D200, SB-800 and SC-17 cord?

I shot a conference for work this week with a D100. There were some pix taken

in dim light where the focus was off and I couldn't see the problem through

the small, dim finder. So, for my birthday, I treated myself to a D200, MB-

D200, SB-800 and an MC-30 cable release.

 

Obviously, the viewfinder and resolution are somewhat better on the D200. I

also notice that the auto WB is more accurate. Then too, with both my D100s,

I had to shoot flash overexposed by +0.7 to get adequate shadow detail. The

D200 with the SB-800 appears to be dead on.

 

I have five SC-17 cords, two of which stay attached to Press-T brackets I use

with Nikons, two of which stay attached to custom Press-T brackets I use with

Mamiya 7IIs and one of which is a spare I occasionally use for macro work, so

I don't have to detach a cord from a bracket. I REALLY don't want to replace

the three cords I use with Nikon cameras and I know the SC-17 cords should be

compatible.

 

Question: Has anyone who has used an SC-17 cord with SB-800s and D200/D2x/D2h-

hs bodies experienced any cord-related problems such that you've switched to

SC-28 or SC-29 cords?

Mine worked fine ...

"<i>Has anyone who has used an SC-17 cord with SB-800s and D200... experienced any cord-related problems </i>"... nope, works great... t

Only issue I can think of is whether your brackets are sufficiently 'boresighted' in the regime that you use them so that the AF grid projected by the flash coincides with the center AF sensor (mine are OK at 7' and beyond, a little 'iffy' in close).

 

If the grid and the sensor diverge, you might find an advantage with one of the newer cords in the hotshoe. I haven't tried one yet.

Eric, I have pointed this out a few times. I have one each of SC-17, 28, and 29. They have identical electronic contacts to control the flash from the hot shoe, but the SC-29 has additional electronic contacts between its own built-in AF-assist LED and the SB-600 or 800 flashes. At this point no other flash can take advantage of those extra contacts on the SC-29.

 

In other words, functionally, the SC-17 and SC-28 are identical: http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=008mhJ

still using the Sc-17 with the SB-800 and D200 although the screw tightening is a bit of a pain compared to the newer lever lock...can't see dropping 90-100$ for a flash cord when the old one works fine...

Eric, I've logged a fair bit of mileage with D200/SB-800/SC-17 combo without a hitch and haven't felt the need for either the SC-28 or 29. But another SB-800...maybe. The cordless set-up is 'the cat's pajamas'!

Lilly, I assume you mean the SU-800:

 

 

http://www.nikonusa.com/fileuploads/pdfs/speedlight%20brochure.pdf

 

 

It's pretty cool, but $250 would be a chunk of change just to rid myself of a TTL cord from camera to bracket.

You can use one SB-800 to trigger another (groups of) SB-800, or you can use an SU-800 to trigger them.

 

P.S. Eric, I am glad that you finally got a D200 instead of waiting for the vaporware your Nikon rep had predicted.

"You can use one SB-800 to trigger another (groups of) SB-800, or you can use an SU-800 to trigger them."

 

 

I don't do much macro stuff and I shoot studio strobes for multi-light situations. So, for me, it would pretty much be $250 to go wireless from camera to bracket.

 

 

"P.S. Eric, I am glad that you finally got a D200 instead of waiting for the vaporware your Nikon rep had predicted."

 

 

Grrrrrrrr. Again, if I won the lottery tomorrow, I'd give my Nikon stuff away and I'd order a pair of 1DsMIIs with an assortment of L glass. Nikon's will-we-or-won't-we act regarding FF cameras is infuriating. And, I'll repeat my concern that Nikon has few pro-caliber DX lenses, which I'd expect Nikon to produce if Nikon were committed to the DX format.

 

 

Also, my store still has over 50 order cards for EN-EL3e batteries, yet Nikon has brought out another camera- the D80- that uses the same hideously-backordered battery. WTF?!

 

 

I probably would have bought the MB-D200 anyway for the vertical grip. But I was forced to buy it to have back-up AA battery capability, for lack of EN-EL3es. Nikon is run by jackasses who lack respect for customers.

Eric,

 

Current Nikon management clearly believes that the customer serves the company. So many of the problems Nikon faces stem from this false assumption. Nikon has had enough time to find a manufacturer to OEM the EN-EL3e battery packs. It's a truly sad situation for which there are no excuses.

 

Regards,

 

Dave Hartman.

David, the store I work at stocks a line of PRO (Photographic Reasearch Organization- a buying group) batteries that actually slightly outspec manufacturers' batteries (i.e. gold-plated contacts). What's vexing is that we haven't been able to get third-party EN-EL3e batteries either.

 

 

And what compounds the problem is that the D200 burns through a battery charge way faster than, say, the D100. Yesterday, I went through about 25% of a charge just playing with the camera while reading through the instruction manual.

Concerning the EN-EL3e, there is an interesting thread on DPReview's Nikon Forum. Apparently there are people/companies that buy up those batteries and then resell them at high prices on eBay for profit. Apparently people do the same on the 18-200 DX as well: http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/readflat.asp?forum=1021&message=19967207&changemode=1

 

Of course, that is like speculating on real estate. Potentially you can lose plenty of money once supply exceeds demand while you are stuck with plenty of stock.

And Shun, my store sells on ebay and could have sold the few spare EN-EL3e batteries we've received for extra profit on ebay- though we wouldn't do that to our customers who've bought cameras from us and have been patiently waiting. But ebay sellers profiteering on the batteries is the effect, not the cause. The problem is that Nikon has been packaging virtually all its batteries with cameras, not caring about those who've bought the cameras and need spare batteries.

Eric, obviously the root cause of the problem is that Nikon cannot supply sufficient EN-EL3e and 18-200 DX, etc. And there are honest stores such as B&H and apparently the one you work for part time that they don't jack up the price. However, what contributes to the problem is that when B&H, etc. has supply, some people would immediately snap up all of those items and then resell them on eBay for a major profit, like 100% on top of their cost, thus making it very difficult for actual consumers to get them at prices Nikon intends to sell them.

 

There isn't necessarily anything "wrong" with that practice. That is purely market economy. I have seen people do exactly the same thing with real estate during housing booms.

 

The real solution is of course supply. The EN-EL3e is not that hard to find. At least I have seen B&H having it in stock at various times, and there are frequent threads in this forum informing people which stores have them. The 18-200, however, seems to be really difficult, although B&H sometimes has it as a kit with the D200. If I wanted that, I could have easily gotten a kit.

"Yesterday, I went through about 25% of a charge just playing with the camera while reading through the instruction manual."

 

Eric that is not fair. No battery will last long while reading the Nikon manual of the D200^^. I bet you read the part on AF and its settings :-P

I have a sc17 and an sc29, and there is no difference in functionality, except for the red focus assist light you get with the 29. I do vastly prefer the new locking mechanism... the screw down one on the sc-17 really sucks in comparrison.

 

Also, you will need a new anti-twist plate for the 29, as the plastic shoe mount is a tad larger than that of the 17, and it wont fit.