Help needed to set up my Flash Gun off Camera

Kimmy C

New member
Hi there,

I have just joined. I have just bought a flashgun cable FC-312/M to try my hand at off camera flash photography. I know nothing about this so would like to find out how to set up my D5200 to enable the flashgun to work. I realised my camera does not have a commander mode. I have a SB900. Any help in setting up my camera would be gratefully received! I need to find out how to set this up from my menu settings.

Thank you.
 

Horoscope Fish

Senior Member
Hi there,

I have just joined. I have just bought a flashgun cable FC-312/M to try my hand at off camera flash photography. I know nothing about this so would like to find out how to set up my D5200 to enable the flashgun to work. I realised my camera does not have a commander mode. I have a SB900. Any help in setting up my camera would be gratefully received! I need to find out how to set this up from my menu settings.

Thank you.
A really good place to start learning off-camera flash is with this tutorial: Strobist: Lighting 101
 

Bikerbrent

Senior Member
Welcome aboard. Enjoy the ride.
We look forward to seeing more posts and samples of your work.

Have you used your SB900 on camera? If so all you need to do is connection the cable to the camera hot-shoe and the flash hot-shoe and you are good to go. If not, you need to study your camera and flash manuals which you can download from Nikon if needed.
 

WayneF

Senior Member
Hi there,

I have just joined. I have just bought a flashgun cable FC-312/M to try my hand at off camera flash photography. I know nothing about this so would like to find out how to set up my D5200 to enable the flashgun to work. I realised my camera does not have a commander mode. I have a SB900. Any help in setting up my camera would be gratefully received! I need to find out how to set this up from my menu settings.

Thank you.

Welcome to the forum.

The FC-312/M is a "hot shoe extension cord". That means that the flash works the same way on the cord as it does if the flash is directly on the hot shoe itself.

You would probably use camera A or M mode with flash. You then simply press the shutter button and the shutter and cord will trigger the flash.

Set the flash to its TTL or M mode. If TTL mode, the camera will meter the flash (sometimes a bit of Flash Compensation is necessary). If flash M mode, you have to set the proper flash power level yourself.

The SB-900 has more modes, but above will be your interest. There are of course a few "ifs and buts", but this will get you started.

One big "but" is this: The SB-900 has the big luxury of having both a TTL and a TTL BL menu. On this cord (since flash on cord is likely a different distance from the subject than the camera metering), you should use TTL and avoid TTL BL. Reason is at
https://www.scantips.com/lights/ttlbl-cords.html and more at
https://www.scantips.com/lights/ttlbl-d.html

Third party flash brands (like Yongnuo) don't have the menu, but they will always force TTL metering instead of TTL BL, meaning the D-lens cannot screw up the TTL BL flash exposure.

The SB-900 does have a commander you could use with additional compatible flashes, but it is not required, and one downside is that the D5200 does not have the FV Lock option (suppresses the TTL BL issue). I think first above will be your main interest.

There is more explanation of flash at the signature link below
 
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