Right before Christmas I got the Godox Ving V860II which is currently priced at $179 at all the major retailers.
So far I can't say much about it, because I'm learning how to work with it (and with light in general), but the battery seems to last forever (I know, it's new..), it charges quickly as far as I'm concerned, I don't have to keep an extra pack of AA's with me all the time and if I ever run out of battery (unlikely with what I normally shoot) I'll just get an extra one for the future.
It seems well built.
Not sure how much it means, but it got a compliment from one more experienced photographer - maybe he just wanted to be supportive.. :-D
Anyway, for what I'm doing at this point it's great. Not the cheapest you can find, but good enough IMO and I really love the battery.
SUNPAK DF3600U, 30$ on ebay. i-ttl works fine on a d5300. suits my needs just fine
You can get a used Nikon SB-26 flash for $50 to $75. It's what I have. It has all the features of the more expensive Nikon models, but with less output. However the output is more than you will need unless you are a long distance from your subject. I looked at many of the off brand new speedlights, and read the negative reiews on Amazon, but didn't see anything that matched the SB-26 at 3x the price.
If you want to reply, then
register here. Registration is free and your account is created instantly, so you can post right away.