Using Nikon SB80DX in wireless mode

I am looking for suggestions using a SB80DX in wireless mode. The

first time I tried in TTL mode it was very overpowering. Has anyone

had success with TTL wireless before? Any suggestions or techniques

would help.

I don't think anybody here has used this mode. I know I haven't. Perhaps I will give it a try but before I do I will read the manual to see what it has to say. Two things that come to mind about your complaint that you could try: <br>

1- Is there a way to dial in flash comp on the slave? Read the manual.<br>

2- Have you tried moving the slave flash farther away from your subject?

I had the opposite problem with F5, SB80DX (master) using an SB24 (slave) on a SU4. All shots were underexposed.

I questioned Nikon customer support centre in Shinjuku (I live in Tokyo and support services are just incredible here) and they came up with a first answer: You can not use TTL 3D matrix with SU4 and in multiple falsh set up, it says so in the manual! I can not yet read Japanese, so I gave it for good.

So I tried setting my SB80DX in simple TTL mode. Now my set up oevrpowers too as yours does.

I tried many aperture/speed combinations and various distances for master/slave. The best being fast times and closer master to the subject.

I addressed Nikon again and finally they came up with an answer: the SU4 can not shut off flash output of the slave. I was already told that it would be fooled by the preflash bursts of the master in TTL 3d matrix, causing the slave to fire before actual shutter release (incorrect underexposure).

When you fire in TTL, the speed light should be cut off by the camera's metering system when sufficient light has been sent out, but using an SU4 remote control, the slave does not receive the "order" to stop its light output with the master (which to the contrary does riceive this order as it is controlled directly by the camera via the coupling shoe) thus the slave gives out full power. What actually happens is that the master will be cut off almost immediately, leaving the slave to do most of the job and giving an unbalanced exposition.

I had my slave positioned closer to the subject than the master because when using the SU4 you actually HAVE to place it in front of the master for the light sensor to pick up something.

Bottom line is that you can not use SU4 and hope for the TTL system to work effectively. This job can only be done with SC19/17 cords.

I have this topic going on with Nikon for the past 2 months and they have come out to test my equipment and lighting conditions!

Eventually the advice was: "When using SU4 you better go manual", but of course a lot of head shaking and hummms, but no explicit admission of this problem.

Apparently there should be a third party slave control unit that actually control light emission AND cut off for slave speed lights, but I do not rememebr who or where it was mentioned.

I hope I have not been to complicated. And if anyone has any advice to offer to me, I would warmly welcome it!

Tommaso.