Non-TTL Speedlights - Nikon

The Nikon SB-24, SB-25, and SB-26 Speedlights.

The closing of  Keeble and Shuchat last year was a blow to photographers on the San Francisco Peninsula. The true, full service stores like Kaufmann's, Brooks', and Gasser's are long gone, victims as much of the digital camera as the rush-rush mentality of today's users. Gone are the days when a dealer and a customer considered themselves friends, and would think nothing of debating the relative merits of one piece of equipment over another.

What I miss most is the assortment of used cameras, lenses, and yes, speedlights that were offered for sale. I appreciated the fact that K & S was very customer friendly when it came to purchasing used equipment. You were given a reasonable amount of time to test your purchase, and if returned within that grace period, you got a full refund.

SB 24 with a Wein Peanut Slave Mounted. Click here. for details.

Why Even Consider These Legacy Speedlights? Cost. It will take you $327 (MSRP) to secure a new SB-700, the entry level iTTL speedlight. (Forget about the SB-400 - It's basically useless). If price is an issue, a used, very serviceable but minimally featured, Nikon SB-24 can be had for a relative song. I purchased a pair of serviceable SB-24s for $50.00 a few years back. And while the price has gone up, reasonably priced specimens can be found on E-Bay.

The Nikon SB-26 - See it? Buy it!

Swiveling Head: Even though the listed Nikons have a head rotation of 180 degrees left / 90 degrees right, it sure beats the 0 degrees left / 0 degrees right of the Vivitar. One could purchase a special Vivitar anatomical flash handle/grip with a swiveling flash shoe, but you'll need a special adapter cable if you want the sensor to continue looking straight ahead.

Beam Angle Adjustment: The Nikon speedlights listed can adjust the flash beam angle automatically (adjusts automatically to match compatible Nikon lenses) or in a manual mode. . 

Build Quality: Put this into perspective: When the Nikon SB-24 was introduced, it cost nearly three times as much as the Vivitar 285. Granted, the Nikons were far more sophisticated in design and execution, but to Vivitar's credit, the 283 and the 285  units were similar in functionality, although not necessarily in sophistication or convenience. If you can find an original Ponder and Best unit, a Nikon user might find it perfectly usable, so long as we understand its limitations.

Supplementary Battery Packs:  Chinese knock-offs of the Nikon supplementary battery pack are available, cheap, and use AA batteries.The packs themselves are backwards compatible: The SD-8a, the designed to work with the SB-28 and newer units, will work on all of the listed speedlights, and will work with the SB-80DX, SB-800, and the SB-900/910. The original SD-8, compatible with the SB-24, SB-25, and SB-26, cannot be used with the SB-28 or anything later.

The Family Lineage: Holding the SB-24, 25, and 26 show a distinct family resemblance.

• All three share the same flash foot configuration, and left-right sliding power switch.
• When the wide angle panel and bounce flash panel were added to the SB-25, the head design was duplicated in the SB-26. This gives you an additional "wider than wide" setting*.
• The three share a similar control  button punch-out placements, but are identical in the SB-25 and 26. 
• All three have separate rotation and tilt lock buttons.
• All have PC (Pin Connector, not Personal Computer) flash interfaces. 

Model	Flash Angle	Output Levels	Button Type	Stofen Dome #	Bounce Fill Card	SU-Remote
SB-24	24-85mm	Full – 1/16	Raised Soft	OM-C	No	No
SB-25	24-85mm + 20*	Full – 1/64	Recessed Soft	OM-C	Yes	No
SB-26	24-85mm + 20*	Full – 1/64	Recessed Soft	OM-C	Yes	Yes

Non-TTL Automation: Seven F-stops are available. They are adjusted based on the ISO setting. Intermediate ISO settings are similarly scaled.
When using ISO 200, the F-Stops range from to 2.8 through 22
When using ISO 800, the F-Stops range from to 5.6 through 45

1. Turn the flash on.
2. Using the slider, set the flash to Aperture mode.
3. Press the [Select] until the ASA / ISO value begins to blink.
4. Use [arrow up] or [arrow down] until the desired ASA/ISO setting appears.
5. Press the [Select] until the current aperture value begins to blink.
6. Use [arrow up] or [arrow down] until the desired shooting aperture appears.
7. Press the select button to end.
8. Transfer the Aperture and ISO values to your camera manually.

Adjusting Output In The Manual Mode:

1. Turn the flash on.
2. Using the slider, set the flash to Manual mode.
3. Press the [M] and the output values will decrease in 1-stop increments. When you reach the lowest output value, the next press will advance you to Full power, or 1/1
4. If you need to adjust the output in 1/3 stop increments, press the [Sel] until on output level display appears in the upper right-hand corner of the LCD display.
5. Output can now be adjusted using the [up arrow] or [down arrow] buttons.

This trio of legacy speedlights are similar in appearance, handling and performance, and finding a reasonably price specimen is not as difficult as you might think. If you do manage to obtain one, click here for some tips on bringing an old speedlight "back to life" by reforming the capacitors.