3 Flash setup using D800 CLS but one is a SB50DX - how??

scmalta

New member
I have a D800 in commander mode and an SB910 as my key light - I am slaving in an SB600 as a fill light and I want to use the SB50DX as a hair light.

Any ideas how I can incorporate the SB50DX as it is obviously not CLS compatible - how can I trigger it and how can I manually adjust the output?

Thanks for any suggestions

Steve
 

scmalta

New member
Thanks

As I already have the SD50DX I was hoping that I could just use that rather than spending more $$ - if I was going to buy another flash then I'd by a 400 or a 600 but I'd rather use what is lying around :)

I'm worried that the pre-flash might just trigger the 50.
 

Fred Kingston_RIP

Senior Member
To use the SB-50DX' slave feature with a digital SLR camera you have to cripple the camera's flash by setting the camera's flash to the primitive A mode, and the SB-50DX, held in your left hand, to the A slave mode. You have to do this because Nikon's digital SLRs have only a primitive TTL metering system, unlike the film cameras. The digital SLRs have to use a primitive pre-flash, and unfortunately that pre-flash would confuse the slave flash. Thus you have to set the digital SLR's flash into a more primitive non-TTL mode like A for the remote slave to work. [/QUOTE]

from another site
 
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gqtuazon

Gear Head
Thanks

As I already have the SD50DX I was hoping that I could just use that rather than spending more $$ - if I was going to buy another flash then I'd by a 400 or a 600 but I'd rather use what is lying around :)

I'm worried that the pre-flash might just trigger the 50.

I don't get it. You've spent over $2,000 on your D800 and you are not willing to buy a $20 slave flash that you will be using with your photography? It also accepts AA batteries instead of those special batteries that your flash requires.
 

WayneF

Senior Member
TTL will not work to meter a hair light (or a background light). Because TTL tries to make the center subject bright, which is not where the hair light is (nor the background light, which just sees a black spot in the center, blocked by the subject). Those will have to be a manual mode flash.

If wanting to use the Commander, it could be a SU-800 commander, or a SB-800 or SB-900 used as Commander on hot shoe. Those will individually control up to three groups (A, B, C), and the Main and Fill lights could still be TTL. Flash on the hot shoe could be the fill light (a fill light NEEDS TO BE near the lens axis anyway), or it could be disabled and only Commander used. But four lights will still be a problem.

Some optical slave sensors (digital slaves... S2 modes) can work to ignore one TTL lights preflash, but it cannot work with the Commander. The Commander situation is that there are SEVERAL flashes before the final flash, and a simple optical slave simply will be fooled, and will trigger far too early (ineffective, not useful). Optical slaves need a manual flash situation.

But frankly, TTL offers very little for studio portraits anyway, less control, and they vary, more detriment than advantage. If using multiple manual lights, you simply set up the manual lights like you want them (full control, but a hand held flash meter becomes indispensable), and then the lights do not change during the session anyway. You don't want your lights to be changing during the session.

So if you use your three lights all in manual flash mode (triggered any non-commander way - can add a inexpensive slave or PC connector to the SB-600 foot), you are good to go now. It will become very simple, and you will have no problem. But again, a hand held flash meter becomes indispensable, to set each light to a known level, and specifically, to be able to repeat the same lighting in the next session.
 
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scmalta

New member
I don't get it. You've spent over $2,000 on your D800 and you are not willing to buy a $20 slave flash that you will be using with your photography? It also accepts AA batteries instead of those special batteries that your flash requires.

When I purchased everything I was living the US - now I live in Malta, a tiny island in the Mediterranean and it takes weeks to get anything shipped here :)
I just like to use stuff I already have and I also have 4 sets of lithium batteries for it - but I guess I'll have to sell it and buy the slave flash LOL - I assume that the slave isn't confused by the pre-flashes right?
 

scmalta

New member
So if you use your three lights all in manual flash mode (triggered any non-commander way - can add a inexpensive slave or PC connector to the SB-600 foot), you are good to go now. It will become very simple, and you will have no problem. But again, a hand held flash meter becomes indispensable, to set each light to a known level, and specifically, to be able to repeat the same lighting in the next session.

Now that makes a lot of sense as I use a meter on the subject anyway - so can I trigger from the D800 built in flash and set it for very low output? I'm trying to avoid buying anything else as I explained - and I don't really want the D600 on the hot shoe.
 

WayneF

Senior Member
Now that makes a lot of sense as I use a meter on the subject anyway - so can I trigger from the D800 built in flash and set it for very low output? I'm trying to avoid buying anything else as I explained - and I don't really want the D600 on the hot shoe.

Yes, internal flash set to minimum manual level should trigger the slaves without affecting the picture lighting. But some chance that slightly more than minimum may be needed if the slaves are not in direct sight (rotate their bodies to aim their sensor back at camera).

Regarding an optical slave on the SB-600.. It is special - its sync voltage is low, which powers the slave, and not all slaves can work on it (notably NOT the Wein Peanut Slave WEPN, which is one of the better and more sensitive slaves, but just not for the SB-600). See Optical slave triggers for speedlights

There are three ways to trigger manual lights:

1. PC sync cable
2. Optical slaves
3. Radio triggers

UNLIKE Commander, these can be mixed... For example, one near light triggered with PC cord or radio trigger, which can trigger all the others via optical slave. If the camera is on a tripod, there is no issue with a PC sync cord to the near light (fill light needs to be near lens axis anyway).



P.S. Probably already clear that the SB-910 and SB-50DX already have fine optical slaves built into them.

It is SB-910 SU-4 mode.
 
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