Hello...

I just got my SB-800 speedlight, using it with Nikon D40, hope this is the right place to seek advice about photography with flash.

Some of my friend told me no to set the flash maximum, which could blow the bulb. The problem now, I don't know which value that indicates the rating of the flash, max or min..

Hope you guys/sifus out there can give me/us who are starting using sb-800.

thank you.

The best guide is to read your user manual first to familiarize yourself with all the features provided by the product. So you know what it can do and what not. Then go to http://www.planetneil.com/ and read through the online tutorials.

This should keep you busy for awhile before you come back and ask some important questions. Good luck.

1/1 is a max if u r using M mode flash output.
if u r using A mode / ITTL mode, bigger f numbers mean more flash output. the max flash output is at f32.

setting ur flash to fire at max is not going to blow the bulb. even if u fire it all the time at max it will not blow.

you will blow it though only if you fire it non stop ie dont let it cool down. if i am not mistaken there should be a guide on how long you should wait before you fire the flash again in the nikon manual. that said i still did shoot my sb-80dx over and above the rate recommended without any problem, though the flash unit was too hot to touch.

I second reading planetneil as well.

the only person that use 1/1 here is thevoip.

i thought he use Kanon 580EX?

1/1 is the manual settings la.

Actually there is a flash bulb lifespan. No actual numbers are published though so I assume it will age through usage. Don't worry about firing your flash at the max. There is a temperature sensor built-in. Whenever a certain threshold is reached, the system will disable the whole flash until normal temperature is obtained. If you use your flash hot in the afternoon, it will suspend also. This feature is implemented to protect the flash.

My 430EX has this feature and I am confident the Nikon counterparts should have similar protections also. So no worries. If you bulb ever fused, you replace it at the service center at a reasonable cost.