How to adjust the ISO on SB28

[gmahler5th]

Just got back from a shoot yesterday using my new SB28, and noticed

that the iso on the flash was set at 100 while I was shooting iso 160

and 400 speed film. I used aperature mode on the sb28. Does the iso

setting make any different when using aperature mode on the sb28? I

cannot figure out how to change the iso on the flash. My previous

sb80 would automatically change to the correct iso when I use

different speed films. I'd really like to know what effect I might

expect to see for my portraits with the 100 iso on 400 speed film, and

whether or not it had any affect at all while shooting in aperature

mode. I'd also like to know how to change the SB28 iso for future

shoots. Thanks.

[bruce_rubenstein___nyc]

I don't know what body you are using, but on the F100 & N80 the flash gets the ISO speed from the body, and it doesn't have to be manually set. On other bodies (Non DX ?), or not connected via a TTL cord it does have to be set. When you first turn on the SB28, the ISO value of the film is flashing. Use the + & - buttons to change it.

[manolis1]

Steven,

 

you're gonna find the answer you're looking for here:

 

 

ftp://ftp.nikon-euro.com/Manuals/31ts1y1pD1THcU1/SB-28_en-01.pdf

[manolis1]

Pages 18,19.

[manolis1]

Steven,

 

go here first:

 

 

http://nikoneurope-en.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/nikoneurope_en.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_sid=zrHc22bh&p_lva=&p_faqid=5140&p_created=1056105292&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPTEmcF9ncmlkc29ydD0mcF9yb3dfY250PTImcF9zZWFyY2hfdGV4dD1zYi0yOCZwX3NlYXJjaF90eXBlPTMmcF9wcm9kX2x2bDE9ODgmcF9wcm9kX2x2bDI9ODkmcF9jYXRfbHZsMT0yNCZwX3BhZ2U9MQ**&p_li=

[gmahler5th]

Thanks, I have the SB28 user manual. I have an F100 Nikon body, and the manual says that the ISO speed is set automatically. However in my case it would not be set automatically. Is there a CSM setting on the camera somewhere that i need to change so that the iso on flash is automatically set?

[jim_gifford]

Steven, your last post could be read two ways... do you mean that

 

1) the ISO selector in your F100 was manually set to 100 (and the electronic dialog transferred that to the flash as one would expect it to do)

 

-or-

 

2) regardless of the in-camera ISO setting (auto or manual) the SB-28 flash just doesn't "get the message" and always stays at ISO 100.

 

If you can clarify that, perhaps someone can steer you to a fix so your SB-28 will begin doing what it is supposed to do.

 

Separate question: did you notice the flash ISO setting while you were shooting the 160 and 400 speed films, or after you had finished them, rewound them and taken them out of the camera? I ask this question because many Nikons default to ISO 100 when empty, then correctly set ISO upon being loaded each time. If you load a roll of 400 speed film right now and THEN look at the SB-28, what does it say for ISO on the speedlight's big LCD panel?

 

Be well,

[gmahler5th]

I have my F100 set to DX, so the camera automatically sets the ISO for whatever film I'm using. I expect the flash to do the same.

[gmahler5th]

also, I noticed that the flash iso was set to 100 while I was shooting both 160 and 400 film. I tried changing it with film in camera, although I was unsuccessful at doing so.

[gmahler5th]

So Jim, my issue sounds more liek your option 2. I was just able to manually change the ISO as described in the user manual when first turning on the flash. However I still want the flash to automatically detect the film iso and adjust accordingly.

[manolis1]

Steven,

 

Go to the page 89 of SB-28 manual and read the NOTE.

Play with the on/off switch; clean the hot shoe contacts of your flash with an eraser,

clean the hot shoe contacts of your camera.

[armando_roldan]

I sure would like to know how your photos turned out. I think you must of accidently turned the ASA ajustment from auto to 100. It easy to do by accident. I once shot a roll of 3200sas B&W and rated it manually to 6400....then I shot 4 rolls of velvia, Scala and NPH Fuji, all massively under exposed and I was using a SB-28 with the F100.

[jim_gifford]

<<I have my F100 set to DX, so the camera automatically sets the ISO for whatever film I'm using. I expect the flash to do the same.>>

 

Okay, very good.

 

<<also, I noticed that the flash iso was set to 100 while I was shooting both 160 and 400 film. I tried changing it with film in camera, although I was unsuccessful at doing so.>>

 

Understood. I wouldn't succeed either, without some marvelous luck or the user's manual for the flash. As it happens, I have an Adobe Acrobat version of the manual on my computer here...

 

<<So Jim, my issue sounds more liek your option 2.>>

 

Yep.

 

<<I was just able to manually change the ISO as described in the user manual when first turning on the flash. However I still want the flash to automatically detect the film iso and adjust accordingly.>>

 

Okay. Your camera body is indeed one of the models that the SB-28 is SUPPOSED to work with by automatically setting the ISO. The appropriate models include N8008, N55, N65, N70, N90, N80, F100, F4, F5 and all the variations on those models. These are what Nikon calls "Group 1 and Group 2" cameras in the SB-28 manual. The manual says you get automatic ISO detection when the SB-28 is mounted on these cameras (and the manual doesn't discuss overriding that setting, so I do not know if an override is possible.)

 

When I use my SB-28 on my N90s, for example, it detects film speed without my having to do any work to accomplish that.

 

Most other Nikons require you to set the ISO film speed each time you switch the power on for your SB-28. Mounted on my FM3A, for example, my SB-28 blinks at me until I set the ISO.

 

We know your F100 is one of the "Group 1 or Group 2" cameras, and the SB-28 is NOT detecting the film ISO, so that's not a happy and perfect result but it is useful information. Your SB-28 thinks the camera is some other group! Why?

 

Most likely reason: crud on the contacts in the SB-28 foot or the surface contacts for the camera hot shoe. This is easy to fix: use a pencil eraser on all contacts to gently rub off any corrosion or dried herring or other flotsam and jetsam. Then use a blower brush or relatively lint-free tissue to clear out the bits of eraser.

 

We always recommend fresh batteries too, but honestly I do not see how a tired set of AAs could get that particular function to go haywire while allowing the flash to fire through a couple of rolls of film. So this may be one of the rare cases where "change your batteries!" isn't helpful advice.

 

Other causes: Possibly a physical or electronic fault in one of the contacts, flash or camera. Harder to detect and harder to fix than just corrosion/crud on contacts. Or, possibly a fault in an internal circuit board, flash or camera. For a lay person like me, that would require sending gear to the repair shop to detect and fix.

 

Which gear is unhappy, the flash or the camera? Well... you'll need to figure out which is the culprit. Borrow another SB-28 to try on your camera? Borrow another camera on which to try your SB-28? Your friendly neighborhood camera shop should be able to help you do that sort of troubleshooting.

 

Be well,

[gmahler5th]

Hi Jim,

 

I cleaned the contacts on both flash and camera and now the flash seems to automaticaly detect the ISO set on the camera in both DX and automatic mode, yippeee!! :-) Thanks for the tip!

[huey_stevens]

Steven

 

1. IF you set the ISO on your camera body, that ISO will be 'transmitted' to the flash via the hot-shoe automatically IF you have the flash in TTL or 3DMBFF.

 

2. With the SB 28 in TTL mode, F100 should send either the DX coding ISO or camera body set ISO to the flash.

 

3. To change ISO on the SB 28, turn-off, then turn-on. You will see the ISO setting blink, usually it defaults to ISO 100. This is your only opportunity to set the ISO ON THE FLASH. To change ISO again, repeat.

 

4. ISO and f/stop are the two primary factors in SB 28 Aperture (A) mode. To prove this to your self with the FLASH NOT MOUNTED on a camera, hand-hold it and set the ISO to say 6400 or 8000. First you should notice that F 16 is about the only f stop option with the flsh gun locked down. Point flash gun at the wall and press the open flash button. You will notice very little flash. Then change ISO to 100, press open flash, you will notice ALOT of flash. MAKE SURE TO KEEP THE ELECTRIC EYE ON THE FRONT OF YOUR SB 28 CLEAN AND FREE OF DUST. This is the eye that is used to determine the amount of return light and when to shut of the flash.