Can I use D90 commander mode AND cactus trigger?

[GameVoid]

I tried this out last night but could not get it to work.

When I bought my D90 I went ahead and bought an SB-600 to go along with it. Well I didn't want to just throw my Vivitar 285HV and cactus triggers in the junk drawer so I tried sticking the transmitter on the D90 and using the commander mode. When I did this only the Vivitar would fire.

I think the problem might be you have to have the onboard flash raised for commander mode to work, and when you put the cactus trigger on at the same time it pushes the onboard flash down just a bit, which might be making the camera think it isn't raised at all so it fire the shoe only?

I would like to have 2 remote flashes without having to buy another SB-600, but if the cactus can't be used at the same time as commander mode I guess that will be my only option.

 

[Overread]

Why not get another cactus and put that onto the SB600? I thought that the cactus setup could transmit to more than one reciever (if that is the case you need only get another reciever)

 

[GameVoid]

I'd lose the TTL and other options available to the SB-600 available via the D90 commander mode. I'd had hoped to use the SB-600 to light the subjects and the Vivitar as a background flash or other role that doesn't require as much adjustment.

 

[ghache]

I'd lose the TTL and other options available to the SB-600 available via the D90 commander mode. I'd had hoped to use the SB-600 to light the subjects and the Vivitar as a background flash or other role that doesn't require as much adjustment.

I had the same problem with my setup, the problem with the commander mode is that the CLS prefire is going to trigger your vivitar before your sb-600 (fired by IR)

what i did is to use optical trigger for my sb-600s and used my oncamera flash on manual at 1/128. working great.
you will loose cls but if your are in a studio, you dont need CLS.

if you really need then you should stick to the sbs or use some radio trigger that support cls.

im not a pro but these are the thing i experienced with my d90 and flshes.

 

[Overread]

Far as I know then unless you go for another SB-600 or other nikon flash you are limited to either paying for pocket wizards v2 which (I belive now) support TTL auto flash and are (I think) the only remote wireless setup to do so (Aside from the commander mode).

Your other option is to use manual flash settings to light your subjects. If you are using one as a foreground and another as a background light would I be correct in assuming that you are doing studio work or similar level situations where you have time to setup? IF so manual flash output combined with reviewing images as they come out (use the camera histogram) would be a good start to using manual flash. And if the flash is the main light source the amount needed will be fairly constant provided there are no big changes in the ambient lighting.

Also a step up from that is a lightmeter/flashmeter though that is again more expense

 

[Big Mike]

Why not get another cactus and put that onto the SB600? I thought that the cactus setup could transmit to more than one reciever (if that is the case you need only get another reciever)

That should work, but you would loose CLR control of the SB600.

You might try attaching the Cactus trigger a different way. For example, you could get a hot-shoe adapter that has a PC or miniphone socket. Then plug the transmitter into that. If the flash works with the transmitter in the hotshoe, then you should be good to go.

 

[Big Mike]

It's not quite the same, but you should be able to combine CLS and a manual flash.

I often use an on-camera Canon flash in E-TTL mode, while at the same time, I use a radio trigger to fire a remote flash or strobe. The remote flash/strobe only fires as a manually set unit, but the on-camera flash uses E-TTL very well.

 

[ghache]

It's not quite the same, but you should be able to combine CLS and a manual flash.

I often use an on-camera Canon flash in E-TTL mode, while at the same time, I use a radio trigger to fire a remote flash or strobe. The remote flash/strobe only fires as a manually set unit, but the on-camera flash uses E-TTL very well.

how do you use your on camera flash + a radio trigger? PC port?

 

[Big Mike]

how do you use your on camera flash + a radio trigger? PC port?

Yes. I attach the radio trigger to the PC port on my camera, via a short cord. I usually use a rubber band or two, to hold the trigger to the side of the flash or something so that it's not bouncing around too much.

I don't think you camera has a PC port, but you could probably get by that by using a hot-shoe adapter. You may even find one that allows you to use your Nikon flash on top of it, and still give you a PC or miniphone port for a radio trigger.

 

[ChAoS84]

I'd lose the TTL and other options available to the SB-600 available via the D90 commander mode. I'd had hoped to use the SB-600 to light the subjects and the Vivitar as a background flash or other role that doesn't require as much adjustment.

I had the same problem with my setup, the problem with the commander mode is that the CLS prefire is going to trigger your vivitar before your sb-600 (fired by IR)

what i did is to use optical trigger for my sb-600s and used my oncamera flash on manual at 1/128. working great.
you will loose cls but if your are in a studio, you dont need CLS.

if you really need then you should stick to the sbs or use some radio trigger that support cls.

im not a pro but these are the thing i experienced with my d90 and flshes.

Right on, this is the same system I use for my D90 (well, except for the sb600 part.. too poor for cls flashes lol)