DPanswers
Buying Flash for the Nikon System
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
This note is intended to serve as background information to first time buyers of a flash to be used with a Nikon system camera (DSLR or a Coolpix compact camera) with built-in support for Nikon's CLS (Creative Lighting System).
There is also a second note that discusses using CLS flash with a Nikon system camera.
(If you are looking for my notes on buying flash for a Canon system, see here.)
Most of this note discusses Nikon's dedicated units (i.e. flashes sold by Nikon that are compatible with CLS), or third party dedicated units (i.e. flashes sold by others that are compatible with CLS), but there is also a brief discussion about using generic (non-dedicated) flashes on Nikon DSLRs. Even if your camera can make use the CLS, you may want to use a generic flash. Studio lighting is often built around generic strobes, generic flashes are often cheaper than dedicated, and of course, generic flashes may also be used on non-Nikon systems. The downside of generic flashes is that they lack some of the advanced features of dedicated flashes.
Creative Lighting System
In 2003, Nikon launched a new, sophisticated flash control system, known by the abbreviation CLS (Creative Lighting System). In the CLS, i-TTL is used to control the output of the flash. i-TTL replaces and obsoletes Nikon's earlier systems for exposure control known as TTL or D-TTL.
Users familiar with Nikon's TTL on their film cameras will notice a subtle difference when moving on to i-TTL. In the case of the i-TTL, the power of the flash is not controlled during the exposure by measurement off the film surface itself. Off-the-film (OTF) measurement is not possible with digital cameras as the sensor's surface is not appropriate for measuring off. This factor, combined with the decreased latitude of the digital sensor when compared to film means that the i-TTL user must expect slightly less accuracy when using i-TTL, compared to the traditional OTF TTL measurement used on a film camera.
Instead i-TTL relies on something called pre-flash for exposure control. It works like this: The camera fires a low power pre-flash milliseconds before the shutter opens. It then measures the light from this pre-flash as it is reflected from the subject through the lens (TTL). The camera uses this reading to compute the power ratio for the flash for correct exposure. The camera communicates the desired power-ratio to the flash and the flash adjust its power accordingly. Finally, the camera opens the shutter and fires the flash to make the exposure.
CLS is a dedicated flash system that is supported by the Nikon F6 SLR (but no other film camera) and Nikon's newer DSLR models (i.e. D40, D40x, D50, D60, D70, D80, D200, D300, D2h, D2x, D3 and later). I am less sure of how well supported CLS is by Nikon's compact digicams. I know that some advanced models, such as Coolpix 8800 supports at least some CLS features. To make sure what features are supported, check the manual for the particular model you are interested in.
The major features of CLS are:
- Aperture, ISO, focal length and flash colour information communicated between flash and body.
- Also makes use of focus distance with lenses capable of communicating this to the body (“D” and “G”-lenses).
- i-TTL (Intelligent Trough The Lens) flash exposure control.
- AWL (Advanced Wireless Lighting). Wireless (by light) control of off-camera flash units.
- FV (Flash Value) lock to obtain correct flash exposures for off-centre subjects.
- FOLC (Flash Output Level Compensation ) to get correct flash exposures for non-average subjects.
- Auto FP (Focal Plane) high-speed sync mode to synchronise flash at high shutter speeds.
- AF-assist illuminator (to ensure fast and precise autofocus in the dark).
Not all features are available on all compatible models. Below is an (incomplete) list of limitations I am aware of.
- AWL: Only D70/D70s/D80 and better have a built-in flash that can act as a commander for AWL. The SB-600 also lacks commander mode (but works fine as a wireless remote unit). To have wireless control on a Coolpix, D40/D40x, D50 or D60, you either has to use an SB-800 or an SU-800 Remote Commander in the camera's hot-shoe as on-camera commander. The SB-600 and SB-800 can be set to one of three groups (A, B, or C), but some cameras only let you select one or two groups. To control all three groups, you need to use a camera that supports three groups, the SB-800 or an SU-800 Remote Commander.
- FV: This need to be activated by pushing a button on the camera. Only Nikon's higher end DSLRs (D200 and better) comes with a dedicated FV lock button. Some lesser models let you use custom functions to reassign buttons. For instance, on the D80, you can reassign FV lock to the generic Func-button. However, by doing so, you lose access to ISO in the view-finder (the default use of this button).
CLS works through a very high level of integration between the camera body and one or more Nikon Speedlights. To use CLS, the body and the flash guns need to be compatible with CLS.
2. Flash Units
This section discusses the different type of flash units that one can buy for the Nikon system, starting with Nikon's own dedicated units, then some third party dedicated units, and finally generic flash units that one may use on a Nikon system.
In the summaries below, all guide numbers (GN) are given in meters, for ISO 100. For guide numbers in feet, multiply by 3.3. To convert to a different sensor speed, multiply the ISO 100 GN with the square root of the ISO ratio. Note that for flashes with a zoom head, the guide number (GN) is listed for with the zoom set to 35mm, 50mm and maximum zoom (assuming a FX-sized sensor). The number you'll find in most manufacturer's literature (except Nikon) is usually for maximum zoom only, which makes these flashes seem more powerful than they really are. The “c/r” column indicates if can be used as a commander and/or remote unit in Nikon's wireless flash control system AWL. For generic flashes, the column “Slave” indicates if the flash has a built in optical slave function.
The summaries only lists some of the features of each flash. If you want to know all the technical details and features, please see the manufacturers' specification sheets.
Dedicated Nikon Units
To be able to use CLS on a CLS-compatible Nikon camera, you need a CLS capable flash. Neither the original TTL nor D‑TTL system work with these digital cameras, but the older TTL/D‑TTL Speedlights (and dedicated third party flash guns supporting TTL/D‑TTL) may be used in auto or manual mode (see below).
At the time of writing, the following units are compatible with at least the i-TTL exposure control part of Nikon's CLS:
- Speedlight SB-R200. GN 10. No LCD. Macro flash. No Zoom. AWL remote unit only. Cannot be attached to accessory shoe. USD 150.
- Speedlight SB-400. GN 21. No LCD. Tilt (4 steps), no swivel. No zoom, FOV 27mm (FX) and 18mm (DX). No AWL. Manual mode only available on D40/D40x/D60. All five contacts must be connected to a Nikon body to fire. USD 110.
- Speedlight SB-600. GN 30 (f=35mm). LCD. Tilt & swivel. Zoom 14mm, 24-85mm (FX). AWL remote unit. USD 185.
- Speedlight SB-800. GN 38 (f=35mm). LCD. Tilt & swivel. Zoom 14mm, 24-105mm (FX). AWL commander & remote unit. USD 315.
- Speedlight SB-900. GN 40 (f=35mm). LCD. Tilt & swivel. Zoom 14mm, 17-200mm (FX). AWL commander & remote unit. USD 500.
- AWL Speedlight Commander SU-800. LCD. Infrared control of SB-R200, SB-600, or SB-800. USD 250.
While Nikon lists the SB-400 as part of the CLS, low power and no AWL puts it into a class of its own, for those that want a lightweight no-frills flash with i-TTL.
But I am frequently asked about the difference between the SB-600 and the SB-800. The table below gives a detailed comparison between the two:
| SB-600 | SB-800 | |
|---|---|---|
| Coverage (FX) | 14, 24 - 85mm | 14, 24 - 105 mm |
| GN (ISO 100/m, f=35mm) | 30 | 38 |
| GN (ISO 100/m, f=50mm) | 35 | 44 |
| GN (ISO 100/m, f=max) | 43 | 56 |
| Movements | tilt, swivel | tilt, swivel |
| Tilt Angle | 0 to +90° | -7 to + 90° |
| Weight w/o batteries | 300 g. | 350 g. |
| W x H x D | 68 x 123.5 x 90 mm | 70.6 x 127.4 x 91.7 mm |
| Battery life (1) | 220 flashes | 150 flashes |
| Recycle time (1) | 2.5 sec. | 4 sec. |
| i-TTL, D-TTL & TTL | yes | yes |
| Non-TTL auto | no | yes |
| Manual power ratio | 1/1 - 1/64 | 1/1 - 1/128 |
| FOLC | yes | yes |
| FX/DX aware | no | no |
| Manual distance priority | no | yes |
| High Speed Sync (FP) | yes | yes |
| Manual stroboscopic (RPT) | no | yes |
| AWL commander / remote | no / yes | yes / yes |
| SU-4 master / slave | yes / no | yes / yes |
| LCD | yes | yes |
| Modelling light | no | yes |
| Bounce card | no | yes |
| Coloured gel filters | no | yes |
| Diffuser dome | no | yes |
| TTL cord socket (2) | no | yes |
| PC sync socket | no | yes |
| External power socket | no | yes |
| Fifth battery option (3) | no | yes |
| AS-19 tabletop stand | yes | yes |
| Soft case | yes | yes |
| Cost, Nov 2007 | USD 185 | USD 315 |
- The figures assume that every flash is a full discharge. Note that these figures does not mean that the SB-800 will give you fewer flashes or longer recycle times during normal i-TTL operation. They simply reflects the fact that the SB-800 outputs more power at each full discharge.
- Not compatible with CLS/i-TTL or D-TTL capable bodies.
- The fifth battery option for the SB-800 is for those that want shorter recycle times with NiMH-batteries. Alkalines are 1.5 V, while NiMH 1.2 V. 4 x 1.5 = 6, and 5 x 1.2 = 6. It is a hassle to install the holder for the fifth battery (see below), and my SB-800 works well enough with just 4 NiMH batteries.
However, if you want to fit the holder for fifth battery on the SB-800, here's how:
- Open the cover as usual and then firmly continue the rotation past 90°. Do not twist the cover since you will induce stress fractures on the tiny plastic knobs that will break it off eventually.
- Fit the holder for the fifth battery in the place of the lid.
You use the same procedure to remove the holder and re-install the lid.
If you are using the GN figures above for comparison, note that most manufacturers these days like to list GN with the zoom at its maximum setting (e.g. f=105mm), which let them list very inflated GN figures in their sales literature. I've listed GN for three different settings of the zoom head. Make sure you use the right one when you compare.
The zoom head figures are for the FX format. Except for the new SB-900, when used on a DX body Nikon does not compensate for the narrower FOV. However, note that at the 14mm setting, the flash will actually cover the FOV of a 10mm lens on a DX camera, and at the 24mm setting, it will cover the FOV of a 16mm lens on a DX camera.
Dedicated Third Party Units
A number of third part flashes exists that are claimed by their manufacturers to be compatible with modern Nikon DSLRs. This usually means that they at least are capable of making use of i-TTL for power control. Below is usage notes for the some of these third party dedicated flashes.
Disclaimer: I do not own our use any third party dedicated flash unit. The notes below about using them has been pulled from private communications with users, and from manuals, discussion forums, and other public sources. I've included it here “as is”. The information may not be complete or correct, and corrections are welcome.
Metz
I am currently aware of the following flashes from Metz's lineup that supports i-TTL.
| Model | Coverage | GN (ISO 100/meter) | c/r | Cost | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| f=35mm | f=50mm | f=max | ||||
| 28 AF-3N | 24, 35, 85mm | 22 | - | 28 | -/- | USD 140 |
| 44 MZ-2 | 28-105mm | 26 | 34 | 44 | -/- | USD 294 |
| 44 AF-4iN | 28-105mm | 26 | 34 | 44 | -/- | USD 294 |
| 45 CL-4 D | 28, 35mm | 45 | - | 45 | -/- | USD 650 |
| 48 AF-1N | 18, 24-105mm | 29 | 36 | 48 | -/r | USD 200 |
| 54 AF-1N | 20, 24-105mm | 31 | 40 | 54 | -/- | USD 340 |
| 54 MZ-4i | 20, 24-105mm | 31 | 40 | 54 | -/- | USD 340 |
| 58 AF-1N | 18, 28-105mm | 32 | 42 | 58 | c/r | USD 350 |
| 76 MZ-5i | 20, 24-105mm | 46 | 54 | 76 | -/- | USD 890 |
For more detailed specifications, see Metz's own web. For detailed information about compatibility, see the compatibility chart found on that page, as compatibility varies with firmware versions for some of the models. Some the the Metz flash guns have a USB-interface to let users upgrade the firmware for newer camera models.
The flash guns with the AF designation are dedicated shoe mount flashes that are built to work with a single, dedicated flash system (in this case Nikon's i-TTL). The flash guns with the MZ and CL designations are based upon Metz SCA-system. In the SCA-system the flash is generic, but is tied into a particular dedicated system with a suitable adapter (typical cost USD 80 per adapter). You may move a flash to a different system by buying the right adapter for that system.
Metz flash guns in general has an excellent reputation for performance and build quality, but the only user report I've seen on the 58 AF1-1N was negative. Sensitivity when used as a remote unit was lower than the Nikon SB-800, and the zoom head would sometimes jam.
Quantum
Quantum sells a very powerful (and expensive) modular flash system with lots of options and interchangeable parts that are claimed to be CLS compatible.
| Model | Reflector | GN (ISO 100/meter) | c/r | Cost | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| f=35mm | f=50mm | f=max | ||||
| Qflash 4d | interchangeable | 35 | 50 | 70 | -/- | USD 610 |
| Qflash 5d-R | interchangeable | 50 | 70 | 95 | c/r | USD 700 |
For more detailed specifications, see the Quantum website.
Like the Metz SCA-system the Qflash-system is generic, but is tied into a particular dedicated system with a suitable adapter (typical cost USD 166 per adapter). You may move a flash to a different system by buying the right adapter for that system.
Note that the Qflash-system is very modular and that guide number depends on both what reflector you fit, and what power pack you use.
I haven't tried these strobes, but they have an excellent reputation.
Sigma
Sigma's lineup contains five flashes that supports i-TTL. These are:
| Model | Coverage | GN (ISO 100/meter) | c/r | Cost | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| f=35mm | f=50mm | f=max | ||||
| EM-140 DG Macro NA-iTTL | - | - | - | 14 | c/- | USD 359 |
| EF-500 DG ST NA-iTTL | 17, 28-105mm | 29 | 36 | 50 | -/- | USD 150 |
| EF-500 DG Super NA-iTTL | 17, 28-105mm | 29 | 36 | 50 | c/r | USD 219 |
| EF-530 DG ST NA-iTTL | 17, 24-105mm | 31 | 40 | 53 | -/- | USD 189 |
| EF-530 DG Super NA-iTTL | 17, 24-105mm | 31 | 40 | 53 | c/r | USD 259 |
For more detailed specifications, see Sigma's own web.
The EF-530 series is a direct replacement for the EF-500 series. It has slightly more power and the zoom head zooms out to 24mm, but as far as I know, nothing else has changed.
The Sigma flashes gives slightly more bang for the buck than Nikon's own flashes. However, the build is less solid, some users report erratic exposure control, and the user interface is horrible and the official user manuals an endless source of confusion.
All five are able to take advantage i-TTL. The models designated “Super” are (sort of) compatible with Nikon's AWL. Like the SB-800, they can also be used as plain optical slaves. However, the Sigma DG EF-500/530 Super is really designed to be used in a wireless setup where an on-camera Sigma flash controls one or more remote Sigma flashes. If you want to use it as a wireless remote unit controlled by the built-in flash of the D70, D80, D200, D300, etc., you need to jump through some hoops.
Rule one is that the Sigma DG EF-500/530 Super can only be programmed when in the hot-shoe of of a CLS-capable camera that supports commander mode. That's right – even if you plan to use the flash as a remote unit, you must attach it to the camera. Otherwise, the right menu selections will not appear.
Here is how you set the Sigma DG EF-500/530 Super up as a remote unit on the Nikon D70. It think this or a similar procedure will work on other CLS-capable Nikon bodies. In the example setup we shall use group “1” and channel “C3”. You may of course use other values if your camera has this capability
- Use the camera's menu to set the built-in flash to Commander TTL mode. Keep it there throughout the setup and shooting process. Set the zoom control on the lens to the widest angle you plan to use in your photo session. It will remain there during setup and use. Ignore any ISO settings on the flash. They are irrelevant when the flash is set up as a remote unit. If the camera allows you to select groups and channels (the D70 don't), set group “1” and channel “C3”.
- Turn off the Sigma flash and mount in the camera's hot-shoe. Then turn it on again.
- Press the mode control on the flash until you are in the correct
mode, pressing the shutter button half way down before each mode
button press. When you're in the right mode, you'll see three lines of
information on the LCD screen of the flash:
- In the upper left of the top line, you'll see “TTL”. The rest of the top line is blank.
- On the second line, on the left, you'll see a large lightning bolt joined to a smaller lightning bolt on its right with a dotted line, then on the same line “ZOOM xx mm”, where xx is the current zoom setting of the lens.
- On the third and last line, you will see “1 C1 SL”. The “1” is the group setting, the “C1” is the channel setting, and “SL” indicates Slave.
- Press the Sel button until the “C1” starts blinking.
- Repeatedly press the + button to set the right channel. (In our example, the blinking “C1“ should become a blinking “C3“). The flash is now set up as a wireless remote unit in group “1”, channel “C3”.
- Press the Sel button until no characters on the flash screen are blinking. Do not attempt to set up any additional flash modes as you cycle through the rest of the options.
- When nothing is blinking, turn off the camera and the flash, separate them, transport the Sigma to the remote location where you want to use it, and turn both on again. The Sigma flash should now be set to operate as a wireless remote unit, using the built-in flash as the commander in commander mode, in group “1” and channel “C3”. Make sure the built-in flash is popped up and set to operate in commander mode with the correct group and channel.
After you have done all this, don't press any more buttons on the Sigma flash (except Test, Light, or Off-On) or you'll have to re-attach it to the camera and re-program it.
If you need to change settings, you need to re-attach the flash to the camera.
While in wireless remote mode the red light on the front of the flash will blink continuously, and the flash will not enter standby, as it does when used in other modes.
See also note below about firing a Sigma's flash from an optical or radio trigger.
Others
There also exists a number of other flash guns that are claimed by their manufacturers to support i-TTL.
| Model | Coverage | GN (ISO 100/meter) | Cost | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| f=35mm | f=50mm | f=max | |||
| Bower SFD14N Macro | - | - | - | 14 | USD 120 |
| Digital Concepts 528AF/NIK | 35mm | 22 | - | 22 | USD 40 |
| Vivitar DF22-N | 28-85 | 19 | 22 | 27 | USD 40 |
| Sunpak PF30X | 30mm | 30 | - | 30 | USD 100 |
| Sunpak PZ40X II | 24-80mm | 28 | 30 | 40 | USD 150 |
| Sunpak PZ42X | 24-105mm | 28 | 30 | 42 | USD 156 |
| Phoenix 99N | 28-85mm | 28 | 30 | 40 | USD 75 |
| Digital Concepts AFI | 24-85mm | 25 | 32 | 42 | USD 115 |
| Promaster 7500DX | 24-105mm | 29 | 32 | 42 | USD 140 |
| Quantaray 900WA | 24-105mm | 29 | 32 | 42 | USD 180 |
| Bower SFD35N | 28-85mm | 29 | 34 | 42 | USD 70 |
| Phoenix DZBIS 112CII | 28-85mm | 29 | 34 | 42 | USD 90 |
| Vivitar DF340ZN | 28-85mm | 29 | 34 | 42 | USD 60 |
| Nissin Di622 | 16, 24-105mm | 26 | 34 | 44 | USD 170 |
I haven't tried any of these either, and know little about their quality and how compatible they really are.
There are positive reports at various forums about the the Bower SFD35N (e.g. Flickr). It is a very basic flash. There is no LCD, no AWL support, no way to do manual power settings, and the zoom head must be adjusted manually. It will, however, tilt and swivel.
If you have anything to share about one of these units, or just would like to comment, please user the blog.
Generic Units
Generic flash units are are flash units that will work on your Nikon DSLR, but are not designed to be compatible with the CLS. Most of these units offer at least manual (with adjustable power ratio) and non-TTL auto exposure modes, but not i-TTL. While made by Nikon, any of Nikon's pre-CLS flashes should be considered a generic unit if you buy it for a CLS-capable DSLR, as it does no better communicating with the body than third-party generic flashes.
There exists too many generic flash models, both new and used, for me to list them all here, but the following list gives examples of some popular generic units that offer both non-TTL auto and manual with variable power settings, including some discontinued Nikon Speedlites:
| Model | Coverage | GN (ISO 100/meter) | Slave | Cost | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| f=35mm | f=50mm | f=max | ||||
| Nikon SB-50DX | 14, 24-50mm | 22 | 26 | 26 | - | - |
| Sunpak 383 Super Auto | 35mm | 35 | - | 35 | - | USD 80 |
| Vivitar 285HV | 28-105mm | 31 | 37 | 43 | - | USD 90 |
| Metz 44 MZ-2 | 28-105mm | 29 | 34 | 44 | yes | USD 294 |
| Nikon SB-26 | 18, 24-85mm | 36 | 42 | 50 | yes | - |
| Nikon SB-28 | 18, 24-85mm | 36 | 42 | 50 | - | - |
| Nikon SB-28DX | 18, 24-85mm | 36 | 42 | 50 | - | - |
| Nikon SB-80DX | 14, 24-105mm | 38 | 44 | 56 | yes | - |
If you want to use a generic auto
or manual flash with your Nikon camera, you first need to figure out
how to connect the flash to the camera. As noted in the section on
flash trigger voltage below, Nikon's recommendation
is that you should only mount one of the Nikon's own Speedlights in
the hot-shoe.
Nikon's higher end DSLRs (e.g. D200, D300, D2-series, D3) comes with a pc-socket, that can be used to connect most generic auto and manual flash units. The maximum safe voltage rating for the pc-socket can be found in your camera's manual. For all current models, I believe it is 250 volts.
To hook up a flash to the pc-socket, you just plug the pc-plug from the flash into the camera's pc-socket. If you want to use the camera's hot-shoe to hold the flash, I recommend that you convert it into a cold-shoe by putting insulating tape over the contacts to avoid any electrical connection between camera and flash through the shoe.
If your flash does not come with a pc-plug, you can buy a cheap pc-to-hot-shoe adapter, such as the model displayed above, to make the connection. You connect the adapter to the camera's pc-socket, and mount the flash in the adapter's hot-shoe.
Most generic flashes will also work if you mount them in the hot-shoe. However, because of the hazards associated with high trigger voltages you should be aware of the risks involved.
Dedicated flashes built for a different system (e.g. Canon Speedlites) will in many cases not fire from the hot-shoe, but may work fine with the pc-to-hotshoe-adapter.
Nikon's
entry level and prosumer DSLRs (e.g. D40, D40x, D50, D60, D70, D80) do
not have a pc-connector. For these cameras, a possible workaround is
to use a cheap hot-shoe-to-pc-adapter such as the adapter shown on the
left, in the camera's hot-shoe. You can then connect the flash's
pc-plug to the adapter's pc-socket. Since the adapter is plugged
directly into the camera's hot-shoe, you should only do this if you
know that the flash's trigger-voltage is safe.
However, my preferred set-up for using non-Nikon flashes with my Nikon D80 (which have no pc-connector) is to use a very cheap Chinese radio slave. For details, see: this page. This also removes any trigger-voltage worries, because the third-party flash is never in physical contact with the camera.
For use of plain optical slaves with a Nikon digital camera, see notes on using slaves below.
3. Exposure Modes
In order to have the scene properly lit, with correct exposure and with a good balance between foreground and background light, we need to control the amount of light put out by the light, and adjust aperture, shutter speed and ISO to match that, as well as the ambient light. In this note, the following flash exposure control modes will be discussed:
- TTL automatic flash mode (i-TTL, D-TTL and TTL – available on Nikon Speedlights and some dedicated third party flashes). When you are using a TTL automatic flash mode, the correct power to use for flash is determined by measuring the amount of flash light reflected by the entire scene or foreground subject through the camera lens (TTL = Through The Lens).
- Non-TTL Auto flash mode (available on Nikon SB-800 and some generic flashes). When you use a non-TTL Auto flash mode, you use a built-in sensor at the front of the flash that measures the average flash light reflected by the entire scene.
- Manual mode (available on all Nikon Speedlights and all generic flashes). When you use a Manual flash mode, nothing measures the light, you control exposure by setting up the power of the flash by selecting how much (as a fraction of maximum output) light the flash should emit, and selecting a ISO and aperture that will yield the right exposure.
TTL
The Nikon CLS uses a TTL mode known as i-TTL. replaces and obsoletes the earlier D‑TTL and TTL systems. This note only discusses i-TTL, not the obsolete version of Nikon's TTL.
i-TTL is based upon measuring the flash light reflected from the scene through the camera's lens. The measurement is done by firing a low-power pre-flash. The delay between the pre-flash and actual flash is so short that the human eye is not able to distinguish between them. (However, the pre-flash will trigger plain optical slave strobes, so in order to use these type of slaves, you need to disable the pre-flash.)
When the pre-flash fire, the light reflected by scene is picked up by one or more internal sensors. These measurements are used to compute how much power to use for the actual flash.
CLS offers two different TTL-modes. You choose which to use with the mode button:
- TTL: Standard TTL flash. The main subject is correctly exposed regardless of the background brightness.
- TTL BL: Automatic Balanced Fill-Flash. The flash output level is automatically adjusted for a well-balanced exposure of the main subject and background.
For a examples on how to use these modes, see the sections on TTL and TTL BL in the next installment of this series.
The big advantage of TTL is that because TTL measures reflected light through the camera's lens, the position of the flash (or flashes) does not matter. The flash may be bounced, in or out of the hot-shoe, facing away from the camera or even put inside a softbox. The set-up may involve multiple flashes controlled by AWL. No matter what, TTL metering means that the camera meters the actual scene as seen through the lens. The sensor on an non-TTL Auto flash may “see” the wrong scene in many situations where the flash is off-camera.
Auto
Non-TTL Auto first appeared in the 1970ies and was the preferred method for controlling flash exposure until well after dedicated flash systems built around some form of TTL light measurement debuted around 1980.
Some argue that modern TTL technology, such as i-TTL, has made Auto obsolete. However, you can still buy cheap and powerful generic flashes using Auto for exposure control (e.g, Vivitar 285HV, Sunpak 383 Super Auto and Metz 44 MZ-2). Nikon has retained the Auto mode in CLS, but at the time of writing only the Nikon SB-800 offers Auto mode in addition to i‑TTL.
In Auto mode, the flash uses a built-in sensor that measures the average light reflected from the scene and shuts off flash power when the sensor indicates that the subject is properly lit. The measurement is done in real-time, during the actual exposure. Unlike i‑TTL, there is no pre-flash when you use Auto to control exposure. (Note: If you use the very similar Auto Aperture (AA) mode on the Nikon SB-800. it will use a pre-flash to compute exposure, you can use FV to lock the exposure..)
Because the Auto-mode does not use pre-flash, the delay when you press the shutter button is shorter. The difference is small, but it may make a difference in responsiveness when you shoot sports with flash. Some people has fast enough reflexes to blink when they are exposed to the pre-flash. By using Auto-mode, you can photograph such people with their eyes open.
The exposure metering in Auto mode is simple and predictable when used for flash key (i.e. the flash is the main light). Most photographers learn how to compensate for the errors that the system introduces in difficult lighting situations.
Unless the flash is made to communicate with the camera (see below), to use an auto flash you need to set the camera up in manual mode (M). You then select a shutter speed equal to the camera's maximum X-sync speed or less, and a suitable aperture and ISO-value. You dial in the same aperture and ISO on the flash and you are ready to shoot.
As long as the flash is fixed to the hot-shoe, auto flashes, when tilted or rotated, has a metering sensor that still measures along the same axis as the lens. This means that the flash metering system will automatically compensate for any light loss that is the result of (for instance) bouncing the flash light against a ceiling. But if the flash is used out of the hot-shoe, the fact that the flash sensor is no longer aligned with the camera may cause problems. For instance, if you put an auto flash inside a softbox, the flash sensor will measure the light reflected inside the softbox and not the light reflected from the actual scene. To get around this limitation, some auto flashes has a detachable sensor that can be mounted in the camera's hot-shoe while the flash can be put somewhere else.
Unless the flash is made to communicate with the camera (see below), you set flash exposure compensation with an auto flash by “lying” to it about what aperture you're using. However, if the flash picks up the aperture from the body (e.g. Metz 54 MZ, and the Nikon SB-800 in AA-mode, you need to use explicit flash exposure compensation (EV).
Some flashes, such the Nikon SB-800 in AA-mode and the Metz 54 MZ, are built to communicate with the camera through the hot-shoe, and automatically gets the aperture and ISO-value from the camera. In that case, there is no need to use M mode, you can also use P or A mode, and work with camera and flash just as tightly integrated as if you were using i-TTL.
The default Auto mode on the Nikon SB-800 is called Auto Aperture (AA). In this mode the Speedlight will emit a pre-flash, and it will pick up the aperture from a CLS-compatible body (provided the lens has a CPU). If no aperture information is available, it will fall back on plain Auto (A), and you need to dial in the aperture on the flash yourself. (ISO and focal length will still be transferred automatically.) In plain Auto mode, you can dial in exposure compensation by varying the aperture on the lens, and you will avoid the pre-flash.
On a Nikon SB-800, if you want to use plain Auto (A) instead of Auto Aperture (AA) by default, you can override the factory setting.
Manual
When a flash is in Manual mode, the power ratio to use for correct exposure is no longer determined by metering of reflected light, as it is in i-TTL and Auto modes. Instead, exposure is controlled by power ratio, aperture and guide number (GN).
Not all flashes let the user set a power ratio. In that case, assume that only a single power ratio (1/1) is available.
Unless you use a flash meter, or take advantage of Nikon's Distance Priority feature (discussed below), exposure control in Manual mode is done by computing the aperture to use based upon ISO, distance from flash to subject, and the flash's GN. The GN is usually given for the full power of the flash for ISO 100, for either meters or feet. Note that if the flash has a zoom head, or a Fresnel lens that may be used to focus the beam, the GN varies with the position of head or lens.
To work out the correct aperture at ISO 100 from the GN, simply divide the GN with the distance to the foreground subject, and set the nearest aperture.
For example, at ISO 100 for a flash with a GN of 40 (meters) at full power, and the main subject 7 meters away we get 40/7=5.7. We use the nearest available aperture, which is f/5.6.
If you are shooting at a different ISO value than 100, you multiply the guide number at ISO 100 with the square root of the ISO value divided by 100 to obtain a revised guide number. For instance, if the flash has a GN=40 at ISO 100, at ISO 200 the guide number becomes 40 x SQRT(200/100) = 57. If we still are 7 meters from our subject, we will use 57/7=8.1, and the nearest available aperture is f/8.
If the flash let you set a power ratio, the guide number is
reduced by the square root of the ratio you set. For
example a flash that at full power has a guide number equal to 100 has
at half power (power ratio 1/2) a guide number equal to
100 x SQRT(1/2) = 71.
When working with manual flash, most photographers use pre-computed tables that show what aperture to use at various distances and ISO-values. The image to the right show such a table. It is from the back of a Prinz Jupiter 2000 flash which has a guide number equal to 18 (meters) for ISO 100.
For bounce flash against a white ceiling, first compute the aperture by dividing the flash's guide number with the total distance the light has to travel (i.e the distance from the flash to the reflecting point in the ceiling, plus the distance from the reflecting point to the subject). Then open up at least two extra stops to compensate for light being absorbed by the ceiling. Check the histogram to determine if the exposure is correct, and adjust if necessary.
For fill flash, increase the shutter speed until the background is properly exposed. To lessen the effect of the flash on the foreground you may dial down the light output using a suitable power ratio, increase the subject to flash distance, or use light modifiers such as diffusers.
If you regularly shoot complex lighting setups with one or more manual flashes, you may want to invest in a handheld flash meter (e.g. Gossen Digiflash). With a flash meter, you start by metering a test flash with all your lights in place and set up with appropriate power ratios. You then read the aperture from the flash meter, set it on the camera, and proceed to take one or more exposures lit by the same flash arrangement. There is no need to make another reading until you rearrange the lights. A flash meter will work with a multiple flash setup, bounced flash, and all sorts of light modifiers (e.g. brollys and softboxes).
Nikon offer three slightly different manual modes:
- Manual. This is the standard manual mode where you compute the aperture to use from ISO and GN.
- Distance Priority. In this mode, you tell the flash the distance to your subject, and it picks up the aperture and ISO from the camera. The system then computes the appropriate power ratio, saving you from computing it or from looking it up in tables.
- Repeating. This is a special stroboscopic manual mode.
4. Off-camera Flash
To move the flash off-camera, you can use wires or a wireless setup. For a wireless solution, you can either use Nikon's Advanced Wireless Lighting (AWL), that is part of CLS, or you can use a third party solution using wires, plain optical slaves, radio control, or a combination of all these. This section discusses the pros and cons of all the options.
For off-camera flash, Many cut down on the total cost by mixing radio, optical triggers and wires. They put a radio transmitter on the camera as master, and use this to trigger a few slaves strategically positioned units with a radio receiver. The light from these will then trigger other units fitted with optical receivers. Units in close proximity to each other are connected to the same optical or radio receiver by wires. By doing it this way, total cost is kept low, and at the same time the photographer can move around freely because no wires attach the lighting to the camera.
Dedicated Wired Flash
To move a single Speedlight off the camera, you can use a Nikon TTL Coiled Remote Cord (SC‑17, SC‑28 or SC‑29). Each of these cords are about 150 cm long. The difference between them is that the SC‑28 has a better lock than SC‑17, and that SC‑29 also works as an external AF-assist illuminator for placement of a flash off-camera. These are just extension cords and preserves all flash functions including i‑TTL (i.e. the flash works like it has been mounted directly in the camera's hot-shoe). Their main use is for mounting a Speedlight flash on a flash bracket.
For multiple off-camera flashes, Nikon used to offer a wired solution built around the AS-10 TTL Multi-Flash Adapter and Multi-Flash Sync Cords of various lengths. This system, however, is not compatible with CLS/i-TTL or D-TTL, so you can't use this with a Nikon DSLR (or the F6). The TTL cord socket on the SB-800 is there in case you own legacy film bodies.
For CLS-compatible cameras and flashes, Nikon instead provides a sophisticated wireless system for controlling multiple off-camera Speedlights. This system is described in the next section.
Dedicated Wireless Remote Flash
Nikon refers to the part of CLS that supports wireless control of Speedlights as AWL (Advanced Wireless Lighting).
Nikon's AWL-terminology is peculiar. According to Nikon's AWL compatibility chart, the following definitions are used:
- master unit:
- Works to control remote Speedlight units by firing flash during exposure.
- commander:
- Works to control remote Speedlight units without firing flash during exposure.
- remote unit:
- Fires flash only when triggered by a master unit or a commander.
As a result of these definitions, Nikon the chart gives the impression that the D50, D40, D40x and D60 built-in flash can not be used as “master” in a wireless set-up – but it can (outside the AWL framework).
To confuse matters further, other Nikon literature also say that “commander mode” means using the “built-in unit as master” (e.g. D80 manual, p. 96).
Nikon's terminology ignores the fact that the words “master” (and “slave”) has been used to describe wireless flash operation long before AWL appeared on the scene. In this note I use the words “master” and “slave” in the traditional sense (i.e. for any controlling and controlled unit, regardless of protocol), while reserving the word “commander” for a unit that controls “remote units” using Nikon's dedicated wireless protocol within the framework of AWL.
To use AWL, you have the following options:
- Use your camera's built-in flash in commander mode (note that the Coolpix models, D50, D40, D40x and D60 do not have commander mode. and that the professional models D1 … D3 do not have a built-in flash).
- By having a dedicated flash capable of acting as commander (i.e. SB-800) in the hot-shoe (or connected via a TTL Coiled Remote Cord).
- By having the remote commander transmitter SU-800 in the hot-shoe.
The system lets the photographer select one of four channels. This is to minimise the risk of interference from other photographer's equipment. No other flash from the other attendants will be able to trigger yours (apart from another Nikon commander set to the same channel). This is very handy if you have to work at social gatherings or weddings where a lot of people fire their compact cameras with flash.
The capabilities vary a lot between models. The D70/D70s, in commander mode can only control a single group, and the built-in flash will only contribute a tiny amount to the exposure in commander mode (Nikon says none, but that is not strictly true). On the D80 and better, or if you use a SB-800 or SU-800 as commander, you can control the power of the commander flash as well as remote units in up to three groups with different power ratios, and the flashes may be fired in all the different modes supported by the CLS.
While there is no hard limit to the number of flashes that can be controlled remotely, Nikon warns that in i-TTL mode, more than three flashes in a group may interfere with each other.
If you want to control a large number of wireless flashes, or you don't want pre-flash to interfere with the scene, you may consider using plain slave flash instead of AWL. The reach of the master is also greater in plain slave mode. This is discussed in the next section.
Nikon's wireless flash control system works well indoors. In the SB-800 manual, Nikon tells you to place all remote units within 30° (on each side) of the commander, to place them at distances between 5 and 7-10 meters, and to make sure that there is a clear line of sight between the commander and the remote units. These are extremely conservative figures. For outdoors use, you may need to operate within these limitations (and you may still experience reliability problems in bright sunlight). Indoors, where the signal light can bounce of bright surfaces, placement of remote units can be more flexible than Nikon's literature let you believe.
If you are placing your remote units at an obtuse angle, make sure you change the zoom head of the commander to a wide enough coverage.
Blocking All Visible Light
According to Nikon, the built-in flash can be set to act as commander only, and not contribute any light to the scene during exposure. This is the only mode available on the D70, while on D80, D200 and D300, you do this by setting mode “--” for the built-in flash.
In reality, things are a little more complicated. If you check this out in a mirror, you'll see that the built-in flash emits a tiny glow during exposure (the IR component of that glow is what controls the remote flash). This tiny glow is too insignificant to pose a problem in most cases, but in macro photography, or if mirrors or other shiny surfaces are involved, it might be a problem.
In that case, you can get the Nikon SG-3IR IR panel to remove the visible component from your built-in flash (it looks like solid plastic, but it lets IR through), or you can also make a makeshift IR-pass filter by taping black unexposed E6 slide film in front of the built-in flash.
Plain Optical Slave Triggers
Nikon refer to plain (non-AWL) optical slave flash operation as SU-4 type wireless multiple flash, after the wireless Slave Flash Controller SU-4.
Actually, there is more to the SU-4 than just being an optical master trigger. It has a quasi-TTL capability in the sense that the slave will fire as long as the master fires. For this to work, the master need to use OTF TTL, which does not work on a digital camera. So on a DSLR, the SU-4 should only use Manual mode for exposure control. The “multiple” part of the designation is there to note that the SU-4 will trigger multiple flashes on the slave in sync with the master.
Today, the SU-4 mainly lives on as a special wireless mode of the Speedlight SB-800. Selecting this mode turns the SB-800 into a plain optical slave.
Plain optical slaves still have their place. For instance, if you have a D50, D40/D40x or D60, where the on-board flash don't support AWL's commander mode, you can still use the SB-800 in SU-4-mode as a wireless slave triggered by the camera's built-in flash. Instead of a SB-800 you can off course use cheaper alternatives with a built-in optical slave trigger, such as the old SB-26 or Metz 44-MZ 2. Most studio strobes has a built in optical slave trigger. For generic flash units such as the Vivitar 285HV, you can buy the SL-2 remote flash trigger.
If you want greater distance between master an slaves than possible with the AWL, you are working with studio strobes or in some other environment where AWL is not an option, or if you are using a non-CPU lens, plain optical (or radio) slave flash is probably what you want.
With optical slave triggers, you need to avoid or ignore the pre-flash. The pre-flash will ruin your shot by setting off the optical slaves before the shutter opens. Below is a list of four different ways of eliminating pre-flash:
- Turn off the pre-flash for your master flash. If you use your camera's built-in flash, select manual mode or (if available) SU-4 type mode. NB: Do not use the manual setting in commander mode. It will not work.
- Put a cheap manual flash with no TTL capability in the camera's hot-shoe, and use this as your master flash.
- Use a special slave flash with a built-in “digital” trigger that can be programmed to ignore the i‑TTL pre-flash, or an external slave flash trigger with this capability.
- Use “blank FV” (i.e. use the FV-button to fire the pre-flash while covering the flash head in tin-foil or similar).
The first option should be adequate in most situations. As for the other options. I see people mention them, so I list them here for completeness sake.
If you don't want the built-in flash to contribute light to the exposure, dial down the power ratio as far as it will go without making your slave flash(es) unreliable. If you want to reduce the built-in flash output without affecting the range, get the Nikon SG-3IR IR panel to remove the visible component from your built-in flash (it looks like solid plastic, but it lets IR through). Or you can also make a makeshift IR-pass filter by taping black (unexposed) E6 slide film in front of the built-in flash.
There is of course no way to make TTL exposure control work with plain optical slave flash. In this kind of setup you must use the camera in manual (M) mode. Refer to the sections on Auto and Manual to learn how to control exposure in these modes.
If you use SB-800 as a master in SU-4 Manual mode, Nikon tells you it can reach up to 40 meters (as opposed to 10 meters in AWL mode). Again, these are conservative figures and greater distances are often possible (but with reduced reliability).
Note 1: The pre-flash measurement system is employed in TTL BL, TTL and AA modes. In all three of these modes, wireless triggering of plain optical slave flashes cannot be used, as the pre-flash would trigger the slave prematurely.
Note 2: Some Wein optical hot-shoe slave receivers will not trigger newer Speedlights such as the SB-400 and SB-600. The Wein units that is powered by the flash trigger voltage needs at least 5 volts to work. The SB-400 and SB-600 have a trigger voltage of 3.3 volts. The Nikon SU-4 slave flash controller works fine with all Nikon Speedlights. Older Speedlights have a higher trigger voltage (usually around 6 volts) and works fine with these Wein receivers.
How To use the SB-800 as a Plain Optical Slave
(This section is not about remote control of the SB-800 in commander mode.)
As noted, the SB-800 comes complete with an optical receiver that let you use as a plain optical slave. This means that it can be set up to work as a slave with a master flash that does not support commander mode. This means that you can use an old manual flah, and also the built-in flash of the Nikon D50, D40, D40x and D60.
Here is how you activate SU-4 mode:
- Press and hold the Sel button on the SB-800 for 2 seconds to get into custom settings.
- Use the multi selector to get the upper right quadrant (wireless operation) highlighted and push the Sel button again.
- Press down button (-) until “SU-4” is highlighted and push Sel again to select.
- Press On/Off button to get out of custom settings.
- Your flash will now say “REMOTE.”
- Press the Mode button to toggle between automatic and manual. Choose manual.
- Set power. By pressing the + or - buttons, you can change power in 1/3-stop increments. There is no iTTL-control in this mode.
- Pop up your camera's built-in flash and set it to manual. (NB: You can not use commander mode .)
The light sensor of the optical receiver is behind the round window next to the battery door on the left side. For best sensitivity, you will want to rotate the flash body so this window faces the master flash.
Radio Slave Triggers
Optical solutions for off-camera flash of both the AWL and plain variety struggles outdoors, especially in bright light. Optical units also require a clear line of sight between master and slave.
For this reason, many instead opt for radio transmitters to control off-camera flash units. Radio will work outdoors in bright light, and requires no line of sight between master and slave. It also avoid the problem, noted above that not all optical receivers are compatible with modern Speedlights.
The downside of radio is cost. Quality radio systems, (e.g. Pocketwizards), are expensive, but in later years, several low cost alternatives have become available.
Off-camera flash caveats
The Nikon SB-400 must be connected to a Nikon body with all five contacts to fire. This means that you can fire it off-camera if you use a Nikon TTL Coiled Remote Cord (SC‑17, SC‑28 or SC‑29), but not with an optical or radio trigger.
The Sigma 500/530 DG Super must be set to C0 SL mode (that is the normal slave mode) to be fired from a simple two-contact hot-shoe that is featured on most optical and radio triggers. It will not fire at all in manual mode without a full i-TTL connection to the camera body. It can't be set to FP (high speed sync) or second curtain sync in C0 SL mode.
The Sigma EF-500/530 DG ST does not have a slave mode, and can not be used as a slave flash
5. Choosing a Flash
What type of flash should you buy? Below is some points to help you decide, but only you know your requirements.
Flashes compatible with the Nikon CLS are made to work with your Nikon camera, and the top-of-line Nikon models (SB-600 and SB-800) can be used in wireless setups with multiple flashes where some may be inside softboxes, or used in other complex lighting arrangements. If you want to use low intensity fill flash, then you probably want to use CLS. Non-TTL Auto mode have no idea about the ambient light and can not provide automatic fill flash. To use Manual (variable power ratio) mode for fill flash requires the use of a separate flash meter or cumbersome guide-number calculations.
I think it is safe to say that you can not go wrong with a Nikon CLS Speedlight. All the current units have good reputations. The SB-400 is a compact and lightweight alternative without many bells and whistles. The SB-600 is for those that want more power and AWL as an option without paying a premium. The SB-800 is the top of the line model with extra power and some unique functions.
The downside of Nikon's dedicated CLS flashes is cost. They may cost more than three times as much non-CLS flashes with equal power output. If you want a bright flash to be your main light, then you can save some money by choosing a non-dedicated auto flash. For instance, the dedicated Nikon Speedlight SB-600 (GN 30) carry a sticker price of around $185. More powerful generic flash guns such as the Vivitar 285HV (GN 31) or Sunpak 383 Super (GN 35) will cost only about $70-100 brand new, and used models can be had for a lot less than that.
There is also third party dedicated flashes from Metz, Quantum, Sigma, and others. Currently, I know little about the compatibility and quality of these units, so if you consider one of these, make sure you check it out is the store before committing to a purchase.
Power matters. Whether you choose a dedicated or non-dedicated flash, if you intend to use bounce flash, I would not recommend a unit with less power than the Nikon SB-600 (GN 98ft/30m) or a Vivitar 285HV (GN 120ft/37m). Be warned that the Nikon SB-600 can only be bounced in small rooms with a low, white ceiling. Depending upon imager sensitivity, room size, distance to ceiling, ceiling whiteness, etc. you may need even more power than the Nikon SB-600 affords to get good results with bounce flash.
Manual flashes are going out of fashion, and while stock remains, they can be picked up from bargain bins for next to nothing. A number of perfectly working manual flash guns can be had for small change at eBay and garage sales. If you learn how to use a manual flash, you may save a lot of money by being able a reuse any old flash gun you may have left over from your film days, or a cheap generic flash you may buy at a sale. If you buy an inexpensive handheld flash meter, you'll have no trouble getting the right exposure, even in complex situations involving fill light or multiple flashes. If you don't want to buy a flash meter, you should be able to pick the correct aperture for a manual flash from tables of guide numbers and subject distance, or use the histogram review on your camera as a light meter. This may sound awkward, but it is not difficult after you've gotten used to it.
However, if the manual flash have no variable power setting, your options for controlling the light will be limited. Also, metering a test flash, or using guide-number tables may slow down your action. If you don't want to go through these steps, make sure you buy an CLS capable dedicated flash or a auto flash.
Nikon pre-CLS flashes and cameras
It was not until the Nikon F4, in 1988, that Nikon started using an ISO-compatible accessory shoe. For the models prior to this, Nikon used a proprietary hot-shoe and the flashes built for this (e.g. SB-2 for the F2, and SB-12, SB-16A, SB-17 for the F3) can only be connected to a modern body via an adapter or via the the PC-socket.
Nikon's older series of Speedlights with ISO compatible accessory shoe (e.g. the SB‑15, SB-16B, SB-24, SB-25, SB-26, SB-27, SB-28) will fit in the accessory shoe of a modern camera, but do not support the CLS. The more advanced models supported a mode of measurement just called TTL. In this mode, measurement of flash output was done in real time measuring light reflected off the film (OTF). Unfortunately this mode of measurement can not be used on digital cameras.
OTF measurement is not feasible for a digital sensor (because the shiny surface of a digital sensor is not suitable for metering), so for the early digital models, Nikon first came up with something called D-TTL. D-TTL (like i-TTL) uses the pre-flash method to compute exposure. Flashes that supports D‑TTL carry a DX suffix (e.g. SB-28DX, SB‑50DX, SB-80DX). D‑TTL was the flash exposure control system used on the D1-series and the D100. It had a reputation for being somewhat unreliable for exposure control. D‑TTL is not available on most recent Nikon DSLRs, and the Speedlights carrying the DX-suffix must now be considered obsolete. (The F6 SLR and the D2-series DSLRs are the only cameras that let the user use both i‑TTL and D‑TTL.)
While CLS features such as i-TTL, AWL, FV, AF-assist and Auto FP do not work on these older flashes, many of the older Speedlights are still usable with modern DSLRs in Manual and non-TTL Auto (provided they offer these modes). In Auto mode, they give reliable exposure control when used for flash key. However, unlike the Auto Aperture mode featured on the SB-800, they don't pick up ISO, aperture and focal length from the body. That means that for the exposure control to work right, you have to manually set the ISO and aperture on the flash to match your camera settings. If the flash has a zoom head, and you want the zoom head to match your FOV, you have to set that manually as well. This is workable, but cumbersome.
For more detailed information about compatibility , Nikon camera manuals list what modes of older flashes are supported on newer cameras (e.g. D80 manual, p. 120). For detailed information about a particular configuration, refer to the relevant manual.
Note that for the SB-27 to work in non-TTL Auto mode on a modern DSLR, it must be placed in Forced A mode. (To do this, switch the flash mode selector from “off” to “auto” while holding down the “zoom” button. The “A” indicator in the LCD panel will blink to indicate that the SB-27 is in Forced A mode. See p. 70 on the SB-27 user manual for an illustration.)
If you already own one of these older Speedlights, it may be worth a try, but unless you are on a very tight budget I do not recommend buying pre-CLS Speedlights for use with newer Nikon digital cameras.
All the modern CLS capable Speedlights supports the older D-TTL and TTL modes. This means that you can buy these flash guns for use with older cameras as well as new.
To find out whether a particular Speedlight is compatible with the TTL mode (D-TTL or plain TTL) of an old camera, you need to refer to the documentation for both the flash and the camera.
Flash trigger voltage
A matter of much debate is the maximum trigger voltage that is safe for a flash that is to be used in the hot-shoe on a digital camera. This is, however, more an issue with Canon than with Nikon, because some Canon consumer cameras have very low limits.
Before connecting a generic flash gun to your camera, you should always check out the maximum safe trigger voltage in the manual for your particular camera (e.g. the manual for the Nikon D80 says on p. 119):
Use only Nikon Speedlights. Negative voltages or voltages over 250 V applied to the accessory shoe could not only prevent normal operation, but damage the sync circuitry of the camera or flash.
CAUTION: To avoid doing harm to the camera, you should always measure the trigger voltage before using a generic flash on a Nikon digital camera to make sure they are within safe limits. Some flashes, and in particular vintage editions of the popular Vivitars, may have very high trigger voltages and can damage the camera. (The new ones, e.g. the Vivitar 285HV, use 6 volts and is «safe».)
The ISO 10330 (Photography - Synchronizers, ignition circuits and connectors for cameras and photoflash units - Electrical characteristics and test methods) recommendation says that cameras should be able to accept trigger voltages up to 24 volts. AFAIK all modern flashguns (from the 21st century) comply with this.
For what it is worth, my Nikon SB-28 Speedlight has a trigger voltage of 6 volts. A Nikon SB-600 uses 3.3 volts.
As for technical protection measures, Wein sells a range of devices (safe-syncs) to protect against excessive trigger voltages, but in my opinion, using a radio slave is a just as easy and more flexible.
For more information on flash trigger voltages, see this webpage.
Final remarks
If you intend to use several flashes in a wired or wireless setup, you need to think careful about your options. For a wired setup you're better off with flashes with a pc-connector (otherwise, you need to buy adapters as well). For a wireless setup, you need to decide whether you want to use the CLS wireless system, or to use third party devices built around optical or radio receivers. Not all flashes are compatible with all types of receiver, so if you build your wireless system from components from several sources, you need to make sure that the units are compatible before you buy.
When buying second hand, make sure: 1) That the flash you buy is compatible with your camera with respect to trigger voltage, electrical connections, and operational modes; 2) that the battery compartment is clean and the contacts free of corrosion; 3) that the body, including the foot, is mechanical sound and free of cracks; 4) that the recycle time is reasonable with fresh batteries; and, 5) that the colour temperature has not shifted (photograph a WhiBal-card or a neutral grey surface, locking the camera's white balance on “flash” and make sure that the RGB-values are reasonable neutral.
6. Flash Link farm
- Digital Darrell:
- Nikon D200 and Nikon's Creative Lighting System (Detailed AWL tutorial with the D200 and the SB-800 or SB-600.)
- Chuck Gardner:
- Concepts for Lighting and Digital Photography (Introduction to use of wireless power ratios and more.)
- Mike Hagen:
- Using the Nikon Creative Lighting System.
(Ad for a 193 page eBook about using the SB-600 and SB-800, including a 15 page sample (PDF.)
- David Hobby:
- Strobist
(Great blog about Nikon flash use and lightning in general by Baltimore based photojournalist David Hobby.)
- David Hobby:
- Strobist: Lighting 101
(Good tutorial on using off-camera flash.)
- David Hobby:
- Strobist: On assignment
(Examples of clever use of off-camera flash.)
- Thom Hogan:
- Nikon Speedlight Specifications
(A table with detailed comparison of the specifications of all recent Nikon Speedlight models.)
- Edwin Leong:
- Flash, Flash technical (Basic tutorial on flash photography.)
- Neil van Niekerk:
- Flash Techniques (Tutorial on flash photography for weddings and portraits.)
- Nikon:
- Photographic Accessories
(PDF with 11 pages about CLS usage and accessories.)
- Nikon:
- The World of Nikon Speedlights (Nikon official site with tutorials and examples.)
- Oleg Novikov:
- Nikon Creative Lighting System review
(Brief introduction to CLS.)
- J. Ramón Palacios:
- Flash Guide – The Teddy Bears Test
(37 test shots of same subject varying flash set up – indoors and outdoors.)
- Ralph Paonessa:
- High Speed Sync for flash at any shutter speed
(Introduction to FP flash use for Canon and Nikon)
- Moose Peterson:
- The TTL Flash System
(Pre-CLS intro to using Nikon flash.)
- PictureLine.com:
- Remote i-TTL flash
(Step by step guide about setting up a SB-800 as commander and remote unit.)
- Ken Rockwell:
- How to Use Nikon Strobes Wirelessly, for Free!
(Very basic introduction to AWL-use with the D70, D200 and SB-600.)
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