Using SB-800 with PC Cable

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Peter

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Just bought a sb-800 and want to try it off camera (D200). The manual suggests the PC socket is for triggering other flashguns. Can I use this socket to trigger the sb-800 from the camera with a standard PC cable be it d200 or even a film camera. Obviously the flash would be working in manual mode.

The instruction manual doesn't seem to mention this unless I'm being thick:bonk

Thanks

Peter
 
Did you know you don't need to use a cable? Hope you haven't bought one already as they are a bit of a rip off.

With the D200, go into flash/ bracketing in the set up menu and change it to commander mode. You then use the pop up flash to remotely fire the SB 800 (once you've set that to slave mode).

You also then get to keep full TTL functionality and can control the power level remotely of the SB 800, and make it so the flash on the D200 doesn't affect the exposure if you want to. Great stuff.

Have a search on the interweb about setting it all up - loads out there...
 
Thanks Dangleman and I guess I did know that although I read comments about putting exposed film over the inbuilt flash to avoid it being picked up - just seems unnecessarily complicated when I thought I may be able to just plug camera and flash together with a long PC cable which I already have.

I also have a medium format camera which I was hoping I could use with the SB-800.

Cheers

Peter
 
On reflection I suppose one answer is to buy a hot shoe adapter with a PC socket and sit the SB-800 on top of that.

:thinking:

Pete
 
Good point Daftbugger and I can check. It seems that the PC socket on the flash must close its contacts when the flash fires rather like a camera so it can trigger another flash. I guess I'm after an input socket which will trigger the flash when an external switch i.e. the camera shutter release is closed.

Am I making it too complicated. Maybe I should go back to my old faithful Vivitar 283 :bang::bang:
 
The PC socket is for firing a studio flash which may have a 1/4" jack socket. There is an unresolved question, what is the max trigger volts to be used on the PC socket.
 
Thanks Folks

To summarise it seems it is not possible to fire the SB-800 the old fashioned way using a PC cable. I will have to explore the CLS mode or as suggested use a hotshoe -PC adapter on the flash. Thanks for your input

pete
(y)
 
Will87 that's interesting.

I would have made my question clearer if I asked " how do I or can I use my SB-800 with my medium format :shake:camera which does not have a built in flash but only a PC sync socket - is it possible?

Someone must know? :shrug:
 
When i get back from work on the weekend i will have a try with my 800 and medium format camera and see what i can come up with.
 
Thanks Daftbugga

I'm not linking my 283 into the SB-800. It's just that the manual suggests the PC socket is for triggering other flashguns rather than for a camera to trigger the SB-800 - that's how I read it. Maybe it does both? I'd rather someone confirm it before I try it and blow up an expensive unit:thumbsdown:

Yeah I am aware of the voltage caution as the 283 is old so will have to go down the wireless trigger if i want to use that

Cheers

pete
 
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