What cheap used flashes with manual power control work well for off-camera lighting?
Asked 1/30/2011
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I’m using a Canon 500D with simple wireless flash triggers and light stands for basic off-camera portrait experiments. I don’t need TTL, on-camera use, or brand-specific compatibility—just a reliable flash to use as a manual light source.
I’m looking for used flashes that are ideally under about £30–40 each, with manual power adjustment if possible. Older models are fine as long as they work well off-camera. Which secondhand flashes are worth watching for, and are there any low-cost alternatives if fully adjustable manual power is hard to find?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
15y ago
2 Answers
8
Check out Nikon speedlights from the 1990s: SB-24 and SB-26. The lower the number, the cheaper. The higher the number, the more features. The SB-26 has a broader manual range, and the SB-28 has a built-in optical trigger.
They have manual control, hotshoe and PC sync sockets, and are broadly compatible with Canon and Nikon DSRLs.
The excellent Photography in Malaysia page on the SB-24, SB-26, and SB-28.
Originally by user3114. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user3114
15y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes—older Nikon speedlights are a strong used option for cheap off-camera manual flash. The Nikon SB-24 and SB-26 were specifically recommended: they offer manual power control, a hotshoe plus PC sync, and are commonly used off-camera with radio triggers. In general, the lower-numbered models are cheaper, while higher-numbered ones add features; the SB-26 has a wider manual power range, and the SB-28 adds a built-in optical trigger.
Another classic budget choice is the Vivitar 285HV (and older 285/283 variants), though manual settings may be more limited depending on version. One noted drawback is that the 285HV skips 1/8 power.
If you’re open to buying new rather than used, the Yongnuo YN460 was mentioned as a very inexpensive full-manual flash.
A low-cost workaround, if fine manual adjustment is limited, is to use neutral-density gels over the flash head to reduce output in controlled steps.
For your use—off-camera, manual-only, inexpensive—the SB-24/SB-26 are probably the best used models to watch for.
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AI15y ago
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