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Nikon has announced the replacement for its SB-900 Speedlight, the SB-910. If you already have an SB-900, then you really don't need to worry–the updates are welcome, but little more than tweaks.
While the guide number (34 meters/111.5 feet at ISO 100) and zoom range (17-200mm in FX format) remain the same, the menu system has gotten an overhaul. The hardware buttons themselves remain much the same, but the LCD GUI has–according to Nikon–been cleaned up to make it easier to use.
I have an SB-900 and the dedicated "remote" notch on the power switch, along with the jog-dial, already made this the easiest Nikon Speedlight yet. My hope is that Nikon will have improved the deeper menu system, which is a complete mess on the SB-900.
The flimsy gel white-balance filters have been upgraded to hard filters, and they will still set the camera's white balance automatically if the flash is mounted in the hotshoe.
Finally, the thermal cutout has been tweaked. Previously, it would shut down the flash when things got too hot. You could manually override it, but as the viewers of many a sci-fi movie, we all know how that turns out. The new version will slow shooting as things get close to critical, preventing disaster.
The price will seem ridiculous to anyone who just bought a $500 D3000 SLR: The SB-910 is $550, and will ship in December. The SB-900 is still listed at Nikon's site at $495, and can be had for around $450 at most camera stores.
SB-910 product page (Nikon. Thanks, Geoff!)
