Just caught this thread today. Look, if you've got a big family session coming up next Saturday, you definitely dont want to be sweating over whether your flash is gonna pop or not. In my experience over the years, the third-party stuff has come a long way, but if you're worried about reliability above all else, sticking with native Nikon gear is the safest bet for that D780. I've been using the Nikon SB-910 Speedlight for ages and honestly, it never skips a beat. You can usually find them used for around 200 bucks now, which is a total steal considering they used to be the top-tier pro model. Recycle time is usually a battery issue tho. If you go the used Nikon route, please dont use those cheap drugstore alkalines. Grab some Panasonic Eneloop Pro AA High Capacity Ni-MH batteries. Seriously, it makes a massive difference in how fast the flash recovers between shots compared to standard AAs. If you really want to save some cash but want that pro feel without the high price tag, the Godox V860III-N for Nikon is a great alternative well under your budget. It uses a lithium battery pack so you dont even have to mess with AAs, and it is way more reliable than those older Neewer units you're struggling with. Just make sure you test it out a few times before Saturday so you're comfortable with the menus... nothing worse than fumbling with settings while a family is staring at you waiting for the next shot.

Quick thought while I'm waiting for a file export! While the SB-700 is a classic, I'd actually recommend staying away from it if recycle time is your main headache. Tech has moved on so much! You should check out the newer Li-ion units because they honestly blow AA battery flashes out of the water when it comes to speed and consistency. I love these for portraits:

• Godox V1-N Round Head Camera Flash for Nikon
• Amazing 1.5s recycle time at full power! The round head gives fantastic light falloff for headshots.
• Godox V860III-N TTL Flash for Nikon
• Basically the same internal beast but with a standard rectangular head. Both of these deliver roughly 480 full-power flashes per charge. You wont even need to swap batteries mid-session. The SB-700 is just way too slow for a fast-paced family shoot imo!

Stumbled upon this today and man, I feel that frustration deep in my soul. There is nothing worse than that sinking feeling when your gear just decides to quit while you have a client staring at you. I have been tracking the failure rates and recycle curves on my older gear and the inconsistency is just staggering when you actually look at the data. A few massive red flags to keep in mind:

• Cheap logic boards that cant handle rapid firing without desyncing
• Fresnel lenses that trap heat and risk melting the internal housing
• Low-quality capacitors that cause massive recycle time variance as they age It is honestly exhausting having to constantly monitor your equipment for these technical failures instead of actually composing the shot. If the duty cycle isnt rated for high-volume portraiture, youre basically just waiting for a disaster to happen mid-shoot. Its just so draining...

Works great for me