Building a two flash system. One flash at camera, second flash on assistant.

Hi there,
for quite some time I am trying to build a lighting system around my d750 camera.
The purpose is to have a system
that gives flexibility and at the same being portable. It could be be used when I have assistant
but also when being supported by just a light stand.


Ideally, I would like to have a flash on camera axis and a second flash on a light stick (assistant or tripod). That would allow me to shoot with my main light away from camera axis and still when needed use my flash on camera axis (as the only main). Of course that gives me the alternative my cameras flash to be a weak fill light together with my main light that is on the tripod/assistant.


In the past I had a transmitter (622n-tx) on camera mounted and the fill light flash mounted on a flash bracket (since the 622n-tx does not have hot shoe). That allowed me to have one flash close to camera axis and one as main light at my assistant. The problem though is that a flash bracket makes my system just too bulky to hand hold and I am not goind to try it again.


Then I also tried the yongnuo 622n that allowed me to use my sb-700 as master flash (and configure it as weak fill flash) and at the same wirelessly fire my main flash. That works great although as you can see from setup below makes camera bulky and heavy and at the same time it feels less sturdy (you have the feeling that yongnuo 622n will break at camera or at flash mount points). See image below how bulky it becomes



Another option was to leave out of the game the 622n triggers and work with the nikons cls system. Although my research and experience gave me mixed feelings. The preflash would cause subject to blink eyes and reliability is an issue.
The biggest advantage for using the cls system is that the tiny sb-500 flash can be used on camera axis as commander and that is tiny and lightway. I know that this is not a strong flash but it would be great as a fill flash (and much better as trigger system and more more powerful that the in build flash). And even better the flash locks very strurdily in the mount and feel great and very robust.







To be honest I am not super happy with my two above options and thus I ask everyone to help me understand if are other options. Godox g1n triggers did not support my sb-700 flash nor my sb-500 one.


An ideal system would be a system that would allow me to mount on camera a tiny flash, sb-400 or sb-500, and that trigger would have two buttons to set the mounted flash of -2 FEC and my main light as FEC 0. Godox-g1n came quite close on that although felt short on supporting my flashes.


Brainstorm, let me know what you think and if any other system can do what I am looking for.


Thanks for reading. Appreciating
Regards
Alex

As long as you set your second flash on optical slave, you have the best of both. Without using a flash trigger and without too much more thought. You are overthinking this.

skene said:

As long as you set your second flash on optical slave, you have the best of both. Without using a flash trigger and without too much more thought. You are overthinking this.

Click to expand...

optical slave I guess you mean Nikon CLS system right? So you think that the drawbacks of the system are not many and I should give it a try?
Alex

Set up the SB700 into optical slave mode. Then use the other flash to trigger it.

This is not CLS.

Although in slave it can be a little temperamental... Do you need HSS? If the answer is no, look at the Yongnuo Mark 4 flashes.

They have transmitters and receivers inside of them, meaning that you can have one on the camera and have up to 5 flash groups controlled off that unit, not only do they fire the flash you can also control the power output of every flash right off the flash on camera

Best part, they are less than £50 per flash and as good (if not better) than the Nikon £250 counterpart

great tip but I think the one with the inside transmitter are only for nikon. Are not they? Otherwise that would be indeed the besst setup

I use 8 622n and I have my d3/s flopping off my belt pouch and have been using them for at least 70 weddings a year and they re built very well. they are very durable. I also had the SB700 which is toy in size/weight but ive used the SB900 and now use the shanny SN600n and its abig flash and has some bulk. the problem giving a feeling like it will break is the fact that the morons at yongnuo made the flash shoe on the 622n too high. the flash inside wiggles all the time. but depends what flash. the ones that have a manual turning knob can be turned down for friction and my shanny flashes have a rubber gasket that help make it sit tight but the Sb700/800/900 all have wiggle making it seem like the flash foot needs to be replaced. I sold all 4 of my nikon flshes and use solely yongnuo and shanny flashes for all weddings. the nikon flashes just dont deliver. all have shortcomings vs the shanny flashes.

as far as using the 622tx, ive seen people connect the tx unit to the pc sync port of the flash and then velcro mount it to the flash on top. so they can remotely adjust the flashes but they can alsouse a flash on the camera. the sb700/500 doesnt have pc ports though. youll have to use some aftermarket part to add a pc port or connect it o the camera pc port. but the d750 doesnt have one.

personally I dont see the bulk problem as you so. that setup looks really tiny to me.

and from experience and use of cls in weddings and studio, it isnt reliable, consistent and repeatable. it doesnt work at all outside and inside the setup needs to be very close to one another.

u would use this between your camera and on camera flash
pixel sync nikon | eBay

then u can connect the tx unit to it and fire that off. mount it on the side of the flash head with velcro or rubber band it and control it like that. the weight is no problem for the flash mount. ive had my flash hit so many times by guests at weddings who pass by and bump into it all the time.

I use my clone spiderpro holster and the flash is locked up. right after the groom breaks the cup (jewish ceremony) the people come up and bombard them with kisses and hugs and im in the tight area shooting and people hit my flash unit all the time. no issue to vecro the tx to the flash. very strong.

I cant think of another option.

Look into Phottix Mitros+. That has an Odin transceiver built it to talk to other Mitros+ so no device in between flash and camera and radio triggers the other flash so no need to worry about line of sight optical trigger nonsense

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

rocketman122 said:

I use 8 622n and I have my d3/s flopping off my belt pouch and have been using them for at least 70 weddings a year and they re built very well. they are very durable. I also had the SB700 which is toy in size/weight but ive used the SB900 and now use the shanny SN600n and its abig flash and has some bulk. the problem giving a feeling like it will break is the fact that the morons at yongnuo made the flash shoe on the 622n too high. the flash inside wiggles all the time. but depends what flash. the ones that have a manual turning knob can be turned down for friction and my shanny flashes have a rubber gasket that help make it sit tight but the Sb700/800/900 all have wiggle making it seem like the flash foot needs to be replaced. I sold all 4 of my nikon flshes and use solely yongnuo and shanny flashes for all weddings. the nikon flashes just dont deliver. all have shortcomings vs the shanny flashes.

as far as using the 622tx, ive seen people connect the tx unit to the pc sync port of the flash and then velcro mount it to the flash on top. so they can remotely adjust the flashes but they can alsouse a flash on the camera. the sb700/500 doesnt have pc ports though. youll have to use some aftermarket part to add a pc port or connect it o the camera pc port. but the d750 doesnt have one.

personally I dont see the bulk problem as you so. that setup looks really tiny to me.

and from experience and use of cls in weddings and studio, it isnt reliable, consistent and repeatable. it doesnt work at all outside and inside the setup needs to be very close to one another.

u would use this between your camera and on camera flash
pixel sync nikon | eBay

then u can connect the tx unit to it and fire that off. mount it on the side of the flash head with velcro or rubber band it and control it like that. the weight is no problem for the flash mount. ive had my flash hit so many times by guests at weddings who pass by and bump into it all the time.

I use my clone spiderpro holster and the flash is locked up. right after the groom breaks the cup (jewish ceremony) the people come up and bombard them with kisses and hugs and im in the tight area shooting and people hit my flash unit all the time. no issue to vecro the tx to the flash. very strong.

I cant think of another option.

Click to expand...

very very good advice thanks!! I order the things I need from amazon now and I will let you know how it feels.
One question would be if the cable (sync cable) would be still easy to be accidentally taken off or not.

I would need also some help with the setup. My d750 has a sync port where I should need to connect my 622-tx unit. How the 622-tx would get the ttl information if it does not sit on the camera's hot shoe though?

can you show me from the link here
https://www.amazon.de/s/ref=nb_sb_n...rch-alias=aps&field-keywords=pixel+sync+nikon

which exactly I need to order?

Thanks for the lovely help

I will let you know how it feels
Alex

I dont shoot ttl anymore. I did for 2 full wedding and it isnt accurate. I only shoot manual. I didnt use the sb700 on camera ever because its weak as my main flash on camera. I used the sb700 with the 622n off camera w/the pixel and cable because the flash would have problems firing consistently. With it connected to the sync port it would always fire. For your specific question i would highpy recommend u ask it in the forum at flashhavoc. Comb no disrespect to people here. They have folks there who really are masters(mariosch) technically with real world use. U might also ask waynef as hes a flash geek as well. I alwsys use mine in manual mode. I dont like ttl and manual is repeatable and consistent to my work. I srt it and adjust aperture and iso as i need. I also move the flashes a bit here and there depending how many are in thr pictures

The d750 has no sync port. I dont think it can get the info through the pixel adapter pc sync port. Athough i dont really know. I thought u were running it in manual

Btw the sync cables dont come out becaise they are threaded to both sides. Search eBay coiled sync cord. U need male to male type.

As Rocketman says, learn Manual flash, it will give you a better and more consistent result. Think of it like Auto mode for flash, sure it will get you an ok shot, but to get your killer shots you need to dial it in yourself !!

thanks for the answer. I appreciate. How do you shoot though full manual in a shoot and go conditions? You see me and want to take my portrait and seconds after you want to fill in with flash some lady that is way far away.
Do you have some preconceived values in your mind like iso,aperture,flash output combos?
Alex

Yeah from trial and error I have worked out what will be a good "Base" setting for a scenario, of course this is never normally spot on but you can get it close, of course there are things like light meters you can buy but you should be able to get the exposure within 3 photos you need.

Normally I will be on ISO 100, the lens as wide open as it will go, F1.8, 2.8, 4 etc etc, and then pick the shutter speed to suit. When taking a photo expose for the background and then light your subject to get as much detail out of the shot that you can