Troubles with Godox TT685iiN flash on Z6iii

[mcantsin]

I am having major troubles getting a brandnew TT685iiN to fully work on a Z6iii, probably because of user errors and being new to flash photography.

Principally, the flash works in iTTL and M modes. The camera is in mechanical shutter mode (with silent mode and electronic shutter switched off) and used in P and A modes, but...:

• "Flash control" in Z6iii's Photo Shooting menu is always greyed out. (I've read that this menu option might work with first-party Nikon flashes?!?)
• HSS mode doesn't work. In the camera's "e1" Custom Settings for Bracketing/Flash, I can maximally choose flash sync speed 1/200s or "1/200s (Auto FP)". Shutter speed is always limited to maximally 1/60. On the flash, the HSS mode cannot be activated with the camera being on. The "SYNC" symbol only appears at the TT685iiN's display, and allows to activate HSS (flash-H symbol) when the flash is in M mode and the camera is switched off.
• Regardless which lens is mounted, the flash always displays a focal length of "14mm". Pressing the "zoom" button and turning the wheel on the flash has no effect.

I thought that this might be a firmware issue, but no firmware update for the TT685iiN seems to be available...

 

[John Vickers]

I am having major troubles getting a brandnew TT685iiN to fully work on a Z6iii, probably because of user errors and being new to flash photography.

Principally, the flash works in iTTL and M modes. The camera is in mechanical shutter mode (with silent mode and electronic shutter switched off) and used in P and A modes, but...:

• "Flash control" in Z6iii's Photo Shooting menu is always greyed out. (I've read that this menu option might work with first-party Nikon flashes?!?)
• HSS mode doesn't work. In the camera's "e1" Custom Settings for Bracketing/Flash, I can maximally choose flash sync speed 1/200s or "1/200s (Auto FP)". Shutter speed is always limited to maximally 1/60. On the flash, the HSS mode cannot be activated with the camera being on. The "SYNC" symbol only appears at the TT685iiN's display, and allows to activate HSS (flash-H symbol) when the flash is in M mode and the camera is switched off.
• Regardless which lens is mounted, the flash always displays a focal length of "14mm". Pressing the "zoom" button and turning the wheel on the flash has no effect.

The 14mm thing is a common gotcha. Make sure the flip-out wide-angle Fresnel lens is pushed all the way in. If that doesn't work, there's a problem with the flash.

The "Auto FP" sync speeds are what you need in order to enable HSS - or "Flat Peak" as Nikon calls it. You don't need to do anything on the flash. There might be something on the camera display that says "FP" when it's going to use HSS, but the TT685N (I don't have a TT685iiN) shows the HSS icon any time an "Auto FP" sync speed is selected.

Shutter speed is always limited to maximally 1/60.

Did you mean a longest exposure of 1/60 ?

If so, you can change that with something like "Flash Shutter Speed".

 

[PLShutterbug]

The camera is in mechanical shutter mode (with silent mode and electronic shutter switched off)

Can’t help with the Godox flash issue, but I noticed this error in thinking … Silent Photography is Nikon’s term for electronic shutter, and you cannot use it for flash because the sensor readout speed of the non-Z8/9 cameras is too slow.

You then wrote “… and electronic shutter …” The term is “electronic first-curtain shutter” (EFCS). This is a hybrid mode that does work with flash since it uses the electronic shutter to start the exposure (it resets the sensor) but then uses the physical shutter curtain to end it. Two benefits: less shutter noise and no shutter shock.

Be careful not to confuse fully-electronic shutter (Silent photography) and EFCS. They are different.

 

[michaeladawson]

You then wrote “… and electronic shutter …” The term is “electronic first-curtain shutter” (EFCS). This is a hybrid mode that does work with flash since it uses the electronic shutter to start the exposure (it resets the sensor) but then uses the physical shutter curtain to end it. Two benefits: less shutter noise and no shutter shock.

That's not quite accurate. Silent photography (or silent mode as some call it) and fully electronic shutter are two separate things. You can set the camera to use fully electronic shutter completely independently from silent photography. You can also set silent photography mode. If you set the camera to silent photography it will also enable fully electronic shutter. And will also turn off any beeps and fake shutter noises.

 

[PLShutterbug]

You then wrote “… and electronic shutter …” The term is “electronic first-curtain shutter” (EFCS). This is a hybrid mode that does work with flash since it uses the electronic shutter to start the exposure (it resets the sensor) but then uses the physical shutter curtain to end it. Two benefits: less shutter noise and no shutter shock.

That's not quite accurate. Silent photography (or silent mode as some call it) and fully electronic shutter are two separate things. You can set the camera to use fully electronic shutter completely independently from silent photography. You can also set silent photography mode. If you set the camera to silent photography it will also enable fully electronic shutter. And will also turn off any beeps and fake shutter noises.

Thanks for pointing that out, Mike. My apologies. I didn’t realize the Z6iii has ES separate from SP. Does the Zf have that too, or is the Z6iii unique in the line?

 

[michaeladawson]

You then wrote “… and electronic shutter …” The term is “electronic first-curtain shutter” (EFCS). This is a hybrid mode that does work with flash since it uses the electronic shutter to start the exposure (it resets the sensor) but then uses the physical shutter curtain to end it. Two benefits: less shutter noise and no shutter shock.

That's not quite accurate. Silent photography (or silent mode as some call it) and fully electronic shutter are two separate things. You can set the camera to use fully electronic shutter completely independently from silent photography. You can also set silent photography mode. If you set the camera to silent photography it will also enable fully electronic shutter. And will also turn off any beeps and fake shutter noises.

Thanks for pointing that out, Mike. My apologies. I didn’t realize the Z6iii has ES separate from SP. Does the Zf have that too, or is the Z6iii unique in the line?

I don't know. I don't actually have a Z6III so maybe I'm speaking in error. I'm speaking from ownership of a Z7II/8/9.

 

[PLShutterbug]

You then wrote “… and electronic shutter …” The term is “electronic first-curtain shutter” (EFCS). This is a hybrid mode that does work with flash since it uses the electronic shutter to start the exposure (it resets the sensor) but then uses the physical shutter curtain to end it. Two benefits: less shutter noise and no shutter shock.

That's not quite accurate. Silent photography (or silent mode as some call it) and fully electronic shutter are two separate things. You can set the camera to use fully electronic shutter completely independently from silent photography. You can also set silent photography mode. If you set the camera to silent photography it will also enable fully electronic shutter. And will also turn off any beeps and fake shutter noises.

Thanks for pointing that out, Mike. My apologies. I didn’t realize the Z6iii has ES separate from SP. Does the Zf have that too, or is the Z6iii unique in the line?

I don't know. I don't actually have a Z6III so maybe I'm speaking in error. I'm speaking from ownership of a Z7II/8/9.

OK, now I’m confused.

I just looked at the Z7ii online manual and its d5: shutter type doesn’t list doesn’t list “electronic shutter” as one of the types. Did a firmware update add that?

The Z 8/9 are all-electronic so shouldn’t list that.

I looked at the Zf reference and it doesn’t list it.

The only camera so far where I have seen “electronic shutter” is the Z6iii.

 

[mcantsin]

The 14mm thing is a common gotcha. Make sure the flip-out wide-angle Fresnel lens is pushed all the way in. If that doesn't work, there's a problem with the flash.

Thanks so much, your hint solved the issue!

The "Auto FP" sync speeds are what you need in order to enable HSS - or "Flat Peak" as Nikon calls it. You don't need to do anything on the flash. There might be something on the camera display that says "FP" when it's going to use HSS, but the TT685N (I don't have a TT685iiN) shows the HSS icon any time an "Auto FP" sync speed is selected.

All of the problems went away after fixing the Fresnel issue, for whatever strange reason...

 

[michaeladawson]

I guess I'm speaking a bit in error then. I don't see it listed either. My apologies. I guess I'm too used to my Z8.