Comments on: 05 – wireless TTL flash

By: Michael

Michael — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 23:16:08 +0000

Neil, You’re photographs are incredible! I just want to thank you for all the help. Next paycheck, I will possess your latest book.

By: Galen

Galen — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 23:39:46 +0000

Can’t tell you how much I appreciate your site and your book! I use your methods all the time and keep a black foamie thing in all my camera bags.

By: daniel leong

daniel leong — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 23:34:32 +0000

Neil,

I bought a set of Calumet pro series transmitter and receiver for my sb80 and sb900. Setting the sb800 TTl the flash fire but not on the sb900 but it fire if I set it on A or M. So my question to you is does TTl actually work on the sb800 or sb900 off the D700? Thanks!

By: Stephen

Stephen — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 17:08:35 +0000

Neil,
I apologize for a second post, but I wanted to clarify this as well. Does the SB-900 emit this filtered visible red light like the SU-800 if I set it to Commander mode with M: -? I don’t have a second speedlight, so I could not test this. (I’m basically debating whether to get a second SB-900 instead of the SU-800.)

By: Stephen

Stephen — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 16:42:23 +0000

Neil,
Thanks for the clarification that the SU-800′s command signal isn’t infrared. I did not know that.

It looks like my choices are the SU-800 or waiting for the PocketWizard TTL remotes.

I can see why professional cameras like the D3 don’t bother with a pop-up flash. There are far better lighting options.

By: Neil vN

Neil vN — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 14:33:32 +0000

Hi there Stephen … the Master slave still needs to communicate with the Slave / Remote flash. It is this communication signals that you see. It is visible light, and not infra-red.

The Nikon SU-800 still emits visible light, but it is heavily filtered with the red filter over it. So it isn’t really noticeable to the eye. But it isn’t infra-red.

This is why I prefer using a Nikon SU-800 over using the built-in flash as commander. Those flash pulses from the pop-up flash is still annoying to the person being photographed.

It is also why I don’t see the existence of the pop-up flash on the Nikon D700 as being an advantage over the Nikon D3. I’d rather have the bigger brighter viewfinder screen.

Neil vN

By: Stephen

Stephen — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 16:12:03 +0000

I was messing around with my D700 and SB900 off-camera yesterday trying to shoot a dressform. In the menu, my D700′s flash was set to Commander mode, and it was set to M: –, while my SB-900 is TTL. When I took a picture, the D700′s flash fired first and immediately followed by the SB-900 flash. The D700 flash is the pre-flash to communicate with the SB-900, right?

I was initially confused, because the D700 flash looks a lot like a normal flash (from a light intensity perspective), so I wasn’t sure if it was adding to the SB-900′s light. The shots seem to indicate that the SB-900 was the only flash, but I wanted to double-check.

Maybe I’ll get a SU-800, since it uses line-of-sight infrared instead.

By: Steve

Steve — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 17:35:21 +0000

Neil,

Love the site! I’m ready back through it all again as a refresher. After reading this page, I wanted to ask “why not just use the black foamie thingy?”, but I see that you just answered this question in your last comment. Guess this stuff is starting to sink in!

Anyway, thanks for all the great tips.

By: Neil vN

Neil vN — Wed, 19 May 2010 08:12:04 +0000

Sulla .. that might have worked. At the time I wasn't sophisticated enough yet to use the black foamie thing. ;) Also, the light from the wirelessly controlled flash was easier to place specifically, compared to how bounce flash would've worked. Neil vN

By: Sulla

Sulla — Mon, 17 May 2010 18:25:05 +0000

Hi Neil!

If you just used one flash for this wonderful image, why did you use a wireless remote flash and not the flash on your camera, turning the head to where you put your assistant and – perhaps – zooming the head to 105mm – thereby bouncing it off the corner without directing direct light to the bride? According to your description of the scene this could have producded about the same light, couldn’t it?