Nikon D3200, is a very capable DSLR with a lightweight body and great full HD recording capabilities.
The Speedlight is a great tool to pump up light and illuminate dark places, while at the same time it creates great lighting effects.
In this article I will take you through, what I feel are the best Speedlights for Nikon D3200 at different prices and performances.
A Quick Look at My Favorite Speedlights for Nikon D3200
| Image | Product | Features | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
Best Value  | 10 | Check Price On Amazon | |
Best Budget  | 9 | Check Price On Amazon | |
Best High-End  | 8.6 | Check Price On Amazon | |
Best Mid Range  | 8.5 | Check Price On Amazon | |
Best Overall  | 8.6 | Check Price On Amazon |
Key Takeaways
- Why not get a Speedlight to improve the lighting in your images and give them a more professional appearance?
- For my Nikon D3200, I would unquestionably choose the Nikon SB-910 Speedlight Flash.
- Another excellent Speedlight for people on a tight budget is the Neewer 750II TTL Flash Speedlite; in addition to being reasonably priced, this Speedlight has a lot to offer.
- Purchasing a Speedlight has several benefits, including the fact that it is far more powerful, doesn’t deplete your camera’s battery life, is a handy tool, and so on.
The 5 Best Speedlights For Nikon D3200
5. Godox Thinklite TTL TT685N – Best Value
What I Like
- Affordable
- Great build quality
- Lightweight
- Upgraded LED technology
What I Don’t Like
- Battery life could be better
In its huge portfolio of speedlights, Godox has hit the perfect spot for Nikon users with its Thinklite TT685N. Being a great performer and at the same time coming in a great price made this flash popular among Nikon D3200 users.
For a mid-range Speedlight it’s build quality without a doubt its one of the best, it is made out of hardened plastic and is quite lightweight, weighing 12.6 ounces. It also use a upgraded LED technology display that provides you will crystal clear letters and numbers , making it quite easy to read.
The Thinklite TT685N is capable of providing 230 flash activations, but this still depends on your flash settings and recycle time. The shorter the recycle time, the quicker your batteries will run empty. As we are talking about recycle time it takes 0.1 seconds to 2 seconds for the Thinklite to recycle.
The guide number is a 60m one at ISO 100 while the Flash duration goes from 1/300 to 1/20,000 seconds.
For powering it requires 4 AA batteries.
Why should you buy it?
Its build quality without a doubt is one of the best, it is made out of hardened plastic and is quite lightweight.
4. Neewer 750II TTL Flash Speedlite – Best Budget
What I Like
- Great Build
- LCD display enables precise control
- Lightweight
What I Don’t Like
- Not much durable
Next on the list, we have something you would consider Non-Bank breaking, after all Neewer is known for offering good gadgets at a friendly price.
Their 750II TTL quickly became a favorite among the Nikon community due to it offering splendid performances and functionality at a cheap price tag.
Even though it comes cheap, Neewer did a great job with its build quality. It weighs 1.15 pounds and has a solid construction that can easily pivot and swivel in desired directions.
It supports TTL, M, and Multi flash modes, while its LCD display enables precise control and bright clear visual.
Guide Number sits at 58, which is quite a powerful flash with a standard 5600k color temperature and a recycle time of 3 seconds. Its flash duration goes from 1/300 seconds to 1/ 20.000 and the number of flashes before it bites the dust, 170 shots up to 300. And like always this heavily varies from the battery types, it uses standard 4 AA batteries.
It’s definitely one of the best budget flash units for Nikon D3200 cameras.
Why should you buy it?
Offering splendid performances and functionality at a cheap price tag.
3. Nikon SB-600 – Best High-End
What I Like
- Great Build
- Very powerful flash
- Affordable
What I Don’t Like
- LCD illumination can be hard to see
Nikon’s SB-600 made quite the havoc back in 2004 when it was first released, thanks to its compact, yet powerful performances. It gained a lot of respect among Nikon users and still to this day it sits on top with the rest of its brothers.
Old products are known for their Robustness, like Nokia 3310 but let’s chill here, the SB-600 is not that durable. It is there though, quite compact measuring 2.7 x 3.5 x 4.9 inches and weighing 8 ounces. Its flash head can turn 180 degrees to the left and it is limited to 90 in the right – making it a standard flash in this aspect.
The LCD screen is reasonably sized and the layout of the menu is clean and clear, easily readable.
Zooming is possible in the range of 24-85mm and the Guide range holds at 30 / 98′ at ISO 100.
Sadly, Nikon SB-600 does not recycle silently, therefore, can cause some disturbance when shooting in quiet environments, but this is something that can bother professional photographers, for beginners and hobbyists it shouldn’t present a problem. Like always, recycling time varies on the type of batteries, it goes from 3 seconds to 4.
For power supply like all speedlights, 4 AA batteries are required.
Why should you buy it?
Thanks to its compactness, yet powerful performance, it is one of the best speedlights you can get.
2. Nikon SB-700 AF Speedlight Flash – Best Mid Range
What I Like
- Budget-friendly
- Clean LCD
- Portable
What I Don’t Like
- Issues with batteries when you change them
SB-700 is a great flash that replaces the SB-600 and is mostly designed for newer cameras with Nikon’s ecosystem. It might not be a cheap option, but what it offers in return justifies the price. Nikon offers this Speedlight to keep both professionals and aspiring pros satisfied.
It is really portable and robust at the same time, measuring 4.1 x 2.8 x 5 inches and weighing 12.7 ounces. On the top control area, you will be greeted by the LCD screen and the two toggle buttons for the flash. The LCD is clean and clear, promising to be easy to read and use.
The reason for the painful price must be its TTL flash control, it handles all aspects of zoom and exposure control with an ideal amount of light in any given environment.
Its guide number is rated at 28/ 92 feet with ISO at 100. As for the recycle times 2.5 with NI-MH batteries or Alkalines, and 3.5 seconds with lithium batteries. The durations take 1/1,000 to 1/40,000 s.
The stamina varies on the battery it uses, 160 for alkaline batteries, eVolta 230, and lithium 330.
Why should you buy it?
It might not be a cheap option, but what it offers in return justifies the price.
1. Nikon SB-910 Speedlight Flash – Best Overall
What I Like
- Wireless ability
- Styled light
- Features a thermal cut-out system
- AF-assist illuminator
What I Don’t Like
- a bit bigger
The SB-910 is considered a flagship from Nikon and it’s the successor of the short-lived Nikon 900. Nikon SB 910 vowed to deliver to photographers what its brother couldn’t, with new features and a wealth of new updates.
The new changes, instead of the overheating protection you find in most Speedlights, SB 910 features a thermal cut-out system, which delays the recycling time until the temperature decreased to a normal level. They also made the SB-910 more versatile and easy to use, its three lightning configurations are standard, center-weighted, and even are each one of them is designed to assist in different scenarios.
You will also appreciate that its AF-assist illuminator works with all types of Auto Focus systems, and its smart features include a multi-step power zoom range with an expansive 17-200mm angle view.
An impressive Guide number of 34, 111.5 feet at ISO 100. Recycling time goes 2.3 sec up to 4.5 sec (again this heavily depends on the battery types )
As a power supply, it uses 1.25 V HR6, rechargeable Ni-MH, alkaline, and lithium batteries.
Why should you buy it?
Features a thermal cut-out system, which delays the recycling time until the temperature decreased to a normal level.
5 Reasons why you should buy a Speedlight:
If you want your indoor pictures to look better, you need something more powerful than your camera’s pop-up flash. That’s when the Speedlight kicks in.
- They are far more powerful, illuminating larger areas and reaching the subjects.
- They do not drain your cameras battery life
- They are really versatile you can tilt and swivel them on a lot of different angles.
- They recycle really fast
- They reduce the red eyes
Frequently Asked Questions
When to use a Speedlight?
Speedlights are quite versatile when it comes to their usage, as they can be used indoors and outdoors without any kind of problem. Still, I should mention facts about Speedlights are that you should use these camera accessories whenever there is no ambient light or when there is little light. Still, you can use Speedlights to reduce harsh shadows as well.
How to put a Speedlight in my Nikon D3200?
I would like to say first that putting a Speedlight in a camera like Nikon D3200 is the easiest thing to do! You should just slide the bottom part of the Speedlight on the hot shoe that your camera has, adjust it, and then turn it on! This procedure shouldn’t be hard for anyone!
What is the LCD in Speedlights used for?
You may have noticed that Speedlights all have an LCD screen, and I bet you are wondering what it is for. Well, the LCD screen of your Speedlight is the biggest helper during the procedure of using a Speedlight. You will use it for the control of brightness mostly as well as to change some other settings that you may need.
Final Word:
Even the cheapest external flash will prove better than the camera’s pop-up flash, so if you have some extra cash saved make sure you grab one. You will thank me later for sure, it will make your photo shooting experience even better than it already is.
Photo & Videographer
A photographer with a passion for capturing the beauty of nature and the human form. My work has been featured in galleries and publications around the world, and I strive to create images that evoke emotion and tell a story.
