Light modifiers for SB-5000 flash?

[PMB]

I have a couple Nikon flashes - SB-900 and SB-5000. I would like to use them more creatively than just direct flash or bounce off the ceiling. Aside from bouncing the light off of an umbrella, I wonder if anyone can recommend modifiers that would specific fit these flashes to spread or bounce the light in more creative ways?

I have used the SB-900 on camera along with the SB-5000 off camera controlled with radio signal. Now I would like to soften the light or widen the spread.

Thanks,
Peter

 

[tugwilson]

I have a couple Nikon flashes - SB-900 and SB-5000. I would like to use them more creatively than just direct flash or bounce off the ceiling. Aside from bouncing the light off of an umbrella, I wonder if anyone can recommend modifiers that would specific fit these flashes to spread or bounce the light in more creative ways?

I have used the SB-900 on camera along with the SB-5000 off camera controlled with radio signal. Now I would like to soften the light or widen the spread.

You could put it in a Godox S2 bracket and put any Bowens mount modifier on it.

 

[Rico Tudor]

An umbrella is ideal for transport into the field and the light quality is general purpose. In studio, however, it's an awkward contraption to move around and is laborious to modify. My go-to modifier is the panel, usually 2'x3'. The cover material determines its function: scrim, silk, diffuser, reflector, or flag. Several panels arranged around the subject allow complete creative control of the lighting scheme and, being 2-D, are easy to slip into position.

Pack shot with one Canon 550EX, wired:





Key is modified with a silk, fill is bounce off the walls plus a boost with foamcore panel. In this setup, a flash has ample power and is easy to pop on a stand. As deployed here, the silk provides plenty of stray light in all directions while maintaining strong directionality from the flash. I was looking for a sunlit effect with no deep shadows.

Some of my panels:



I also own the SB-800 and SB-5000 but any cheap flash works in this role.

--
Canon, Nikon, Contax RTS, Leica M, Sony, Profoto

 

[Gato Amarillo]

As a location portrait guy I like umbrella softboxes. Quick setup, very nice light, and very affordable. Work with a standard umbrella bracket.







Here's one example:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1110969-REG/savage_usb43b_umbrella_softbox_bounce_43.html

These are available from many sources under several different brands.

Gato

--
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Personal pictures, road trips, rural nostalgia, and kitty cats:

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[ronscuba]

I have a couple Nikon flashes - SB-900 and SB-5000. I would like to use them more creatively than just direct flash or bounce off the ceiling. Aside from bouncing the light off of an umbrella, I wonder if anyone can recommend modifiers that would specific fit these flashes to spread or bounce the light in more creative ways?

I have used the SB-900 on camera along with the SB-5000 off camera controlled with radio signal. Now I would like to soften the light or widen the spread.

Thanks,
Peter

So many different options. Do you have a budget in mind, do you own any light stands ?

Can you post some photos that inspire you and you would like your photos to look like ? I ask this question because while it is fun to learn the technical aspects of lighting, it is good to keep your own style and taste in mind while you are learning.

 

[PMB]

Thanks.

I maybe wasn't clear and should elaborate some. I bought my SB-900 several years ago and used it on my D7000 (in the hot shoe), and with my D7000 (off the camera via optical remote trigger) - that camera could communicate optically with that flash. Later I bought a D850 which did not have built-in optical communications and I eventually picked up the SB-5000 and a WR kit for radio . I have used both flashes with the D850; the SB-900 mounted on camera and the SB-5000 standing tabletop using the supplied plastic cold shoe and with radio communication.

Some of my friends and family have asked me for portraits and head shots. I recently purchased a stand, cold shoe mount, and 41" reversable umbrella. I am playing around with that now (having fun). I have been mounting the SB-900 on the D850 and the SB-5000 in the umbrella. I find the camera mounted flash can be harsh; I have tried bouncing off the ceiling. I know I could get another stand and umbrella, and I probably will. But first I wanted something to attach over the SB-900 (or SB-5000) when mounted on the camera to soften the light. Years ago (back in the 70s) I used a Vivitar flash pointed up at the ceiling with a bracket that could hold a 8 by 10 white card at 45 degrees so that the illumination source was size of the white card. I have also seen translucent attachments that diffuse or spread the light. I just don't know what these are call and didn't know what to search for. Furthermore, I was hoping to get ideas and recommendations from those with experience.

I should also add, umbrellas and stands are great - but not so great in the windy outdoors. Bouncing light off a ceiling can provide a nice light effect but can run into trouble where the ceilings are high or non-existent. And a camera mounted flash is very mobile for walking around shooting people at a party or event whereas an umbrella and stand kind of tie you down to a fixed spot. So would be nice, sometimes, to have a modifier directly on the camera mounted flash.

Now that I am retired I have more time to use some of this gear I bought over the years, so I am digging it out, dusting it off, and trying to learn how to use it.

Thanks for the replies so far,
Peter

 

[Rico Tudor]

... So would be nice, sometimes, to have a modifier directly on the camera mounted flash.

Whether the flash is mounted on or off the camera, you need a large diffuser. For headshot distance that would be 2'x2' or so. No getting around the physics.

 

[tugwilson]

Something like a Rogue Flashbender?

 

[PMB]

Something like a Rogue Flashbender?

Yes, that is sort of what I was thinking of. I've never heard of that company. I'll dig around there and see what they have.

Thanks,
Peter

 

[tugwilson]

They are quite well known. I have a previous version of the flashbender. It's well made. I don't use it anymore because I very rarely use on camera flash.

 

[PMB]

... So would be nice, sometimes, to have a modifier directly on the camera mounted flash.

Whether the flash is mounted on or off the camera, you need a large diffuser. For headshot distance that would be 2'x2' or so. No getting around the physics.

Yes, agreed. I'm thinking that for the head shots, that I'll pick up another stand & umbrella and take the flash off the camera altogether. Now how to trigger the SB-900. I know the SB-5000 can send an optical trigger I wonder if the D850 can trigger the SB-5000 and if that in turn could trigger the SB-900? Hmmm. I'll have to read up on that,

Thanks,
Peter

 

[fotowbert]

Yes, agreed. I'm thinking that for the head shots, that I'll pick up another stand & umbrella and take the flash off the camera altogether. Now how to trigger the SB-900. I know the SB-5000 can send an optical trigger I wonder if the D850 can trigger the SB-5000 and if that in turn could trigger the SB-900? Hmmm. I'll have to read up on that,

Thanks,
Peter

You could use the SU-4 optical trigger mode built into the SB900 so that it will fire when it detects the light from the SB5000.

You will not be able to use TTL flash auto-exposure because SU-4 doesn't have the ability to ignore TTL preflashes. The SB5000 needs to be in manual power mode so it doesn't emit any preflash.

SU-4 has a "Manual" and "Auto" setting. In Manual the SB900 will fire at the power level set on the back of the unit. In Auto where the SB900 fires for the duration of the triggering light you may not like the resulting ratio between SB5000 and SB900. Manual gives more control which is my recommendation for all lights in a static portrait situation.

The sensor on the SB900 also needs to see the triggering light from the SB5000. This doesn't have to be direct line of sight when inside a room. Wall and ceiling reflections should be enough provided the SB900 isn't buried inside a softbox.

BTW the SB5000 also has an SU-4 like feature but it's now called "remote direct" mode.

• John

 

[ronscuba]

Something like a Rogue Flashbender?

Yes, that is sort of what I was thinking of. I've never heard of that company. I'll dig around there and see what they have.

Thanks,
Peter

I have Flashbender. I do not use it. It does not make a big enough improvement over direct.

Before you buy anything, try bouncing off the walls behind you. Point your speedlight directly behind you or over your shoulder, depending on where the nearest wall is.

Also, are you exposing to mix the ambient light with the speedlight as fill light ? I like to gel my speedlight to match the ambient light color.

--
https://www.ronchauphoto.com/
https://www.instagram.com/rchau.photo

 

[PMB]

Thanks John,

You could use the SU-4 optical trigger mode built into the SB900 so that it will fire when it detects the light from the SB5000.

Yes, I was hoping that might be the case. Even if both flash units are off camera?

You will not be able to use TTL flash auto-exposure because SU-4 doesn't have the ability to ignore TTL preflashes. The SB5000 needs to be in manual power mode so it doesn't emit any preflash.

I suspect (don't know for sure) that TTL is a non-option when the flash units are pointed into an umbrella (reflected light).

SU-4 has a "Manual" and "Auto" setting. In Manual the SB900 will fire at the power level set on the back of the unit. In Auto where the SB900 fires for the duration of the triggering light you may not like the resulting ratio between SB5000 and SB900. Manual gives more control which is my recommendation for all lights in a static portrait situation.

Well I don't have an SU-4 and I see from Nikon's webpage that that unit has been "archived", I guess meaning that they no longer sell it.

The sensor on the SB900 also needs to see the triggering light from the SB5000. This doesn't have to be direct line of sight when inside a room. Wall and ceiling reflections should be enough provided the SB900 isn't buried inside a softbox.

Yes, I'm used to the D7000 being able to ping the IR signal off walls, ceiling, etc. But it does have its limits, which is why radio is preferable.

BTW the SB5000 also has an SU-4 like feature but it's now called "remote direct" mode.

I'll look that up in the documentation.

• John

 

[PMB]

I have Flashbender. I do not use it. It does not make a big enough improvement over direct.

Before you buy anything, try bouncing off the walls behind you. Point your speedlight directly behind you or over your shoulder, depending on where the nearest wall is.

Yes, where neutral colored walls and ceilings are available I do make use of those. I sometimes position a white card reflector near my subject and bounce off that. But again that's setup, not walking around shooting.

Also, are you exposing to mix the ambient light with the speedlight as fill light ? I like to gel my speedlight to match the ambient light color.

Way beyond my skill & experience (yet).

Thanks

 

[ronscuba]

I have Flashbender. I do not use it. It does not make a big enough improvement over direct.

Before you buy anything, try bouncing off the walls behind you. Point your speedlight directly behind you or over your shoulder, depending on where the nearest wall is.

Yes, where neutral colored walls and ceilings are available I do make use of those. I sometimes position a white card reflector near my subject and bounce off that. But again that's setup, not walking around shooting.

Also, are you exposing to mix the ambient light with the speedlight as fill light ? I like to gel my speedlight to match the ambient light color.

Way beyond my skill & experience (yet).

Thanks

Are you shooting your camera in manual mode ? ISO, shutter, aperture, wb, all manual ? Is your speedlight power set manually or ttl ?

It takes some practice to understand and then adjust settings as needed.

Gels for speedlights are not expensive or difficult once you get past the above.

 

[fotowbert]

Thanks John,

You could use the SU-4 optical trigger mode built into the SB900 so that it will fire when it detects the light from the SB5000.

Yes, I was hoping that might be the case. Even if both flash units are off camera?

Yes. Radio triggers the off camera SB5000. Then the AB5000's light triggers the SB900 set to its built-in SU-4 optical triggering mode.

You will not be able to use TTL flash auto-exposure because SU-4 doesn't have the ability to ignore TTL preflashes. The SB5000 needs to be in manual power mode so it doesn't emit any preflash.

I suspect (don't know for sure) that TTL is a non-option when the flash units are pointed into an umbrella (reflected light).

With either direct or reflected light TTL doesn't care about the path the light takes prior to reaching your subject. The camera can still measure how much of the preflash is reflected off your subject and set the power for the image capture part of the flash accordingly. Be advised that your use of a light modifier results in light loses that easily reduce the usable distance to your subject, especially with the limited output of the typical speedlight.

SU-4 has a "Manual" and "Auto" setting. In Manual the SB900 will fire at the power level set on the back of the unit. In Auto where the SB900 fires for the duration of the triggering light you may not like the resulting ratio between SB5000 and SB900. Manual gives more control which is my recommendation for all lights in a static portrait situation.

Well I don't have an SU-4 and I see from Nikon's webpage that that unit has been "archived", I guess meaning that they no longer sell it.

You don't need the stand-alone SU-4 unit. That capability is built into most Nikon speedlights including your SB900 (and under a different name on the SB5000).

The sensor on the SB900 also needs to see the triggering light from the SB5000. This doesn't have to be direct line of sight when inside a room. Wall and ceiling reflections should be enough provided the SB900 isn't buried inside a softbox.

Yes, I'm used to the D7000 being able to ping the IR signal off walls, ceiling, etc. But it does have its limits, which is why radio is preferable.

Radio is definitely preferable to optical triggering but I have had good results indoors with Nikon's smart commander IR optical with 2 SB600's off camera commanded by the built in flash on my D7000. I recently acquired a D500 which has no built in flash so I have also picked up a SB700 to act as a commander on it.

For radio I now have finally gone with Godox (actually Adorama's Flashpoint branded Godox gear) for my off camera radio flash use. I previously only had manual off camera radio flash using Yongnuo's 560-TX with YN 560III speedlights purchased before Godox became popular.

BTW the SB5000 also has an SU-4 like feature but it's now called "remote direct" mode.

I'll look that up in the documentation.

• John

 

[Gato Amarillo]

Reading your comment -

For on-camera flash check out Neil van Niekerk on the 'black foamie thing'

the black foamie thing - on-camera flash modifier - Tangents

on-camera flash modifier – the black foamie thing Also make sure you check out this video clip where I demonstrate how I use the black foamie thing to flag the light from my on-camera flash. In essence, the (in)famous Black Foamie Thing is just a simple little device that I use to shield my...

neilvn.com

He has a ton of ideas. FWIW, I do similar things but I prefer white foam.

For outdoor off-camera flash I like a beauty dish. Much easier to handle in any kind of wind or breeze. A softbox is usually a little easier to handle than an umbrella, but for either it's best to have an reliable assistant to brace and light. They can keep it upright and pointed where you want.

Gato

 

[PMB]

...

.

BTW the SB5000 also has an SU-4 like feature but it's now called "remote direct" mode.

I have searched several Nikon PDF pertaining to flash and the SB-5000 and I cannot find any reference to "remote direct". I also did a google search and while I did find a couple references, when I open the PDF I could not find the phase "remote direct". Weird.

Peter

 

[PMB]

...

.

BTW the SB5000 also has an SU-4 like feature but it's now called "remote direct" mode.

I have searched several Nikon PDF pertaining to flash and the SB-5000 and I cannot find any reference to "remote direct". I also did a google search and while I did find a couple references, when I open the PDF I could not find the phase "remote direct". Weird.

Peter

OK, I fall on my sword (I'm watching Shogun right now). I dug a bit deeper in the SB-5000 User Guide and found this...



So while the image of the flash menu says REMOTE DIRECT the words in the document say "direct remote". I missed this when I searched for just "remote" or "direct" as there were many hits (and I'm just too old and dumb to know better).

Peter