D90 / SB 700 off camera question

DoctorJ

DoctorJ

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Hello all, I have the combination above and am trying to get my head around off-camera flash options. I have one BIG question. I have assumed that the SB700 is fired in remote mode by the built in flash on my D90, so I need to have that flash up and on. In the latest issue of N-Photo magazine it says (on this subject):

"Select the commander settings on your DSLR (Custom setting menu / Bracketing / flash / flash control for built in flash) and then switch off the built in flash setting via the same navigation pad. Select TTL for the Group A settings and set the channel that controls the external flash"

As I am trying to achieve a side lit effect this would be great but my SB700 does not fire like this, only when the built in flash fires (which makes side lit tricky as my subject is also lit by the built in flash). I feel like I am really missing something here and could do with some help understanding this.

many thanks
 
I have the D90 and the SB700, so I can confirm you definitely need the on board flash to trigger the 700 remotely.

What they are talking about when they say "then switch off the built in flash setting via the same navigation pad", is in the menu under the commander mode option, you can choose whether you want the on board flash to effect your exposure.

You can choose in this menu to effectively turn off the on board flash. What actually happens is the on board flash will fire before the shutter opens, so only the Sb-700's flash has any effect on exposure.

If you look at this website here:
http://www.momentcorp.com/review/nikon_d90_commander_mode.html
The 4th picture down shows the menu I'm on about. Currently next to "Built In Flash" it's showing TTL. Just change this to show "--". You'll still get the on board flash fire, but it won't show up on your photo, it solely acts as a trigger.
 
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:agree:

OP, the built-in flash fires a series of pre-flashes before the main flash that are so quick they seem like they are the actual flash going off. It's basically a series of codes to tell the flash what it needs to do to give the right exposure. However, to turn the actual built-in flash off, follow the steps above but make sure the built-in flash is set to '--' (and press OK/ENTER) to verify the change. The pre-flashes will still go off but the built-in flash shouldn't contribute to the exposure.
 
specialman said:
The pre-flashes will still go off but the built-in flash shouldn't contribute to the exposure.
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Shouldn't. But it seems they sometimes do (possibly always). Not by much but enough to suggest Nikon might want to relook at this.
 
Thanks for the replies, that has clarified things a lot - will have a go this afternoon and see how it looks.

Thanks again for taking the time.
 
JonathanRyan said:
Shouldn't. But it seems they sometimes do (possibly always). Not by much but enough to suggest Nikon might want to relook at this.
Click to expand...

If the onboard is contributing to the exposure this can be overcome by using an SG-3IR over it :thumbs:
 
Its a flash cover that sits in the hot shoe, and a curved arm holds a plate to cover the on board flash.
 
OK, understand. How about this for an idea - I also have an SB400, I could angle that vertically I suppose to fire the SB700 (although I guess this may make too much ambient light).
 
IIRC SB400 can't act as a commander :( Actually I don't think it will even work as an intelligent (CLS) slave.

So, no.
 
DoctorJ said:
OK, understand. How about this for an idea - I also have an SB400, I could angle that vertically I suppose to fire the SB700 (although I guess this may make too much ambient light).
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Not really, unless you can switch the SB400 to manual (which I don't think you can) then the ttl pre-flash would trigger the SB700 prematurely.

Even if it did work it would mean dumb-slave mode for the 700.....
 
I have d7000 and newly bought SB600 and having some fun with the commander mode.

Only this morning I was wondering on this very question and was about to post, being lazy and not wanting to look at the manuals, and, voila. This is such a good forum for info from experineced people.
 
If you cover the built in flash with a SG-31R so that its flashes dont effect its exposure then surely you are also stopping the pre-flashes communicating with the slave flashes??

I have the same questions as the OP except I have D700 and am wanting fire off 2 slave flashes, one of which in a softbox from the front so I dont want the in camera flash giving any light.

Options as I see it:
a) Use a mini softbox (slots into hotshoe and attached to Nikon name on camera to soften in camera flash but still allow preflash / main flash depending how you set up

b) use an SU800 as commander in the hotshoe to fire off one or more slave flashes

c) use wireless remotes but these will require manual off flash adjustment

d) pocket wizards

so..... a) sounds viable for £12-15 b) is about £200 c) 30-£150 depending on what you select d) £400-500 and likely way to expensive

Of course there may be something else that someone could suggest to the OP?
 
FrattonFreak said:
If you cover the built in flash with a SG-31R so that its flashes dont effect its exposure then surely you are also stopping the pre-flashes communicating with the slave flashes??
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No, the SG-3IR is designed to block the visible light from the onboard flash but let the infrared (hence the "IR" tag) portion of the flash's output through. The triggering data is contained within that infrared band.
 
Graham - you're the man. I never even knew about the IR element to all this and that now makes perfect sense. I imagine this is why there are the two channels as well - I was always confused that regardless of the channel you chose, the remote flash would be activated by the flash from the commander, but from what you say it isn't actually the flash (ie the light itself) that triggers the remote but an IR signal. You havent got 24,300 posts to your name for nothing! Would you consider offering yourself to Nikon to write instruction manuals?
 
DoctorJ said:
Graham - you're the man. I never even knew about the IR element to all this and that now makes perfect sense. I imagine this is why there are the two channels as well - I was always confused that regardless of the channel you chose, the remote flash would be activated by the flash from the commander, but from what you say it isn't actually the flash (ie the light itself) that triggers the remote but an IR signal. You havent got 24,300 posts to your name for nothing! Would you consider offering yourself to Nikon to write instruction manuals?
Click to expand...

It is the flash light, but only the near-IR component of it. There is no additional IR signal.
 
DoctorJ said:
it isn't actually the flash (ie the light itself) that triggers the remote but an IR signal
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Nope.

It's the flash itself. It's just that the IR component of it is sufficient.

The SU800 uses infra red only and AFAIK doesn't emit any visible light.
 
FrattonFreak said:
but using the SG-3IR to shield any flash light from the built in flash but still fire multiple slave flashes is a hell of a lot cheaper than using an SU800 ;)
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But miles more time-consuming and annoying, going in and out of menus... ;)
 
FrattonFreak said:
menus? Just one isn't it to set in camera flash as commander plus set the speedlites as slaves?
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When doing it via the camera still need to keep going back into the menu every time you need to adjust the power or ratios, with an SU-800 it's much quicker.

Using an SU-800 also gives you greater range, plus if you place it on a TTL cord you have greater flexibility about placement of the flashes, as you can move it around off-camera.
 
FrattonFreak said:
ahhh OK, thanks for the feedback

The only problem is that these are still expensive 2nd hand else I would have got one from ebay
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Expensive isa relative term, if you buy it right then it'll lose little when you come to resell. They turn up in the Classifieds every so often....
 
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Flash In The Pan said:
Expensive isa relative term, if you buy it right then it'll lose little when you come to resell. They turn up in the Classifieds every so often....
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:) reminds me of something my father used to say - for the engineering you get Rolls Royce's aren't expensive, I still can't afford one!
 
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