Wireless Commander questions

[lonewolfsx]

Sup everyone, while I await my D800's arrival, I had a question that someone may be able to answer regarding an assumption I had made and just realized could be faulty.

I planned on using my 105mm f/2.8 Micro for portraits (I've used it a lot on film and I think it looks fantastic), and I also own the AS-14 [wired] Controller which mounts onto the flash shoe, then a cable runs to the SB-21 Macro Speedlight which is fitted to the front of the 105mm lens. My question is, can I use this macro flash while at the same time using the built-in commander function to trigger an external off-camera flash such as the SB-700 or SB-800 units? Or can I only trigger external flashes with the D800's pop-up flash engaged?

I'd love to know, so if anyone happens to have an old non-wireless flash controller, hook it up and see if you can fire that flash while also triggering an external wireless unit. I kind of have this idea in my head of lighting a subject from the front with the macro flash while using the off-camera from another angle.

 

[lonewolfsx]

Thanks for the reply, that's what I was figuring. Maybe I'll just pick up a pair of SB-700's or used SB-800's and relegate the AS-14/SB-21 to single flash/macro use only. Plus that way I can use my 24-70 as well (the SB-21 doesn't mount to anything with a filter wider than 62mm).

 

[KmH]

The SB-700, SB-800, SB-900, and SB-910 all have SU-4 mode.

SU-4 mode allows triggering the speedlight from the flash of light from any other speedlight. So, an external SB-700 could be triggered from the flash of light from the SB-21.

In SU-4 mode you set the speedlight's output power manually, because you don't have iTTL capability in SU-4 mode.

 

[2WheelPhoto]

Yup, one SB-700 triggered from the light of your 21 flash on the cable and you're done.

And if I may add to KmH's comment: appreciate the fact you won't have "i-TTL" functionailty.

 

[lonewolfsx]

Oh really? That's fantastic. I'll just buy one unit for now and then if I need to get a second.

No big deal about TTL, off-camera flash I pretty much always use manual power anyway, but will the SU-4 mode limit my shutter speeds? Or can I still use the full X-sync of 1/200 or 1/250 (I forgot which it was..). Probably not all that important but I'm interested in knowing.