Just Purchased an SB-700

Cowboybillybob1

Senior Member
So far so good. I will probably spend the rest of the day reading the large Owners Manuel and experimenting.

A lot to learn for a newb like me but it's a blast playing with this.

Since my D3200 does not have commander mode someone here explained how I can use the pop up flash to trigger the SB-700 remotely. The only downside is that the remote must be within line of sight. I will probably get an inexpensive wireless trigger that works on radio waves instead of the Infrared.
 

§am

Senior Member
I was just looking at that video again, and yes, it does seem like you need the line of sight to be able to get that to work.
However with IR 'beams' able to bounce off walls etc, would it be possible to maybe not have a direct line of sight?

I really need to unbox my new flash and play - darn work getting in my way :p
 

RockyNH_RIP

Senior Member
Congrats Paul.... I just gt mine a few weeks ago and it tested well and did a fine job on my recent trip to Savannah.

Pat in NH
 

Phillydog1958

Senior Member
Congrats Paul.... I just gt mine a few weeks ago and it tested well and did a fine job on my recent trip to Savannah.

Pat in NH


Not meaning to highjack this thread, but how was Savannah? I've got relatives who live there. It's a great town with much Civil War history and great southern cuisine.
 

WayneF

Senior Member
Since my D3200 does not have commander mode someone here explained how I can use the pop up flash to trigger the SB-700 remotely. The only downside is that the remote must be within line of sight. I will probably get an inexpensive wireless trigger that works on radio waves instead of the Infrared.

The lowest internal flash power trigger may need line of sight, but if the internal flash is also contributing to the picture at working levels, then probably a lot more than line of sight, you will probably be surprised.
 

Cowboybillybob1

Senior Member
I will give it a try today and see how it works out. I can easily see the improvement just using the SB-700 on camera. Great flash so far.

Thanks for the link to Flash Fundimentals. That looks like it's full of usefull information.
 
Was looking at the SB-700 AF Speedlight tonight. I have the D3100 and as far as I can tell it can act as a commander when used on the camera. Is that correct? would not like to buy it and find out it does not. Would be my first flash.

Phase two would be buying more low cost flashes to act as secondary flashes. Would the Nikon SB-400 work as a slave for the SB-700 mounted on the D3100?
 

WayneF

Senior Member
A commander also needs a remote light or two in order to do anything useful.

The SB-700 speedlight can be a Commander, but the D3100 cannot be a commander. Not meaning to be spoil sport, but the flash is sort of an expensive commander, since Commander has to be on the camera (not always the best place for a flash, possibly sort of wasting a flash, so to speak). Alternately, the SU-800 is a Nikon commander that costs slightly less (is just a commander only, does not include a flash unit), and the SB-700 could then be a remote flash.

Plus, SU-800 has a couple more commander options too. SU-800 supports three remote groups (SB-700 two remote groups). And SU-800 groups can all be different flash modes (SB-700 groups must be same flash mode).

Note too that the camera bodies with Commander also have FV Lock, and those cameras without commander do not have FV Lock. FV Lock is very useful to avoid pictures mostly of the subject blinking at the commander. See Using the Nikon CLS Remote Wireless Flash System
It seems pretty important, and one opinion is the money spent for a commander might be better spent as a camera upgrade (with commander), which also provides FV lock, and possibly a few more things.

However, the SU-800 uses invisible infrared light, and won't make the subject blink, meaning FV Lock may be less important then. The remotes do still preflash for TTL, which can cause blinking, but maybe not as big a problem.

The Nikon SB-400 is a very simple flash. It has no menu itself, and must use the camera menu (to be a flash), so it must be connected to the camera hot shoe to work at all. SB-400 does not support use with the commander.


The only way to use a SB-400 and SB-700 together would be SB-400 on hot shoe in Manual flash mode. The SB-700 could be in SU-4 mode (optical slave), triggered by the flash from the SB-400.
 
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