Name: Nikon SB-500 i-TTL AF Shoe Mount Speedlight
Brand: Nikon
SKU: NKSB500U
Price: 246.95 USD
Availability: Discontinued
Rating: 4.7 (47 reviews)

Nikon SB-500 i-TTL AF Shoe Mount Speedlight

Nikon SB-500

Nikon

Adorama

Photography

Lighting & Studio

Flashes & On-Camera Lighting

On Camera Flashes

Nikon On Camera Flashes

Nikon SB-500 

Top Rated Gear: Nikon SB-500 i-TTL AF Shoe Mount Speedlight Buy now & save $3. Flash Type: Shoe Mount Flash, Guide Number: 79, Power Source: AA Batteries, TTL: TTL Flashes

The Nikon SB-500 i-TTL AF Shoe Mount Speedlight provides users with a portable unit compatible with Nikon's i-TTL metering. The flash has a good power rating with a guide number of 79' at ISO 100 and offers coverage for a 24mm lens with full frame cameras. Also, the 100 lux LED light has three output levels- quarter, half or full power- which is beneficial for both video and close up still photography. Versatility is important in this unit with the ability to tilt upward 90deg. and rotate left and right 180deg. for excellent bounce and swivel capabilities. The flash will also function wirelessly as either a commander unit or a remote slave for full compatibility with cameras, other flash units and wireless flash controllers in Nikon's Creative Lighting System. The SB-500 will also transmit LED and flash color information to the camera for setting an optimal white balance and runs on 2 AA batteries, which provide a recycle time of 3.5-30 seconds. Included with the camera are a soft case and stand.  Simple operation, advanced performance  The SB-500 AF Speedlight has simple controls just a few buttons and it operates on two AA batteries; yet, it offers the performance of an advanced Speedlight. Its powerful and has wide coverage with a guide number of 24/78.7 (ISO 100, m/ft) with 24mm coverage in FX-format and 16mm coverage in DX-format. Its head rotates 180deg. left and right and tilts 90deg. upward allowing you to bounce light off nearby surfaces to soften the light and shadows, creating more flattering portraits. If your camera has a Commander Mode, it can even be used wirelessly off-camera along with your camera's built-in flash for greater illumination power from interesting angles.  Brighten up your HD video  The SB-500 AF Speedlight is also a versatile video light especially well suited for recording interviews up close. It has a built-in high-intensity LED light (approx. 100 lux) that provides steady, uniform daylight-balanced illumination. It can be used at three output levels quarter, half or full power making it practical for low-light video shooting and close up still photography. And when used with the D810 or D750, the SB-500 AF Speedlight communicates LED color information (along with that of the flash) to the camera for optimal white balance.  Power, ease and versatility  Nikon's i-TTL technology (intelligent Through-The-Lens) tailors the characteristics of the flash to each shot you take, so you get optimal results every time. With that intelligence and more illumination power than a camera's pop-up flash, the SB-500 AF Speedlight is excellent as a fill-light outdoors (brightening shadowy areas on your subject) or for soft bounce lighting indoors. Use it off-camera wirelessly as a second flash controlled by either your camera's built-in flash (if your camera has a Commander Mode), another Speedlight or the SU-800 Wireless Speedlight Commander. If you are using D810 or D750 in Commander Mode, the SB-500 AF Speedlight will also work as a master flash in Advanced Wireless Lighting.

Simple and easy, sync's perfectly with my Nikon Z50.

SB-500 Flash

great product

It was exactly what I was looking for per recommendation from KEN ROCKWELL

Works perfect with my nikon b500. Definitely recommend since it works great for a decent price.

Perfect

Really great flash for Nikon camera

Like the size, it will be good for travel!

Travel speed light flash

The flash seems to be fine (have only used it briefly).
The flash accessories were considerably larger, in respect to size of the flash, than is shown on the photograph.  While this may ultimately be fine,  I initially opened them while getting ready for vacation and really was not prepared to make as much space for them as neede - less than convenient.

SB-500 speed light flash with Magmod startup flash kit

My light arrived promptly and in perfect condition.  It works very well with both my Nikon's.  I love the little bag that it comes with for storage.

a great Speedlight for when you need one. a nice feature about this speedlight is that it does not need to be connected to the camera for when you want to use it. it comes in use for if i need additional lighting or fix lighting conditions during a zoom meeting.

useful for fixing light conditions during a zoom meeting.

This SB-500 is small and light but powerful enough for most purposes. A nice addition to my SB-600, and I use the SB-500 when travelling, to lighten my bag and make it more comfortable for all day carrying.

Compact, light weight flash

It's pretty good, still want to pair with a second one a secret to me, yet hopefully hanging on!??

Optimistic.

Perfect size flash.

Works great on my Nikon D40X, D5200, D7100, & D500. I use it as a daylight fill light. The variable output LED light is handy for me in darker situations when I do video. I recommend this to anyone with a Nikon camera, well worth the money if you use flash frequently.

Great speedlight

Attached to an 8-frames-per-second D2Xs, set to TTL, my SB-500 can produce 35 fully-exposed images in five seconds continous shooting. Remarkable! This test is quite informal, however it serves to show how well this amazing speedlight performs.

Lightweight, easily portable, simple to operate, Nikon's SB-500 is an awesome value for the money. Just insert two rechargeable (highly recommended) AAs and you're very good to go!

Fast Flash Shoots Five Frames Per Second!

Attached to an 8-frames-per-second D2Xs, set to TTL, my SB-500 can produce 35 fully-exposed images in five seconds continous shooting. Remarkable! This test was quite informal, however it served to show how well this amazing speedlight performs.

Lightweight, easily portable, simple to operate, Nikon's SB-500 is an awesome value for the money. Just insert two rechargeable AAs and you're very good to go!

Magnificent Burst Rate - Five frames per second!!

If the built in flash or the SB-400 is not enough, then this is your next step.

NEXT STEP UP FROM THE SB-400

It's great as a step up from your default flash on your camera. It's light and quick, which makes it great for everyday carry. I recommend it if you need a little more than just your default flash.

Awesome!

I recently bought one to replace an old SB-400 to use on a Nikon D7100.  This is a definite improvement over the earlier model with its much faster recharge time between flashes, and its two-way rotating head to redirect your lighting. Still light and small enough of a profile to not feel cumbersome or clunky on my camera.  The controls on it are a snap to learn.  I've used the last three weekends to photograph exhibits to individual flowers at three orchid shows.  Images turned out fine.  I haven't used the LED settings so cannot comment.  Highly recommend.

Nifty compact flash!

Handy little flash to have.  I use it for indoor head shots at work for new team members.

Great Flash

Very responsive.  Beats having a pop up flash.

I bought this flash as a trial and learning model for my D7000. It came very well wrapped and padded inside two boxes. It works great on and off camera. It took some time to figure out how to use this flash off-camera by watching various youtube videos and several trial and error settings attempts, but I finally got the right combination of camera and flash settings... CSM e3 / CMD / Built-in flash Mode --, Comp 1/128, and Channel to 3. Flash is set to CH.3 setting. I then experimented with it (nothing scientific) at various distances and it seemed to work very well. All told, it appears that this model will work very well for my needs, and I will probably add a few more units to my collection.

Great 1st flash purchase...SB-500 AF Speedlight (Refurbished)

Have owned several flash units and bought this when I changed camera brands. Finally, the flash results I've been trying for! Easy to use, performs well.

Flash At Last

The Nikon SB-500 is a good small flash at close range, as advertised. The light can be diffused and create very pleasing portraits. The LED light is also acceptable at close range, comes in handy for talking head video and product shots.
Easy to learn, a lot of the control is in the camera menus .

Perform very well up to standard statement

Perfect size for travel and use of two AA batteries makes it universal. Versatile and plenty of power. Off-camera control via CLS is a breeze -- albeit only channel 3 (strange - the SB-600 initally defaults to channel 3 also). I am sad it can not be used as a commander -- except on D750 and D810. The only other compliant is lack of a diffuser -- be nice if it covered 16mm in FX format. But for a simple tool that I can always drop in my travel kit I can't see that there is a better alternative.

Little powerhouse

The SB-500 is a great addition to my D7100. While it doesn't have the power of the larger Speedlights it's more than adequate for casual use. Its size allows me to carry it in my smaller bag, so I always have it with me.

Good Value

El sb 500 tiene buenas prestaciones. Como ser compatible con cls, alta velocidad, remoto, manual, ttl. PERO. Lo compre para tener un LED que me ayudara a enfocar en.situaciones de. Poca luz y disparar aL mismo tiempo. Me decepcionó ya que.solo.sirve como lámpara o Flash. Nunca especifican este dato tan importante.

sb500 flash o lampara

Bought this primarily for it's compact size. It's light enough to leave on my D7200 anytime I think I might need a flash. Nice to have a good flash for fill. A great unit for walking around photography. Much better than the built in flash but not too heavy or bulky to keep on the camera most of the time.

Great light weight flash

It is a compact but very capable flash. Easy to use. Reliable like other Nikon speed light. The LED is a plus.  It will be the one I bring around a lot.

Great compact flash

This is my first speedlight so I dont have much experience to compare it to but so far so good!
I got this flash because it was new on the market, cheap and supports the iTTL tech that my D3300 has. Comes with a table stand to mount flash on but my camera doesnt have built in remote flash.
Settings button/switch is a bit awkward to use.
Adorama included batteries and a diffuser.

First flash

If you don't want to spend over $500 for the top notch one, this one is half the price and does a "good" job. Not as many options as the 910 but good for mid level users. I'm happy with it. I have the D600 and use the pop-up flash in commander mode to fire the sb500 off camera.

Nikon SB-500 i-TTL AF Shoe Mount Speedlight

Recommended Alternatives

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Nikon SB-700 TTL Shoe Mount Speedlight Flash, USA