Flash for nikon D5100?

There's many to choose from. But i would like one for night shots. I have the Nikon D5100 Body + 18-105mm ED VR Lens Kit. Just wondering if you guys had any experience on to which one is really good for night shots. I have heard the SB700 would work good but I'm wondering if the brand Zeikos or Meike would work as well since they are less expensive

Nikon flash units are dedicated units that communicate with the camera and use what Nikon calls their Creative Lighting System (CLS).It is patented, so no third party flash units can use it.

Third party flash units are less expensive for a reason. They do not have the features that Nikon flash units have and they are not built as ruggedly as the Nikon units.

I have some older (15 years old) Nikon SB flash units and they still work just fine. I use them as slave flashes when I need extra light in the backgrounds when shooting on location. I usually use them with some kind of light modifier and sometimes with coloured gels just to jazz up the backgrounds

Flashes are the one item I always recommend to buy the name brand; i.e. Nikon. If you insist on a 3rd party flash, look at the better ones, such as Metz. And the better flashes are really not much cheaper.

One issue with cheap flashes is that they are either weak, or the flash tube doesn't last long. Once I saw some cheap macro flash units that had a life rating of only around 150 shots. Not very cost effective in my view.

Nikon products cost more for a reason, quality. I always buy Nikon products for my Nikon cameras.
The SB-700 is a very good flash. I wouldn't mind having one myself.

Zeikos is a reseller, not a maker. It is the same cheap Chinese flash that gets branded Bower, Vivitar, and about 15 other names.

In other words, junk.

Metz, on the other hand, is a high quality maker of flash units. They are every bit as good as the Nikon flashes, with full CLS compatibility. They are not cheap, but they are less expensive than the equal Nikon unit.

No matter which route you take, get the most flash you can afford. You can always reduce power if you need to, but you can't add more if you don't have it. Something like the older SB-800 or the newer 900, or the Metz 58, would be the best option. The SB-700 or the Metz 50 would be good 2nd choices if you can't swing the more expensive models.

You're right about the vast choice!

You have to decide whether you pay the price of Nikon brands or whether you go for a cheaper option. Then there's do you want manual flash or are you sticking with TTL (auto flash metering) - I'd recommend learning how to light manually.

Your D5100 does not have the pop-up flash commander mode that compatible Nikon speedlights use to work the Nikon CLS off camera flash, so the need for an SB700 or above is a bit moot (unless you plan a body upgrade in the near future).

Personally, although I have 3 Nikon speedlights (2x SB600 + SB800) I use most regularly my cheap manual Chinese flashes - Yongnuo YN560's. These cost around £50 each.

Although my camera does allow Nikon CLS, I find that radio triggers are more reliable than optical and use RF602's to fire the flash off camera - again about £20 a set.

This is a swim shoot I did using 2x YN560's plus RF602 radio triggers on a D300;

Simply walk into the Nikon store and get the biggest and baddest looking Nikon branded flash with TTL you can afford.