Bower Autofocus Dedicated i-TTL Power Zoom for Nikon D2X/200/3X/40X/50/60/70/80/90/5000/5100/700/7000, Digital SLR Cameras (SFD926N)

Repeat of everything that has been said. It was a great first flash; I think I would have been very disappointed with the sb400 at the same price. Now I just need to pick up a cheap radio trigger transmitter/receiver so I can use it off-camera remotely. The optical slave capability is cool though. I bought it with the intention of using it strictly as a hot shoe mounted flash, but then realized how much there was to do using off camera lighting. The manual settngs will allow you to do this. Very satisfied, mostly because it will do everything I'd like and I can put my money towards other items.The only drawback to buying this 3rd party flash...is that's it's a 3rd party flash. When I had questions, it was very hard to find relevant answers on the Internet because it seems that 95% of people stuck to nikon brand flashes or others. Don't let that stop you.

I am what I consider a semi-pro photographer - I do it because I love it. Once in a while I get a paying gig...I purchased one of these units recently from Amazon to add to my Nikon CLS flash collection that I use with a SU800 flash controller. I purchased it for use in my modest little home studio that I do portrait work in, from time to time.These do the iTTL stuff great - but of course it doesn't adhere to the CLS stuff - but I flipped the "slave" switch and it just WORKS! Sure, you have to set the flash power manually - but for me, that isn't a big deal as I mounted it into one of those portable umbrella softboxes and leave it on max power or half power most of the time as the main flash.I use my expensive CLS controlled flashes for my more "accurate" lighting on softboxes and bounce umbrellas.I use it at 1/60 and 1/30 of a sec. all the time so far, so I can't comment on anything faster than that. I will say that the rebound time at half power is pretty darn good. It does NOT rebound near as fast as my Nikon flashes though, and I never expected them to.The ONLY thing I can think of that would make it better is a simple external power jack for a big honking battery belt pack. But for my modest uses, it has worked out a heck of a lot better than I thought.The only real complaint I have, is one that has been voiced by others, the battery door is a little flimsy and it "feels" like a cheap plastic flash...But after the last 600 shot shoot with only 1 battery change in the middle - I am MORE THAN SATISFIED! That run would have melted other flashes - and it HAS! Which is why I got this little jewel!I definitely got my moneys worth and then some...Mr P

I purchased this flash unit after reading most of the reviews here and online. The ones I should have paid more attention to were the ones warning against the poor quality control from the manufacturer. Excited to use the flash, I unboxed the it and proceeded to test it by firing a test flash, taking a few shots attached to the hot shoe, and in optical slave mode. The i-TTL function worked for maybe 5-6 flashes and then stopped. The flash would not fire again at that point. Everything appeared normal, except it would not flash. I inserted fresh batteries (alkaline) and still nothing. I reviewed the instructions and followed everything exactly. Frustrated because the instructions did not include any Customer Service contact information, but instead had language to "...contact your dealer." Amazon could not provide Tech Support, but was gracious to provide a replacement with two-day delivery. As soon as I received the replacement, I tried it out - fresh batteries, test flash, flash from hot shoe, change aperture to check i-TTL, off-camera optical slave, everything. Flash unit failed after the 5-6 flashes. I searched the Internet for similar complaints and contacted a major photography equipment store's Customer Service department to see if they encountered any customers who experienced anything like this. Since I did not purchase the unit from them they could not offer help, but they were kind enough to provide a phone number to Bower in NYC. I called and it was near the end of day and i was asked to call back when they got into the office at 9:00 a.m. EDT the next day. I called at 10:00 a.m. and the one person in Customer Service had not made it to the office. After two other calls I received a phone call after 12:30 p.m. EDT. There was no discussion to check any settings or try combination of buttons to reset the unit - nothing. The best I was offered was to return the flashes (I would have to pay shipping to their office) and they would check it out. Possibly waiting two weeks after they received it before I would know anything. After two failed flash units and having to research the Internet to find contact information for Bowers, I decided to return both flash units to Amazon and request a full refund. Amazon provided the return shipping labels for both (their cost) and a refund was issued within a day of the units reaching their facility.I would caution anyone looking at potentially purchasing the SFD926N flash unit. Pour through as many reviews as you can tolerate, but pay particular attention to the negative reviews. In this case, it would be beneficial to see if there are any common reviews that might suggest the likelihood of experiencing similar situations. The SFD926N has several great features and a good price point. However, I can't in good conscience recommend this flash. I would strongly suggest looking at other flash units.

Purchased this flash about a year and half ago. It did its job as expected, however it is now effectively a brick. Upon power up you can hear the flash trying to charge (sporadically) but it never completes. No indicator lights illuminate either. Tried to find some manufacturer warranty information but haven't turned up much. The website has a basic web form for Support contact. Will try this route with crossed fingers. 2 stars since it worked as expected... but given its longevity... well.

I recently purchased a Bower SFD926N. It seems to be a good product, but I'm still learning how it works. The unit did NOT come with a user guide (what Bower calls a user guide is really just an info sheet). If Bower had a real users guide I'd have more info for this review, but since I basically on my own in learning how to use it, all I can say is that it seems to be a good product. I just do know at this time.

For the money this is a great flash! I have a Nikon D5000, Cowboy Studio's super-inexpensive wireless flash trigger, and Neewer softbox. Great setup, everything works perfect together, and it didn't cost a million bucks! The flash is great, but the plastic is cheap, so you'll want to handle it with care (like all camera gear). The head swivels 180 degrees and tilts from 90 degrees to straight up. The flash puts out a lot of light! This is my first flash and I'm am very pleased with it!