Flash in Commander Mode to trigger SB700.. Why is the body flash still firing?

A

AudiSportB5S4

Senior Member
I'm not sure what I changed but I used to have the body flash not fire when I had the setting for CMD mode for the flash to trigger my SB700 wirelessly.

​The other day I couldn't figure out what setting I want to change to get that to not actually fire a flash from the body and only from the SB700.

Thanks for any help!
 
A

AudiSportB5S4

Senior Member
I think I figured out the issue.. I was reading through the manual seems as if when I'm in the menu for selecting what the flash should be doing, when you're in CMD mode you want "--" next to it.. Not TTL or M. "--" indicates no flash. I'll try that and report back for reference if anyone else has the ? later on
 
D

Don Kuykendall_RIP

RIP :(
AudiSportB5S4 said:
I think I figured out the issue.. I was reading through the manual seems as if when I'm in the menu for selecting what the flash should be doing, when you're in CMD mode you want "--" next to it.. Not TTL or M. "--" indicates no flash. I'll try that and report back for reference if anyone else has the ? later on
Click to expand...

I have just starting playing with that with my D7000 and SB-700 and it does have to be on ---
 
A

AudiSportB5S4

Senior Member
Alright well I thought I figured it out.. When I go into that menu for flash, I have it in CMD mode. Built in flash is -- and group a and b are ttl. On channel one. On my sb700 my settings are group a and channel 1.

I'm not sure what I changed but I had it working a few weeks ago! Lol
 
Marcel

Marcel

Happily retired
Staff member
Super Mod
If you read the flash manual carefully, it will state that it is the camera's on board flash that triggers the remote flash in commander mode. So, it's normal to see the on board flash flash. But, this happens a millisecond or two before the remote flash goes and the shutter opens. So, even with the "--" in the menu, you will still see your flash go but it won't be affecting your exposure.
 
W

WayneF

Senior Member
AudiSportB5S4 said:
Alright well I thought I figured it out.. When I go into that menu for flash, I have it in CMD mode. Built in flash is -- and group a and b are ttl. On channel one. On my sb700 my settings are group a and channel 1.

I'm not sure what I changed but I had it working a few weeks ago! Lol
Click to expand...

That sounds right. The group for the internal flash is Mode "- -" to keep it from "firing".

Note though, it still is commander and it still must fire commands. You will still see it firing, but it is firing commands to the remotes before the shutter is open. Mode "- -" just means it will not contribute light into the picture when the shutter does open. Whereas Mode TTL definitely would try to contribute.

A picture of this difference is shown at Using the Nikon CLS Remote Wireless Flash System
 
W

WayneF

Senior Member
Steve B said:
If you don't want to use visible light to trigger the flashes, purchase an SU-800. More range and no trigger "flash".
Click to expand...

Technically, common street wisdom says SU-800 has slightly less range, but it is more invisible.

FV Lock works well to prevent subject blinking however. Or, the $12 Nikon SG-3IR panel provides the same invisible IR function as the SU-800 (it reduces range slightly too).
 
Last edited:
S

Steve B

Senior Member
WayneF said:
Technically, common street wisdom says SU-800 has slightly less range, but it is more invisible.

FV Lock works well to prevent subject blinking however. Or, the $12 Nikon SG-3IR panel provides the same invisible IR function as the SU-800 (it reduces range slightly too).
Click to expand...
Can't guarantee which one has more range but the SU-800 can also be held (or mounted) off camera and pointed in any direction. Just a lot more flexible overall. See some of Joe McNally's videos and/or books where he uses the SU-800 to trigger flashes in positions where the pop-up flash won't work.
 
W

WayneF

Senior Member
As could a speedlight with commander function be mounted off camera (on same hot shoe extension cord), but it does not speak to their range. The SU-800 runs on a CR-2 battery, which is hardly more than half a AAA cell capacity. That does not speak of its range either.

But the tests I've heard people report say the SU-800 is slightly less range than the internal flash. Reports that the internal flash works where the SU-800 on-camera may not work are not uncommon. The red filter does not help its range. :)

This is all just hear-say - I don't have the SU-800. Here is a test of the internal flash however:

dsd_4372.jpg


That is a Remote SB-800 being triggered at 120 feet by commander in D300 internal flash (It lights up the floor :) ). Cannot say it is in sunlight, since the SB-800 is not in sunlight (indoors was not big enough). It was careful line of sight. I would not expect the SU-800 to do that.

Put the red SG-3IR panel on it and it falls to 77 feet (near half, near the side walk). The SB-800 commander only worked at 66 feet (still 14 feet outside). The SB-800 is first version technology, a couple of years older than D300. Nikon specs all of them as 66 feet.
 
A

AudiSportB5S4

Senior Member
My SB700 was being triggered wirelessly from directly behind the camera, in front, off to an angle, etc. I was pleasantly surprised!

I'm so mad because I could have sworn it didn't fire before.. I guess it doesn't really matter since it's not in the exposure.
 
W

WayneF

Senior Member
It has to fire commands, but if you were behind the camera, it may not have been obvious. If taking pictures of people though, it can make them blink at just the wrong time (so you only get pictures of them blinking). Then FV Lock works wonders to bypass that. FV Lock causes the flashing and preflash to occur then, to get it over with. Then the following shutter button doesn't do all that flashing, and there are no blinks.

I've been puzzled by it, if halfway close to the camera (maybe 4 or 5 feet), it doesn't seem to matter where the flash is, and behind the camera works fine. But if farther, then it becomes line of sight, and it becomes important that the sensor (on side of flash with battery door) be in the clear and face back to the commander on camera.
 
A

AudiSportB5S4

Senior Member
Thanks Wayne. I have to read more into the FV lock..

So much to read into haha. I love the camera but feel like I have a lot to learn. Which I like!

I was reading and found out that through the viewfinder if I press one of the funtion buttons up front I can preview what the aperture is going to do for the depth of field.. Pretty crazy I deff have to try that out.
 
Last edited:
Top