Using on-camera master flash?

[JosephW]

Hey,

I've been using my on-camera flash to trigger my external flash for a while, but I don't really like having the nasty on camera flash on my subject. Does anyone have any tips on how to bounce the master flash into the direction of the optical trigger of the external (which would be tilted so that it faced the camera, but the actual flash pointed at the subject)?

 

[Trever1t]

In command mode you can set it to only fire the pre-flash so that the light isn't part of the exposure

 

[TCampbell]

You didn't mention which camera you are using, but most cameras support disabling the on-camera flash. It will still fire the pre-flash (when the shutter is not yet open) so that the remote knows when to fire... but it won't fire when the shutter opens so you won't see any light from the on-camera flash in your images.

 

[wfooshee]

And all of that depends on the actual equipment. On a Facebook page there was a guy with one of the Pentax cameras which was not able to limit the pop-up flash when it was a commander. Nikon's D3x00 and D5x00 don't have commander modes at all, but will fire any flash that can be set to optical slave mode. That prevents disallowing the pop-up in the final image, though.

In the menu where you set commander mode, there should be a setting for strengths of the pop-up and however many groups your camera can control. Setting the pop-up to 0 power, reduces its output to pre-flash only, as stated earlier in the thread.

If your external flash is actually only an optical slave, i.e. fires when it see another flash fire, your only choice is to rig some kind of card between the pop-up and the subject so its light doesn't fall on the subject.

 

[Vtec44]

I hate the center catch light when using on camera flash to trigger remote flashes.

 

[astroNikon]

Hey,

I've been using my on-camera flash to trigger my external flash for a while, but I don't really like having the nasty on camera flash on my subject. Does anyone have any tips on how to bounce the master flash into the direction of the optical trigger of the external (which would be tilted so that it faced the camera, but the actual flash pointed at the subject)?

use a business card, or something white that is reflective and does not let light through.
Practice test shots bouncing your on-camera flash not towards the subject but to the flash.
After that it all depends. If you bounce it up and the ceiling is industrial and painted flat black 40 feet up you may have a problem compared to a nicely white painted 10 foot ceiling. Also bouncing it sideways .. test and see what works.

Such as this at 4:45 ==>

 

[qleak]

use a business card, or something white that is reflective and does not let light through.

That's brilliant!

I never had thought of that. I know some people would rather use another swivel head flash or pocket wizards but that all takes quite a bit of bank $$$

 

[Vtec44]

Since Nikon CLS uses IR, I'm wondering if using a business card to block the onboard flash will affect the signal (including pre-flash signal). I don't personally use it but just curious.

 

[qleak]

Since Nikon CLS uses IR, I'm wondering if using a business card to block the onboard flash will affect the signal (including pre-flash signal). I don't personally use it but just curious.

CLS uses preflashes. Try a rear curtain 2" exposure with the commander set to -- and the flash set by the commander to M.

Unfortunately this is not a solution to the bad catch the commander fires twice!

 

[astroNikon]

The CLS uses IR for sending information of settings (If I understand AWL correctly). If you use TTL where the camera has to use CLS to determine flash intensity, etc then there are going to be pre-flashes to give the camera enough information to determine the proper settings. If you are in Manual Flash then the preflash isn't needed. Here's a simple explanation ==> Understanding the Nikon Creative Lighting System - Tuts+ Photo & Video Tutorial

This is just a step in the long remote light road .....

I started out with the onboard flash with remote flashes and using a small white board to redirect the on-body flash

I then went to the Nikon SU-800 IR controller. Great but it didn't allow me to put the flash in another room to flash into the room for artistic stuff. And if you plan on using it outdoors the SU800 works in certain situations.

I now use Yongnuo 622-TX and 622 transceivers. A great solution for the price. I wish it was more flexible with more Groups (5 would be good instead of 3) but you can't beat the price.

 

[astroNikon]

I forgot to add this link .. good information all crammed into a page ==> Using the Nikon CLS Remote Wireless Flash System - Part 2

 

[Buckster]

Have you considered just going to radio triggers instead?

You can get really inexpensive but very effective triggers these days, with all the features you could want.

At some point, most photographers using external flash want to put them inside things like softboxes or umbrella-boxes or behind things like walls or furniture or scrims or other things that cause problems with direct line of sight schemes, not to mention adding additional lights which often introduces still more line of sight problems, and that's when even the cheapest ones REALLY are worth their weight in gold.

Just do away with the on-camera flash and pre-flash settings and so on altogether. Stick a trigger in the hot shoe, and one on each external flash, and put them wherever you want, with no worries or considerations needed for line of sight, bouncing light to the other flash(es) or blocking the triggering flash from your subject or surroundings.