Can I force the camera to use its own focus assist lamp when a flash is connected?

I am using a ring flash adapter for an SB600 with a D7000.

In dark environment, the camera sends a red light beam from the flash to help focus. But since my flash is pointed at the ring adapter, the red beam is pointed away from the subject and the camera can't see it.

Is there a way to tell it to use its own assist light instead of the flash's?

Thanks

Bo

That doesn't make sense. When the flash is mounted on the camera the focus assist always points forward. If the flash is off camera then the flash focus assist light doesn't come on...the camera will use it's own. You'll need to give more details on your setup.

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I suspect that you're using the Ray-Flash or Cowboy Studio ring flash adapter (there are others). This is essentially a circular light pipe that fits on the flash head and drops down to surround the lens. In so doing it blocks the focus assist light on the SB-600 which is positioned just below the flash head itself. Whenever a CLS system flash is attached to the hot shoe, the D7000 automatically shuts off its focus assist light and uses the external flash's assist light instead.

You CAN set the SB-600 to NOT automatically activate the AF assist light (its default); check your SB-600 owner's manual for details on how to do this.

You can set the D7000 to not activate the AF-assist light (option a7).

It's not clear, however, that if you turn off the SB-600's assist light that the D7000's will activate instead. Give it a try.

However, I'm not sure that you will be able to get a useable AF assist illumination with the ringflash adapter attached in any case; the adapter itself is quite wide, but some light might sneak through with small diameter lenses.

BTW, there is another type of ringflash adapter, the Orbis, that is used with the flash BELOW the camera and the flashhead pointing straight up (the flash is either hand held or attached to the camera's tripod socket with a bracket). In this configuration the SB-600's AF assist light would not be covered.

I think BO is using the flashgun on a cable, not wireless.

I have a SC17 cable when I use that with my SB800 the red focus light from the SB800 does come on but the camera (D70) white focus light does not. The result is the same if the SB800 is mounted directly on the camera.

On my camera there is no way to force the white camera light on - newer models could be different. I believe the problem for BO is that the ringflash adaptor obscures the red focus light from the flashgun - but I don't see why this would be a big issue in a studio situation.

David

Graystar said:

That doesn't make sense. When the flash is mounted on the camera the focus assist always points forward. If the flash is off camera then the flash focus assist light doesn't come on...the camera will use it's own. You'll need to give more details on your setup.

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you cant force or select to use body's AF assist light when there is speedlight attached.
solution; torch light the subject.
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http://www.flickr.com/photos/drifit/

Yes mosswing and David have it right. So unfortunately it sounds like "torching the subject" is indeed the only option...

Thank you all for the replies.

Bo

or use a sc 29

Bo said:

Yes mosswing and David have it right. So unfortunately it sounds like "torching the subject" is indeed the only option...

Thank you all for the replies.

Bo

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Is there some reason you're not using CLS? Your D7000 has a Commander built in, and the SB-600 is great as a remote.

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Good point Graystar. In this case I cannot use cls because I am piggybacking a radiopopper transmitter on top of the cable that is in the hotshoe so I cant use the built in flash to act as a cls commander

Bo

Bo said:

Good point Graystar. In this case I cannot use cls because I am piggybacking a radiopopper transmitter on top of the cable that is in the hotshoe so I cant use the built in flash to act as a cls commander

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Why can't you get rid of the popper, get rid of the cable, and just use CLS to trigger one SB-600? I'm not understanding what the cable and popper are giving you that CLS doesn't.

.

Wow, somehow this latest reply flew under my radar. My apologies, Graystar. I did not see it.

To answer your question, I should have been more clear in my description of the setup. I use a ring flash adapter with an sb600. I use that as a fill light. I also trigger two other flashes in manual mode with a RadioPopper remote. A key and a rim. By using the SB600 in TTL mode, I can move closer or further from the subject and have the TTL compensate for this change. My other 2 flashes are fixed and further from the subject so I can control them manually.

I cannot use CLS because the 600 is mounted under the camera and therefore cannot see the infrared signal. So I use a cable. I can't use CLS for the other 2 flashes either because of line of sight problems also.

So to get back to the original question, the camera, sensing that a flash is connected is telling it to fire its infrared lights to help focus but the flash body is pointing in a different direction than the lens. So that is useless.

Thank you for all replies.

Bo

Bo said:

Wow, somehow this latest reply flew under my radar. My apologies, Graystar. I did not see it.

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happens...

Bo48138 said:

To answer your question, I should have been more clear in my description of the setup. I use a ring flash adapter with an sb600. I use that as a fill light. I also trigger two other flashes in manual mode with a RadioPopper remote. A key and a rim. By using the SB600 in TTL mode, I can move closer or further from the subject and have the TTL compensate for this change. My other 2 flashes are fixed and further from the subject so I can control them manually.

I cannot use CLS because the 600 is mounted under the camera and therefore cannot see the infrared signal. So I use a cable. I can't use CLS for the other 2 flashes either because of line of sight problems also.

So to get back to the original question, the camera, sensing that a flash is connected is telling it to fire its infrared lights to help focus but the flash body is pointing in a different direction than the lens. So that is useless.

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Okay. I just responded to your post in another thread with instructions for turning off the AF Assist light.

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Yes indeed. And i will copy it here in case someone is doing a search on this subject:

Graystar said:

Anyways...you can turn it off. First you go into the SB-600 Custom Settings Menu. You get there by pressing and holding ZOOM and – (minus) together. If you forget that, it’s printed right on the flash itself by the buttons. Then you press + or – until you see “AF-ILL”. Now press MODE and a “NO” will appear in front of the “AF-ILL”. Press On/OFF to exit the CSM.

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Thanks Graystar.

... you have to do it on the flash, not on the camera.

Page 51 of the SB-600 User Manual confirms that if you cancel (deactivate) the Wide-Area AF Assist Illuminator on the flash, then the camera's AF assist light will be used, provided it is enabled in the relevant custom setting (a7) on the camera.

However, your problem of the ring adaptor partially or fully obscuring the camera's AF light would still remain. But again, if I have read your previous posts correctly you have the SB-600 mounted under the camera, so you may be OK.

Good luck.

Bo said:

Yes indeed. And i will copy it here in case someone is doing a search on this subject:

Graystar said:

Anyways...you can turn it off. First you go into the SB-600 Custom Settings Menu. You get there by pressing and holding ZOOM and – (minus) together. If you forget that, it’s printed right on the flash itself by the buttons. Then you press + or – until you see “AF-ILL”. Now press MODE and a “NO” will appear in front of the “AF-ILL”. Press On/OFF to exit the CSM.

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Thanks Graystar.

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Cheers,

Peter Jonas