Does the Nikon D70s support

VeddieEdder · 27-08-2006, 20:45

firing slave sb800's with the On Camera Flash? It has a commander mode. I've succeeded in getting an sb-800 on camera as master to fire 2 other sb800's off camera wirelessly. But that can be done in TTL mode. I cannot get the D70s to fire via its on camera flash. But when you set the camera's flash to "commander mode" it DOES fire off a burst of several small flashes. Im assuming thats intended to signal to the sb800's. Is this a D70 setting I have wrong? Or an sb800 setting I have wrong? Or does the camera simply not do this? Any nikon users who know, get a cookie if they can help me.

Nikon D70 review

The built-in Speedlight can also be used in Commander Mode to remotely control the all new SB-600 or SB-800 Speedlights, for even more creative lighting opportunities.

it says it can, but I cant for the life of me get it to work.

**Dabhand16** · 27-08-2006, 21:25

Still saving up for my SB800, so I don't know anything about them yet. The handbook says that you have to set the Speedlight to channel 3 group A, whatever that means, and the wireless Speedlight remote sensor should face the camera. There is also a refernce that AA and TTL modes only work with Nikkor CPU lenses.

Does not mean a lot to me.

VeddieEdder · 28-08-2006, 01:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dabhand16

Still saving up for my SB800, so I don't know anything about them yet. The handbook says that you have to set the Speedlight to channel 3 group A, whatever that means, and the wireless Speedlight remote sensor should face the camera. There is also a refernce that AA and TTL modes only work with Nikkor CPU lenses.

Does not mean a lot to me.

Helps a bit. Im still saving too, tho Im able to borrow a couple sb800's from time to time from my boss.

ln1977 · 04-09-2006, 21:13

Righty I have got an SB-600 very good flash assuming that the 800 is the same you have various channels on the flash ie A/B and C each letter can be set with a number 1,2 or 3 so for example you could have any thing from A1 through to C3. As i understand it all these channels are for setting up more than 1 flash or sequences etc.
In order for the commander to work with the 6/800's, the flash has to be set to Channel 3 group A then set the D70 to commander mode TTL to start with. and the d70 will lead so the main flash will fire off camera wirelessly the results are great.

What actually happens is the camera which has to have its built in flash up will fire a series of fast flashes to trigger the main 6/800 which in turn will act as the main flash.
There is a sensor for the trigger flashs on the left side of the 600 but if you're indoors the sensor doesn't have to be in a line of sight as the reflected flashes from any wall etc is enough to trigger it, it even works outside like this sometimes.

I hope this helps post again if you want any more info regards Lee

**Dabhand16** · 04-09-2006, 21:25

Thanks for that, Lee. Sounds like the dog's danglies.

I used to use optical slave triggers when using more than one flash, and as you say, you don't need line of sight. I do wonder, though if the wireless, and presumeably radio triggers, have any range limitations, or potential for interference? this would only be a possible problem if you were going to use multiple flashguns dotted around a large scene, and with the price of these units, unlikely to bother me!!

Do you have to have line of sight with the Nikon system?

I used to wander around 'painting with light' with one or two flashguns if I was taking low light shots of large areas, or filling in.

ln1977 · 04-09-2006, 22:00

give me ten minutes and i'll trial somthing with regards to distance

ln1977 · 04-09-2006, 22:26

Ok ran a couple of tests with regards to length my front and dining rooms are linked and are aproximately 30 feet long. with the flash at any angle ie sensor facing far wall left right etc it will work everytime from the other end of the 2 rooms also just as a test I placed the flash in the doorway to the far left corner of the room see diagram and yup it still worked from over 30ft away round a corner, the walls in the dining room are a dark matt red not very reflective too. the only other thing that I could see affecting this is using it in daylaight as a fill in this may drop the usable distance but I will try this when I get a bit of time.

**Dabhand16** · 04-09-2006, 22:40

Thanks very much for taking the trouble to do that test, Lee.

Very interesting. You have a good point about the daylight fill-in, but if the unit is triggered by a radio signal, you would think that it would work at a reasonable distance.

That might be the reason they opted for a wireless system rather than one only using optical triggers.

ln1977 · 04-09-2006, 22:44

I'm not sure if it is radio I think it is from the flash generated by the camera that triggers the sb-600 I think its reflecting of the walls in the dining room. this can be proven by the fact that I can hold the flash in front of the camera and fire the camera with my thumb over the sensor and the flash will not fire. Hope this makes sense.

**Dabhand16** · 04-09-2006, 23:15

Absolute sense. I'm only theorising on the setting of the flash to different channels. Smacks of radio, although I doubt you could get Radio 5 on one!!

ln1977 · 04-09-2006, 23:22

I see what you mean with rgards to the channel I might have to read up a bit on this, I had it in my head that it was to fire flashes at diffent times but that would end in the same result on the final image.

Then I thought about one grouped set of lashes set to a different output to another set but you can set this on each individual flash so would be pointless, I will consultt the manual and get back to you'se

VeddieEdder · 06-09-2006, 04:14

Whoa, I haven't checked on this thread in a while!

Thanks for all this great info! Will post some results the next time I get my hands on the sb800's.

ln1977 · 06-09-2006, 22:13

Hello all, just been swatting up on me SB-600 the book has loadsa info beyond me but I have found out the reasons for the various (4 in fact) Channels, to explain they are used when the flash is used of camera in remote mode (No wires) the channel letters are so you can group lots of flashes into groups to fire at different intervals ie group A on the right of your subject group B on the left and Group C as a fill in flash on say the background. The only reason for this I can come up with is capturing an image with multiple exposures in one image of say a something like a moving cyclist.
The Numbers are in fact from what I can make out a much more simple thing there are three number channels and these are much like having a piar of radio control cars! if there is another photographer close to area you're working in you can stop his flash from setting off youre remote flashes by changing the channel. After a few trials I have not proven but belive it to be true that the amout of flashes made by the camera and or the sequence/time between the flashes changes ie 3 quick flashes and then a 1 secong gap then a flash as opposed to 2 quick flashes a 1 second gap then 2 more fast flashes.

I hope this makes sence if not yell back and I will try explain this better, I hope it helps Regards Lee