Master and slave lighting

[CallMeNovice]

A question to those who may know...

I own a Nikon D70s camera with a SB800 speedlight. I am able to remotely set the speedlight off with the D70s.

I also own a SB-22 speedlight from my Nikon 35mm camera from years back.

I have attempted to use the SB800 as a "master" unit with the SB22 as a "slave" with no results.

Can someone tell me if this is even possible. I'm not able to find any useful information in the manual for the SB22. Do I need more hardware?

[jerryph]

Unfortunately, the SB-22 is not a CLS aware unit. You can only slave it with the slave activated and power set manually on it. You then *must* set the power manually at the camera (cannot use iTTL).

This is the way I work most of the time, but it takes practice and lots of time... but the results are worth it.

[CallMeNovice]

Unfortunately, the SB-22 is not a CLS aware unit. You can only slave it with the slave activated and power set manually on it. You then *must* set the power manually at the camera (cannot use iTTL).

This is the way I work most of the time, but it takes practice and lots of time... but the results are worth it.

Thanks Jerry, so do I have to use a cord to the camera .. or to the SB800 unit? then manually set just the SB-22 or the SB800 too? I'm new at this and have just started using the SB800 off camera, which prompted me to question whether I could set up a dual flash ... I still have to look at my notes each time I set up the SB800 remotely so I'm pretty "new" and (if you have the time and the know-how) would need to be hand-held through it

[Pat]

Hi Melanie. The Strobist has a wealth of info on lighting with off cam strobes. Has online newsletter, too.

[CallMeNovice]

Thanks Pat, I have been to that site ... but they don't address the specifics of the hardware that I own and how to connect the two speedlights to fire simultaneously... I keep experimenting but it's not working yet

[jerryph]

Thanks Jerry, so do I have to use a cord to the camera .. or to the SB800 unit? then manually set just the SB-22 or the SB800 too? I'm new at this and have just started using the SB800 off camera, which prompted me to question whether I could set up a dual flash ... I still have to look at my notes each time I set up the SB800 remotely so I'm pretty "new" and (if you have the time and the know-how) would need to be hand-held through it

The D70 has a built-in flash right? Using the menu system, can you set the in-camera flash to a fixed manual level like 1/2, 1/4 or 1/64th power? If so, that is what you need to do.

If not, you need to place the SB-800 on camera and set it into MASTER mode. From there, you set it to M (manual) mode and set the flash power to a low amount like 1/128 or higher based on certain needs (that comes up in a second). Next you have to set the other flashes to SLAVE mode, again, refer to the manuals on how to do this... I am almost certain that your flashes can do this.

Then, make sure you can trigger the flashes in this manner. What happens is that the single NON-iTTL flash from your camera will set off the other flashes. The problem is that if there is another camera in the room, they will set off your flashes too... and that is why you will later on learn that once you start to get serious, you will purchase some wireless RF transmitter/receivers.

To get back to what I was saying above about power... if the flash on the camera is set too low for the current conditions, you will have to raise it higher so that the remote flashes see it and trigger in time with it. So that this added light doesn't contaminate your scene, you will need to swivel the flash head and perhaps use a GoBo... but thats another topic yet again.

I suggest you return to the strobist site and read up on LIGHTING 101 and LIGHTING 102. It may not give you the step by step instructions that you need (this is in the flash and camera manuals anyway), but more importantly, it explains concepts and gives you answers to questions you don't even know you are going to ask... lol

[CallMeNovice]

Thanks Jerry, I've been to strobist.com numerous times to answer questions (at your suggestion, by the way) and once I'm better able to understand lighting situations and how to control light, I will definitely be purchasing better equipment (probably not to add to the SB22 but to compliment the SB800). For now, I'm into controlling what I have and trying to experiment with the setup, location and the affect that light has on the pictures. I'd like to get the SB22 working just to say I've done it and will be unlikely to be taking that setup out with me when I'm taking pictures

Thanks again! I'll be trying out your suggestions as soon as I'm able.

[jerryph]

You will be surprised at what you can do with a single off camera speedlight and a little knowledge:

[CallMeNovice]

Jerry, great job! are you using any other devices (umbrella,etc)? or just the off camera speedlight?

[jerryph]

Most of that day was done using a single SB-80DX and a shoot-through umbrella on a light stand, and occasionally I used a bare SB-600 as rim light.

I used pocket wizards to trigger the setup, but I was easily close enough that optical slaves or the $40 Gadget Infinity trigger/receivers would have worked 100%.

The last items I used were orange gels on my flashes to colour shift the background that fabulous blue (yes, that was all done in camera, not photoshop... lol).

Matter of fact, I had the settings so spot on, that the 2nd picture atthe top of this thread is 100% straight from my camera (watermark and downsizing aside). I do not know how, but I flipped the settings from RAW (what I *always* shoot at), to JPG fine for about 5 shots, and it made no difference. That was the first time my camera was in JPG only mode, and the only time I've shot JPG in at least 2 years, and it was by accident... lol



The umbrella and flash behind the model are my lights. As you can tell from the "set up shot", at a strobist meet, you are never alone, and though I found the Harley, the model and set up the shot, I had 5-6 other photographers there with me. They were all very gracious and I led the shoot and had full priority... everyone was very professional with their attitude.