SB-600 on D60

[pongerts]

Hello guys! I've got another question, hope you guys can help.


My camera is a Nikon D60. And now, i'd like to start building up my equipment.

My question is, will an SB-600 work as a remote commander for other SB's,
or should I have the SB-800 as the remote commander to control other SB's?

i'd prefer to buy SBs than get 1 SU to save money.


i'm building on CLS system because the availability of lighitng equipment in the country i'm in isn't that much common. and I believe that the SBs will be easier to setup because of the space available in my home.


thanks again guys for the info.

 

[dhilberg]

The SB-600 doesn't work as a commander. You'll need the SB-800 for that.

 

[pongerts]

so, do you think getting an SB-800 as the master and SB-600s as slaves should be the way to go?

 

[tirediron]

so, do you think getting an SB-800 as the master and SB-600s as slaves should be the way to go?

Check your manual to see if your built-in flash has a Commander mode; if it does you can get away with that and an SB600, although it's rather limiting. I'd recommend the extra few $$ for the 800.

 

[andrew99]

You mention it's hard to get other types of flashes, but if you can, it might be worth looking at getting some cheap non-CLS flashes and wireless triggers. I got 3 Vivitar 285HV's with light stands and umbrellas, with Cactus V2S wireless triggers for not much more than 1 SB-800.

I also have an SB-600 which I use on camera, and to be honest, the iTTL mode with this flash is a bit unpredictable. I find myself shooting in manual mode most of the time anyway, so I wouldn't put so much stock in CLS.

Edit: To answer the original question: You need an SB-800 to be a commander, the SB-600 cannot be a commander. Also the D40 series (D40, D40x and D60) don't have commander mode. So seriously, if you buy an SB-600 and an SB-800, it is very expensive and you still have 1 flash stuck on your camera.

 

[pongerts]

THANKS FOR THAT HEADS-UP.

the thing is that the equipment that you mentioned are not locally available...that's why i'm really stuck on the SBs as an option...

but i'm also looking into those Alien Bees...but i don't know if they would deliver here in the gulf region(UAE - abu dhabi). so if anyone in here is from the UAE and knows where i can try and find decent priced lights please do contact me.

the thing about sb's is that i can set them up outdoors without the necessary power supply (except for batteries of course) am i right?

those vivitars you're talking about is quite interesting and that remote switch...but i guess i'll end up with the same price if i ordered them online and shipped here.

thanks again all of you for the input.

please do post some more suggestions.

 

[dhilberg]

I also have an SB-600 which I use on camera, and to be honest, the iTTL mode with this flash is a bit unpredictable. I find myself shooting in manual mode most of the time anyway, so I wouldn't put so much stock in CLS.

I never have any exposure problems with my SB-600 on my D80. It's always right on the money.

When I use the SB-600 it's always in TTL BL (balanced fill flash), the camera is always in aperture-priority mode, matrix metering, no exposure compensation, auto white balance.

If you're shooting in manual mode regularly then I would think inconsistency is to be expected.

 

[bhop]

I never have any exposure problems with my SB-600 on my D80. It's always right on the money.

When I use the SB-600 it's always in TTL BL (balanced fill flash), the camera is always in aperture-priority mode, matrix metering, no exposure compensation, auto white balance.

If you're shooting in manual mode regularly then I would think inconsistency is to be expected.

Same situation for me... but on a d70. It's like Colt 45, works every time.

 

[andrew99]

Hmm, strange. I've tried both TTL and TTL BL and read the manual, but still when I shoot indoors at night, I get some good exposures, and some where the background is too dark (even in TTL BL mode), or the subject is slightly over or under exposed. Also when switching between bounce flash and direct flash, the camera doesn't seem to compensate for the loss of light when bouncing, which I believe it should since it's metering through the lens. When shooting with the camera and flash in manual, once I find the correct exposure to balance the ambient and flash, I don't need to change anything and all the photos come out with the correct exposure. Maybe I need to play with the exposure lock button on the camera, since when I focus and recompose the frame, I think this is where things go awry. I've tried shooting TTL BL in Shutter Priority mode, which does help with exposing the background properly.

Sorry for wandering off topic!

 

[dhilberg]

You might also try slow-sync mode for the indoor shots or anytime the light is dim. The camera will use slower shutter speeds to allow the background to fill in.

Like you mentioned, you might also try using flash exposure lock (FV). Expose for the subject, lock, recompose and shoot.