Each generation of Nikon flash systems has become more powerful and flexible, but also more complex. Understanding how the latest version, dubbed Creative Lighting System (CLS) works, and how to make the most of it, can be a daunting task, especially since each Nikon flash unit has slightly different controls, and works in a slightly different way. Fortunately, Mike Hagen’s new book, The Nikon Creative Lighting System, provides an easy-to-read, soup-to-nuts, dissection of CLS and specific, detailed instructions on how to use it with just about every model of Nikon flash – both on and off camera.

The book is not a treatise on the art of flash photography, despite having a useful chapter at the back with some examples. If you want to be inspired by the creative possibilities of CLS, you can’t beat Joe McNally’s excellent Hot Shoe Diaries. It is, however, a lot easier place to start if you’re still struggling the the basic concepts and controls of all the various pieces of flash gear that Nikon has produced. CLS is an amazing system, capable of producing results as good as a much more expensive and less portable studio strobe setup in many situations – if you know how to use all the pieces. As usual the Nikon owner’s manuals are only mildly helpful in that regard, and of course each one only talks about the piece of gear for which it was written. Hagen’s book pulls together the entire product line in one place and shows you how to use them.

I can pick some nits on the content itself, but not many. For example, Hagen recommends using traditional NiMH rechargeable AA batteries, when from all of my testing, I get much faster recycle times from long-life NiMH AAs, despite their lower rated capacity (as a side note, the long-life versions are all I use in my vertical grips and my AA flashes and flash power packs. They are much better than traditional NiMH AAs for all those situations, and they don’t lose their charge just by sitting for a week or two). His example chapter is also not as helpful as it could be, since he doesn’t actually show the setup he used, merely describes it in the text. And the book doesn’t really show or diagram multi-flash positioning, so it isn’t going to help you set up your studio or photo shoot artistically. Overall though, the content is solid and well put together, certainly a huge upgrade from just trying to sort out what’s what from reading the Nikon manuals. It is published by rockynook and available from Amazon for $25.