Commander Mode vs an SC-28 TTL Remote Cord?

[youthman]

Are there any benefits to using an SC-28 TTL Remote Cord vs setting my D7000 in Commander Mode and using the popup flash as the trigger for an off camera flash with my SB700?

 

[frdjohns]

One of the things I've noticed about using on camera flash in commander mode, is that the "pre-flashes" sent out immediately before the exposure (as communication between the commander and the off camera flash) will make some folks blink. This results in them having their eyes closed for the actual exposure. My wife is sensitive to this, as are a couple of my students at the HS where I teach. No matter how many images I take, they will blink every-time when I'm using commander mode with an on camera flash.

The SC-28 or SC-29 cords are essentially the same as having the flash mounted directly to the hot shoe and would eliminate this issue for me. No need for the pre-flashes as communication. I also found that using an SU-200, which uses infrared light instead of visible light also solved the problem for me. I now use the SU-200, and keep the SC29 for backup.

The disadvantage to using a cord is you are restricted in how far off-camera you can place the flash.

 

[Kill n time]

Michael, I'm using a Vello Free Wave with a SB-600, off camera, on my D7000 in commander mode, it may be a option, you still get flash from on camera though.

 

[youthman]

Fred, that makes sense about the preflash causing the subject to blink. I thought I read somewhere that you could turn the on camera flash all the way down and it is still enough to trigger the off camera flash. Would that help with subjects blinking?

Thx kill n time, it looks like the Vello would allow for less limits due to not having a physical cord?

 

[frdjohns]

Fred, that makes sense about the preflash causing the subject to blink. I thought I read somewhere that you could turn the on camera flash all the way down and it is still enough to trigger the off camera flash. Would that help with subjects blinking?

Michael - you can turn the on-camera flash power way down to the point that it does not affect the exposure, but it still flashes the pre-flash signals; it has to - that is how CLS works. The pre-flashes can be thought of as a sort of Morse code. They are what tells the flash the information it needs to fire correctly. However, these pre-flashes only have that effect on a few people. Most people will never notice them, they happen so fast that the pre-flashes and the actual exposure strobe seem like one flash. I've photographed a couple hundred kids at the school where I teach, and only had this issue with a few - maybe two or three each year. Unfortunately, my wife is sensitive to this as well so I needed a solution.

You could probably go a long time and never have this issue, and then if you do you can use the SC-28 or one of the other third party (less expensive) cords. If this is an issue for you, or if like me (I can get a bit obsessive about these things) you just have to solve this issue, there are four solutions listed below from simplest to most complex (or cheapest to most expensive).

1. Shoot in natural light. (Doesn't cost anything to move next to a window)
2. Use a cord. (I have both a Nikon and a Vello cord. Both work the same, Nikon costs more)
3. Pick up a used SU-200. (I eventually did this, and am quite happy with it.)
4. Buy a set of radio transmitter/receivers. (note - these do not use CLS and many don't work with iTTL, so you'll have to shoot manual.

I hope this helps.

 

[youthman]

Lots of options and some great info Fred. Thank you very much.

 

[TomP]

Michael - you can turn the on-camera flash power way down to the point that it does not affect the exposure, but it still flashes the pre-flash signals; it has to - that is how CLS works. The pre-flashes can be thought of as a sort of Morse code. They are what tells the flash the information it needs to fire correctly. However, these pre-flashes only have that effect on a few people. Most people will never notice them, they happen so fast that the pre-flashes and the actual exposure strobe seem like one flash. I've photographed a couple hundred kids at the school where I teach, and only had this issue with a few - maybe two or three each year. Unfortunately, my wife is sensitive to this as well so I needed a solution.

You could probably go a long time and never have this issue, and then if you do you can use the SC-28 or one of the other third party (less expensive) cords. If this is an issue for you, or if like me (I can get a bit obsessive about these things) you just have to solve this issue, there are four solutions listed below from simplest to most complex (or cheapest to most expensive).

1. Shoot in natural light. (Doesn't cost anything to move next to a window)
2. Use a cord. (I have both a Nikon and a Vello cord. Both work the same, Nikon costs more)
3. Pick up a used SU-200. (I eventually did this, and am quite happy with it.)
4. Buy a set of radio transmitter/receivers. (note - these do not use CLS and many don't work with iTTL, so you'll have to shoot manual.

I hope this helps.

I am one that has never noticed the pre flash, I only rarely use the flashes in commander mode, but I have a wedding coming up so will be testing my gear and setup, at home and on location. Note: I have been dragged kicking and screaming into this wedding shoot. :<(

 

[Randy]

I prefer the pocketwizard tt1/tt5 radio solution......small and simple

the flash mounts onto the tt5 (trigger)
the tt1 (transmitter) goes into the camera's hot shoe

I have an su-800 and have had problems with the IR signal, if ambient light was too bright or I couldn't get a good angle between the su800 and the sb800(s) the su800 simply didn't work

 

[Randy]

I am one that has never noticed the pre flash, I only rarely use the flashes in commander mode, but I have a wedding coming up so will be testing my gear and setup, at home and on location. Note: I have been dragged kicking and screaming into this wedding shoot. :<(

i helped a friend as a 2nd once.....that was all i needed to cure me

 

[frdjohns]

I prefer the pocketwizard tt1/tt5 radio solution......small and simple

the flash mounts onto the tt5 (trigger)
the tt1 (transmitter) goes into the camera's hot shoe

I have an su-800 and have had problems with the IR signal, if ambient light was too bright or I couldn't get a good angle between the su800 and the sb800(s) the su800 simply didn't work

Randy - thanks and you are correct. I said "su-200" above, but meant "su-800". Yet another senior moment on my part.

 

[Randy]

Randy - thanks and you are correct. I said "su-200" above, but meant "su-800". Yet another senior moment on my part.

What is a senior moment

 

[Desmond]

Are there any benefits to using an SC-28 TTL Remote Cord vs setting my D7000 in Commander Mode and using the popup flash as the trigger for an off camera flash with my SB700?

With commander mode you lose the benefit of distance info. I have a blog on Nikon TTL/BL. As soon as you go wireless you are at the mercy of reflected metering only - but nothing you can't deal with by changing exposure compensation. There is no perfect method but some are more consisten than others

 

[Luke_Miller]

Are there any benefits to using an SC-28 TTL Remote Cord vs setting my D7000 in Commander Mode and using the popup flash as the trigger for an off camera flash with my SB700?

Regarding blinking subjects:

With some subjects eliminating the CLS control flashes is not enough to cure the blinkies since the iTTL flash exposure calculation requires its own pre-flash.

One advantage of putting your SB700 in either the camera's hotshoe or that of the SC-28 is that you can then use FV Lock. FV Lock does the required iTTL flash exposure pre-flash when you enable it. Then the shutter release initiates only the main flash. With some subjects that was the only way I could get an eyes-open shot.

 

[WayneF]

Regarding blinking subjects:

With some subjects eliminating the CLS control flashes is not enough to cure the blinkies since the iTTL flash exposure calculation requires its own pre-flash.

One advantage of putting your SB700 in either the camera's hotshoe or that of the SC-28 is that you can then use FV Lock. FV Lock does the required iTTL flash exposure pre-flash when you enable it. Then the shutter release initiates only the main flash. With some subjects that was the only way I could get an eyes-open shot.

I agree fully. TTL flash on the hot shoe preflashes too, and some people do blink at it. Seems most people blink at the commander, but not so many from hot shoe TTL. People vary about this, but a few people definitely do blink at even hot shoe bounce TTL preflash.
They cannot help it, it is not their fault, we're the ones flashing lights in their face. It is our problem to solve. FV Lock will solve it.

If using the commander, then the commander blinks commands in their face, and then the remote TTL units preflash (probably in their face too).
The SU-800 commander (infrared) or the SG-3IR panel does hide the visible light from the commander, but the remote TTL units still preflash.

FV Lock is the way to work around it. It gets this flashing and blinking over with early, and then we can do straight forward flash.
Note that FV Lock is only present on the camera models that already include the commander. I don't know what those adding a commander to a lower model camera can do about the blinking.