Nikon's Speedlight SB-500 is a compact flash unit with a conventional flash and a variable-power 5400K LED light for video.
Most of us know the action-stopping power of a good flash unit, but as video capture becomes a more common feature on DSLR cameras, there is also the occasional need for constant illumination. To address this, Nikon has released the Speedlight SB-500, a compact flash unit that features both a conventional flash but also a variable-power 5400K LED light.
Despite its compact size (the unit weighs just 273g), the flash head can articulate upwards 90º upwards and 180º left and right, meaning the flash can be bounced in all the directions that the larger Speedlights will operate. The two AA batteries are sufficient for a guide number of 24 (metres/100 ISO) at 24mm coverage (FX). The Nikon SB-500 is compatible in TTL mode with most Nikon FX and DX format cameras and it can also be used with the commander mode on the new Nikon D750 and D810 cameras.
