Customer Reviews
Nikon SB-400 Versatile and handy 
2008-06-09
This little flash is extremely simple to operate - it has an on/off switch and a bounce flash head. Angle it up to use the ceiling as a reflector or build a small diffuser or reflector with a sheet of paper. Results are extremely good and consistent, but the real news is how tiny it is for its output, and how many flashes you get from a set of batteries. Comes with a its own little case and takes up no space in your camera bag and weighs nothing. Nikon got it right on this one. Highly recommended.
Great size. 2008-06-07
I bought this for my Nikon D80 and it goes along really nice. Not as big as the bulky SB-600 or 800. Its a great carry around flash for leisure shooting. If your wrking a wedding or something I would go for the upper models but if your just starting out and dont need the big guns then this is for you.
Hard to Beat 2008-05-24
Nikon SB-400 AF Speedlight for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras... The Nikon SB-400 flash handles 95 percent of what I want a flash for on a D40x. I have even had good results in large rooms. An off camera cord will come in very handy if you like to bounce and control your shadows.
It has a very low profile, even smaller than the old SB-23 which didn't have the bounce capability. Outdoor fill flash is excellent. I doubt you will be dissapointed with this flash unless you are trying to use it in multiple flash arrays, even then I can see some possibilites... If you need a small flash with bounce capability get this one. If you want full control get an off camera extension cord then you can put the light wherever you want.
Good companion for my d40 
2008-05-17
Small and still powerful.Saves camara's battery power and with rechargeable batteries i can take more photos
Nice little flash 2008-05-08
Nice little flash. Makes the lighting looks much more natural.I use the bounce flash up to the ceiling. I got this flah simply because I dont want the extra weight on my D60 Nikon.
The only flash I need! 2008-06-29
I bought the Nikon SB 800 flash for my Nikon D50 after the built in flash stopped working. I quickly realized that it was a wonderful flash, and very powerful, but much too large. I started shopping around for other options, and bought the SB 400 not long after. It is less than half the size of the 800, but just as powerful as far as the flash goes. There are more features and gizmos on the 800, but I found that I never used those anyway. I just wanted a flash that would work! And this does that and still has perks:
-The tilt-up head of the flash is wonderful. You can aim the flash at different angles so that you arent hitting the subject head on. This reduces red eye and harsh shadows.
-It mounts easily and securely, and lights up a whole room without being heavy and in the way.
-It is very quick, you hardly have to wait at all for the flash to recharge after shooting. I rarely even notice a lag.
I would reccomend this flash to anyone!
SB400 Flash review 2008-06-28
I just received the SB400 and used it for a family wedding. I discovered the two AA battery power source did not last very long and locked up my D80. I removed the SB400 and the camera work fine. The speedlite was a significant improvement over the on board flash for a large gathering and I was please with the overall performance.
Works great and is wonderfully small 2008-06-28
I use the SB-400 with a D40, and it is great. It works exactly the way I need it to - automatically. In general I prefer natural light photography, but when I do use flash for indoor portraits, this unit suits me perfectly. The front tilts for bounce flashing off the ceiling, which is how I use flash 90% of the time. The nice thing is that ONLY the front tilts, not the whole unit, so everything stays wonderfully small and compact. Yeah, you can get a bigger, more powerful sb-600 or 800, but those things are huge. Especially when tilted up for bounce flash. If you need more control and extra options and power, then go with the bigger more expensive flashes, but for most D40 users - this flash fits perfectly. And it's pretty reasonably priced as well.
One thing, pick up some rechargeable batteries as well. Any flash will eat power quickly. I use Sanyo Eneloops and they are amazing - they last a lot longer in between charges than standard alkalines.
In conclusion, if you have a Nikon D40, get this external flash. Your indoor pictures (especially portraits) will be 100% better than if you use the on-camera flash. And once you discover bounce-flash, you'll always avoid having to use standard straight-on flash again.
SB-400: Who could ask for anything more? 2008-06-23
This little guy is fantastic! I used it to shoot a wedding recently, and was very pleased with the performance, especially when coupled with a flash bracket. This is now my "carry" flash.
If you are shooting an event with this guy, make sure to have plenty of spare AA batteries! The response time starts to lag (expectedly) as the batteries warm up and lose charge, so keep spares where you can get to them and not miss the action.
SB-400 AF 2008-06-09
I am most definetly an amateur photographer, but realized that for some of my indoor shots, the flash on my D40x was not enough to gain the effect I wanted. I don't do photo shoots, I just take pictures of my nieces, nephews, grandchild, etc. The recent photos I took at an indoor church wedding were perfectly lit.
