Nikon SB600 and Sync Mode Issue (likely)

<p>I am using Nikon SB600 speedlight in manual mode (with my Nikon D90) and shooting at F2.8 anything above 1/200 I am getting a black curtain covering half of the shot, gets wider as I go up in exposure. This is probably something basic and silly that I am missing? D90 is set to Manual mode with Auto FP on and highest available flash shutter speed available which is 1/60. I tried several curtain settings which all produce the same issue (rear, front and 2 others curtain sync modes available).<br>

Could anyone kindly shed some light on what is happening other than me being blonde (already known)? :-)</p>

<p>Your camera has a top sync speed of 1/200s. By "going up in exposure" are you meaning you are increasing shutter speed? What's happening is your camera has a focal plane shutter. It doesn't all open at once like a leaf shutter, but instead makes a window where only part of the shutter is open at any one time. It takes 1/200s for the little window to travel over the entire area of the sensor. Some Nikon cameras and flash has "high speed sync." This is a burst of several pulses of light that allows you to use a higher shutter speed, but at reduced power. Not sure if the D90 & SB-600 have that--I'll let you look it up.</p>

<p>Kent in SD</p>

<p>Thanks Kent,<br>

I am using high speed sync (at least it is set ON in the D90 menu).. I guess the problem is my Flash (SB600) not computing with high speed sync. Both M and TTL mode produce the same results. Anyone know how to configure high speed sync function in the SB600 CMS?</p>

<p>Should also mention that I am using Cactus V4 wireless triggers..</p>

<p>Yes, you should mention it. :)</p>

<p>The D90 and the SB-900 can do HSS Auto FP flash.<br>

<br />The radio trigger cannot. HSS requires communication between camera and flash, and the radio trigger is too simple to do it. No communication, simply just a trigger.</p>

<p>Put the flash on the camera hotshoe, or use the Nikon Commander and Remote mode, and you will see HSS work.</p>

<p>You might not like the HSS reduced power level. See http://www.scantips.com/lights/flashbasics2b.html</p>

<p>Test first without Cactus the sb-600 in the hot shoe. According to a textbook D90 and sb-600 are FP compatible. The sb-600 should show FP symbol in the panel when camera and sb are set properly. TTL-mode?<br>

I guess that M-mode is only for once, the flash amount is what you have defined. No extras.</p>

<p>Thank you! Funny, I had just figured this out as you posted the response. Yes, auto FP works dandy with commander mode.. So no triggers for me I guess. :-(<br>

Time to upgrade to pocket wizards? </p>

 

<p>The latest Yong Nuo will also support HSS. There are several brands that do.</p>

<p>Kent in SD</p>

<p>Thanks Kent! Are you talkign about a flash or triggers?</p>

<p>The radio trigger only transmit the firing trigger and nothing else. There is no other communication than that is available. So with the radio trigger even TTL is not possible. In fact when used with a radio trigger the Nikon SB is no better than most of the el cheapo non dedicated flashes. </p>

<p>:-( I heard a rumor that with Pocket Wizard system its possible to fire in TTL mode even.. if not then what is the solution?</p>

<p><strong>All</strong> radio trigger units, no matter how cheap or expensive, introduce a coding/decoding delay. This delay reduces the effective X-synch shutter speed to around 1/200th second with any Nikon, and about 1/160th second with most Canon DSLRs.</p>

<p>I understand that PW TT5 units allow Auto FP mode by using a pre-flash timing fiddle. As do some other 3rd party triggers. Cactus and Phottix, I believe, offer the use of Auto FP mode with some models of their triggers if you care to experiment with delay settings. However, since the main use of FP mode flash would be as fill flash with daylight, and the place for fill flash is on camera; personally I don't see the point of using a remote trigger and FP mode.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>I heard a rumor that with Pocket Wizard system its possible to fire in TTL mode</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Yes, from the manual:<br>

"When HyperSync can’t keep up, (with MiniTT1 and FlexTT5) the native Canon and Nikon system's High Speed Sync takesover for Speedlite flash photography all the way to 1/8000." I have found this useful for daylight fill, but to the point above, the flash should be near the camera. A flash bracket is good for this.</p>

<p>Yes, the TT5 looks interesting for this.. I ended up shooting in Commander mode with the flash nearby on a stand. Worked ok but limits the shooting range of course.</p>