To get the most out of your Nikon camera in low-light settings, you need the best flash from Nikon (or for Nikon). From high-end, full-featured flashes to more budget-friendly options, we’ve got you covered!
Whether you are a professional photographer or just starting out, there is an option here that is perfect for you. If price is no issue, we suggest the Nikon SB-5000. Its lightweight body, fast recycle speed, and excellent build quality put it in our number one spot.
What Is the Best Flash for Nikon?
The best flash for Nikon is the Nikon SB-5000, thanks to its radio-controlled off-camera flash, fast recycle time, and rugged build. Budget shooters do well with the Godox TT685II-N instead.
5 Best Flashes For Nikon DSLR and Mirrorless Cameras
Here are the best flashes for Nikon cameras, including some third-party options. Before we get into each one, here is a glance at their specs and features.
1. Nikon SB-5000
| Brand |
Brand
Nikon
|
| Size |
Size
2.87 x 5.39 x 4.07 inches / 73 x 136 x 103 mm
|
| Weight |
Weight
14.9 oz / 422 g
|
| Guide Number (GN) 35mm, ISO 100 |
Guide Number (GN) 35mm, ISO 100
113 ft / 34 m
|
| Tilt / Swivel |
Tilt / Swivel
-7 to 90° / 180 to 180°
|
| Zoom Range |
Zoom Range
24-200mm
|
| Best For |
Best For
Professional photographers
|
Nikon’s most advanced flash, the SB-5000, has built-in radio control, so you can trigger it off-camera with any newer Nikon body.
You’ll need the WR-A10 and WR-T10 accessories to trigger it off-camera, but once you have them, the flash and camera don’t need a clear line of sight to each other. That opens up a lot more flash techniques.
One thing to note is the radio control only works with Nikon’s DSLR cameras. These include the D5, D850, D500, and D7500. (It also works for Nikon mirrorless cameras: the Z7 and Z6, and Nikon lists it as compatible all the way up through today’s Z8 and Z9.)
It also recycles the fastest of any Nikon speedlight, at roughly 1.8 to 2.6 seconds depending on your batteries, thanks to a built-in cooling system that lets it fire up to 100 consecutive shots without overheating.
With a guide number of 113 feet at 35mm and 180 feet at 200mm, it’s one of Nikon’s most powerful flashes. It also includes TTL mode and an autofocus assist beam.
The flash includes high-speed sync and slow sync. It also has first and second curtain firing modes.
The Nikon SB-5000 Speedlight is their best flash. It isn’t cheap, but it’s a professional-grade flash system that won’t let you down.
2. Nikon SB-700
| Brand |
Brand
Nikon
|
| Size |
Size
4.1 x 2.8 x 5 inches / 71 x 127 x 104 mm
|
| Weight |
Weight
12.7 oz / 360 g
|
| Guide Number (GN) 35mm, ISO 100 |
Guide Number (GN) 35mm, ISO 100
92 ft (28 m)
|
| Tilt / Swivel |
Tilt / Swivel
-7 to 90° / 180 to 180°
|
| Zoom Range |
Zoom Range
24-120mm
|
| Best For |
Best For
Photographers who need a professional-level flash for a good price
|
The Nikon SB-700 is an excellent mid-level flash. It’s a few steps below the Nikon SB-5000 in terms of capability. But it’s more affordable and still one of the best Nikon speedlights.
The SB-700 has a guide number of 92 ft (28 m). The flash recycle time is a respectable 2.5 seconds.
For shooting with shutter speeds faster than 1/250 s, high-speed sync is included. It also comes with first and second curtain sync. The zoom range is 24-120mm on a full frame camera.
The flash still includes the autofocus assist beam and a TTL mode. The flash head rotates 90 degrees up, with stops of -7, 0, 45, 60, 75, and 90 degrees in between.
In manual mode, you can adjust the flash power from full to 1/128. This is good for creating soft light or adding catchlights to portraits.
The flash also has a strobe mode and three different illumination patterns.
It doesn’t have the SB-5000’s radio control, but it still works off-camera through Nikon’s built-in optical CLS system: mount it as a remote and fire it wirelessly from your camera’s built-in flash (on bodies with Commander mode) or another master unit, no extra hardware required. It doesn’t quite match the SB-5000’s output or recycle time either, but at nearly half the price, the SB-700 is great value for your money.
3. Godox TT685II-N
| Brand |
Brand
Godox
|
| Size |
Size
10.04 x 6.69 x 4.72 inches / 64 x 127 x 76 mm
|
| Weight |
Weight
14 oz / 405 g
|
| Guide Number (GN) 35mm, ISO 100 |
Guide Number (GN) 35mm, ISO 100
197 ft / 60 m
|
| Tilt / Swivel |
Tilt / Swivel
-7 to 120° / 150 to 180°
|
| Zoom Range |
Zoom Range
20-200mm
|
| Best For |
Best For
Photographers on a budget
|
The Godox TT685II-N packs a lot of power for a reasonable price. The flash has a guide number of 197 ft (60 m) and a 20-200mm zoom.
The Godox flash still supports Nikon’s TTL system and even high-speed sync. The brightness in manual flash mode goes from 1/128 to full power.
The recycle time is a quick 0.1 to 2.6 seconds. And the duration sits between 1/300 and 1/20,000 s.
The hot shoe flash has a swivel and tilt-bounce head. And an LCD screen at the back allows you to adjust the settings. It also has a built-in wireless feature to control other Goddox flashes off-camera.
Plus, you can pair it with a trigger for shooting off-camera with a single flash unit. And wireless is available for 32 channels across five groups (A to E).
The Godox TT685II-N isn’t a Nikon product, but the performance level is still very strong. And it gives you excellent lighting control.
For photographers who want many features without the heavy price tag of a Nikon speedlight, the Godox TT685N is the perfect option.
4. Yongnuo YN968N II
| Brand |
Brand
Yongnuo
|
| Size |
Size
8.66 x 3.94 x 3.54 inches / 89 x 219 x 100 mm
|
| Weight |
Weight
15.7 oz / 445 g
|
| Guide Number (GN) 35mm, ISO 100 |
Guide Number (GN) 35mm, ISO 100
196 ft / 60 m
|
| Tilt / Swivel |
Tilt / Swivel
-7 to 150° / 150 to 180°
|
| Zoom Range |
Zoom Range
20-200mm
|
| Best For |
Best For
Photographers looking to save money
|
While not a Nikon speedlight, the Yongnuo YN968N II offers many features for a competitive price. The flash has a guide number of 196 ft (60 m) and adjustable power from 1/128 to 1/1.
The power is similar to the Nikon SB-700. But the recycle time is a little slower at three seconds.
This third-party flash has a rotating and tilting bounce head that covers a zoom range from 20-200mm (full frame).
While not designed by Nikon, it still supports Nikon's i-TTL and has high-speed sync. And you get a built-in continuous LED for videography.
The flash also has built-in RF wireless control. But you can't control the off-camera flash from newer camera bodies as you can with the SB-5000.
You can add another flash to the top of the camera to fire one (or more) off-camera. And the flash weighs less than a pound and uses four AA batteries.
Buying a third-party brand gives you a high-quality flash with a lower price tag. The YN968N II is another great option for photographers on a budget.
5. Meike MK-14EXT-N Macro Ring Flash
| Brand |
Brand
MEKE
|
| Release Date |
Release Date
18/06/2020
|
| Brand |
Brand
Meike
|
| Type |
Type
LED ring flash for macro/close-up work
|
| Compatible Bodies |
Compatible Bodies
Nikon D7100, D7000, D5200, D5100, D5000, D3500, D3200, D3100, D90, D300S, D600
|
| Modes |
Modes
Manual, Lamp A, Lamp B, All-Flash, Long Brightness
|
| Price |
Price
Around $80
|
| Best For |
Best For
Macro and product photographers on a budget
|
The Meike MK-14EXT-N is a Nikon-mount ring flash built for macro and close-up work. Twin xenon flash tubes wrap even light around the lens barrel instead of firing from one side, and a separate LED lamp helps you focus in the dark.
That ring shape earns its spot here because macro subjects sit centimeters from the lens, where a normal hotshoe flash casts a hard shadow right where you are focusing. The MK-14EXT-N lights the whole subject evenly from every angle instead.
It runs in Manual, Lamp A, Lamp B, All-Flash, and Long Brightness modes, letting you fire either tube alone or both together to set a lighting ratio across the subject. It is built for Nikon’s i-TTL DSLR line, covering bodies from the D90 up through the D7100 and D600. At around $80 it costs a fraction of a twin-flash rig, and its LED lamp doubles as a small continuous light for macro photography in the dark.
The trade-off is reach: a guide number of 46 ft at ISO 100 is modest next to a standard hotshoe speedlight, which is plenty at macro distances but won’t light up a room. It clips onto a Nikon Z body’s hot shoe the same way it does a DSLR’s, no adapter needed, but Meike built its i-TTL for the DSLR line, and Z-mount owners report it only fires in Manual mode there, with no through-the-lens metering. For casual close-up and product shots on a DSLR that’s no issue; Z-mount shooters who want automatic exposure should look at a modern hotshoe macro flash instead, or plan to shoot this one manually.
If you’re buying this flash to improve your macro shots, improve them even more with our Macro Magic course.
Choosing the Best Flash for a Nikon DSLR or Mirrorless Camera
Match the flash to the job, not just the price tag. Shooting weddings or fast-moving events all night? The SB-5000’s recycle speed and radio control earn the extra cost. Want most of that capability for less? The SB-700 and Godox TT685II-N cover almost everything a hotshoe flash is built for. On the tightest budget, the Yongnuo YN968N II still gets you TTL and a real guide number. None of those help with macro work. The Meike MK-14EXT-N is a different tool for a different job.
Three specs drive that choice. Flashes are rated by guide number (GN): the higher it is, the further the light reaches at a given ISO and zoom setting. Recycle time is how long you wait between full-power bursts: under 2 seconds keeps up with continuous shooting, anything past 3 will cost you the moment. And TTL vs. manual decides who sets the power. TTL reads the scene and picks the auto mode exposure for you, which is faster when your subject keeps moving, while manual mode gives you the fixed, repeatable output a studio setup needs.
If you want to shoot off-camera, check how the flash gets triggered before you buy. The SB-5000 needs Nikon’s WR-A10/WR-T10 radio accessories (or another radio-capable Nikon flash) to fire wirelessly. The SB-700 does it through Nikon’s built-in optical CLS system, no extra hardware needed. The Godox and Yongnuo units run their own proprietary wireless systems, which only talk to flashes from the same brand.
Conclusion: Best Flash for Nikon
Nikon speedlights are of excellent quality. But there are third-party flashes that also work well with Nikon cameras. The ones featured in our list still make the grade. And there are options to suit every photographer’s needs. Whether your budget is big or small, there’s a Nikon flash for you.
If you want to grab the best Nikon flash possible, we suggest the Nikon SB-5000. It has a lightweight body, fast recycle speed, and excellent build quality.
