Best Flash for Nikon D5500

The picks, in detail

01

Nikon SB-5000 AF Speedlight

Nikon's flagship speedlight, fully compatible with the D5500 and built for shooters who want the brand's most powerful, most capable flash.

$550-$650Check price on Amazonor eBay

• Guide number ~113ft at 35mm / 180ft at 200mm
• Radio-controlled wireless (with WR-R10 module)
• Quick-access control buttons
• Robust build

• Nikon’s top-tier flash performance and reliability

• Priced well beyond what most D5500 owners need

02

Nikon SB-700 AF Speedlight

A genuinely mid-level Nikon speedlight that covers most D5500 shooters' needs without the SB-5000's price tag.

$280-$350Check price on Amazonor eBay

• Full i-TTL support
• Three illumination pattern settings
• Wireless commander/remote capability
• Bounce/swivel head

• Strong balance of features and price within Nikon’s own lineup

• No built-in radio wireless like the SB-5000

03

Nikon SB-500 AF Speedlight

A budget-friendly Nikon-branded option that doubles as an LED video light, good for D5500 owners who shoot both stills and video.

$150-$200Check price on Amazonor eBay

• i-TTL support
• Built-in LED continuous light
• Wireless remote/commander capability
• Compact size

• Cheapest way into a genuine Nikon-branded flash

• Lower guide number than the SB-700/SB-5000

04

Godox TT860II

A third-party TTL-capable flash with a rechargeable lithium battery, priced well under any Nikon-branded option.

$70-$100Check price on Amazon

• i-TTL compatible (Nikon-fit version)
• Li-ion battery pack
• Manual and TTL modes
• Standard hot-shoe mount

• TTL metering at a fraction of Nikon’s own flash pricing

• Menu and build quality trail Nikon’s own units

05

Godox/Flashpoint R2 TTL Flash

Sold as Godox or under Adorama's Flashpoint branding, this TTL flash uses easy-to-find NiMH batteries instead of a proprietary pack.

$130-$180Check price on Amazonor eBay

• i-TTL compatible
• NiMH battery power
• Manual and TTL modes
• Standard hot shoe

• Battery flexibility versus lithium-only competitors

• NiMH batteries recycle slower than Li-ion under heavy use

06

Yongnuo YN560 IV

A long-running, purely manual flash that's a reliable budget choice if you don't need TTL metering and are comfortable dialing in power by hand.

$50-$70Check price on Amazonor eBay

• Manual power control only
• Built-in radio trigger/receiver
• Bounce/swivel head
• Wide compatibility (no camera-brand TTL contacts needed)

• Very low price for a manual flash with a built-in radio system

• No TTL metering – power has to be set manually every time

07

Neewer TT560

The entry point of this list – a fully manual flash for D5500 owners who just want basic off-camera or hot-shoe fill light on a tight budget.

$25-$40Check price on Amazonor eBay

• Manual power control
• Standard hot shoe (no TTL contacts needed)
• Bounce/swivel head
• Built-in optical slave trigger

• Lowest price on this list by a wide margin

• No TTL, no radio trigger built in – optical slave only

What each one costs

Typical price, cheapest first. Tap a name to jump to that pick and its buy link.

Compare any three

Buying tips

• The D5500 has no built-in commander/master mode, so if you want wireless off-camera TTL flash, you need a flash or trigger with its own radio/optical wireless system – the SB-5000 (with the WR-R10 receiver) or a radio-equipped Godox unit handle this; the manual Yongnuo/Neewer units rely on optical slave instead.
• Nikon’s own SB-series flashes give the most reliable i-TTL metering; third-party Nikon-fit flashes are generally close but can occasionally misfire in tricky mixed lighting.
• If budget is tight, a manual flash (YN560 IV or TT560) plus bouncing off a ceiling or wall gets you most of the quality improvement over the pop-up flash for a fraction of a TTL unit’s price.
• Always buy the Nikon-fit (not Canon/Sony) version of any third-party flash – the hot-shoe contacts and TTL communication differ by brand.