Hello, I have been trying to do a multi flash system using a Nikon D7200 and Sb 910's and a Sb 700 in manual mode. I have followed the instructions on making the camera the commander and setting built-in set to "- -" Group A and Group B to M @ 1/1 with it set to channel 1. I have set the flashes appropriately but my problem is my flashes are firing at the lowest setting even though they are 1/1. Flashes are going through a small soft-box or umbrella. My meter keeps reading under though my camera is set to 1/60th, ISO 200. Meter is set the same. If I hit the flash test button I pull f8 on umbrella and f5.6 with the soft-box. I have spent days double checking manuals and settings and it is a no go. This is with all flashes so it is not the flash, and as I stated the camera is set according to instructions. They are firing but just way to low like 1/128th. Flash hooked to the hot shoe works fine, I can adjust the power with no problem. I have also tried this with my D7100 with the same results.
What could I possibly be doing wrong? I'm totally stumped.
Thanks!
I suspect your flashes must be firing at M 1/1 exactly as you set, however you must be judging it by trying to meter them. What your meter sees is the low level command flash to transfer the power setting from the commander menu to the remote flash. This occurs twice, for A and again for B, both immediately before the final flash. The meter will simply meter the first of those command flashes (and they are very low level).
The commander system is NOT at all the same as Manual flash. You may be setting a level manually, but it is always very much the Nikon Commander system, and is NOT real manual flash. The Nikon commander system is simply generally incompatible with all actual manual flash gear, including flash meters.
First, to realize that you are getting full 1/1 power, try actually taking the picture, and look at the actual picture results. Try it at 1/1, and also try it set to low power, and you should realize the difference then. I strongly suspect they are firing at 1/1 as set.
See
Using the Nikon CLS Remote Wireless Flash System - Part 2
There is a section there (Hand held flash meters) about the great difficulties of metering the Commander system with a hand held meter. The only reasonable try is to filter the commander to be only infrared, and the meter already filters out infrared. Also try to block the commander signal from the meter by blocking it with your body.
It says there: Sekonic meters (has IR filter to Not be sensitive to infrared) can be used with Commander
Manual power levels, in some cases --
IF using a SU-800 commander, or
IF the
Nikon SG-3IR IR Panel is used in front of the camera commander,
AND ALSO IF meter is not too close to the commander. Meter should be at least 5 or 6 feet distant from shielded infrared commander to not see any effect (may see EU error if closer).
I'm not suggesting that this is reasonable to try. It is not impossible, but very difficult. The filters are not perfect.
Instead, if you want a perfect easy setup, then...
If you want to use Manual mode with the flash meter, then simply use real Manual mode instead of Commander. Real genuine Manual mode. Use SU-4 slave mode at the remotes, instead of Remote mode. SU-4 mode is a simple optical slave trigger, but an especially good and very sensitive one (greatly more likely to always work fine in difficult locations). Then set your manual power level at each flash (in SU-4 mode). You can easily trigger the flashes to meter each of them with a PC cord from meter to flash being metered (all other flashes turned off then). That is how the meter is designed to work (cord mode). What you ideally need for the meter is a 15 foot PC sync cord, male to female, but these are becoming a little hard to find. The SB-700 has SU-4 mode, but no PC connector. You could add a foot mounted PC connector, but instead, you can trigger another flash with the meter, which will trigger the SB-700 SU-4, which you can then meter.
There will be no command flashes to interfere as before. You can meter the flashes from the subjects position this way, which is of course required. You can individually control more than two flashes this way too. No risk of forcing pictures of the subject blinking at the commander signals.
In use (to take the picture), SU-4 mode is triggered by any other flash, which can be the camera internal flash at lowest Manual level. Meaning Manual mode, NOT Commander mode. Do not use the Commander menu in any way. Lowest level should not interfere with your picture lighting (assuming your picture exposure is up near f/5.6). Shutter speed near maximum sync speed to keep out ambient. A test picture with all flashes turned off, and only the internal flash at lowest level, should be pretty black.
You will like this very much more, it will work like a dream, and you already have all of this gear that works great that way.