sb800 triggers Canon flashguns

[james_flynn2]

When using my Nikon wireless speedlight SU-800 to trigger my SB-800 set on

Remote, Canon flashguns used by other photographers in the same room set of my

SB-800. How do I do I stop they're flashguns triggering of my SB-800?

[ShunCheung]

How about set your SU-800 and SB-800 to communicate in another channel? There are four of those to choose from, right?

[timberwulf]

Are you using the SU-4 mode?

[briany]

Were you shooting in SU-4 or CLS mode? If SU-4, that's exactly what's supposed to happen - the flash watches for a flash (nikon, studio or otherwise) and then goes off. If you were shooting in CLS, then that is Very surprising considering that the flashes are looking for a specific patern of mini-flashes with encoded messages before they fire. If that was the case, then perhaps you need to switch channels as suggested.

[frank_skomial]

I believe SU-800 does not provide SU-4 mode, so perhaps that is not used? I need to verify that, when I get back home. Another clue: SU-800 doe not emit any visibe light, while SU-4 depends on it.

 

Seems that Canon is catching up with Nikon on flashes. Their optical communication protocols were supposed to be too much different to allow that happen.

[ShunCheung]

Apparently the SB-800 has the older SU-4 options as well. See the following article by Edwin Leong, who maintains nikonlinks.com:

 

http://www.camerahobby.com/Access-SB800.htm

 

However, since James Flynn was using the SB-800 in conjunction with the SU-800 remote control unit, I assume he was using iTTL/CLS. I too am a bit surprised that Canon's flash control protocol would interfere with Nikon's. In any case, I would try switching to the other communication channels (there are A, B, C and D to choose from) to see whether that solves the interference problem. But you need to have some Canon flash and control unit to test this situation again.

[james_flynn2]

First can I thank you all for your replies and time, and thanks Shun for the welcome!

On my SB800 if offers: OFF,MASTER,MASTER(RPT),REMOTE,SU-4. I had it set to REMOTE. On the SU800 set on TTL. Now I have paired them up together on a different channel and will test it out with a fellow press photographer using Canon, in the next day or two.

Cheers!

[frank_skomial]

"When using my Nikon wireless speedlight SU-800 to trigger my SB-800 set on Remote, Canon flashguns" - if SB-800 has SU-4 mode (Yes it has), or not, it does not apply to the situation described in the question. It would be different shooting mode, and SU-800 could not be part of it.

 

In remote mode SB-800 can only operate as iTTL, if commanded by SU-800, and there is no way SB-800 could use its SU-4 mode, or switch to another mode that Canon could utilize, unless the battery on the SB-800 got low, and the flash started working funny, as it sometimes does.

[chris_leck]

My guess is that your SB-800, not your SU-800, is triggering the other flashes. A way to solve that, is for you -- or the Canon shooters -- to use radio slaves instead, such as PocketWizards. Otherwise, everyone just needs to understand that that's the way that optical slaves work. It's not your fault for triggering the other flashes any more than it is their fault for being susceptible to it.