About Wireless Slave Flash

[DawenL]

Hey guys, I am Nikon user and currently I am using Nikon 5000 and SB-600 speedlight. I have some doubt in my mind, I need to know how to set up my SB-600 as wireless slave flash mode, which my D5000 built-in flash as master flash. I know D5000 has no commander mode but does it can set as master flash? I would really appreciate for any contributions of you all. Thanks a lot. God Bless and have a nice day...

Regards,
D@wen

[Wirefox]

Dawen

I am not sure what you are trying to do here. Do you want to trigger the SB-600 wirelessly and still have the built in flash function? You can not do this with a canon and I believe some Nikon cameras will trigger a flash remotely without a bolt on transmitter even then I suspect the built in flash will not fire. Not sure the D5000 will do that though. I am not sure why you would want to use the built in unit at all. Just get the speedlite off the camera with cord or radio triggers. Using the camera flash as well would defeat the object of having a remote flash unit.

Dave Humphries or one of the other Dark Wizards (Nikonites) may know

[DawenL]

Hi Steve,

Thanks for your advice. But what I mean here is how to trigger SB-600 as wireless slave flash by using my built-in flash in D5000? Cuz I ever tried it with Nissin speedlight before and it's successful, so I wonder can it works with SB-600 too?

D@wen

[PopsPhotos]

Apparently it can.

http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/ittlslave.htm

Pops

[Wirefox]

Those crafty little Nikonites, why can't Canon do that?

EDIT: D5000 does not support wireless I-TTL flash see here

(under section entitled 'Built-in Flash')

[Colin Southern]

Those crafty little Nikonites, why can't Canon do that?

They've introduced this with the 7D, but to be honest, I've always found the whole wireless system as it stands somewhat "hit and miss" (it uses visible light, not radio signals). PocketWizards are the way to go in my opinion

[DawenL]

Guys, I know D5000 does not support wireless I-TTL flash, in fact it doesn't has commander mode too. But last time I used my friend's third party speedlight, Nissin and I successfully triggered the speedlight by using my built-in flash in D5000 without setting any mode. That's what they called it as wireless slave flash. So, I wonder how to set the mode in SB-600 to slave mode, cuz I got few opinion from the forum, some say it can do the triggering, some say no. And I really need to know about this... Thanks!

D@wen

[Colin Southern]

So, I wonder how to set the mode in SB-600 to slave mode, cuz I got few opinion from the forum, some say it can do the triggering, some say no. And I really need to know about this... Thanks!

D@wen

Is it mentioned in the manual?

[JonathanC]

Page 63 in the manual. Set it up as SU-4 in remote mode.
This doesn't do iTTL, but the SB600 will flash in response to detecting another flash in the vicinity.
You can only use the on-camera flash in manual mode though, as the pre-flashes will set off the SB600.

HTH

[DawenL]

Page 63 in the manual. Set it up as SU-4 in remote mode.
This doesn't do iTTL, but the SB600 will flash in response to detecting another flash in the vicinity.
You can only use the on-camera flash in manual mode though, as the pre-flashes will set off the SB600.

HTH

Thanks, Jon. By the way, it means I gotta get a SU-4 to trigger it? Sorry cuz I am still new in photography.

D@wen

[JonathanC]

The SU-4 refers to an old style flash trigger system which relies on the slave switching on and off at the same time as the on camera flash. From memory the SB600 would fire in synch with the on camera flash in manual at this setting. In fact this is how I trigger my el-cheapo strobes, just using manual for the on-camera setting.
I don't know if the SB600 output would vary with the output of the on-camera flash that way, but it might well do.

As to how it works:-
The camera shutter opens then the on-camera flash fires.
The SB600 "sees" the flash and fires itself.
The on-camera flash shuts off after a time dependant on the power setting.
The SB600 "sees" the on-camera flash stop and shuts off.
The camera shutter closes.
There is NO metering of the flash using this method, though it is repeatable so you can change the f stop until its correct.

[JonathanC]

Ooops. Forget that, the SB600 doesn't support SU-4 mode. I got confused looking at picture 2 on page 63 of the manual, which is an image of a SB800 being used to control the SB600 as a slave.
You'll need to get an optical trigger and use it in manual.

Sorry for any confusion caused.

[DawenL]

Ooops. Forget that, the SB600 doesn't support SU-4 mode. I got confused looking at picture 2 on page 63 of the manual, which is an image of a SB800 being used to control the SB600 as a slave.
You'll need to get an optical trigger and use it in manual.

Sorry for any confusion caused.

Is alright, Jon. Really thanks a lot for all the information. Now I got it.

Regards,
D@wen