flash upgrade

[dennk]

hi all,
need some advise on which flash/speedlight unit to get, it's to be used only on a D3000 with an Tamron 17-50mm but with possibility of upgrading to a D7000 next year,i need an all around flash unit....

[ricktas]

How much do you want to spend?

[dennk]

maybe up to $500,i had a look at the NIKON sb-400 and a Sigma unit but i think i'll spend a little bit more,i need it for all around use...
tnx...

[98kellrs]

Depends what you mean by "all-round" use...outdoors, indoors, product, portraiture etc? As with most upgrades, have a good think about what your priorities are and what your current setup prevents you from doing.

Some basic priorities you might need to consider would be:

TTL functionality - Do you need your flash to sync with your camera? Or are you happy setting it manually?
Ability to recycle quickly - Will you be in situations where you will need to take flash photos rapidly?
Power - Do you need the flash to illuminate something far away, or close? (Many flashes have a tele-zoom function to increase distance)

It's worth bearing in mind that cheaper brands (yongnuo etc) are often very capable units and can be massively cheaper. You will sacrifice TTL functionality though, which is worth remembering. There are heaps of people asking similar questions, and lots of very good advice on the forum, type "speedlight" into the forum search and see what you can find.