9 Flashy, Not-So-Little Features of the Nikon SB-N5 Flash

When Nikon entered the mirrorless, interchangeable lens market during 2011 with the 1 V1 camera, the company designed and built the V1 with a hotshoe connector. Now, V1 camera users have an excellent flash unit to attach to it with the Nikon SB-N5 Flash.

Read real customer reviews of the Nikon SB-N5 Flash here.

At just 2.5 oz. (70g) and 2” x 2.8” x 1.6” (50mm x 70.5mm x 40.5mm), the SB-N5’s compact size shouldn’t fool anyone into thinking it isn’t a serious light source; it is. Nikon could make it that size because the flash unit requires no batteries. The V1 camera provides all the power.

The first indication of the SB-N5’s performance capabilities is its considerable illumination range of 2 to 66 feet (0.6 to 20m). Third-party tests revealed that it lit a large, dark room very well, with very little light falloff at the edges of the frame.

The Nikon SB-N5 Flash for the V1 camera is also more versatile than might have been expected. The head rotates vertically from a position parallel to the ground to incremental stops at 60, 5 and 90 degrees. The head also turns a full 180 degrees to the left or right on the horizontal axis, at 30, 60, 75, 90, 120, 150 and 180 degrees. With all these bounce-flash angles, it is no wonder third-party tests found that people pictures illuminated with a bounce off the ceiling were very pleasing and produced excellent color tones.

Nikon also proved it wanted to give its V1 camera customers more than a standard flash unit when the company equipped it with a LED light on the front of the body. Select either the Motion Snapshot or Smart Photo Selector modes when shooting in dim light and the LED light automatically illuminates approximately 3 feet (1m) in front of the camera for six seconds, becoming a continuous light source.

The Nikon SB-N5 Flash is also i-TTL (through-the-lens) compatible and can be operated as a manual unit. You can also select from a series of light intensity settings: full power, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/16 or 1/32.

External controls of the SB-N5 Flash are easy and convenient, with just an on/off switch and another to release it from the hotshoe.

A flash-ready light is illuminated when the flash has recycled for the next shot; and it displays a blink warning light to avoid taking pictures of subjects with closed eyes.

If you’re committed to pursuing your interest in digital photography with the Nikon 1 V1 mirrorless camera, then the Nikon SB-N5 is the flash unit to help you capture great pictures of family, friends, travel and all the events of your life. B&H Photo Video has the Nikon SB-N5 Flash for only $146.05 at http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?Ntt=Nikon+SB-N5+flash&N=0&InitialSearch=yes.

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