I found the following link with a quickee summary of what to do, it might be helpful:
http://www.olegnovikov.com/technical/nikoncls/cls.shtml
http://www.olegnovikov.com/technical/nikoncls/cls.shtml
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SB600 or SB800 ? for beginner strobist.
- Thread starter akjos
- Start date
Hokie Photographer
Well-known member
Which camera do you have? If you have a D80, D90 or D300 the camera can serve as the commander and you don't need the SB-800. (I think the D70 also, but am not 100 percent certain on this one - only 90%)
If you have a D40 or D60 you MUST have a SB-800 or SB-900 or SU-800 to control the remote flashes unless you use a PC cable, which you'll have to add using an add on adapter (AS-15). But this will only work with flashes that have a PC jack.
Another option is to use a pocket wizzard, or even the wen peanut remote triggers.
I'm just starting to look into Strobist techniques myself. And as I'm still putting my lighting kit together so I don't have much experience with which work the best. But if you do a little more research, you'll see there are several options.
If you have a D40 or D60 you MUST have a SB-800 or SB-900 or SU-800 to control the remote flashes unless you use a PC cable, which you'll have to add using an add on adapter (AS-15). But this will only work with flashes that have a PC jack.
Another option is to use a pocket wizzard, or even the wen peanut remote triggers.
I'm just starting to look into Strobist techniques myself. And as I'm still putting my lighting kit together so I don't have much experience with which work the best. But if you do a little more research, you'll see there are several options.
JPP801
Leading Member
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Hello, hope you are enjoying your photography and learning too.
Forget your sb800 etc, do yourself a favour and buy a used Quantum T2 or X2 or even a lumedyne head plus a used flashmeter. obviously, you need to also buy power packs for these, but is will set you off on a totally different level to playing with the nikon or canon stuff. It will take out, the i wish "I had gone down that road", problem
Nick 2004
Forum Enthusiast
Get 2 or 3 flashes. Maybe one SB800 and a couple of cheaper manual flashes - not necessarily Nikon but look at the SB 24's etc.
Then use the Cactus triggers (make sure you order extra recievers for the additional flashes.
Cheap, and will get you started very nicely in Strobism.
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Nick Monk
Then use the Cactus triggers (make sure you order extra recievers for the additional flashes.
Cheap, and will get you started very nicely in Strobism.
--
Nick Monk
Yeah, for the most part I don't adjust the SB600s too much, so I totally forget which double buttons I have to depress to get into the mode/menu that I want and I have to relearn it on the fly. Kind of annoying.
You might want to get an SB600 for starters and use it on camera to give it a try and learn how to use it (bounce, diffuse, flash exposure compensation, fill light, primary light source, etc).
Step two might be to get the SU800 commander and use the SB600 off camera. And learn how to use that.
Step three might be to get a stand and an umbrella and learn how to use that.
Step four might be to add a second flash to the mix and by then you might know if you need a more powerful flash like the SB900 or SB800 (if they are still around).
No need to dump a lot of money into several flashes, a commander, light stands and umbrellas all at once.
BTW, I bought the SU800 commander for my D50 which did not have a built in commander mode. I have since moved onto the D90 which does have a commander mode, but have found the SU800 commander to be quicker to adjust and more effective, so I still use it.
Step two might be to get the SU800 commander and use the SB600 off camera. And learn how to use that.
Step three might be to get a stand and an umbrella and learn how to use that.
Step four might be to add a second flash to the mix and by then you might know if you need a more powerful flash like the SB900 or SB800 (if they are still around).
No need to dump a lot of money into several flashes, a commander, light stands and umbrellas all at once.
BTW, I bought the SU800 commander for my D50 which did not have a built in commander mode. I have since moved onto the D90 which does have a commander mode, but have found the SU800 commander to be quicker to adjust and more effective, so I still use it.
Have you had a good look at the Strobist site, and particularly the 101-Lighting course ? :
http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html
Definitely start at the beginning and look through it all, particularly about flashes, gear etc.
There are cheap options (if you wish) to begin with, and more expensive options later if you want. No need to get even an SB600 if you want to try all this on budget.
In particular:
You don't necessarily need a modern flash - think about getting an old Nikon SB-24 on ebay (or equivalent)
You may not need such an expensive way to trigger the flash - sure you can get a modern trigger that uses optical signals (or the radio pocket wizards (or cheaper ebay alternatives)), or you can get a wire. Syncing the flash with a wire might limit you to manual (if you get cheap sync cords with hot-shoe adapters) or allow the Nikon TTL system (with an expensive Nikon cord)... but it gets the flash off the camera and for a fraction of the price !
If you do look at SB-600 and SB-800s (I have 1 of each) then the flash power difference is not as important as the SB-800 having a sync cord input (so you don't need a flash shoe connector), can act as a commander (for the future when you have more !), comes with a small set of gels and is a bit easier to use. But it is also a bit bigger.
Hope this helps
Chris
--
Photogallery at: http://www.chrisol.smugmug.com
http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html
Definitely start at the beginning and look through it all, particularly about flashes, gear etc.
There are cheap options (if you wish) to begin with, and more expensive options later if you want. No need to get even an SB600 if you want to try all this on budget.
In particular:
You don't necessarily need a modern flash - think about getting an old Nikon SB-24 on ebay (or equivalent)
You may not need such an expensive way to trigger the flash - sure you can get a modern trigger that uses optical signals (or the radio pocket wizards (or cheaper ebay alternatives)), or you can get a wire. Syncing the flash with a wire might limit you to manual (if you get cheap sync cords with hot-shoe adapters) or allow the Nikon TTL system (with an expensive Nikon cord)... but it gets the flash off the camera and for a fraction of the price !
If you do look at SB-600 and SB-800s (I have 1 of each) then the flash power difference is not as important as the SB-800 having a sync cord input (so you don't need a flash shoe connector), can act as a commander (for the future when you have more !), comes with a small set of gels and is a bit easier to use. But it is also a bit bigger.
Hope this helps
Chris
--
Photogallery at: http://www.chrisol.smugmug.com
spbStan
Senior Member
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Chirs you are right, there are many solutions that do not need a great deal of money that can deliver light where you want it, when you wants and in the quality you want it much cheaper than a kit full of SB800.
My GF gave me a New Years gift of a SB900. I wanted to add to that and visited local camera stores and found an additional SB900 was $557! Import duties and the fact that most camera stores in the Us will not ship to Russia where I am staying made looking for an alternative the only real option for right now. I am sure that in the future I will get another SB-900 but for now my best choice was used older style flash or a new 3rd party brand. I found that most stores here have Sigma products and played with their "EF-530DG Super" dedicated for Nikon use. It is a lot higher here than in the US but still $200 less than the SB900 and has many compatible features. It is powerful, light, has a fast recycle time and more but most important is that is works well in i-TTL mode and was easy to setup for use with the SB900 where my D90 in commander mode triggers both slaves. The only down side I have been able to discover is the need to put the Sigma until on the hotshoe to program it at the beginning of a session then remove it to its remote location. The most difficult problem to over come was a badly written manual. After figuring it out on my own, rereading the manual did make sense but not without already knowing how to set it up. I tried an outdoor shot in a snowy park where I used the slaves to illuminate two clusters of statues about 60 feet way and the effect was quite striking. It took seconds to set up and the exposure was right with the first shot.
I would prefer another SB900 but for right now that $200 savings would be better directed towards the lens fund.
The manual indicate a recycle time of 4-6 seconds but it as been consistently 2 seconds or less. Stores in the US have this flash $100 or more discounted from my local price. EBay might have them cheaper still.
Chirs you are right, there are many solutions that do not need a great deal of money that can deliver light where you want it, when you wants and in the quality you want it much cheaper than a kit full of SB800.
My GF gave me a New Years gift of a SB900. I wanted to add to that and visited local camera stores and found an additional SB900 was $557! Import duties and the fact that most camera stores in the Us will not ship to Russia where I am staying made looking for an alternative the only real option for right now. I am sure that in the future I will get another SB-900 but for now my best choice was used older style flash or a new 3rd party brand. I found that most stores here have Sigma products and played with their "EF-530DG Super" dedicated for Nikon use. It is a lot higher here than in the US but still $200 less than the SB900 and has many compatible features. It is powerful, light, has a fast recycle time and more but most important is that is works well in i-TTL mode and was easy to setup for use with the SB900 where my D90 in commander mode triggers both slaves. The only down side I have been able to discover is the need to put the Sigma until on the hotshoe to program it at the beginning of a session then remove it to its remote location. The most difficult problem to over come was a badly written manual. After figuring it out on my own, rereading the manual did make sense but not without already knowing how to set it up. I tried an outdoor shot in a snowy park where I used the slaves to illuminate two clusters of statues about 60 feet way and the effect was quite striking. It took seconds to set up and the exposure was right with the first shot.
I would prefer another SB900 but for right now that $200 savings would be better directed towards the lens fund.
The manual indicate a recycle time of 4-6 seconds but it as been consistently 2 seconds or less. Stores in the US have this flash $100 or more discounted from my local price. EBay might have them cheaper still.
Let me know when you want to sell it as well. Everything is pretty clear, it's even marked on the back of the flash what to push to reset and get into csm menu. This flash works great. OP, if you are a hobbiest, the SB800 is probably overkill for you and you won't use most of what it is capable of. I do agree with playing with them before you buy either one. Better yet, find a place that will rent you one and try it out.
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