Which flash for my d3000 nikon on budget?

Hi I'm trying to decide whether to buy a flash or not? I have considered the sb-700 but is very expensive as I'm just an amateur so I'm looking at the Metz range and the sunpak range does anyone have any advice on their quality? And particularly the Metz Mecabiltz 50 af 1 compared to the sb-700 as it is considerably cheaper.

The Metz 50 is one of the best flashes on the market, bar none. It is fully compatible with your Nikon and the CLS flash system. It is better compared to the SB-600 than 700, but is a better flash than the 600. You can almost get 2 of the Metz units for the price of 1 SB-700, and I would!

Sunpak… Used to be a major player in the flash market. I still have 2 of their handle mount units, a 522 and a 611. Now… They are still out there, but I'd go with Metz over Sunpak in a heartbeat. I have 3 Metz flash units, (2) 45CL-1 and a 32. They just work, and they work well.