Combining manual strobe lighting with onboard TTL speedlight

osumisan · Feb 21, 2015

Hi, I am having a challenge finding the best way to light rooms/spaces for portraits that I want to include the room as well. I may be limited by my current equipment but my hopes is someone can explain to me what is going wrong with my current lighting system.

Shooting Nikon D700 with Nikon 28-74mm f/2.8 lens.
Manual camera settings are typically around 1/200, f/11, ISO100 shot from a tripod.
One manual strobe (cheap one) connected to camera via sync cord and a Nikon SB600 mounted in camera hot shoe in TTL mode.
Strobe is on light stand with umbrella to either camera left or right as far as cord will reach, 5 feet.
All shots done in RAW

When I fire the strobe only, set at maximum power, it lights the space pretty well. It has heavy shadows and clearly shows a flash is being fired. If I turn on SB600 to the shot, it reduces the shadows greatly but the exposure is several stops lower in the photo. I then turn the ISO back up or shutter speed down to get proper exposure and a bit further adjustments in post via Lightroom.

Is there an easy fix to this with my current equipment? Possibly have onboard flash shoot manual as well or other on-camera changes? Or do is it absolutely necessary for me to purchase additional equipment? I do have a pair of Pocketwizard III plus with hot shoe sync adapters but am still learning best way to use these.

Please be kind with your words for I am sure I am leaving myself open to ridicule for lack of current knowledge

Attached is a photo (5 images blended) that I shot with this set up so you can see the lighting issues.

beachrat · Feb 21, 2015

Put the SB-600 in manual mode.
What it sounds like to me is,the corded strobe is firing as soon as you hit the shutter button.
The ttl flash won't fire until it takes the reading a split second later and THEN the shutter actually opens.
I think the reason it's underexposing ,is the sb600 is the only light that the camera is recording.
The corded strobe is firing too early.

Designer · Feb 21, 2015

I agree with beachrat's post regarding the lights. You could try more diffusion on the lights, or bounce one off the ceiling. I hardly think you need to shoot either one at full power though.

I think this is pretty good just as it is. Maybe I don't understand your concerns. I think the light seems to be coming from the same location in each shot, and the exposures are good, with the possible exception of the far left corner.

One thing that bothers me is the dark furry thing on your right-most figure. What is that? Also, if you're going to redo this, change your shirt every time so you have five different shirts.

LostLensCap · Feb 21, 2015

Yes, just set the SB600 into manual mode at maybe 1/2 power as a start and see how it does.

Derrel · Feb 21, 2015

Agreed...switch the Nikon speedlight OUT of TTL mode, so that you are in control of the power output. This is much easier than many people imagine it to be! The pre-flash that a TTL controlled speedlight emits a few milliseconds before the main flash can trip or trigger most slaves, so the whole TTL pre-flash can cause a lot of hadaches when other, slaved flash units are synchronized. Pre-flash leading to premature flash-u-lation of secondary flash units is a big problem, and has been for years.

There are of course some newer, "smart" slave systems that can overlook the pre-flash, and synchronize satellite flashes to the actual main flash that makes the actual exposure in synchronization with the shutter exposing the frame.