remote wireless flash for Nikon D3

Dee_000

Dee_000

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Donna
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Hi

I'm collating bits of kit for my new Nikon D3 and I am keen to have a remote wireless flash in my collection.

Does anyone have any recommendation to the type that I should get, I will probably need two triggers and to be capable of taking pictures up to a shutter speed of 500

thanks :)

D
 
If you really want sync at 1/500s then AFAIK there are only 2 choices:

1. CLS using SB900/800 etc and maybe an SU800

2. Pocket Wizard FlexTTs and recent Nikon flashguns (900/800 etc)

Radiopoppers and those flashguns might also work.

You could save yourself a lot of money by putting up with 1/250s.
 
Thanks very much Jonathan

I will have a look at your recommendations, but unfortunately if I want to start to go towards more specilised equine photography, then it makes sense to save up for the kit that will give me more options

D
 
Dee_000 said:
Hi

I'm collating bits of kit for my new Nikon D3 and I am keen to have a remote wireless flash in my collection.

Does anyone have any recommendation to the type that I should get, I will probably need two triggers and to be capable of taking pictures up to a shutter speed of 500

thanks :)

D
Click to expand...

Can I ask why you want/need 1/500 of a second with flash?
 
Dee_000 said:
Because horses move fast :lol::lol:
Click to expand...

That suggests you don't understand the basics of flash photography. Also if you're planning to use it at equine events it suggests you don't know that flash photography is frowned upon.....
 
Flash In The Pan said:
That suggests you don't understand the basics of flash photography. Also if you're planning to use it at equine events it suggests you don't know that flash photography is frowned upon.....
Click to expand...

Excuse me.... but I do understand the basics of photography, and I do know that flash photography is frowned upon at events is it not something that I ever do. Being a horsewoman I know the effect that a flash can have on a horse, plus I also know that using a flash on a camera wouldnt be effective in any way as it probably wouldnt even reach the target being photographed.

I wouldnt be using this kind of photography at events it would be a scheduled portrait sessions!
 
Dee_000 said:
Excuse me.... but I do understand the basics of photography, and I do know that flash photography is frowned upon at events is it not something that I ever do. Being a horsewoman I know the effect that a flash can have on a horse, plus I also know that using a flash on a camera wouldnt be effective in any way as it probably wouldnt even reach the target being photographed.

I wouldnt be using this kind of photography at events it would be a scheduled portrait sessions!
Click to expand...

Sorry,no disrespect meant, but if you are saying you need 1/500 flash sync speed "because horses move fast" then it's apparent that you don't understand the basics of flash photography.

The burst of light from the flash (which considerably shorter than 1/500) freezes the subject, not the shutter speed of the camera.
 
flash 101

Shutter speed controls how much ambient light is in the shot
Aperture broadly controls how much flash (and the little residual ambient) is in the shot

So I use a fast shutter speed to effectively attempt to black out the ambient light, this is useful if you are doing dramatic cross-lighting with the sun and a flash. However, since my flash duration is a small fraction of even a fast shutter speed, the full burst still is used in the shot. Hence, I use my choice in shutter speed to BALANCE my ambient light with my flash

Yo however are shooting fast moving objects, and yes the right flash will freeze them, but flashing horses is a no no. so you have the same choice that all motorsport journalists have

- fast lens
- high ish shutter speed
- high ish ISO (if needed)
- pop the camera on a monopod
- pan the shot


Go have a look at the Strobist 101 tutorials
http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html
 
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Unless that one stop of shutter speed up from the standard sync of 1/250th is important, standard manual triggering is the best option. As said, you don't really need shutter speeds of that duration, especially if you're doing posed portraiture, and anyway, high-speed sync will just kill power output and render and speed advantages a bit useless if you can't get the power out there to begin with.

Get a pair of Nikon flashes, something like the SB800/700/900, and you should be fine :)

CLS will obviously help work in auto modes because it's pretty much plug 'n' play and works around the sync speed issue but a manual approach shouldn't be too much of a hindrance if ambient levels aren't changing too much
 
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CLS will work at over 1/250s.

But I really wouldn't rely on it for horses.
 
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