D700Advice on Flash - Wireless

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jpwild

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I currently shooting with 5DII, but maybe getting a bit of Nikon gear second hand-D700. Love the Nikon gear to be honest.

However, I am use to Canon, and do have a couple of questions.

It would appear to set things like rear curtain sync and autoFP, which I think is what Nikon call High Speed Sync?

Anyway, off course, I will also prefer to use flash off camera.

Can a flash such as a SB-900 work off camera in any of these special modes such as AutoFp, rear curtain sync etc? I.e, the flash is situated about 5 feet side of the camera.

Or do I need radio triggers such as the expensive Pocket Wizards for this functionality?
 
Yep, HSS (as found on Canon) is called AutoFP on Nikon - does the same job; it allows shutter speeds higher than the camera's maximum sync speed to be used, albeit with a reduced power output as will all HSS systems.

You can also do rear curtain, slow sync, red-eye reduction flash and straight flash, all through the camera.

It's called Nikon Creative Lighting System and will provide full TTL control with flashguns situated off-camera. Everything you'd expect to work with the flash attached to the camera happens when the flash is set to remote.

I sue this system a lot and it works beautifully, although using a pop-up flash on the camera means to make power changes to flashes, you need to delve into a menu-based option. Having another flash on top off the camera(or using the SU-800 commander unit) make adjustments miles easier. Either way, it's a very good system :)
 
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Interesting, so the on-camera flash sends out the signal for other flash such as the SB-900 to fire off camera then? It's not down to radio signals?

Can the on-camera flash be setup so it doesn't actually light up anything, but just fires tghe signal for the flashes that I do want to fire, fire.

I hope that made sense, lol.

Is there a line of sight issue too using CLS?
 
jpwild said:
I currently shooting with 5DII, but maybe getting a bit of Nikon gear second hand-D700. Love the Nikon gear to be honest.

However, I am use to Canon, and do have a couple of questions.

It would appear to set things like rear curtain sync and autoFP, which I think is what Nikon call High Speed Sync?

Anyway, off course, I will also prefer to use flash off camera.

Can a flash such as a SB-900 work off camera in any of these special modes such as AutoFp, rear curtain sync etc? I.e, the flash is situated about 5 feet side of the camera.

Or do I need radio triggers such as the expensive Pocket Wizards for this functionality?
Click to expand...

You want Nikon iTTL functions with a Canon camera? Erm, no. The best you'll get is basic manual firing, and you can't mix PWs either. This should have been clear from your other thread.

The sooner you switch to Nikon 100%, or swap the Nikon guns for Canons on a Canon camera, the better off you'll be.
 
HoppyUK said:
You want Nikon iTTL functions with a Canon camera? Erm, no. The best you'll get is basic manual firing, and you can't mix PWs either. This should have been clear from your other thread.

The sooner you switch to Nikon 100%, or swap the Nikon guns for Canons on a Canon camera, the better off you'll be.
Click to expand...

Apologies, in this thread I am referring to using Nikon flashes with Nikon cameras.

Just staing that I have and use to a 5D II set-up. Was wondering how Nikon flahes work off camera with Nikon cameras :)
 
jpwild said:
Interesting, so the on-camera flash sends out the signal for other flash such as the SB-900 to fire off camera then? It's not down to radio signals?

Can the on-camera flash be setup so it doesn't actually light up anything, but just fires tghe signal for the flashes that I do want to fire, fire.

I hope that made sense, lol.

Is there a line of sight issue too using CLS?
Click to expand...

Yep, the on-camera flash, be it the pop-up one or a hotshoe flashgun, sends out the signal to fire the remote flash. Using the pop-up flash the camera emits pre-flashes (a coded message almost) that trigger the remote unit. With the SU-800 commander attached, those pre-flashes are replaced by IR signals.

Yes, the on-camera flash can be set so it doesn't contribute to the exposure. On the control panel where you make power adjustments, where the remote flash would be on Channel A and group 1 it will also say 'TTL' next to it, denoting that everything's done automatically. The setting for the pop-up flash would be '--', meaning it sends a pre-flash but not a flash for the exposure. Some people mistake the pre-flash for the main flash because it's all done so quickly.

There are line of sight issues outdoors. If using the pre-flash system then it's how far the pre-flash can reach in daylight. Using the SU-800 and relying on IR signals, then its even more important to have line-of sight when several yards from the remote flash. Indoors it's a different story, as you have surfaces to bounces signals off and it's really good :)
 
It is. Flash adjustment is done through the adjust,end menu (or by a master unit on the hotshot, which is easier) and ambient exposure changes are dealt with via exposure compensation. Very straightforward.
 
jpwild said:
Apologies, in this thread I am referring to using Nikon flashes with Nikon cameras.

Just staing that I have and use to a 5D II set-up. Was wondering how Nikon flahes work off camera with Nikon cameras :)
Click to expand...

Ah right... :thinking:

Anyway, as Pat says. Basically all manufacturers' auto-TTL flash systems are similar and work in the same way, all semi-IR based. Mainly just operational differences. One upside of Nikon is it can do remote second-curtain sync with the native system, whereas Canon doesn't.

On the other hand, if you opt for the Pocket Wizard Mini/Flex radio triggers, the advantage moves to Canon with enhanced HSS capability that doesn't work in the same way with Nikon. And you get enhanced second curtain sync etc.
 
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