Nikon SB-5000 Speedlight £500/$600

A powerful flashgun with added radio reception

Taking over from the SB-910 as Nikon’s flagship, pro-grade flashgun, the SB-5000 is a powerful beast with a Gn 55 rating, a 24-200mm zoom range, a programmable repeat mode and comprehensive on-board controls.

State-of-the-art features include an integral cooling system, which enables more than 100 rapid-fire shots even at the full-power setting. Another plus is the inclusion of built-in RF connectivity, alongside the more standard infrared option. There’s a catch, though, because you can’t use the flashgun as a commander in RF mode. To use multiple flashguns with RF, you need to buy Nikon’s WR-R10 transceiver, plus a WR-A10 adaptor if your camera has a 10-pin accessory connector, adding as much as £165/$200 to the cost.

Performance

In our tests, the SB-5000 delivered greater maximum power than any other flashgun on test, along with excellent TTL accuracy. Recycling speed are fast as well, and all-round performance is superb.