Yongnuo 560 in Slave mode w/Nikon CLS

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Keith
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I have this flash a few years now, and it's cheap and cheerful. however, when trying to fire it using the onboard CLS on my D800E, I can only do so having the onboard flash affect the exposure. You can set the onboard flash to be excluded from your exposure in commander mode, but this won't fire the YN 560 in sync. Any ideas? It'll sync fine in manual mode and TTL mode, but like I say, the onboard flash will be included in the exposure. I could try cover it up somehow otherwise I suppose. Yes, I know I should just use flash triggers, but atm I'm out of batteries for those and have to order some. using CLS is also quicker and easier, apart from this one issue.

Cheers.
 
The YN560 is a manual flash and is not compatible with Nikon's CLS. It can be set to ignore the communication flashes that happen before the shot is taken (but even then this is not reliable as a CLS master can send multiple impulses of light as it runs through a multiple-group test firing to work out the flash power for each flash group in play).

Your best bet is to use the on-board twinkle light at the lowest power you can get away with - or a sync cord.
 
The YN560 is a manual flash and is not compatible with Nikon's CLS. It can be set to ignore the communication flashes that happen before the shot is taken (but even then this is not reliable as a CLS master can send multiple impulses of light as it runs through a multiple-group test firing to work out the flash power for each flash group in play).

Your best bet is to use the on-board twinkle light at the lowest power you can get away with - or a sync cord.


I figured as much as I've exhausted every combination trying to get it working. It'll work fine in manual or TTL modes in S2, but the onboard flash will be included. I could make some sort of blocker for the cam-flash, like a piece of black card, with just enough of a gap to fire the YN560. I'll mess about with it a bit. This evening I gave it a work out, had the cam flash down to -3.0 exp, so it's barely affecting exposure. This actually fine for macro and casual portraiture, it can act as a dim fill light. But if I wanted to do something more intense, like a low key high contrast portrait it would be a problem. I do have a hot-shoe cord but it's very short
 
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Yes if you're using the on-board flash as a simple TTL flash as opposed to a CLS master, then the S2 slave mode on the YN560 will invariably work as there will only be one test flash from the on-board light. The on-board flash will still be fired during the exposure though as you've discovered, but then if it wasn't, your YN560 would not fire either, so you you can't have one without the other.

I wouldn't try to use the on-board in TTL though, as -3.0 is the maximum flash compensation; which, if the camera thought 1/1 was called for (quite likely for the tiny light), the flash comp would only take it down to 1/8th. Just keep it simple and have it fire in manual, at 1/128th. You could try a piece of silver foil attached to the on-board light to direct it to the YN560 and block it from going forwards. The slave eyes quite often only need the IR part of the light (no idea if this is the case on the YN560 mind), and so some people fit filters over the on-board light to cut out the visible bit. Seems like a lot of effort to me though, just to avoid buying some radio triggers... :)
 
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