Learn & Explore Tip of the Day

May 23, 2013

Keep an eye on your LCD after you take photos of people, and when you find a particularly flattering shot, show it to them. Nothing makes a person relax like knowing that the photos you’re taking make them look good.

May 22, 2013

Planning to take a vacation by the beach? Look for a compact digital camera that’s waterproof, such as the Nikon COOLPIX AW100, AW110, S30, S31 or get an underwater housing for your camera. You’ll be able to take your camera under water and capture what goes on below the surface.

May 21, 2013

When shooting nighttime landscapes, use a low ISO (400 or below if possible) while working from a tripod. Open your aperture to F/4 or F/5.6. This will allow you to have a shot full of detail and of good quality. Remember that night shots need a subject, just like day shots.

May 20, 2013

Don’t forget to bring your camera to holiday barbeques so you can capture all of the fun. Take pictures of the food being grilled, games being played, as well as groupings of friends and family.

May 19, 2013

Wait until the camera has finished writing the photo(s) to the memory card (green light is off) before turning off the camera or removing the card. You can lose pictures if you do either before the camera has had time to download the file(s) from its internal memory to the card.

May 18, 2013

You should format the memory card in your camera on a regular basis. By using the camera’s built-in “Format” function, found in the menus, you lessen the chance of having card problems in the future. Doing so is better than just deleting the images using the camera or the computer.

May 17, 2013

When you’re at a parade take photos of the parade goers, especially your children and the looks on their faces. You’ll see a lot of smiles and excitement.

May 16, 2013

Take a self-portrait each day for a week or month (or a year). It’s harder than you think to take an attractive photo of yourself, and if you do it for long enough you’ll have an interesting series that shows how you’ve changed over time.

May 15, 2013

Everyone loves a parade. For more interesting photos, look for details like the band’s uniforms, a cheerleader’s colorful pom-poms or a bright red fire engine.

May 14, 2013

When shooting groups of five or more people, make sure you stagger them. Put tall folks in the back and the shortest ones in front. It may seem simple, but blocking out just one face can ruin a group portrait. Always tell them, “If you don’t have a clear view of me, the camera can’t see you.”

May 13, 2013

Posing a bride and groom for photos is sometimes difficult. Concentrate on close shots of just the two of them, with clean backgrounds. Then create a fun group shot having them in the center, with others gathered around them. Just make sure no one gets in front of them. After all, it’s their day.

May 12, 2013

Take plenty of photos during your Mother’s Day celebrations. Remember to print multiple copies, so everyone can have their own photographs of mom to cherish.

May 11, 2013

Use a polarizing filter to lessen or eliminate reflections from glass. This works really well on windows of stores or cars. But the trade-off is that your exposure will be a bit longer, as the light is cut down by almost two stops.

May 10, 2013

Capture the hustle and bustle of the city at night. Place your camera on a tripod and use a long exposure (slow shutter speed) to blur the movement of cars and people. Try shooting for about 10 seconds first, and then adjust creatively to catch the motion of the lights and the feel of the city.

May 9, 2013

Make a great team picture. Get the team together in front of a nice background—maybe the goal, the net or the team logo on the field or floor. Shoot the ordinary, and then let the kids have some fun, making faces or funny poses. That’s the one they will always remember.

May 8, 2013

Try shooting panoramas if you’re at a sport stadium, beach or park, for more interesting images. Some Nikon Digital Cameras have an Easy Panorama mode or a Panorama Assist mode, which make these photos easy to shoot.

May 7, 2013

When photographing animals of any kind—pets, birds in flight, animals at the zoo—try to zoom in as close as you can or use a longer lens to isolate the animal from its background. By getting a close-up view you have a greater chance of capturing a wonderful expression on the face of the animal, which will give you a more interesting photograph.

May 6, 2013

Want a unique video of sports action? Use the slow-motion mode that many Nikon digital cameras offer. By shooting the action faster than normal and played back at normal speed, your subject’s movements are slowed down and look more deliberate.

May 5, 2013

When celebrating Cinco de Mayo, take plenty of photos of the colorful decorations in addition to candid photos of everyone having a great time.

May 4, 2013

Change your white balance during a sunrise or sunset. Take your camera off auto white balance and switch to Cloudy or Shady white balance. This will add more strength to the reds, oranges and yellows. Auto White Balance tries to keep colors neutral.

May 3, 2013

To get a shot of someone at sunset, turn on your flash and place the person with the beautiful sunset behind them. With the flash on, they will be illuminated. With the flash off, they will be silhouetted.

May 2, 2013

Spend a day capturing images only in black and white. You have to look at the world differently to take a good-looking photo in black and white, and that will help sharpen your artistic skills.

May 1, 2013

May is National Photo Month! Celebrate by taking photos every day. Give yourself an assignment such as taking a self-portrait each day of the month, or photographing an object every day.

April 30, 2013

If your camera can capture images in both RAW and JPEG format, do so even if you don’t work with RAW images now. These RAW files have the highest image quality possible, so you can edit them years from now and be sure you’re getting the best looking image possible.

April 29, 2013

Set your Speedlight to Rear Curtain Sync. This fires the flash at the end of the exposure, not the beginning, and can create interesting streaks and effects in moving subjects. Experiment with the different flash modes your camera and Speedlight offers.

April 28, 2013

Pick a day and use a fixed focal length lens instead of a zoom (or only one focal length on your zoom, like 35mm). By practicing moving you and the camera to re-frame your images you’ll become more engaged with your subject.

April 27, 2013

If you are photographing out of the window of a plane be sure to keep from touching the window, walls, armrests or other parts of the plane. The vibrations caused by the engines are transmitted through the fuselage and can make your photos blurry. Instead, sit up in the seat and hold the camera as still as you can, close to the window.

April 26, 2013

Arbor Day, which celebrates the planting and caring for trees is celebrated across the USA at different times of the year. Some states celebrate in February while others celebrate the holiday in April, so we decided to celebrate it twice! Use this holiday to take some cool photographs of trees.

April 25, 2013

Frame your storm photograph before it happens. Remember that the sky is your subject, so dramatic clouds are what you’re framing for, and then you hope that lightning will happen in that space. Keep the horizon in the lower third of the frame with the sky the top two-thirds.

April 24, 2013

Shooting a lightning storm can be exciting. Use a tripod and set you camera to record a long exposure. With D-SLRs, 15 seconds is a good start, but you may have to use up to 30 seconds, or bulb setting (where the shutter stays open as long as you hold down the shutter button). Because you never know when the lightning will occur, keep shooting for best results. And don’t forget the tripod! Otherwise you’ll have blurry photos.

Nikon Product Support

Learn more about your product, download user manuals, find answers to frequently asked questions, log into MyNikon to ask a question of your own, contact Nikon and more. Just tell us what product you own, and we'll connect you with everything you need.

Corporate Profile

Nikon is the world leader in digital imaging, precision optics and photo imaging technology and is globally recognized for setting new standards in product design and performance. The unique strength of the Nikon brand attributable to the company’s unwavering commitment to quality, performance, technology and innovation. Nikon Inc. markets and distributes consumer and professional digital SLR cameras, NIKKOR optics, Speedlights…

SD-8A High Performance Battery Pack

Shortens flash recycling time by as much as 60% to 75% and more than doubles flash capacity.

Enlarge

$196.00

Product Number: 4729

Authorized Dealers

Key Features

The SD-8A Battery Pack operates on six AA alkaline, lithium or NiCad batteries, allowing the total flash capacity per round of batteries to double; and flash recycling time to be cut by 60-75%.

Batteries must be in place in the flash in order to operate.

*SRP (Suggested Retail Price) listed only as a suggestion. Actual prices are set by dealers and are subject to change at any time.

SB-800 AF SpeedlightArchived

{%= nikon.tmpl_queue.add(function() { YAHOO.ksv.relatedProducts.normalizeProductTileHeight({ "id": "ProductDetail.ProductTabs.CompatibleWith_product-list-2", "region": "product-details" }) }) %}

*SRP (Suggested Retail Price) listed only as a suggestion. Actual prices are set by dealers and are subject to change at any time.

SD-8A High Performance Battery Pack 5 5 1 1

Incredible Accessory for the SB-800 Flash Terrific flash recycle times! Allows you to get solid flash performance and an average of about 750 strong flashes before recharging the batteries. June 27, 2012

1-1 of 1

3 Questions | 4 Answers

Product Q&A

Ask your questions. Share your answers.

Clear Search

Search Q&A

3 Questions | 4 Answers

Have a new question?

Ask a new question

Search the Product Forum

All Questions

1 of 1

All

Sort by:

SD-8A High Performance Battery Pack

2 Answers

Purpose of Sync Cord

May 20, 2011 by

Torein

Irvine, CA

on SD-8A High Performance Battery Pack

0points

0out of 0found this question helpful.

Was this helpful?helpful0unhelpful0

Report as inappropriate

I recently purchased one of these and wondered what the purpose of the PC Sync Cord was? I would very much like to trigger my flash via the pc sync cord with the SD-8A connected but am not sure if I should do this. I have a SB-800 speedlight.

1 year, 1 month ago

Torein

Irvine, CA

Location :

Irvine, CA

Age: 25-34

Favorite Subject: Portrait

Nikon Family: 2-5 years

Experience: Less than a month

Role: Semi-professional photographer

2 Answers

Answers

0points

0out of 0found this answer helpful.

Was this helpful?helpful0unhelpful0

Report as inappropriate

Best answer

Answer:

If you're talking about the PC sync cord that's on the same cable as the power cord on the SD-8A, this should be connected to the sync terminal on the side of your SB-800. No idea what that supposed to do, but Nikon claims it has something to do with quicker recharging.

May 8, 2012 by

travelwitheric

Seattle, WA, USA

Best answer

Location :

Seattle, WA, USA

Age: 45-54

Favorite Subject: Travel

Nikon Family: 21+ years

Experience: More than a year

Role: Semi-professional photographer

-2points

0out of 2found this answer helpful.

Was this helpful?helpful0unhelpful2

Report as inappropriate

Top 10 contributor

Answer:

the pc sync cord is used to make a connection between a camera and a flash (instead of the hot shoe or wireless remote connection). the SD8A connects to your flash (it's a battery pack), and depending on the sync cord you've bought (is this one that has a hot shoe connection on the camera and a hot shoe to insert your flash into on the other end?) you latch up your flash with the PC sync cord. however, if it's that small circular pc cord, and you don't find a matching outlet on your camera, you have spent your money in vain. anyways, buy a cheap wireless remote (you can even buy ones that transmit TTL information, but those are not that cheap), and start shooting away -- much better than a tangle of wires, believe me.

May 20, 2011 by

AndrsK

Top 10 contributor

1 person is following this questionFollow This Question

Answer this question

SD-8A High Performance Battery Pack

1 answer

is the SD-8a compatible with the SB-900 speed light? Or is it exclusively to be used with the SB-800

Aug 4, 2011 by

Frederick

Pennsylvania

on SD-8A High Performance Battery Pack

0points

0out of 0found this question helpful.

Was this helpful?helpful0unhelpful0

Report as inappropriate

I would like to be using the most versatile battery pack and need one that is compatible with both the SB-900 and SB-800 speed lights as I use them all together and don't want to worry about having the wrong high-performance battery pack on hand.

11 months ago

Frederick

Pennsylvania

Location :

Pennsylvania

Age: 45-54

Favorite Subject: Portrait

Nikon Family: 11-20 years

Experience: More than a year

Role: Professional photographer

1 answer

Answers

+1point

1out of 1found this answer helpful.

Was this helpful?helpful1unhelpful0

Report as inappropriate

Number one contributor

Answer:

The SD-8a will work perfeclty well with the SB-900.

Aug 4, 2011 by

KeithD

Number one contributor

1 person is following this questionFollow This Question

Answer this question

Has staff answer

SD-8A High Performance Battery Pack

1 answer

Can I download a copy of the Owner Manuel for the SD-8A Battery Pack?

Jan 27, 2012 by

Anonymous

on SD-8A High Performance Battery Pack

Has staff answer

0points

0out of 0found this question helpful.

Was this helpful?helpful0unhelpful0

Report as inappropriate

5 months, 2 weeks ago

Anonymous

1 answer

Answers

0points

0out of 0found this answer helpful.

Was this helpful?helpful0unhelpful0

Report as inappropriate

Staff

Answer:

Please click on the link below for information:
Answer Title: How do I use the SD-8A High Performance Battery Pack?
Answer Link: http://support.nikonusa.com/app/ans...
Also, in the list look for the user's manual for the SD-8a:
http://support.nikonusa.com/app/ans...

Jan 30, 2012 by

NikonStaff

Staff

1 person is following this questionFollow This Question

Answer this question

1 of 1

Policies & Guidelines

Ask a new question

Product Q&A

3 Questions | 4 Answers

Read all Q&A

1 of 1

Product Registration

Registering your Nikon product allows us to send you (with your permission) important updates, service information and helpful hints, and it makes it easier should you ever need to call in for help.

Nikon Answers Site

We store all resolved problems in our solution database. If you can’t find a relevant answer, feel free to submit a question to our technical support team.

View Questions & Answers

*SRP (Suggested Retail Price) listed only as a suggestion. Actual prices are set by dealers and are subject to change at any time.

D-SLR Cameras

COOLPIX Cameras

Film Cameras

Software

Film Scanners

D-SLR Lenses

Speedlights

Nikon Product Support

Product FAQs

Contact Us

Corporate Profile

Sponsorship Support

Corporate Gifts and Rewards

Buy direct and save

Save on refurbished products

View special offers

SD-8A High Performance Battery Pack

Product Q&A

Ask your questions. Share your answers.

Answers

Answers

Answers

Product Q&A