TTL and Strobism...talk to me.

FreeloaderJoe

FreeloaderJoe

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There seems to be some confusion on here about 'older' flashes particularly in terms of strobism (because new flashes are so expensife!).

Please correct (true or false...and a correction?!) my following queries.

1.TTL is 'through the lens' metering. So that means that if i want the camera to automatically meter the light and adjust flash power automaticaly, this is where TTL has its merits...as i won't have to compensate for the flash within my camera. The result of which is the version of TTL compatible with the latest Nikon cameras, means that you are forced to buy su-400/600/800/900

2. When strobin' about some people use upto 4/5 flashes to light their work. If they are all comptible with TTL does that mean that they can use their camera's light meter to judge exposure. e.g. will a Nikon DLSR compensate for more than one flash as long as they are all compantible?

3. Will all Nikon flashes work as 'slave flashes' or do i need to purchase something extra. I'm talking of the likes of the SB-80DX or an SB-28 or even earlier?

3a. If all these flashes will work as a 'slave' why do people bother with a hot shoe adaptor cable? Unless one flash is needed to fire off the other slave flashes?

4. If i'm experimenting with strobing and set up a number of flashes manually (i.e. i dictate the power of the flash etc.) then surely whether or not the flash has TTl compatibility is irrelevant?

4a. If it is irrelevant, how do people meter the subject...if there a formula they use or is it trial and error and experimentation (when not using a TTL metering...using manually controlled off camera flashes).
 
Hopefully I can answer this....

1) I believe there's a difference between TTL and iTTL, the latter of which is supported by the SB-400/600-800/900. You can use older SB models (like an SB28) for TTL but there's no CLS option.
I can use my SB-26 on my D200 with no problems but the results, aren't as good as the SB800 in really tricky conditions for some reason. Think that's the difference between TTL and iTTL - iTTL 'thinks' more about what the camera and flash should do.

2) Not too sure of this but if anything, you'd at least have to connect them via a TTL cable. This is something I'm keen to try for this year when trying to achieve studio-standard lighting outdoors.

3) Anything with a slave function (usually a switch with a lighning symbol) will work. I use a SB26 in conjunction with a SB800 and the built-in flash on the D200 with no problems. I have to set the SB26 on manual mode because it's full wireless.I think you also need to check that the flash has a light sensetive diode on the front to react to the main flash as a slave.

3a) I think people use hotshoe adaptors when they're either not using a wireless device or a flash on the camera to trigger the flashes. Other than that, I think the other reason is when using a TTL cable to retain full TTL function.

4) Ys, it's irrelevant when the flashes are set manually. Tha's what I do for magazine work.

4a) Metering, for me, is just done by trial and error and by experience. You could use a light meter attached to the main flash to fire that (and subsequently fire the slave unit) or do as I do and set the slave unit to a reasonable power level, and then shoot on PROGRAM so the camera is balancing that against the power of the on-board flash (my SB800) and the ambient light.

As posted in another similar thread, here's an example of that process:

DSC7726.jpg
 
generally with strobist style work its all manual, I have one ttl speedlight (for when I want on camera) and one manual only I will most likely be getting more manual only units for involved strobist work
 
Regarding the hotshoe adapters, I use them on my SB-600s as they don't have a PC port to plug a trigger like a Pocket Wizard or Cactus into. If you have flashes that are all compatible with Nikon's CLS or that have a built-in slave, like the SB-26 then you don't need them.

You can always add optical triggers to any flash to get it to fire as a slave, but I've never found these to be much cop out of doors in anything approaching sunlight. I would imagine bright sunlight would also interfere with any other light-based trigger system, such as that used by Nikon.
 
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