SB-910, Nikon D750 + Studio Slaves - HELP!

[Eagles Beachwear]

thanks i don't know if i can get the money for that! yes i tried it, i think thats going to have to work!

 

[Eagles Beachwear]

the problem is i am not sure if i am doing it right in my settings, ill show you a picture

 

[Derrel]

I would set the SB-910 to Manual flash power control, not Commander mode; Commander mode would be for triggering OTHER, Nikon-protocol flash units using the SB-910 as...the "command-sending device".

I am assuming you want to use the on-camera SB-910 to trigger multiple, off-camera studio flash units, like monolights, or other studiuo flash units which have flash-sensing slave triggers, so, turn the optical slave control switch to ON, on the remote flash units, and then fire the camera with the SB-910 set to a lowish flash output level in MANUAL mode.

MANUAL flash mode on the SB-910 will eliminate ANY kind of pre-flash, so even the dumbest, lowest-tech optical slave triggers will reliably time up (synchronize) the shutter and the flash bursts. In TTL type flash control modes, the pre-flash unit the flash emits will NOT synchronize with "dumb" slaves, but only advances slaves which are specially designed so as to ignore pre-flash emission. Depending on the room/distance/position of the satellite flashes, as little as 1/64 power on the SB-910 might be enough power to trigger a remote flash unit. In some cases, you might need to go as high as 1/8 power.

You can aim the SB-910's flash head in multiple directions, to avoid it contributing much, if at all, the the lighting or exposure that is made by the satellite flash units. A tinfoil diverter, a cardboard diverter, or simply aiming the flash upward, or bouncing it off to one side of the room, all of those tricks can work to allow a low-power speedlight burst to trigger remote, satellite flash units operating on optical slave triggers. Once the MAIN monolight fires, its burst will easily trigger other satellite units: you only need to get light from the SB-910 to strike **one** powerful satellite flash's optical slave cell, and that one unit's output will in turn, trigger multiple others.

 

[Eagles Beachwear]

i think i got it! you mean just changing the camera mode to manual right?

 

[astroNikon]

i think i got it! you mean just changing the camera mode to manual right?

The FLASHes mode to MANUAL
so then you can set it to the lowest flash output such as 1/128 to minimize any light from the flash hitting the model.

see your 2nd picture .. set it to M% Manual
instead of CMD Commander Mode

 

[Derrel]

If I were to use a 2x convertor with my 50 mm prime lens. Would there be any issues or adjustmental I should be aware of?

i think i got it! you mean just changing the camera mode to manual right?

i think i got it! you mean just changing the camera mode to manual right?

The FLASHes mode to MANUAL
so then you can set it to the lowest flash output such as 1/128 to minimize any light from the flash hitting the model.

see your 2nd picture .. set it to M% Manual
instead of CMD Commander Mode

First off, whenever shooting flash photos in-studio or on-location, for the past 35 years, I have ALWAYS set the camera to Manual exposure mode. I then pick the shutter speed, manually, and set that speed (usually 1/125, or 1/160, but sometimes 1/180 or 1/200 or 1/250) by hand, on the camera. I then choose the f/stop needed for the depth of field required: I shoot most flash shots at f/8. But sometimes f/9.5, or f/10, or f/11, or even f/13 or f/16, and occasionally as small an aperture as f/22 to f/32.

Shooting flash images is most-easily done with the camera in M mode. This is the traditional, best-practice way to shoot studio flash images, with the camera in Manual exposure control mode, and the proper shutter speed set for the conditions and the camera one is using.

For using a camera-connected flash to trigger OTHER flash units via optical slaves, it is best to set the flash unit's power-regulation system to MANUAL mode as well: not TTL, not Repeating, not Commander mode--but to Manual flash power control mode on the flash. This is how this is done by 99.9% of established photographers.

 

[Designer]

the problem is i am not sure if i am doing it right in my settings, ill show you a picture

The flash is down to 1/4 power, and it will go lower, down to 1/128.

Forget "commander mode" on the camera.

The camera can be set to any mode that will fire the flash, but "commander" mode is just for multiple Nikon Speedlights. Go into the camera menu to turn on the flash.

All you want is for the Speedlight to flash on low power and so one of your strobes can "see" it. The other strobe will fire at the same time, presuming you will set them both to slave mode.

 

[Eagles Beachwear]

thanks, that smoke665 was no my comment! haha so just put the camera menu back to regular?

 

[Designer]

.. so just put the camera menu back to regular?

Yes. Just not "commander".

 

[gckless]

How exactly are the remote flashes triggered? If they're IR, then you can use the pop-up flash. Nikon sells a little flash blocker that lets the IR still transmit: SG-31R IR Panel for Built-In Flash from Nikon

Then you have another flash to put out there as well. The SB-910 is pretty expensive to use only as a trigger IMO. If they're optical you can't do it that way, but still might be worth getting a cheaper flash to use as a trigger.

Just another option, if Pocket Wizards are too expensive for your budget, I've used Yongnuo stuff for a little while, specifically the 560-TX controller and 560-IV speedlights, and haven't had any issues. Well, that's if you get good copies of the Yongnuo stuff, they have QC issues. I did have to return one flash. But if you get a good copy from the get-go, they seem pretty reliable.

 

[fmw]

If you don't want the Nikon speedlight to fire, then don't use it. Synch one of the monolights to your camera and put the other one in slave mode.