I thought so too!

I pulled the trigger and bought the Nikon SB-600 Speedlight in the box, refurbished by Nikon. . . includes the carry-pouch, diffuser, off-camera stand, unopened Nikon SJ-1 Speedlight Color Filter Set, and user manual. All in perfect condition, for $86 total. Should receive it in a few days!

In checking out Eneloop,
I found this review on Amazon by "NLee the Engineer", which seems to say that the regular-strength are superior to the extra-strength batteries:

"This package (Panasonic K-KJ17KHCA4A Eneloop Pro Individual Cell Battery Charger with 4 AA Ni-MH Rechargeable Batteries) contains the BQ-CC17 charger and four eneloop Pro batteries. People often ask me whether it is worthwhile to pay extra for this 'Pro' package over a similar 'regular' package. So here is a breakdown on the Pros and Cons of going Pro:

- The rated capacity of eneloop Pro AA cell is 2550mAh, or 27.5% higher than that of regular eneloop cell (2000mAh). My measured average capacities using the La Crosse BC1000 Battery Charger are around 2560mAh and 2080mAh, respectively.

- The cycle life rating of Pro is only 500 cycles, verses 2100 cycles for regular eneloop. More about this later.

- The advertised charge-retention rate of Pro cell ("85% after 1 year") is not as good as that of regular eneloop cell ("90% after 1 year, 70% after 10 years"). Those rating are consistent with my own long-term test results. Of course in real life this hardly matters.

- The Pro AA cell is slightly thicker than regular eneloop cell, so it might not fit in appliances with extremely tight battery compartments.

The chargers included in the Pro and Regular packages are identical except for color. So this is not a factor. See my review on BQ-CC17 for details of this charger.

[Capacity Matters?]
Obviously higher-capacity for batteries is better, because it gives you longer runtime for each recharge. This is especially true in the old days of NiCd batteries, since you are supposed to drain them completely before recharge (to avoid 'Memory Effects'). With pre-charged NiMH batteries and smart charger such as the BQ-CC17, you can choose to top-off your batteries anytime. So having higher capacity is less critical.

Just for example, let's say you are using rechargeable batteries in your external photo flash unit. Assuming a set of regular eneloop cells (2000mAh) can give you 1000 flashes, then by changing to Pro cells (2550mAh) you can expect 1275 flashes. But unless you actually need to shoot over 1000 pictures in one session, the extra capacity does not offer you any advantage.

[Cycle Life Matters?]
This rating refers to the number of deep-discharge cycles a battery goes through, before its capacity drops to 50% of original value. That means:
- Regular eneloop starts from 2000mAh and drops to 1000mAh after ~2100 cycles
- eneloop PRO starts from 2550mAh and drops to 1275mAh after ~500 cycles
Note that those ratings are based on tightly controlled test conditions. In real life your numbers will likely be less.

Assuming linear degradation of capacity, we can estimate that after 250 cycles:
- Regular eneloop --> 2000mAh - 1000mAh*(250/2100) = 1881mAh
- eneloop PRO --> 2550mAh - 1275mAh*(250/500) = 1912mAh
That means shortly after 250 cycles, the regular eneloop cell will actually out-perform the Pro!

[Bottom Line]
If you have mission-critical applications that demand the extra capacity offered by eneloop Pro batteries, definitely get this Pro package. Otherwise for similar cost, you can get the regular package plus another 4 regular eneloop (or the equivalent AmazonBasics Pre-Charged) batteries. So now you have 8x 2000mAh eneloop batteries instead of 4x 2550mAh eneloop Pro batteries. This approach offers you almost 60% more in total battery energy. Most importantly, you now have a set of spare batteries to swap in whenever the first set runs out, so you'll never be out of action while batteries are being recharged."

I will look at Ikea & Powerex

Okay, I pulled the trigger and bought the Nikon SB-600 Speedlight I had asked about in another post. It's in the box, refurbished by Nikon. . . includes the carry-pouch, diffuser, off-camera stand, unopened Nikon SJ-1 Speedlight Color Filter Set, and user manual. All in perfect condition, for $86 total.

Now I'd like your experienced opinions on the best batteries to get for it. I'm thinking rechargeable batteries and a charger would be more sensible than regular alkaline, but I am open to your valuable input.

Thanks!

SOLD

rdubreuil, PM responded to.

I got these items in a trade. They are in BEAUTIFUL condition as you can see from the attached pictures. They all belong to the venerable AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 80-200mm f/2.8D IF-ED lens.

Both the Nikon HB-17 Lens Hood and the Nikon OEM Tripod Collar are almost impossible to find:
The genuine Nikon Tripod Collar isn't to be found anywhere, but both B&H and Adorama sell the equivalent Kirk NC80-200 Replacement Collar for this lens at $169.95 see here: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/555389-REG/Kirk_NC_80_200_NC80_200_Replacement_Lens_Collar.html#!

There is only one (1) Nikon HB-17 Lens Hood available for sale anywhere, and that is a used one at KEH, for $39.00 see here: https://www.keh.com/shop/nikon-autofocus-hb-17-80-200-f-2-8-d-ed-if-af-s-230609.html

The Nikon CL-73 Hard Case can be found used for about $25.00 if you look around. The interior dimensions of this hard case are 8.25" tall by 5.5" inside diameter, so may fit many other lenses as well.

I will sell all three Genuine Nikon pieces for the AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 80-200mm f/2.8D IF-ED lens:

Nikon CL-73 Hard Case
Nikon HB-17 Lens Hood
Nikon OEM Tripod Collar

for just $65.00 plus shipping to you.

Payment can be a US Postal Money Order (preferred), or I can accept PayPal if you are in a hurry and wish to pay their fee.

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Even with two 'Hogs preferring other brands, not one person with anything against the SB-600, and quite a few that like it a lot. . .

So far, it sounds as if all of you like the SB-600 flash, and that is good enough for me. Of course, I have done my own research on it as well. The going rate appears to be around $100 for ones in nice condition. I intend to pull the trigger on the purchase of one within the next few days, but wanted to confirm my choice based upon the opinions of those on here who've used one.

Thanks for your input!

I was mistaken! Upon more careful research, I realize that the SB-600 did not originally ship with the colored filters set (SJ-1). As others here have pointed out, it was an optional accessory.

Huh?

To add light as needed, to balance the quality of existing light, and to occasionally help capture motion

1.) I'm thinking about getting a Nikon SB-600 Speedlight to use with my Nikon D3s.
What is your opinion of this flash?

2.) Most of the ones I have found (all used) do not come with the color filter set (Nikon SJ-1) which was included originally. To those of you who have the SB-600, do you use the (SJ-1) color filter set which came with it?

Thanks

Personally, I don't really think this topic is focused upon photography