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<blockquote data-quote="WayneF" data-source="post: 236843" data-attributes="member: 12496">You will not need focus assist in any room with any normal room lights on.&nbsp; If you can see easily see the subject, the camera can easily focus on it.&nbsp; The flash can be much stronger to override the ambient, but unless a very unique and strange dark situation, it is just unthinkable to have any focus problem indoors in any halfway lighted room we live in.&nbsp; Go practice focusing in dim light to answer the question.&nbsp; <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile&nbsp; &nbsp; :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" />SC-29 is for dim or dark situations, where there is not enough light to focus.&nbsp; Otherwise, the SC-28 is plenty to just have a cord.&nbsp; In fact, the old version SC-17 is plentiful on Ebay cheap.&nbsp; It is exactly same as SC-28, but does not have the new rotating pin lock in shoe.&nbsp; You don't need it, I've used two SC-17 cords for years.&nbsp; The pin is spring loaded, so you can just drop the pin regardless, and the flash is not going anywhere.The cord&nbsp; allows TTL operation, and the cord itself can get you maybe four feet off camera.&nbsp; Further stretches the cord coils too tight, and tends to tip the light stand over.&nbsp;&nbsp; But a strong beware... SB-700 is TTL BL default mode (unless Spot metering changes it to TTL).&nbsp; And TTL BL looks at D-lens distance unless the head is tilted.&nbsp; And the head is not tilted in an umbrella, and the umbrella simply is not the same distance and situation as direct flash, so such a hot shoe cord will give very incorrect exposures (TTL BL with head not tilted).&nbsp;&nbsp; It simply does not know it is not direct flash, and does not know about the umbrella. &nbsp;Manual flash is not affected.&nbsp;&nbsp; Commander is not affected.&nbsp; But hot shoe TTL BL (including hot shoe extension cords) are affected.Nikon instructions are to switch to TTL mode if using such a cable.&nbsp; The only way the SB-700 can do that is with Spot Metering.&nbsp; It does NOT do spot metering with flash, but Spot does change TTL BL flash to be TTL mode.Sure, internal flash can do both, act as commander, and/or contribute to the exposure.&nbsp; Internal is just another group&nbsp; - two external groups and the one internal group.&nbsp; It works just the same, but just with much less power.&nbsp;&nbsp; If you don't want it to contribute to lighting, change (in commander menu)&nbsp; its group MODE from TTL to be instead &quot;- -&quot;&nbsp; (off).&nbsp; It still flashes commands, but does not contribute if off.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="WayneF, post: 236843, member: 12496"] You will not need focus assist in any room with any normal room lights on. If you can see easily see the subject, the camera can easily focus on it. The flash can be much stronger to override the ambient, but unless a very unique and strange dark situation, it is just unthinkable to have any focus problem indoors in any halfway lighted room we live in. Go practice focusing in dim light to answer the question. :) SC-29 is for dim or dark situations, where there is not enough light to focus. Otherwise, the SC-28 is plenty to just have a cord. In fact, the old version SC-17 is plentiful on Ebay cheap. It is exactly same as SC-28, but does not have the new rotating pin lock in shoe. You don't need it, I've used two SC-17 cords for years. The pin is spring loaded, so you can just drop the pin regardless, and the flash is not going anywhere. The cord allows TTL operation, and the cord itself can get you maybe four feet off camera. Further stretches the cord coils too tight, and tends to tip the light stand over. But a strong beware... SB-700 is TTL BL default mode (unless Spot metering changes it to TTL). And TTL BL looks at D-lens distance unless the head is tilted. And the head is not tilted in an umbrella, and the umbrella simply is not the same distance and situation as direct flash, so such a hot shoe cord will give very incorrect exposures (TTL BL with head not tilted). It simply does not know it is not direct flash, and does not know about the umbrella. Manual flash is not affected. Commander is not affected. But hot shoe TTL BL (including hot shoe extension cords) are affected. Nikon instructions are to switch to TTL mode if using such a cable. The only way the SB-700 can do that is with Spot Metering. It does NOT do spot metering with flash, but Spot does change TTL BL flash to be TTL mode. Sure, internal flash can do both, act as commander, and/or contribute to the exposure. Internal is just another group - two external groups and the one internal group. It works just the same, but just with much less power. If you don't want it to contribute to lighting, change (in commander menu) its group MODE from TTL to be instead "- -" (off). It still flashes commands, but does not contribute if off. [/QUOTE]

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