question about nikon SB600

[shingfan]

this question might be a little specific...(maybe not).....my camera is nikon D80 and my flash unit is SB600

when i attach the SB600 on my camera.......exposure is okay and everything is fine.....then i tried to use the SB600 as a wireless slave with the on camera flash as the commander....exposure is not so present...also i notice that when i use the SB600 as a slave...even if i place it right above my camera as if it is attached right above my camera.......the exposure is different

camera setting is

ISO 100
aperature 4.8
shutter 1/60

SB600 is set to TTL

 

[newrmdmike]

in commander mode what do you have output set at on the built in speedlight?

you can set manual exposure or auto in slave mode . . . so in slave you have to set its power, or trust the A mode.

 

[shingfan]

the built-in flash was set to "M" 1/128 as i like to use the SB600 as the main source of light........but the power of sb600 seems lower compare to when it is ON the camera?....any idea?...when sb600 is working as slave...i'm not able to adjust its output level....can only adjust the focal length

tried again with built-in flash set to TTL auto.....again the result seems to be the same.....>_<

is this the way it is supposed to work like?....when using as slave....i'm not able to adjust the exposure time of hte flash?

 

[Sw1tchFX]

You're not supposed to leave the flash on slave when it's on the hot shoe and you're not supposed to leave the camera in commander mode when you've got it on the hot shoe.

The reason your flash seems dimmer when it's off the camera is becuase of flash placement. The further away your light source is from your subject the dimmer it gets. you need to compensate for the inverse square law.

 

[shingfan]

You're not supposed to leave the flash on slave when it's on the hot shoe and you're not supposed to leave the camera in commander mode when you've got it on the hot shoe.

The reason your flash seems dimmer when it's off the camera is becuase of flash placement. The further away your light source is from your subject the dimmer it gets. you need to compensate for the inverse square law.

when the SB600 is attached to my camera...of course it is not in slave mode as it will not do anything when i do that....when i attach it to the camera...it will be in auto TTL

on camera flash is okay to leave in commander mode as it doesnt do anything until you pop it up...the circuitry is not active unless you pop up the on camera flash or you have a unit that is able to act as commander (SB600 can only act as slave)

i understand that the further the flash is the dimmer it gets....what i experimented is that i stand on the same spot when i do the test shots....first i shoot with the SB600 on the camera at TTL mode...and then shoot again with the SB600 off the camera with i) on camera flash at M 1/128...ii) on camera flash at TTL...both give me similar result...however....it seems a lot dimmer compare to when the SB600 is attached to the camera......in both cases....the SB600 is just right beside my camera....so i assume light intensity is not different compare to when SB600 is on the hotshoe (assuming that in both situation SB600 fires the same light)

once the sb600 is off the camera working as slave....i can only adjust the focal lenght....not the exposure time.....and i've tried different focal lenght....it doesnt help much with the exposure as i expected.......SB600 was working on channel 3 group A when i use it as slave.....it does trigger when i take the shot as i can interpret from the shadow of the object....any idea what is going wrong of this is the way it is suppose to be? (it seems kinda wierd not able to get the same result when the flash is off the camera standing above the same location)

 

[shingfan]

really need help on this one masters....the reason i need to figure it out is because i want to buy a L bracket for the flash but i want to save a few bucks not using the sync cord but use the wireless mode......since the wireless mode is handy...i thought it might be a good idea to make use of it

 

[shingfan]

phew....nikon canada saves the day....call their technical support and found the answer i was looking for.....great stuff...they really know what they make and what they are talking about....very informative

 

[BAB]

phew....nikon canada saves the day....call their technical support and found the answer i was looking for.....great stuff...they really know what they make and what they are talking about....very informative

Glad that you received some help, now what did they say?

 

[shingfan]

Glad that you received some help, now what did they say?

okay....since someone is interested....i'm glad to share it

when SB600 is working as a slave off the camera....it really acts as a slave light source....thus providing less power than it normally would in TTL mode....so if you need proper or better exposure...you'll need to manually set the output level on the camera setting to get desire intensity.....or use compensation..........so TTL is only good when the flash is on the camera...once it is off the camera....it is all MANUAL control....but it kinda make sense too because the flash has no idea where it is sitting relative to the object under exposure....so things must be manual

 

[newrmdmike]

sorry i didn't get back on here sooner . . .

you can adjust the output power, on slave it should say in the top left corner M, or A. in a its automatic, press mode, it will change to m, and a output amount will show up.

then press up or down to change output.

left and right for zoom.

 

[shingfan]

sorry i didn't get back on here sooner . . .

you can adjust the output power, on slave it should say in the top left corner M, or A. in a its automatic, press mode, it will change to m, and a output amount will show up.

then press up or down to change output.

left and right for zoom.

no....it doesnt work that way with SB600.....when it is attached to the camera...yes...you have all these options...but once the SB600 is off the camera working wirelessly.....all you can adjust is the "zoom".....nothing more....the control (output level) will have to be done on the camera inside the flash setting...since the camera becomes the commander now....giving all the commands

 

[newrmdmike]

i'm talking about in slave mode, not when your using in camera master

. . . i use mostly sb-800's, but thought the 600's did that as well

if you didn't try it it might be worth trying, i'm postitive with the 800's its like that.

when you have it in slave mode what does the screen say in the top left?

 

[shingfan]

from your reply i know that you are working with SB800.....with SB600....you DONT have contorl over the output level when SB600 is in slave (TTL) mode.......you need to adjust the output level from the camera setting.....and when SB600 is in slave mode...the camera is the master......and this agrees with what the nikon technician told me....the only thing i dont like about it is that how come it doesnt alloe me to adjust the output level on the flash itself...maybe if i change it to M...i can adjust it....i have yet to try....last time i was only using it in TTL mode off the camera..maybe it operates differently if i set it to "M"

 

[shingfan]

just tried it again this morning....and as i expected...output level of the SB600 needs to be set inside the camera flash setting.....i guess it operates a little differently from the SB800.....but at least now i know how to use it.....very nice

 

[newrmdmike]

dang thats weired . . . but alright.