Simple 'Yes' or 'No' question about the Nikon SB-15 Speedlight.

Naboo32

Naboo32

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Hi Folks!

I recently picked myself up a (very, very cheap :D) SB-15 Speedlight, so that I could have the option of using its bounce flash function to help out my Nikon FE SLR with indoor shots with film in the ISO200-400 range.

However, the FE model (as opposed to the FE2) does not offer TTL flash metering and so I cannot use the TTL function (which I knew before I bought the SB-15). What I can't understand is why the flash seems to be putting out exactly the same amount of power regardless of whether I use it in A1, A2 or M modes :thinking:!? I realise that the camera defaults to a s/s of 1/90th sec., regardless of where you put the speed dial, so here is my question:

Does the SB-15 always put out a fixed amount of power when used in A and M modes (on a non-TTL flash camera, like the Nikon FE). Yes, or no :shrug:?

It seems to me that the dials on the top are purely 'calculators' (kind of like slide rules), used to tell you how far away to stand from your subject, depending on the aperture and ISO that you're using, but equally there might be a variable resistor underneath the main dial, controlling the power output to the flash - I just don't know which scenario is true :shrug:!? Any help with understanding that would be much appreciated ;).

Also, I've tried it on my D700 and it appears to always kick out the same amount of power whatever settings I use. Is mine broken, or is that how it's meant to work :|?

Incidentally, I have read this (usually marvellously helpful) website three times over and it doesn't really make it clear :shrug: ...

Link ...

Thanks in advance for your help :thumbs:!
 
Naboo32 said:
Does the SB-15 always put out a fixed amount of power when used in A and M modes (on a non-TTL flash camera, like the Nikon FE). Yes, or no :shrug:?
Click to expand...


The answer is probably Yes and No. According to page 23 of the manual for the SB-16:

  • M mode (manual) - flash always fires at its maximum light output, regardless of flash-to-subject distance.
  • A mode (non-TTL auto) - light output varies automatically according to the flash-to-subject distance. Instead of light being measured though the lens it is measured by the light sensor on the front of the SB-16.
The same probably goes for the SB-15 - if it has the sensor.

http://www.lensinc.net/freeuser.html
 
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Just found an SB-15 manual here - http://www.butkus.org/chinon/nikon/nikon_sb_flashes/nikon_sb_flashes.htm

There doesn't appear to be a sensor.

Edit: ignore that - there's a sensor under the word SPEEDLIGHT.

Page 19 of the SB-15 manual says that in A mode (non-TTL auto) light output varies automatically according to the flash-to-subject distance. Instead of light being measured though the lens it is measured by the light sensor on the front of the SB-15.
 
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Ozei said:
Just found an SB-15 manual here - http://www.butkus.org/chinon/nikon/nikon_sb_flashes/nikon_sb_flashes.htm

There doesn't appear to be a sensor.

Edit: ignore that - there's a sensor under the word SPEEDLIGHT.

Page 19 of the SB-15 manual says that in A mode (non-TTL auto) light output varies automatically according to the flash-to-subject distance. Instead of light being measured though the lens it is measured by the light sensor on the front of the SB-15.
Click to expand...

Woo hoo :D! Well done for finding that link, Ozei.

I searched for ages to find a free online copy of the manual, but misread that website and thought that I had to pay for the privilege ;).

So now I see, the Auto settings do actually offer a different level of output (as one would expect, otherwise why have them :shrug:). I think that my confusion arose because the tests that I was making indoors required full power anyway (for a 'correct' exposure), which is why I saw no difference in the modes :bonk:.

Thanks a lot to you and to Stoptime for replying :thumbs:!
 
Me again!

Just picked up my second SB-15 today (for £5 on ebay :lol:) and realised that as well as using them on my Nikon FE SLRs, I can also trigger them via radio triggers and pop them wherever I like :).

The amount of control over the output is somewhat limited, I must confess, but as they are so portable I will probably carry them with me a lot more often and balance the outputs from each by simply positioning them differently (if there's no other way to do it :shrug:).

So, not the last word in professional lighting, but great value at £17 for the pair (plus whatever the triggers were). Here's a sexy pic :D ....

DSC_0146_799.jpg
 
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Michael Sewell said:
Both your 15s are in better nick than mine. Much better!
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Are they :)? They both look as if they were owned by people who used them sparingly and then put them away (for 20+ years) with the batteries in :bang:, as they both had an amount of corrosion in the battery compartments. Mind you, that soon cleaned off and now they're both working a treat.

I just can't believe how cheap some of this kit is becoming these days :shrug:. Any Nikon (film mainly) gear which doesn't make Ken Rockwell's Top 10 list :lol: seems to be considered worthless in the world of ebay :(. I narrowly avoided acquiring a third one of these SB-15s last week - I stopped bidding at 6,20 Euros and the winner got it for 6,70 Euros!

Sorry to go on about the price, Michael, especially of you've had yours longer and had to pay more for them :shake:. It's just that I went out and spent nearly 700 quid on a pair of SB-900s when I first got a taste for off-camera flash and although they are light years ahead of these 15s in terms of user-friendly automation, the SB-15s can quite probably give the same end result (albeit with an awful lot more fiddling about :shrug:) in many cases.

What do you use your for, BTW, Michael :)?
 
Michael Sewell said:
Gathering dust :lol:

Actually, I've just kept a lot of my old gear through the ages. If you want finesse from older speedlights, keep your eyes open for some SB 24s, great guns for off camera work.
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Thanks for the tip :thumbs:! I doubt that I'll find an SB-24 as cheaply though, but I'll keep an eye out.

Because my FEs have no TTL flash metering, I originally just wanted something very basic, but capable of doing bounce flash in both camera orientations from the hot shoe. That's how I came to have the first SB-15 :|.

Since then, I've begun to see them as a really useful, ultra-portable flash option for use with my DSLRs - they fit right into the back/side pockets of my camera bags, too :).
 
Plus you can swing the foot down so as the flash coverage can match the frame (ie, landscape coverage etc). Always thought that was quite neat, as there was a Sunpak at the time that looked damn near identical, but was permanently upright. Never could figure why they would have portrait orientation for the flash coverage that would leave quite obvious fall off visible along the frame edges. :cuckoo:
 
Michael Sewell said:
Plus you can swing the foot down so as the flash coverage can match the frame (ie, landscape coverage etc). Always thought that was quite neat, as there was a Sunpak at the time that looked damn near identical, but was permanently upright. Never could figure why they would have portrait orientation for the flash coverage that would leave quite obvious fall off visible along the frame edges. :cuckoo:
Click to expand...

Are we talking about the SB-15 now :)?

Yes, the 180 degree rotation on the foot is a Godsend! You can even flip the whole unit upside down and then open the bounce flash window to point downward :eek:! Could be good for macro work, or for making silly test shots by bouncing it off a shiny wooden floor (notice the upward shadows, not to mention the 'sinister' lighting on the ugly mug :D) ....

AJH_3437_1000.jpg


Although I'm rather enjoying my new-found freedom to be able to take them off the camera and hold one in each hand, to make even more weird test shots (from a couple of hours ago) :lol: ...

Blinded_by_the_Light_01_1000.jpg


Just need to find a proper use for them now ;).
 
Ozei said:
PS. Whack up the contrast - see what happens.
Click to expand...

Blinded_by_the_Light_02_1000.jpg


Better :shrug:? I think it probably is.

Actually, I'd already boosted the contrast on the first image, as it was a little faint in the RAW file.

Incidentally, this was just one long(ish) exposure - I stayed out of the frame for a couple of seconds and then wandered in and stood waiting for the rear curtain flash to go off ;).
 
Overall I think it's better, although some of the shadow detail in the scarf has gone - perhaps a bit of selective tweaking in Capture NX2 would sort it out.
 
It wasn't really a 'keeper', just a bit of fun to test out the wireless flash, so I'm not too bothered really ;).

Anyway, I'm off to Venice in a couple of hours (brag, brag :D) for a little photographic break and am taking one of the SB-15s with me instead of the SB-900 that I had previously planned to take (to save weight and space). Not sure if I'm really going to need a flash for the kind of (landscape) shots that I'm planning to take, but it's great to have one along just in case ;).

If I do use it for anything worth sharing, I'll come back here and post a couple of pics :D.
 
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