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Best Flash for Nikon D500 [2023 Review]

In: 
Published: 07/05/2021

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Nikon D500 passes as the jack of all trades of cameras yet it lacks the right flash to bring a creative vision to life and develop a sharper focus on real estate photos. That’s why I'm helping you buy the best flash for Nikon D500.

My Top Flash for Nikon D500 Reviews

The simplest way to boost your lighting and take your real state shots quality to the next level is to use a high-quality flash. We'll go through the top picks for the best flash for Nikon D500 and see which ones can help you develop your photography skills.

 
Brand:
Nikon SB-5000
 
Brand:
Nikon SB-700
 
Brand:
Neewer 750II TLL
Special Features:
Tilts from -7° to 90°
Special Features:
Complete Flash Head Positioning Freedom
Special Features:
Recycle time 3 second
Required Batteries:
4 AA batteries
Required Batteries:
4 AA batteries
Required Batteries:
4 pcs AA alkaline cell
4.4
4.6
4.5
Brand:
Nikon SB-5000
Special Features:
Tilts from -7° to 90°
Required Batteries:
4 AA batteries
4.4
Brand:
Nikon SB-700
Special Features:
Complete Flash Head Positioning Freedom
Required Batteries:
4 AA batteries
4.6
Brand:
Neewer 750II TLL
Special Features:
Recycle time 3 second
Required Batteries:
4 pcs AA alkaline cell
4.5

Best Overall Flash for Nikon D500: Nikon SB-5000 AF

The Nikon SB-5000 AF is the best flash for your D500 if you have a larger budget to work with. It gives you complete control over the light around you, allowing you to adjust brightness and shadows to give your images a sense of depth, thanks to its high build quality and a surprising number of features.

Nikon SB-5000 AF Speedlight

The flash is smaller and simpler to use than previous flashes, making it ideal for photographers who rely on portable lighting. It has a reduced footprint and offers quick access to commonly used features like Zoom Head Position and Flash Mode.

The SB-5000 has a strong guide number of 113′ at ISO 100 and 35mm and a wide zoom range of 24-200mm. The tilt and rotation of the flash head can be used to produce bounce lighting. Even though it comes at a high price, this is the best flash for the Nikon D500.

Nikon SB-5000 AF Speedlight
4.4
Pros:
  • Compatible with other i-TTL flashes such as SB-700
  • It has 24-200mm zoom with a 14mm panel
  • It has a good build quality to easily carry around
Cons:
  • Much more expensive than any other Nikon flashes
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Best Flash for Nikon D500 for the Money: Nikon SB -700 AF

The Nikon SB-700 AF is one of Nikon's best mid-range flashes, and it's an excellent match for the D500. Although there are more expensive flashes, the combination of output, features, and price provides great value for your money. You get an extremely flexible flash, making it an excellent option for real estate photography.

Nikon SB-700 AF Speedlight

The Nikon SB-700's flash head will rotate at a much greater angle. The top of the flash device has several angle rotation markers to help you track the flash rotation if appropriate. Thankfully, unlike older flash systems, the Nikon SB-700's head can rotate 360 degrees.

The flash and control device interface has been greatly improved over previous Nikon versions, making it much simpler and easier to use. Switching between the camera's lens, manual, and guide number modes in seconds, as needed for your photograph, is now simple and fast.

Nikon SB-700 AF Speedlight
4.6
Pros:
  • Quick recycle time of 2.5 seconds allowing the device to cool down fast
  • Good build quality and easy to carry around
  • Compatible with other TTL models
  • Affordable price compared to SB-5000
Cons:
  • Low guide number of 92 feet at ISO 100
  • Too many steps to execute functions compared to SB-5000
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Best Cheap Flash for Nikon D500 – Neewer 750II TLL

Even though the Neewer 750II TLL is cheap, it offers a great power inversion and is fully featured. It has about 0.8 stop less power than the Nikon SB-5000 with a more budget-friendly price. It is excellent in its performance with Manual Modes and TTL. The result is more of what is expected, and there is entirely no need for TTL compensation.

Neewer 750II TTL

It has convenient menus that are easy to navigate and provide the best programs depending on your preference. With a zoom range of 18 mm to 180mm, the head rotates at 180 degrees, and its bounce head tilts at 90 degrees coupled with a wider angled- pull-out diffuser.

The flash has a high recycling power of 2.5 seconds to allow you to continue using the unit as it cools down. This flash does a perfect job in real estate photography, even though it is pretty cheap.

Neewer 750II TTL
4.5
Pros:
  • Supports high power LED lighting that can be adjusted to your preference
  • These flash units use a multi-mode for stroboscopic flash firing
  • The manual mode works excellently with 1/3 stops and 1/128 power
  • The menu system is easy to work with
Cons:
  • The pull out bounce card is thin; many photographers have to be careful when bending it
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Best Third-Party Flash for Nikon D500: Yongnuo YN968N TTL

Although it is not a Nikon-branded flash, the Yongnuo YN968N TTL flash has many valuable features at a reasonable price. The flash has a guide number of 196 feet and a power range of 1/128 to 1/1. The power is comparable to the Nikon SB-700, but the recycle time is around three seconds longer.

YONGNUO YN968N Speedlite

The YN968N's bounce head rotates and tilts, and it has a zoom range of 20-105mm. Even though Nikon did not develop it, the flash supports Nikon's i-TTL and has high-speed sync. For video, a continuous LED is included, just like the SB-500. The flash is under a pound in weight and runs on four AA batteries.

The flash also has built-in RF wireless control. Newer camera bodies, such as the SB-5000, do not allow you to monitor the off-camera flash. For photographers on a tight budget, the YN968N is a decent option for your Nikon camera.

YONGNUO YN968N Speedlite
4.4
Pros:
  • High powered LED light that you can adjust the brightness easily
  • High-quality flash that is compatible with Nikon Cameras
Cons:
  • Slow recycle time of 3 seconds at maximum power
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Best Older Flash for Nikon D500: Nikon SB – 600

The Nikon SB - 600 is an older external flash unit from Nikon that is jam-packed with features and still delivers excellent results. Since the flash unit's technology is a little out of date by today's standards, and because of advances in manufacturing, its price has dropped enough to make it a great deal.

Nikon SB-600 Speedlight

The SB-600, like the SB-700, will suit your D500 natively through its hot shoe mount, enabling you to rig up a camera flash and begin shooting quickly. Compared to modern flashes, the control system is a little dated, but this may work to your benefit by keeping the price down.

The flash has many of the features you'd expect from a low-cost camera flash and will be a great addition to your D500's camera accessories. Not only can it vastly increase the image quality of your photography as compared to the built-in flash on your D500, but it won't break the bank either.

Nikon SB-600 Speedlight
4.6
Pros:
  • Has a high precision i-TTL flash control
  • High build quality that is easily portable
  • Supports an LCD backlight, the LED type specifically
  • Has a high guide number of 30
Cons:
  • Quite expensive compared to other flash units
  • It has difficulties with intermittent flashing
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Best Godox Flash for Nikon D500 - The Godox V1-N flash

The Godox V1-N flash is low-budget and caters to real estate photographers worldwide from amateurs to a professional. It has similar features and provides excellent performance, just like the SB-5000 AF Speedlight, but at a lower price.

Godox V1-N Flash

It is fully i-TTL compatible, which provides a balanced flash by reducing the flashlight in bright ambient light and vice versa. The result is an image with correct light and proper exposure. 

It also has auto and manual functionality offering high-speed sync, flash exposure lock, curtain sync, flash exposure compensation, and more, best for successive and quick shots.

Godox V1-N Flash
4.7
Pros:
  • Compatible with Nikon i-TTL cameras
  • A superb zoom range of 28-105mm, allowing for larger areas of focus
  • Has a 2.4 GHz Wireless X-System Transmitter which is an added advantage for easier mobility
Cons:
  • Poor color accuracy
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Conclusion

An external camera flash should be top tier when you are purchasing your Nikon d500. It produces artificial lighting at a specific color temperature to help illuminate an object or a scene. Every camera has an inbuilt flash, but they are not helpful in all situations, and that's where the external flash comes in. 

Because you own this camera, you should also check out my review of the best lens for the Nikon D500.

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