# sb600 being discontinued?



## Micah (Mar 16, 2009)

My wife is buying me a sb600 for my birthday, and I was wanting to buy local but my local shop, Columbia Photo and Video has been out of stock for a while. I called them today to ask if they had any in and the guy said something about the sb600 possibly being discontinued. I havent had much luck with this store, but he promised me a good price (199.00) a month ago when I talked to him. Should I just blow him off and buy from B&H like I usually do, or is there something new coming out that I need to consider?


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## Corbin Lane (Mar 16, 2009)

Nice to see a fellow Missourian

Nikon SB600 Discontinued??? | Life sUKs : Radical Living

It's not official but it might shed some light into the situation. I'd wait for an official statement before I made a decision unless you need that flash now and if you do then I'd just buy it.


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## Micah (Mar 16, 2009)

I might as well live in Columbia. I work there. If you've seen them, I'm one of the guys who drives the plumbing vans with the picture on the drivers door to make it look like I'm on the crapper.I freaking hate it, but its a good company to work for. Thanks for the link. I think I agree with Del. I want my sb600 so I guess I'll buy online. Looks like they're hard to find.


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## bjorkfiend (Mar 16, 2009)

...


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## bhop (Mar 17, 2009)

You probably can't find one because everyone that would've bought the sb-800 doesn't want to pay 500 bucks for the sb-900 and is buying the sb-600 instead..


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## Corbin Lane (Mar 17, 2009)

Micah said:


> I might as well live in Columbia. I work there. If you've seen them, I'm one of the guys who drives the plumbing vans with the picture on the drivers door to make it look like I'm on the crapper.I freaking hate it, but its a good company to work for. Thanks for the link. I think I agree with Del. I want my sb600 so I guess I'll buy online. Looks like they're hard to find.


Yepp, I see that all the time.


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## JerryPH (Mar 17, 2009)

I called a contact at Nikon and was told that the SB-600 will be discontinued, just not before 2010 at the earliest. There is no SB-600 replacement and I was also told that sales for the Sb-900 were *terrible*... so they are definitely not going to stop making a flash that is being sold off the shelves faster than they can make them.

This is just a supply and demand thing, nothing more.


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## Joves (Mar 17, 2009)

Yeah that sounds more reasonable. And at $500 I dont doubt the 900 sales are sluggish.


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## AlexColeman (Mar 17, 2009)

Yeah, no.

What would they replace it with?

They might discontinue the 800, but not the 600. For a while.


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## Mitch1640 (Mar 17, 2009)

i thought the sb800s have already been discontinued? i cant find them anywhere.


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## JerryPH (Mar 18, 2009)

Yeah, they're gone for several months now. Sad, because the 800 was stronger than even the 900. If I could find 2-4 more used 800's in good condition and a fair price, I would jump on them soooooo fast. As it is, I will likely pickup 2 more SB-600s and then one 1000+ W/s monolight for some strong daylight strobing.


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## SrBiscuit (Mar 18, 2009)

Corbin Lane said:


> It's not official but it might shed some light into the situation.


 
ba-DUM-bum.




sry...the term "shedding light" in a flash thread got me. my bad.


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## shivaswrath (Mar 18, 2009)

and to think that the sb-600's were $177 NEW last year this time. . .sigh. . .how time changes things!


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## JerryPH (Mar 18, 2009)

They were $172US DELIVERED this year last time... I picked up 2 for that price.  Between that and the 30-35% increase thanks to a weak Canadian dollar... disgusting.


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## cashcoach (Mar 23, 2009)

I have a couple of those sb-600's and I love em.  They have always been very reliable even living in the shadows of it's bigger more powerful brother the sb-800.


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## JerryPH (Mar 24, 2009)

cashcoach said:


> I have a couple of those sb-600's and I love em. They have always been very reliable even living in the shadows of it's bigger more powerful brother the sb-800.


 
The SB-800s are the ones to have, though.
- stronger
- longer lasting
- faster recycling
- greater adjustability
- integrated sync port
- better slave mode

That said I have 2 SB-600s and am also very satisfied with them and have 2 more on the "to get" list.


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## manaheim (Mar 24, 2009)

ooo... glad I got my Sb800 before they went poof. I didn't like the SB900s much. Woot.

I'll be curious to see what they come out with the replace the sb600.  That thing is a real workhorse and the cycle times are fantastic.  Plus, I occasionally find the SB800 is a bit overpowering... I usually prefer to use the SB600 to take pictures of people in intimate settings.   That being said, I don't have nearly as much experience with my 8 as my 6, so this might be just an issue of needing more practice.


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## stsinner (Mar 24, 2009)

I ordered my SB600 on Amazon, and after two weeks went by with no delivery, I went online to check the status and BACKORDERED!!!!

I canceled my order and searched and searched until I found one in stock..  I love it!  Half the price of the 800, and it does everything I need it to do..  Won't do off-camera flash, but I have optical strobes for that..


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## manaheim (Mar 24, 2009)

stsinner said:


> I ordered my SB600 on Amazon, and after two weeks went by with no delivery, I went online to check the status and BACKORDERED!!!!
> 
> I canceled my order and searched and searched until I found one in stock.. I love it! Half the price of the 800, and it does everything I need it to do.. Won't do off-camera flash, but I have optical strobes for that..


 
It'll do off-camera flash if you have a Nikon cam with commander mode OR if you hook up some accessories to it.  Talk to Jerry about it.  He is da' mastah strobist. :thumbup:


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## tkaat (Mar 27, 2009)

if you want to buy one - i'm just saying- Ritz seems to still have some in stock


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## ANDS! (Mar 27, 2009)

> Won't do off-camera flash



Of course it will.  The only Speedlight that can not be fired wirelessly is the SB400.  If, however, your camera doesn't have a Commander mode, then ya - you are outta luck (unless you get an SB800 which can act as a Commander).


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## sabbath999 (Mar 27, 2009)

Missouri love fest going on... we should all get together sometime.


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## JerryPH (Mar 28, 2009)

I've been through Missouri many times and it truly is a beautiful place.  You people have some amazing places to capture some incredible photography.


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## JerryPH (Mar 28, 2009)

manaheim said:


> It'll do off-camera flash if you have a Nikon cam with commander mode OR if you hook up some accessories to it. Talk to Jerry about it. He is da' mastah strobist. :thumbup:


 
ROFL! Never considered myself da mastah of anything but myself (and certainly nothing more than an afficiado of photography), but thanks Chris!

A couple of possibly helpful links:

The Jerry Blog!: Nikon CLS play time!

The Jerry Blog!: Specific settings for various CLS Configurations


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## EhJsNe (Mar 28, 2009)

hmm....thank god its not before 2010. I love the Sb-600. I hope I can get the money for my camera soon so I can buy one. (I just might buy one before they stop  making them...even without a camera that can use it....stupid FM10 doesnt have a dedicated hot shoe....*grumble grumble*)


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## TXAvi8tor (Apr 1, 2009)

shivaswrath said:


> and to think that the sb-600's were $177 NEW last year this time. . .sigh. . .how time changes things!



Stumbled across one NIB at $169 during Circuit City's shutdown.  Early February, while their prices were still high.  It was the last one in-store, so I didn't wait - and I'm glad!  Didn't realize what a good deal it was 'til I started checking on-line. 

Wish they would have had more...


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