Flash Modes & D7000

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Englischdude

Senior Member
Hello,

just got my first external flashgun today, a yongnuo yn-468ii.
I have looked extensively on the web and here in the forum but cant seem to find what I need.

I am a little confused as to the difference of the s1 and s2 flash modes, and how I should go about setting up my d7000. When to use which mode and which setting on the camera for best performance.

Thanks in advance for any tips.
Martin
 
Horoscope Fish

Horoscope Fish

Senior Member
That's covered in the manual. S1 and S2 are "Slave" modes for when you want to use the flash off-camera/with a remote trigger.

The easiest way to get started using your '468-II is to put the flash in TTL mode and your camera in "A"perture Priority mode. If you haven't changed the default settings in your camera's menus you should be good to go from there. These may not be the IDEAL settings for every shot but it will get you started in the right direction. Learning to bounce your flash off the ceiling will help soften shadows and give a more even look to your flash exposures.

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E

Englischdude

Senior Member
thanks for the quick feedback. Im ok with the flash when it is on camera, ttl and ceiling bouce and all that, im a little confused with the off camera photography, when to use which S mode and the corresponding settings on the camera.
 
Horoscope Fish

Horoscope Fish

Senior Member
Paging WayneF... WayneF, Please Pick up a White Courtesy Phone...

Englischdude said:
thanks for the quick feedback. Im ok with the flash when it is on camera, ttl and ceiling bounce and all that, I'm a little confused with the off camera photography, when to use which S mode and the corresponding settings on the camera.
Click to expand...
Ahhh... Okay. Well *THAT* is an entirely different course of study. Wait for WayneF to show up...

....
 
W

WayneF

Senior Member
Better not count on me, because I don't have the Yongnuo flash. And a little hands on experience is always a good thing. It is good to have seen it work once. :)

The 568 manual is online though (rougher read because it is not text searchable). It's page 48-49 explain the slave modes.

There are two extremely different cases:

S1/S2 are simply optical triggers. They only will do manual flash mode, where you manually set the power level in the flash to be correct flash exposure for the current picture. This is NOT point&shoot flash, Manual means YOU, who will need an understanding of Manual flash. This is easy, not hard at all, but requires a bit of learning effort on your part. It is not point&shoot.

Says S1 is simple optical trigger, it simply flashes with the first flash it sees, which is from some other Manual flash mode flash, which the camera triggers however it can. That could be the camera internal flash, so long as it is in Manual flash mode too.

Says S2 ignores the first flash and triggers on the second flash. This is for trigger to work with iTTL flash, for when the camera iTTL flash mode is the trigger. Slave ignores the first preflash, and triggers with the second working flash. The Yongnuo is still manual flash mode. Seems sort of a pointless combination, if using the manual slave, set the triggering flash to manual too (so you will have some control in S1 mode). S2 is really more for simpler cameras, which only have point&shoot, and have no Manual flash mode.

And it has Sn slave mode, which is extremely different. This N is compatible with Nikons Commander (which the D7000 has one), and is same as REMOTE mode in a SB-700 (for example). This does Nikons Advanced Wireless System (AWL), which can include doing multiple remote wireless TTL flash. All commands and menus (like the TTL menu) are in the camera Commander menu. The flash becomes a simple Remote, following Commander signals. All controls are in the commander menu. See Using the Nikon CLS Remote Wireless Flash System about learning the Commander.

Camera settings are really not a function of these slave modes. Sn TTL is still automatic flash, and S1/S2 are still manual flash.
 
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E

Englischdude

Senior Member
WayneF said:
Better not count on me, because I don't have the Yongnuo flash. And a little hands on experience is always a good thing. It is good to have seen it work once. :)

The 568 manual is online though (rougher read because it is not text searchable). It's page 48-49 explain the slave modes.

There are two extremely different cases:

S1/S2 are simply optical triggers. They only will do manual flash mode, where you manually set the power level in the flash to be correct flash exposure for the current picture. This is NOT point&shoot flash, Manual means YOU, who will need an understanding of Manual flash. This is easy, not hard at all, but requires a bit of learning effort on your part. It is not point&shoot.

Says S1 is simple optical trigger, it simply flashes with the first flash it sees, which is from some other Manual flash mode flash, which the camera triggers however it can. That could be the camera internal flash, so long as it is in Manual flash mode too.

Says S2 ignores the first flash and triggers on the second flash. This is for trigger to work with iTTL flash, for when the camera iTTL flash mode is the trigger. Slave ignores the first preflash, and triggers with the second working flash. The Yongnuo is still manual flash mode. Seems sort of a pointless combination, if using the manual slave, set the triggering flash to manual too (so you will have some control in S1 mode). S2 is really more for simpler cameras, which only have point&shoot, and have no Manual flash mode.

And it has Sn slave mode, which is extremely different. This N is compatible with Nikons Commander (which the D7000 has one), and is same as REMOTE mode in a SB-700 (for example). This does Nikons Advanced Wireless System (AWL), which can include doing multiple remote wireless TTL flash. All commands and menus (like the TTL menu) are in the camera Commander menu. The flash becomes a simple Remote, following Commander signals. All controls are in the commander menu. See Using the Nikon CLS Remote Wireless Flash System about learning the Commander.

Camera settings are really not a function of these slave modes. Sn TTL is still automatic flash, and S1/S2 are still manual flash.
Click to expand...

Hi,

thanks for your explanation. Please note however that I have the 468ii model. I have the manual, but unfortunately it is written in fluent mandarenglish which i am able to read but not understand.

S1 therefore is triggered by the first flash it sees. The camera pop-up flash, if being used as the trigger, must be set to manual? In this case the pop-up flash will contribute to the exposure?

S2 ignores the pre-flash. As the pop-up has no pre flash when set to manual mode, the pop-up must be set to either ttl or commander correct? Will the pop-up flash in this case contribute to the exposure?

I dont have any wireless triggers at the moment so am limited to using the camera flash as the trigger.
 
W

WayneF

Senior Member
S1 would still be the same - it triggers from the first flash it sees, which it assumes is NOT TTL preflash. So yes, the triggering flash must be in manual mode too. If S1 saw a TTL mode, there will be a weaker preflash, which will trigger the remote slave flash too early, before the shutter is even open (so it will be useless).

Yes, the triggering flash can contribute to the flash lighting, which might be desired (two flashes, one as on-camera fill). If not desired, normally we can set the manual level of the triggering flash to be at a low power level, so it hardly contributes if at all, but it still triggers the slave. To prevent undesired contribution, start with the lowest power level of the internal flash, and find the point where it will trigger the remote. Odds are reasonable that minimum trigger power will trigger it. If the head rotates, the remotes optical sensor on body should aim back at the camera to better detect the weakest flash from it.

Yes, to use S2 mode, it will need to be triggered by TTL, with one preflash to be ignored, and the second flash to trigger. If the triggering slave were in manual mode, there would be no second flash to trigger the slave. Yes, the TTL triggering flash will try to do full point&shoot exposure of the subject. You could dial it back with flash compensation, however S2 is really the dumb way to try this. S2 is really for casual users with compact cameras that cannot choose Manual flash. You can, so just use S1.

It is not that S2 is great for anything, it only allows a larger market of compact camera users who have no manual flash mode.
 
E

Englischdude

Senior Member
WayneF said:
S1 would still be the same - it triggers from the first flash it sees, which it assumes is NOT TTL preflash. So yes, the triggering flash must be in manual mode too. If S1 saw a TTL mode, there will be a weaker preflash, which will trigger the remote slave flash too early, before the shutter is even open (so it will be useless).

Yes, the triggering flash can contribute to the flash lighting, which might be desired (two flashes, one as on-camera fill). If not desired, normally we can set the manual level of the triggering flash to be at a low power level, so it hardly contributes if at all, but it still triggers the slave. To prevent undesired contribution, start with the lowest power level of the internal flash, and find the point where it will trigger the remote. Odds are reasonable that minimum trigger power will trigger it. If the head rotates, the remotes optical sensor on body should aim back at the camera to better detect the weakest flash from it.

Yes, to use S2 mode, it will need to be triggered by TTL, with one preflash to be ignored, and the second flash to trigger. If the triggering slave were in manual mode, there would be no second flash to trigger the slave. Yes, the TTL triggering flash will try to do full point&shoot exposure of the subject. You could dial it back with flash compensation, however S2 is really the dumb way to try this. S2 is really for casual users with compact cameras that cannot choose Manual flash. You can, so just use S1.

It is not that S2 is great for anything, it only allows a larger market of compact camera users who have no manual flash mode.
Click to expand...



many thanks, this is exactly the explanation which I was looking for, clear and concise. I now have enough infos to go on experimenting.......... but I am sure the community will be answering more questions in the not too distant future :eek:)
 
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