CLS confusing SB-80DX?

[welly]

I've got an SB-800 and an SB-80DX. I've been having some troubles with my SB-80 in that it'll fire on full power when it's on 1/128th power, for example. This appears to occur only on remote triggering, as when I turn it off and do a test fire, what looks like the correct amount of light fires.

I have my D300 set to commander mode, my SB-800 on SU-4 mode and my SB-80 on remote. I can fire off a few shots and the SB-80 fires a mixture of very high powered flashes and a few more reasonable powered flashes.

I was trying to work out why this might be and I can only guess either the SB-80 is knackered or when firing using commander mode on the D300, the SB-80 is getting confussled.

Anyone with any ideas? I'm hoping by Friday this isn't going to be an issue as my skyports have arrived and just waiting for the pc sync cables, and so my flashes won't be firing with the nikon remote mode at all.

 

[Flash In The Pan]

AFAIK the SB-80DX has the older Nikon ttl set-up which isn't 100% compatible with CLS.

It should work fine with the Skyports in manual mode though

 

[Barlines]

I think you need to run the inbuilt flash in another mode - commander mode is for Nikons CLS and as far as im aware the SB-80 doesn't do it properly. The SB800 may be intelligent enough to just ignore the preflashs when set to SU-4 but it sound like the SB-80 is not.

I'd try using TTL or manual flash and see if it copes any better to start with

 

[welly]

I was trying to use commander mode with the built-in flash on my D300 so that it would be using the pre-flashes to trigger the remote strobes as opposed to firing off the built-in flash and it having an affect on the scene I'm shooting. I think I'll just have to hold on until Friday for the skyports.

 

[Barlines]

Got you - you dont want tthe onboard contributing to the scene - yeah, thats not gonna work as it is (its just gonna fire when it sees another flash go off) but should hopefully be ok when your cables arrive-not used the skyports but a mate has them and really likes them

 

[welly]

Just read a useful web page about nikon flashes at http://dpanswers.com/nikon_flash.html and they suggest covering up the flash with some slide film. Just so happens I have some slide film. I'll give it a go! It'll do until the end of the week!