I seem to have an uncanny knack for buying new equipment the day before the manufacturer announces a new and improved version. My Nikon N70 is the latest example. I don't think I had finished reading the owner's manual before the new N80 was announced. (not that I am knocking the N70. I like it just fine and don't find the user interface intimidating - maybe I'm just too dumb to know I should feel intimidated. But given the choice I would probably have waited for the N80 if I had known about it.

Now to my question: I still am needing an external flash for my N70. The SB28 looks like the best choice from what I can tell, but I saw a veiled reference on another forum to a new flash in the works at Nikon that will replace the SB28.

Does anyone out there know if Nikon is working on a replacement for the SB28 that may be announced in the near future? I don't want to shoot myself in the foot again.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

-- Arnold Theisen (macjet@eoni.com), May 01, 2000

Answers

I don't think you will get any reliable information on this one until the day Nikon announces their new releases. A mere one week before the N80 is announced, Nikon rep told me in the strongest terms that N70 is so wonderfully popular that no successor is planned for years, and that I will be best off by recommending the N70 to my friend.

-- Chuck (chaohui@msn.com), May 01, 2000.

Chuck's right. The only people who absolutely know work in Nikon's engineering and marketing departments, and they would have to violate their non-disclosure agreement to tell us about plans for a new flash. Even the camera magazines have to sign NDAs to get advance information.

anything you read on the Internet will be a rumor, nothing more.

-- Darron Spohn (dspohn@photobitstream.com), May 01, 2000.

May'be difficult to predict, but a F80 was foreseen by many photographers months ago (Photo.net!!!). A little bit common sense (e.g. looking at the competition from Canon) and looking at the date of first appearance of the F70 you could expect a follower soon. Another point is that on every Photokina (1994 F90x, 1996 F5, 1998 F100 was a little bit too late, 2000 F80) they try to lauch a new camera.

New flash? Very difficult to say. A SB29 (macro flash) was released 2 months ago. The SB 28 is a few years on the market but the technology is still top notch. If you can wait until the Photokina (sept. 2000) you'll see what Nikon launches and decide then. Personnally I think Nikon is working more on the VR (Vibration Reduction) technology of their lenses now.

Hope this heals the pain a little bit. Ivan

-- Ivan Verschoote (ivan.verschoote@rug.ac.be), May 02, 2000.

Sorry to go off track a bit but I believe Ivan is right about Nikon working on their VR lenses. I heard from a very reliable source that Nikon is working on several VR lenses. Looks like the situation can only get better.

As for the SB28, I would be surprised if Nikon can make a better flash unit than this. But I guess we will never know for sure.

-- Alan Yeo (nature_sg@yahoo.com), May 03, 2000.

If the competition is used as measure, I think there are room to improve the SB-28. For starters, it should have wireless remote TTL capability. It should also have the ability to display flash output after a TTL shot. The flash compensation feature should work even if the flash is used in a slave situation. I am not saying I can immediately use these features, except for the flash output display, but market seem to dictate that what Canon has, Nikon should also, or at least offer an offsetting feature.

-- Chuck (chaohui@msn.com), May 03, 2000.

Alan,

Since you brought up the subject, could you confirm whether or not there will be a new Nikon 300mm f/2.8 AFS VR lens coming soon (or a 300mm f/4 AFS VR for that matter)? Any others? Just curious. Thanks in advance. Sean

-- Sean Haggerty (haggerty.sean@towerautomotive.com), May 03, 2000.

Thanks to all for responding to my post. I guess I'll just wait as long as possible before taking the plunge and then get an SB28 if nothing has been announced to replace it. If that happens I can at least take solace in the fact that buying a proven product may mean that the bugs have been worked out. Reading the posts on photo.net from Nikon F100 owners about their problems, especially the ones which tear up the film, lead me to wonder if Nikon may be following the lead of software producers, i.e., let our customers beta test our products for us while we charge full price. Sure beats taking the R&D cost off the bottom line.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

-- Arnold Theisen (macjet@eoni.com), May 03, 2000.

I seem to have an uncanny knack for buying new equipment the day before the manufacturer announces a new and improved version.

I seem to have an uncanny knack for buying equipment years after the manufacturer stops making it (Mamiya C330, Canon T90, etc.) I seem to survive though...

-- Tim Brown (brownt@ase.com), May 05, 2000.