Using wireless trigger for Nikon Speedlights and other strobes

[lonewolfdj]

Hello everyone, I am trying to extend my experience and abilities and start getting pretty serious with lighting. I'm curious if there is any way to trigger multiple Nikon Speedlights as well as some other brand strobes together with a wireless trigger. I currently have 2 Nikon SB-800s and 1 SB-600. I also have a somewhat low end set of wireless strobes and accessories. I bought a light meter but if I use one of the SB-800s to trigger the other two Nikon speedlights, the preflash confuses the light meter.

I can use the SU-800 (I don't have it yet...) to trigger all three Nikon Flashes but I am not sure if that uses the iTTL to sync the three flashes as they fire. If so, I suspect the preflash would trigger the wireless strobes. I would like to know if there is any solution to work with both lighting brands. If not I can just buy additional strobes to use in a studio setting and use the Nikon Speedlights for mobile setups.

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[JimTech]

I think your plan will work a couple of different ways. I didn't check your camera profile but the D200 and D70 will also fire the Nikon flashes. The D200 will control multiple banks and both of these cameras have an accessory that blocks the visible light from the on-board flash that is controlling the other flashes; it only lets the IR through. (I think is less than $30 US) This assumes that the on-board flash is only being used to control the remote flashes and will not play a direct role in your lighting.

First since you have a light meter use manual settings, once you set the lighting the way you want it you don't want it to change right? If you use TTL then it will change due to small anamolies in camera positioning, model movement, etc.

The SU-800 will also work since it wll fire the other flashes and you mention wireless strobes but don't mention if they are RF, IR or light triggered but since you mention pre-flashes setting them off I will assume they are light triggered.

Then there is the myriad of wireless "stuff" out there. Many here find e-bay ones work, there is the Peanut, the Pocket wizard (some light meters have Pocket Wizard remotes built-in), and on and on and on. Most need adapters to function properly with your flashes but will work with the right cords, adapters and hot-shoe connectors.

I am positive that there are a lot of people with more experience than I in this space, I use the SB-800 or the D200 to fire my other flashes but I also don't have the strobe mix. At one point I did work up a parts list for the Pocket Wizard stuff, just didn't pull the trigger on the buy.

This can be a relatively expensive adventure depending on the brand you choose and whether you want all if it on the "new" solution or are willing to do some blending between RF and light triggers.

--

Every day I try to be a little smarter, occassionally it works, most days I stay the same and other days don't come out so well. Imagine what would happen if I tried to be average ...

 

[lonewolfdj]

Thank you for your response. I am using a D2x as my main camera at the moment. I also occasionally use a D70s. I plan on buying a D200 sometime soon. The wireless strobes I use are triggered by light. I will have to set up the flashes and see what happens when I get my SU-800. In the end I may end up buying a whole separate (and high end) studio lighting system. If anyone has suggestions I would like to hear them.

Thanks again.

 

[jean bernier]

since you use a flashmeter and want to mix nikon and non-nikon flash units all together is to go all-manual. The units that do not have Su-4 mode can be fitted with inexpensive slave triggers (the non-"digital" type) .

That's what every other studio photographer use, even today: the all manual flash set-up.

Sure, you could rig something that would work with auto exposure, but it's a lot of trouble, expensive in the end, and you have to fight the system in order to maintain control over your lighting. Nikon cls/ iTTL BL blah blah blah does not mix easily with other flashes. Preflashes make some people blink on one shot out of three, to make matters worse.
Only my opinion...
--
Jean Bernier

All photographs are only more or less credible illusions

 

[lonewolfdj]

That the response I was looking for.... would you know any specific brands or types of triggers to try that may work with both the Nikon and a strobe?

 

[Neil McKenzie]

To use what you already have. I have the SU800 and it works great. As for mixing other lights the manual suggestion is the way to go. If you need more lights I would get another SB as opposed to mixing non Nikon stuff. CLS is very good so why even bother with a manual/ meter solution. I use the SU800 and four SB800s with a variety of light modifiers. I like the portability and control. If you haven't already, check out "The Speed of Light" DVD by Joe McNally/Nikon. There isn't a whole lot the CLS system can't do compared to a traditional studio setup.
--
Neil

 

[D Knisely]

Hello everyone, I am trying to extend my experience and abilities
and start getting pretty serious with lighting. I'm curious if
there is any way to trigger multiple Nikon Speedlights as well as
some other brand strobes together with a wireless trigger. I
currently have 2 Nikon SB-800s and 1 SB-600. I also have a
somewhat low end set of wireless strobes and accessories. I bought
a light meter but if I use one of the SB-800s to trigger the other
two Nikon speedlights, the preflash confuses the light meter.

If you have not already done so, go to http://www.strobist.com and read the Lighting 101 course. I think that eventually you will grow frustrated with the Nikon CLS for multi-flash configurations and switch to a manual mode of operation. With digital, it only takes the same number of adjustment steps to get manual right as it does with CLS (often less).

Finally, mixing CLS and non-CLS (e.g., optically triggered strobes) is frustrating and usually futile.

Strobist will tell you how to do remote flash control the professional way (i.e., expensive) or the "student" way (i.e., on the cheap). Highly recommended.

Doug

 

[Brad_S]

I think you dont totally understand Nikons CLS. You dont have to shoot in TTL to be using CLS. I can manually adjust the settings for each of the groups of the strobes i am firing directly from my camera.

at its most basic Nikons CLS is a way for you to remotely trigger your falshes without the use of wires. I agree that strobist is an excellent resource. I have been reading strobist since about June of last year. At tonights shoot I will be using a lot of information that I learned from him and his site. For anyone interested in lighting it is a must read.

--
D200

 

[Onetrack97]

I am using the famous "cheap Chinese triggers" to trigger my SB-800.

I made an adapter to go from the 1/4" phone plug to the threaded PC connector on the side of the SB-800.

SB-800 in manual mode of course. Works great.

For the SB-600, you have to get an adapter to trigger via the center pin on the hot shoe.
--
Scott

 

[Chuck Gardner]

As you have found out the Master / Slave wireless systems of Nikon and Canon can't be metered due to the control flashes. They can't be easily mixed with other manual lights either except when set to manual power because the other lights will not be included in the pre-flash based TTL metering.

The work around for a using a Nikon / Canon wireless system in Master / Slave mode with other manual flashes is to use a radio transmitter connected to the camera PC connect with separate receivers on each of the non-system flashes. The system flashes will do their pre-flash command dance, and when the signal is sent to fire the main system flash it will also be sent to the PC connector and trigger the radio controlled slaves. Paramount cords also sells TTL extension cables with a second piggy-back generic hotshoe for mounting a radio transmitter.

CG