With a rated guide number of 92' at ISO 100 and 35mm, the SB-700 AF Speedlight from Nikon is a moderately compact flash unit packed with features for high-performance on-camera lighting capabilities. The flash is compatible with the i-TTL system for automatic metering with both FX- and DX-format cameras and is optimized for use with Nikon's Creative Lighting System for complete control over your lighting setup. Additionally, the auto zoom head has a coverage range of 24-120mm with FX-format cameras which can be extended down to 12mm with the use of the built-in wide-angle diffusion panel.
Complete bounce and swivel functionality is available for working in a variety of shooting situations. This allows users to tilt down to -7° and up to 90° as well as rotate left or right 180° for complete 360° coverage. Also, the SB-700 has three different illumination patterns, standard, even, and center-weighted, which help shape the light output for your specific needs.
For wireless master TTL functionality, the Speedlight utilizes a Commander Mode. In this mode users can access Advanced Wireless Lighting settings for controlling multiple off-camera flashes that can be set up in two groups (A, B) and one of four channels. The SB-700 also has a quick wireless control A:B ratio setting for quickly setting up and controlling multiple remote flashes.
Flash Design and Output
Guide number at the 35mm zoom position measures 92' at ISO 100 and 128' at ISO 200
Manual power output from 1/1 full power to 1/128 power
Powered by four AA batteries, typical recycle times are 2.5-3.5 seconds at full power.
Light distribution angle is automatically adjustable to the camera's image area in both FX and DX formats
Auto zoom head reaches from 24-120mm with FX format and 14-120mm with DX format and can be widened to 12-17mm in FX and 8-11mm in DX when using built-in wide-angle diffusion panel
Thermal cut-out protection shuts off the flash to prevent damage from overheating
Flash exposure compensation from -3 to +3 EV in 1/3 EV steps
Stroboscopic, slow sync, Auto FP high-speed sync, and first- and second-curtain sync modes are available for creative control.
Backlit LCD panel with nine selectable contrast levels and a rotating dial assist in viewing flash status and changing settings
Flash duration of 1/1,042 to 1/40,000 second depending on output setting
AF-assist light, modeling illuminator, monitor pre-flashes, and test firing settings
Automatic color filter detection for adjusting the camera's color temperature settings and an optional color filter pack is available
Firmware can be updated through camera
Commander Function
Yes
Remote Function
Yes
Transmission Mode
Radio control and optical communication
Transmission Range
Radio control approx. 98 ft. (30m), optical communication - line of sight
Guide Number
34.5 m/113 ft. (at 35 mm) 55 m/180 ft. (at 200 mm) (FX format, standard illumination pattern) (at ISO 100)
Electronic Construction
Automatic Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) and series circuitry
Flash Exposure Control
i-TTL Balanced Fill-Flash with CLS compatible cameras
Lens Coverage
24 to 200mm lens, 14mm with wide panel (in FX format)
Illumination pattern
The light distribution angle is automatically adjusted to the camera's image area in both FX and DX formats Standard Even Center-weighted
Other Available Functions
Test Firing Monitor Pre-flashes AF-assist illumination for multi-point AF Modeling illuminator
Bounce Function (Tilt)
Flash head tilts down to -7° or up to 90° with click-stops at -7°, 0°, 45°, 60°, 75°, 90°
Bounce Function (Rotate)
Flash head rotates horizontally 180° to the left and right with click-stops at 0°, 30°, 60°, 75°, 90°, 120°, 150°, 180°
Minimum Recycling Time
1.8 sec. (approx.) with Ni-MH (2600 mAh) batteries 2.6 sec. (approx.) with AA-size Alkaline (1.5V) batteries
Flash Duration
1/980 sec. at M 1/1 (full) output 1/1,110 sec. at M 1/2 output 1/2,580 sec. at M 1/4 output 1/5,160 sec. at M 1/8 output 1/8,890 sec. at M 1/16 output 1/13,470 sec. at M 1/32 output 1/18,820 sec. at M 1/64 output 1/24,250 sec. at M 1/128 output 1/30,820 sec.at M 1/256 output
Required Power Source
Four 1.5 V alkaline AA-size batteries
Optional Power Supply
SK-6 Power Bracket Unit, SD-9 High-Performance Battery Pack
Flash-ready Indicator
Rear and Front lights blink: Insufficient light for correct exposure (in i-TTL, Auto Aperture flash, Non-TTL Auto flash, or Distance-priority manual flash operations). Rear lights up and Front blinks: recycled and ready to fire.
Ready Light
Front Back
Flash Compensation
–3.0 EV to +3.0 EV in increments of 1/3 steps in i-TTL auto flash, Auto Aperture flash, Non-TTL auto flash and Distance-priority manual flash modes
Custom Setting
AF-Assist Illumination
Minimum Number of Flashes / Recycling Time
150/2.6-30 sec. (1.5V AA Alkaline-manganese) 190/1.8-30 sec or more (1.2V AA rechargeable Ni-MH batteries)
Wireless Flash Modes
Primary Secondary
Wireless Groups
Radio controlled: Primary + 6 groups Optically controlled: Primary + 3 groups
