some off-camera flash questions

[liahglask]

Friends,I've a nikon d40 camera. i want to buy some cheap flashes and fire it off-camera. but the following are some of my doubts.1) in my locality, more no of used but gud condition canon flashes are available than nikon flashes. so if i buy a canon flash, can i use it with my nikon camera in an off-camera setup triggered by a radio trigger? Im not thinking abt using any TTL or ETTL or CLS features of the camera or flash.2) suppose im using a radio trigger. I will mount the transmitter part on top of my camera hotshoe and i will attach the receiver on any place with my flash attached to it. my question is what setting should i use to trigger the transmitter and if the transmitter getd triggrred will my on-camera flash will fire too??Pls answer me friends. thank u.

 

[tirediron]

If you are using off-camera flashes triggered by radio triggers, than you can use almost any flash, regardless of who makes it. I would suggest though, ensuring you get one which will allow you to manually control the light ouptut (some of the cheapest flashes only have a single setting, and require you to adjust exposure by changing your aperture - these do NOT work well for off-camera work). I would look on eBay, Craig's List etc, for used Vivitar, Sunpak, and Sigma flashes. They are some of the better third-party ones, Canon flashes (and indeed any "name brand") should work fine, as long as it has a manual control option.

Each time you press the shutter-release, the camera supplies trigger voltage to the main contact (the "firing pin") in the hot shoe, regardless of whether or not you are using a flash and regardless of what setting or mode you are in. You simply put your radio transmitter in the hot shoe, and as soon as it senses the trigger voltage from the camera, it will send out a 'fire' signal to the remote flashes. Your built-in flash will not trigger (it may if you're in 'Auto' or 'Green box' mode, but you won't be using those for manual flash work).

Make sure you know what your camera's sync speed is and don't go above it; otherwise you will have pictures with dark bands through them, caused by the shutter not being fully open. Your camera's internal light meter won't be of any use for this, so you will have to "guesstimate" the metering and adjust using the camera's rear LCD. Start with a shutter speed of 1/250, and an aperture of around f8 and go from there.

Good luck.

 

[liahglask]

Thanx a lot TIREDIRON for your detailed explanation. it took 57 views for me to get a reply and the wait was worth it. u cleared all my doubts. god bless u. thanx.

 

[tirediron]

You're welcome; you can't be too impatient here though - because members here are from all over the world, time zones play a big part in when people are on line. Glad I could help.

 

[KmH]

Yep. The thread was started yesterday at 02:21 AM, my time here in Iowa. Most of us in the US were in bed, asleep.

 

[tirediron]

Really Keith, how inconsiderate!!

 

[KmH]

Yep, me and most of the rest of the USA too.

I wonder what continent the OP lives on, since a loction wasn't included in the profile?

 

[2WheelPhoto]

Yea, and why didn't the considerate people on that continent answer immediately

 

[liahglask]

You're welcome; you can't be too impatient here though - because members here are from all over the world, time zones play a big part in when people are on line. Glad I could help.

Yep. The thread was started yesterday at 02:21 AM, my time here in Iowa. Most of us in the US were in bed, asleep.

Yep, me and most of the rest of the USA too.I wonder what continent the OP lives on, since a loction wasn't included in the profile?

oh, im sorry for the time factor. im in dubai(GMT+4.30)Now that more people have read my qstn, im expecting more replies from u all

 

[Patrice]

Now that more people have read my qstn, im expecting more replies from u all

Tirediron gave you a very good answer which really does not need elaboration. Why want more responses saying the same things over and over again?

Get yourself some inexpensive flashes and some triggers and go play.

 

[gsgary]

Now get yourself some flashes and go out and shot and post the results, don't forget shutter speed controls your ambient exposure and aperture controls your flash exposure

 

[liahglask]

Now get yourself some flashes and go out and shot and post the results, don't forget shutter speed controls your ambient exposure and aperture controls your flash exposure

those are the golden words of off-camera flash photography

 

[niftydriftyprod]

thanks for the info tirediron. i was also thinking about getting a flash.