Flashlight for Nikon D3300

Evening all,

I originally purchased a d3200 but have taken it back and purchased a d3300.

I was after a nikon camera that could trigger and off camera flash with still using the on camera flash. I believe and hope I can do this with the nikon d3300 am I right in thinking this? If so would this set up work with the yongnuo 560-ex without having a wireless trigger strapped to the camera.

Many thanks in advance.

The Nikon system uses the Commander to trigger remote flashes, which the D5xxx camera models do not have (D7xxx models and up do have the Commander).

But you can put the camera internal flash into its Manual flash mode (probably at quite low power level),
and it will trigger any remote lights with optical slave mode. This would include the Yongnuo 560 models, their S1 slave mode. Or for Nikon speedlights, it is their SU-4 slave mode (those that have it). Optical slave works best indoors, but works great indoors.

This would be an all manual flash system, no automatic TTL, but the 560 is Manual flash only anyway.
You need to be sure you are aware of the difference in Manual and TTL flash.

WayneF said:

The Nikon system uses the Commander to trigger remote flashes, which the D5xxx camera models do not have (D7xxx models and up do have the Commander).

But you can put the camera internal flash into its Manual flash mode (probably at quite low power level),
and it will trigger any remote lights with optical slave mode. This would include the Yongnuo 560 models, their S1 slave mode. Or for Nikon speedlights, it is their SU-4 slave mode (those that have it). Optical slave works best indoors, but works great indoors.

This would be an all manual flash system, no automatic TTL, but the 560 is Manual flash only anyway.
You need to be sure you are aware of the difference in Manual and TTL flash.

Click to expand...

WayneF said:

The Nikon system uses the Commander to trigger remote flashes, which the D5xxx camera models do not have (D7xxx models and up do have the Commander).

But you can put the camera internal flash into its Manual flash mode (probably at quite low power level),
and it will trigger any remote lights with optical slave mode. This would include the Yongnuo 560 models, their S1 slave mode. Or for Nikon speedlights, it is their SU-4 slave mode (those that have it). Optical slave works best indoors, but works great indoors.

This would be an all manual flash system, no automatic TTL, but the 560 is Manual flash only anyway.
You need to be sure you are aware of the difference in Manual and TTL flash.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply.

I have two yongnuo 560 iii flashes and can't get them to trigger without putting a trigger onto the shoe which then blocks the cameras flash.

I'm after the cameras built in flash to work and a flash lite to be triggered from behind the object fine with this being a manual flash.

I'm still not sure if this is possible with the d3300, am I right in thinking it needs command. The type of thing I'm after is in this video with the guy using a nikon d330 is that more like the camera I need?
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AVBhnJnDcnM

Many thanks still learning a lot being a newbie and just after advice to see what I need for the setup I require.

dapper-formalwear said:

Thanks for the reply.

I have two yongnuo 560 iii flashes and can't get them to trigger without putting a trigger onto the shoe which then blocks the cameras flash.

I'm after the cameras built in flash to work and a flash lite to be triggered from behind the object fine with this being a manual flash.

I'm still not sure if this is possible with the d3300, am I right in thinking it needs command. The type of thing I'm after is in this video with the guy using a nikon d330 is that more like the camera I need?
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AVBhnJnDcnM

Many thanks still learning a lot being a newbie and just after advice to see what I need for the setup I require.

Click to expand...

Please download the manual http://yongnuo.com.cn/usermanual/pdf/YN5602y.pdf

The manual states that there are 2 off camera flash modes
1. S1, where the flash will trigger every time the on camera flash fires
2. S2, will ignore the pre flash and fire when the main flash fires

I have used a lot of manual flashes from film era as slaves and they all fire when the on camera flash fires. The only problem may arise when the off camera flashes cannot detect the on camera flash. In that case your only recourse is to use a flash trigger on the hot shoe and a third external flash mounted on a bracket.

dapper-formalwear said:

Thanks for the reply.

I have two yongnuo 560 iii flashes and can't get them to trigger without putting a trigger onto the shoe which then blocks the cameras flash.

I'm after the cameras built in flash to work and a flash lite to be triggered from behind the object fine with this being a manual flash.

I'm still not sure if this is possible with the d3300, am I right in thinking it needs command. The type of thing I'm after is in this video with the guy using a nikon d330 is that more like the camera I need?
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AVBhnJnDcnM

Click to expand...

It is easily possible, but your video link is using a camera with Commander. The d3xxx models do not have a commander (and most 560 models do not work with Commander anyway ... I think the EX might?). So you have to use Manual flash instead.

In that menu where the video selected Commander, instead you have to select Manual flash mode. Then you set the camera flash level there too. It can be quite low level just to trigger the remote, but if you want the internal flash to also contribute light into your picture, then you have to worry with the proper level.

Set the 560 remote flash to its S1 trigger mode, and it will trigger in sync (from the Manual camera flash).

If you leave the internal flash in TTL mode, you have to use 560 S2 mode instead (and the internal flash will try to fully contribute). The 560 is still manual flash of course. It is essential to understand the difference in TTL and Manual flash.

An alternative would be to replace the camera flash with a hot shoe flash that provides a commander function, like the SB-700 can be a commander (or the Nikon SU-800 is a commander). However, the D3xxx camera models still do not have the FV Lock function, which is rather essential for human portraits, to prevent pictures of their blinking.