mixing Nikon SB700 and Yongnuo 460ii flashes

nikon.norm

Senior Member
Hi Guys. Greetings from a bright and pleasant UK.
Possibly a daft question - but I'll ask it anyway. I've got a request to shoot a group of people, probably 20 in total inside a social club and intend to use 2 flashes both with umbrellas left and right of the group using Yongnuo 602 triggers.
I've got 2 flashes, an SB700 and a Yongnuo 460II but never used them together in what is likely to be a wide area and am concerned that the flash output is probably going to be unbalanced and create an uneven light balance.
Anyone had any experience in this area and can steer me in the right direction or give me some pointers.
regards
NN
 

WayneF

Senior Member
Both flashes are in Manual flash mode on the radio trigger, so their power output is however you set them. I bet you're right though, probably these two are not necessarily the same output level, one is likely a bit stronger. The specs imply the Yongnuo is slightly stronger. Ideally, in any multiple manual flash situation, the good answer is to use a flash meter to simply set both to be the same (or desired) level at the subject.

You can experiment with their levels, but probably you don't want to make 20 people stand and wait for this. You can test it at home ahead of time, so you will know. I would suggest setting them up in the same situation (with umbrellas, etc), same as the final use. Factors are flash distance, flash power levels, flash zoom level, and of course the umbrellas. Use a room with a long wall, it could be the garage, or if not windy, it could be an outside wall (towards dark evening). Simulate the group width with the wall, but do have some separation between the flashes, so that the picture you take of this wall shows the affect of one flash left and one right, so you can compare their intensities. Trail and error, adjust their power level for the same intensity, then (assuming both at equal distances in both test and final destinations), you will know that maybe one has to be set maybe 2/3 stop higher power than the other. Seems a good thing to know.

Hope that helps. But typically, the way multiple manual flashes are setup is with a flash meter, to adjust them to what they need to be.
 

nikon.norm

Senior Member
Morning Wayne
Thank you for your prompt and detailed response. I've now got confirmation of the shoot which now becomes reality and not a theoretical issue. All of what you've said makes absolute sense, I've got a Sekonic flash meter and will use it to balance off both the speedlights, the suggestion of doing a home test is excellent and I'll have a go over the next few days and note the settings - the prospect of keeping up to 20 standing around and waiting whilst I fiddle around with power settings on the day is too horrible to contemplate.
You are as we say in the UK a "Diamond Geezer" - one of the highest accolades that one can achieve in this life!!!
regards
NN
 

WayneF

Senior Member
Yeah, since you have the meter, it would be silly not to use it. This is what it's for, and it doesn't get better than that. :) Just meter each light from the subjects location, and adjust its power level to read what you want it to read there. The real beauty is that this also allows fast setup next time, to repeat the same results easily.

Do practice this metering, you have to figure out how to trigger the lights to be metered. The meter will offer two methods, with a PC cord, and cordless.

Cordless, you press the button on the meter for metering, and then you have a short time (probably 90 seconds) to cause the flash any way you can, which it will meter. This flash could be caused by the conventional camera shutter button, etc, and the meter will meter the next flash it sees. An assistant at the camera may be necessary, since you cannot be in both places, subject and camera (but maybe the camera self timer could help do this).


Or with cord, you just run a PC cord from meter to the flash being metered (assuming it has PC connection), and stand at the subject, and just press the button on the meter to trigger and meter the flash.
Since you have radio trigger on the flash, you possibly could connect its trigger to the meter PC connection, to trigger it that way from the meter (in "cord" mode). Some radio triggers have PC on them, or there are inexpensive "hotshoe to PC" adapters which could help make that connection to the meter.
 
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nikon.norm

Senior Member
Thank you again Wayne. The shoot is on October 26, I've scouted out the venue and it has a large hall in which I'll do the shoot. I'll bare in mind all your advice and put up a shot or two after the event.
regards
NN.
 
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