Review on Nikon SB-20: High-Performance Speedlight Electronic Camera Flash for Stunning Shots by Scott Rose

This unit was introduced circa 1986. TTL is not possible with any digital camera, so don't let anyone tell you it is. The SB-20 is so simple, there are no function buttons or scrolling menus. What you see on the back is what you get. In manual mode there are 5 power levels - from 1/16 to full power. And it has an A-mode, where you set your flash to the same ISO you're shooting at and set your aperture to the same f-stop your lens is set to. And the sensor on the front of the flash determines the correct exposure. The SB-20 offers 5 stops of A-mode aperture, which was almost unheard of at the time of its release. Most flashes of the time had a choice of 1, 2 or maybe 3 stops in A mode. Very few photographers use A mode these days, but it's great. The camera and flash don't have to be dedicated for it to work. My SB-20 flash works great with my Nikon, Pentax 645 and Panasonic FZ200 in mode A. Another positive aspect of the SB-20 is the rebound. You can aim it at the ceiling, and there's even a white card slot to throw some light forward when it bounces off the ceiling. But it doesn't rotate sideways, so it can't ricochet when shooting vertically. It takes 4 AA batteries - it doesn't take expensive or hard-to-find batteries like some flashes (the Nikon SB-30 takes a CR123 battery and I hate that). There are 3 zoom head settings: 28, 35 and 85mm. If you are using a DX case, divide these numbers by 1.5. Thus it offers full frame coverage with an 18 xxx zoom on a DX camera at all zoom settings. So if you're looking for a TTL flash for Nikon cameras, or a cheap flash that works in manual or A mode on almost any camera, the SB-20 is a great choice. You can get them in good condition for about $25-40.