another flash unit7. When using front-curtain sync with optically controlled remote flash, remote flash fires out of synch (built-in flash will correctly sync optically controlled remote flash unit provided the built-in flash is set to manual exposure and full power)8. When using rear-curtain sync, the preflash that determines the correct exposure will trip an optically controlled remote flash. The remote unit will not fire with the rear curtain flash unless the shutter speed is long enough to give the remote flash unit time to recharge.9. Tilting flash head does not have the fifth position (45 degree) like my other flash units10. Cannot bounce shoe-mounted flash off the ceiling when holding camera in portrait orientation11. No PC connection so that flash can be used detached from hot shoe12. Requires an expensive sync cord (Nikon TTL cord CS 17, 28, or 29) to use flash at a remote distance from the hot shoe13. No open flash feature14. No battery level indicator15. Light output (f/11 at one meter at ISO 100) is one stop dimmer than my bigger flash units16. Unable to set flash manually to full power for maximum light output (note: D40, D40x, and D50 cameras have feature that allows manual control of light output)17. In some shooting situations, 1-3 preflashes are needed to determine the correct exposure (I have not yet figured why the camera preflashes in some situations and not others)By the way, the day before I returned her flash, I ordered mine from B&H in New York.
VS
Most Liked Negative Review
Spend the extra money ...
Good for amateur photographer. Has bounce settings of 0,60,75, and 90 degrees. Will not bounce for vertical pictures. Slow recycling which results in inconsistent output. Recommended but go with the SB600 if you...Read complete review
Good for amateur photographer. Has bounce settings of 0,60,75, and 90 degrees. Will not bounce for vertical pictures. Slow recycling which results in inconsistent output. Recommended but go with the SB600 if you can afford it.
Reviewed by 399 customers
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Displaying reviews 1-20
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Pros
- Consistent Output
- Durable
- Easy To Use
- Fast Recycling
- Lightweight
- Powerful Output
- Versatile
Cons
Best Uses
- Fill Flash
- General Use
- Night Photography
- Photojournalism
- Portraits
Comments about Nikon SB-400 Speedlight i-TTL Shoe Mount Flash:
I rated this Nikon SB-400 5 stars because is so easy to use, light weight to carry around, the mounting is solid and secure, the bouce light is great, I took a lot of picture using the boucing light all pictures look great, just love it, thanks to Ken Rockwell review of this product, that how I got to know and purchased this item.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Consistent Output
- Easy To Use
- Fast Recycling
- Lightweight
- Powerful Output
- Versatile
Cons
Best Uses
- General Use
- Portraits
Comments about Nikon SB-400 Speedlight i-TTL Shoe Mount Flash:
I ordered this as an alternative to big lights for shooting portraits. I LOVE IT!! I love the bounce feature and the overall picture outcome of this mount.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
Images shared by Tracy
My old girl! Shot with BOUNCE feature of SB400
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Pros
- Consistent Output
- Easy To Use
- Fast Recycling
- Lightweight
- Versatile
Cons
Best Uses
- Fill Flash
- General Use
- Portraits
Comments about Nikon SB-400 Speedlight i-TTL Shoe Mount Flash:
Light years better than the built-in flash. Huge difference in photos. Don't think, just buy it.
Pros
- Consistent Output
- Durable
- Easy To Use
- Fast Recycling
- Lightweight
- Versatile
Cons
Best Uses
- Fill Flash
- General Use
- Night Photography
Comments about Nikon SB-400 Speedlight i-TTL Shoe Mount Flash:
I have the SB-600 and SB-800 as well. The SB-400 meets most of my needs, is lighter weight and much less costly.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy To Use
- Fast Recycling
- Lightweight
Cons
Best Uses
- Fill Flash
Comments about Nikon SB-400 Speedlight i-TTL Shoe Mount Flash:
Great portable flash for the P7100.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Consistent Output
- Durable
- Easy To Use
- Fast Recycling
- Lightweight
- Powerful Output
- Versatile
Cons
Best Uses
- Fill Flash
- General Use
- Portraits
Comments about Nikon SB-400 Speedlight i-TTL Shoe Mount Flash:
Lowest price I could find online and locally. Super fast shipping. Easy no fuss set up; slip it into the hotshoe, lock it down and your done the camera does the rest. Much more effective than the small pop up flash on the D80. A nice alternative to the higher price next step up in Nikon flash for the every day user. Highly recommended.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Consistent Output
- Easy To Use
- Lightweight
Cons
- Vertical tilt limitation
Best Uses
- Fill Flash
- General Use
- Portraits
Comments about Nikon SB-400 Speedlight i-TTL Shoe Mount Flash:
The SB-400 is super easy to use. It has an on button, a lock lever and a red indicator light that let's you know the flash is ready to use. That's it. Using it is as simple as locking it to your hot shoe, and turning it on. It syncs and fires. Easy. If you want to bounce the flash off the ceiling that's as simple as tilting the front of the flash up. I've found this produces the best results when indoors as direct flash is generally too harsh. A possible downside of this model is that if you shoot vertical shots you can't bounce the flash off the ceiling as the body doesn't tilt like more sophisticated models. However, if you want a flash that works every time, only takes 2 AA batteries and has a small form factor the SB-400 is great.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy To Use
- Fast Recycling
- Lightweight
- Powerful Output
- Small
- Versatile
Cons
Best Uses
- Fill Flash
- General Use
- Portraits
Comments about Nikon SB-400 Speedlight i-TTL Shoe Mount Flash:
I recently decided to try to improve my photography skills and purchased a SB-400 to go with my Nikon 5000. After realistically assessing my needs and reading reviews I determined that I did not need a huge flash to light the Super Bowl and eat batteries but rather an improvement to the pop up flash. The 400 exceeded my expectations. Direct flash was an improvement but bounced off the ceiling was spectacular! It is small and light weight but does the trick. A set of Sanyo rechargable batteries completed the purchase.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Consistent Output
- Easy To Use
- Lightweight
- Powerful Output
Cons
Best Uses
- General Use
- Portraits
Comments about Nikon SB-400 Speedlight i-TTL Shoe Mount Flash:
The SB 400 was a gift for my mother-in-law. She takes a lot of pictures but doesn't know a lot about photography. This was a great for her b/c it didn't require much knowledge to operate and plus it was lightweight. She loved it! It really gets the job done and it has a powerful flash output.
- Was this a gift?:
- Yes
Pros
- Consistent Output
- Easy To Use
- Fast Recycling
- Lightweight
- Powerful Output
Cons
Best Uses
- Fill Flash
- General Use
- Night Photography
Comments about Nikon SB-400 Speedlight i-TTL Shoe Mount Flash:
Well built, lightweight and works flawlessly with my D90. Exactly what I would expect from Nikon. Very happy with this flash.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy To Use
- Lightweight
- Powerful Output
- Versatile
Cons
Best Uses
- General Use
- Portraits
Comments about Nikon SB-400 Speedlight i-TTL Shoe Mount Flash:
Product was shipped very quickly and I received confirmation and shipping information along the way.
- Was this a gift?:
- Yes
Pros
- Fast Recycling
- Lightweight
Cons
- none
Best Uses
- General Use
- Portraits
Comments about Nikon SB-400 Speedlight i-TTL Shoe Mount Flash:
I purchased D5000 from B&H Photo a year ago and now trying to learn more about photography. Since everyone recommends an external flash for better pictures even under a decent light condition i decided to purchase one but didn't want to spend a lot of $$$ (not just yet). SB-400 turned out to be a good decision as it's quick, sufficient and inexpensive flash and works great with my Nikon camera.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Nikon SB-400 Speedlight i-TTL Shoe Mount Flash:
SB-400 is an excellent flash for any entry level photographer. It is simple to use and definitely a good addition if you are planning to do some portrait (flash) photography. However, if someone is planning to use it with Macro Extension Tube; then probably you should look for something like SB-700 or other AF Speedlight. Overall, it is great product and worth the price.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
- Fill Flash
Comments about Nikon SB-400 Speedlight i-TTL Shoe Mount Flash:
Nice flash; I also have a full sized one. The bounce is easy to set and it works great with the matching Stofen diffuser.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Consistent Output
- Durable
- Easy To Use
- Fast Recycling
- Lightweight
- Powerful Output
- Versatile
Cons
Best Uses
- General Use
- Portraits
Comments about Nikon SB-400 Speedlight i-TTL Shoe Mount Flash:
Getting the DSLR is just part of the battle. Getting an adjustable flash is the other part. Being a food blogger, having my dishes washed out by the attached flash or even an external one pointed right at the food is no good for selling my website. I have two Nikon's and both have this flash on them. It works amazingly well by bouncing the flash off the ceiling when I want to really bring out the color so my readers can almost taste the food on their screen. I couldn't count the number of times someone has told me they drooled at one of my creations. Check us out at www.GrillinFools.com and see examples for yourself. My photography skills are light years ahead of where they used to be with my old point and shoot and it has more to do with the flash than the camera. Just the other day, the developer would not release the pictures of our kids to my wife because she accused her of stealing them from a photographer's website so it's great for family photos as well.
- Was this a gift?:
- Yes
Pros
- Consistent Output
- Easy To Use
- Fast Recycling
- Lightweight
Cons
Best Uses
- Fill Flash
- General Use
- Night Photography
- Portraits
Comments about Nikon SB-400 Speedlight i-TTL Shoe Mount Flash:
Before getting this flash, I had purchased the Yongnuo YN-467 for Nikon, figuring I'd save a few bucks plus it had the ability to tilt vertically. Unfortunately that flash had numerous misfires to the point where I started losing out on good opportunities because of it.
So I decided to get this one after borrowing a friend's for an hour. Pro's are:
Reliable: - not a single misfire yet.
Battery life: - Quite decent on two AA batteries.
Great for indoor use: Although not as powerful as other higher models, I believe this flash is all the casual (aka non-studio) photographer would need most of the time for indoor shots of kids, family and things.
Small: This is small and easy to carry around to parties, occasions etc and it does the job. This to me is SO worth it.
Cons: No vertical tilt. Not enough power for studio shots or huge halls.
As long as you're not using it for studio shots, all in all worth the money in my opinion. Another good Nikon product :)
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Consistent Output
- Easy To Use
- Lightweight
Cons
Best Uses
- Fill Flash
- General Use
- Night Photography
- Portraits
Comments about Nikon SB-400 Speedlight i-TTL Shoe Mount Flash:
Sure, the SB-400 has its limitations. I won't go into those (other reviewers have done so quite well). My five-star rating and comments are based upon the actual needs of serious hobbyists such as myself. I keep the featherweight SB-400 atop my D3100 whenever I anticipate needing supplemental lighting, usually with the head tilted up to either 60 or 75 degrees...to eliminate "red eye". It works great. When I don't need it at all, the compact SB-400 stows easily in its 2 x 2 x 4 inch padded case which doesn't take much space in my gadget bag. For my needs, it's the perfect flash unit.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Durable
- Easy To Use
- Lightweight
- Versatile
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Nikon SB-400 Speedlight i-TTL Shoe Mount Flash:
Everything you need in a small and lightweight flash. Uses easy to find AA batteries. This flash is one more reason that I am a fan of Nikon gear. I almost feel that Nikon doesn't realize what a little gem they have in the SB-400, as far as pricing. Pure value in a capable and very portable package. You will NOT have the slightest tinge of buyers remorse, - you'll see!
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Nikon SB-400 Speedlight i-TTL Shoe Mount Flash:
Can't rate the product yet, as I got it for someone else as a gift, but the shipping and ease of ordering from B&H was perfect and they had the best prices
- Was this a gift?:
- Yes
Pros
- Consistent Output
- Durable
- Easy To Use
- Fast Recycling
- Lightweight
- Powerful Output
Cons
- none
Best Uses
- General Use
Comments about Nikon SB-400 Speedlight i-TTL Shoe Mount Flash:
Bottom line, it's great improvement over the built-in flash. It does go through batteries quickly, but since I started using hi-capacity rechargeable ones, I am just blown by the performance of this flash. For my amateur/hobby shooting - it's exactly what I needed.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
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Batteries & Power
Required item:
- Price: $1.50
- Price: $13.99
Flash Diffusers
- Price: $10.95
Reflectors
- Price: $39.95
Brackets
- Price: $34.98
Sync Cords & Flash Remotes
- Price: $49.95
- Price: $14.99
Flash Pouch
- Price: $29.95
Flash Accessories
- Price: $19.95
What's in the Box
- Soft Case SS-400
- 1-Year B&H Store Warranty
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