D300+SB800 Remote Settings

[Mad 20v]

Bought a D300 yesterday and just trying to get it to fire the SB800 flash remotely without the using the built in flash, I can get it to fire using the camera flash.

Settings are.

SB800 "Remote"
D300 "Commander" built in flash set to "--"

So looking on the net and the book the camera flash should not fire but the SB800 should.

Or have I got the wrong end of the stick and got the settings all wrong???

Thanks for any help.

[Simpo Two]

I'm a bit woolly in this area but with a D200 the built-in flash is the trigger, but doesn't contribute to the exposure due to timing. Or you can fit radio Tx/Rx and do it that way - much better than line of sight in my experience.

Somehow the camera has to send a signal to the SB800 - what is going to do it if the built-in flash doesn't?

Edited by Simpo Two on Sunday 23 March 17:13

[dumbfunk]

The flash on the camera will ALWAYS fire in commander mode but if you reduce it's strength in the menu it will not add any light to the scene because it's a pre-flash. The light from the cam flash essentially fires early to trigger the SB800.

On some close ups the pre-flash can influence the lighting as it dies away in which case you can buy a shroud to reduce this effect.

This is a really confusing part of the manual and it took me a while to understand it fully. The system does work superbly when it's set up.


dumbfunk

[Mad 20v]

Thanks for the guys, i was starting to think this was the case.

So is this pic done with a side light then???

[Mad 20v]

This is what i was kind of thinking with out the onboard flash, but sounds like it might be a no no then.

Sorry for the ugly mug

[dumbfunk]

Sorry if I'm confused but I'm not sure what your aiming for here - in the last shot do you have the SB800 off to the side? It seems very underexposed if so. Are you sure it's firing at all?

df

[Mad 20v]

Yeah its defiantly firing, I know it’s under exposed as I stopped the flash right down.

TBH I’m just messing around and was trying something that may not be possible, I won’t lose any sleep over it

[Simpo Two]

Mad 20v said:

So is this pic done with a side light then???

That's my shot of Beano!

It's lit by a single Elinchrom flash head, fitted with a small softbox and fired by radio. The white walls of the studio provide some fill. I find that Speedlights are great on camera, but when you want to do serious stuff you have to move up a gear, get proper lights and go manual.

[Mad 20v]

You take some cracking pics

[Simpo Two]

Mad 20v said:

You take some cracking pics

Thanks Mad - there are cleverer people than me on here, they just don't post examples!