Please help me set my flash up!

[AshleyC]

Ok, wireless flash setup.

I have a Nikon D300, a Nissin Di866 Mk2 and 2 Yongnuo wireless flash triggers.

I cant work out how to get the Nissin to fire.

On the D300 ive gone into the Bracketing/Flash menu and set Flash Control for built in flash to commander mode. Ive set the channel switch on the Yongnuo to channel 1 and put that in the hotshoe. Ive gone into the wireless menu on the Nissin and set it to Remote, channel 1 group A.

Now i was hoping that would be it but the flash doesnt fire.

So just how do you set up your camera / flash gun for remote wireless flash. I can trigger the flash fine with the pop up flash on the camera but i dont want to use that.

Can someone, in as noddy speak as possible, spell it out as to how you set it all up?

Cheers in advance

 

[HoppyUK]

YN RF-602/3 are manual only. Forget the Nikon's on-board wireless system.

Set camera to manual, shutter speed no higher than 1/200sec, maybe 1/160sec to be certain, or longer (longer speeds allow you to balance flash with the ambient light). Transmitter in hot-shoe.

Receiver on Nissin. Set power to manual. Flash will now fire in sync.

Flash exposure is controlled by Nissin power, or f/number, or ISO. Shutter speed has no effect on flash exposure, but if you go above 1/200sec you will start to get a dark band at the bottom.

 

[18%grey]

It all sounds a bit complicated reading how you have been trying

to fire your flash.

I use these flash triggers and all I do is make sure trigger and receiver are

on the same channel and that's it. I don't change any settings in camera

or on the flash. Everything is on manual and set with a flash meter.

 

[AshleyC]

thanks peeps. Yeah i was assuming it would all be automatic. Once i put the Nisson in Manual mode and set the strength myself it all worked happily Also didnt realise you needed to plug one of the Yongnuo's into the flash, i just thought setting the channel in the flash would pick it up. Anyway, flashing away like a madman now.


So what do you need to make it wirelessly work in TTL mode then and get the camera to work everything out like stengths. I guess youd have to buy the Nikon transmitters? Just seems a shame to have spent the extra on the posher Nissin only to have to do it all manually at the end of the day.

 

[HoppyUK]

thanks peeps. Yeah i was assuming it would all be automatic. Once i put the Nisson in Manual mode and set the strength myself it all worked happily Also didnt realise you needed to plug one of the Yongnuo's into the flash, i just thought setting the channel in the flash would pick it up. Anyway, flashing away like a madman now.


So what do you need to make it wirelessly work in TTL mode then and get the camera to work everything out like stengths. I guess youd have to buy the Nikon transmitters? Just seems a shame to have spent the extra on the posher Nissin only to have to do it all manually at the end of the day.

The Nikon SU-800 transmitter is just a slightly better version of the pop-up for commander functions. It uses semi-IR light instead of visible, and still has the same drawbacks (doesn't like working in bright light, shortish range) but it is full auto-TTL.

If you want those functions using radio, think £400 for Pocket Wizards or Radio Poppers. Big Nissin is a good gun, plenty of poke and high speed sync. You'll be glad you got it

 

[jomike]

thanks peeps. Yeah i was assuming it would all be automatic. Once i put the Nisson in Manual mode and set the strength myself it all worked happily Also didnt realise you needed to plug one of the Yongnuo's into the flash, i just thought setting the channel in the flash would pick it up. Anyway, flashing away like a madman now.


So what do you need to make it wirelessly work in TTL mode then and get the camera to work everything out like stengths. I guess youd have to buy the Nikon transmitters? Just seems a shame to have spent the extra on the posher Nissin only to have to do it all manually at the end of the day.

If you want to have full TTL functionality, why can't you just use the built in flash? If you do not want the built in flash to contribute to the exposure you can set it to -- in the CLS setup menu to turn the power right down. There is also a filter available from Nikon if the inbuilt flash is still too strong.

Radio triggers will give you more range, so if you need this you will have to get the Pocket Wizards or equivalent.