I'm loving the SU-800 Wireless Speedlight Commander

[eric friedemann]

Having shot D100s and now shooting D200s, I find it difficult to use direct

flash without getting too much contrast and losing highlight detail. I

experimented with using the camera (with pop-up flash) as a Commander with the

SG-31R flash blocking panel, but decided to get the SU-800 Wireless Speedlight

Commander, mainly for the focus assist:

 

 

http://www.nikonusa.com/template.php?cat=1&grp=4&productNr=4794

 

 

I'm loving the SU-800. I'm using it with two SB-800s bounced off a white

ceiling (and have two more SB-800s on order). This bounce set-up allows me to

hold highlight detail (the dog pictured has very light blonde fur and is

difficult to photograph without losing detail in her fur).

 

 

Its rare that I'm pleased with a Nikon product without reservation. The SU-

800 is a swell product- not too expensive, easy to use and effective.<div></div>

[tisbone]

is there much more advantage over d200's built-in flash as a commander apart from the extra focus assist?

[ShunCheung]

There is at least one minor advantage. If you use the D200 or D80's built-in flash as commander, you have the choices among channels 1 to 4 as well as groups A & B. The SU-200 can control three groups of flashes A, B & C, also among channels 1 to 4. Whether you really need as many as three groups of flashes is another issue. (If you use a D70/D70s as commander, you are stuck with channel 3 and group A only.)

 

Compared to using an SB-800 flash as commander, the SU-800 has a longer range. I haven't compared it to using a D200 as commander.

[frank_skomial]

"is there much more advantage over d200's built-in flash as a commander" -- Yes, SU-800 is much better:

 

 

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00Jq98&unified_p=1

[mark_sirota1]

Daniel, the two main advantages are the ability to control three groups instead of two, and the vastly quicker user interface when manipulating multiple groups (though it's still far less than optimal, IMHO).

[eric friedemann]

BTW, for years I've used Nikon cameras and flashes on Stroboframe brackets (currently Press-T's) for event-shooting. I wind up wrapping the SC-17 cords around the bracket, and sometimes, when bringing the flash arm from the vertical back to the horizontal position, the arm gets caught on the cord- a minor annoyance.

 

 

Also, I lost focus assist, which is handy in a dark wedding hall. (I know, I could regain focus assist with an SC-29 cord, but I'd still be left with the catching cord problem.)

 

 

I spoke with Nikon Digital Tech Support and was told that I could use the SU-800 and put the SB-800 on the bracket with no cord. I'm going to try this the next time I shoot flash on a bracket.

[aaron l]

The one minor disadvantage to using the D200 on-board flash is that, even in commander only, no master flash mode, there is still a tiny bit of D200 flash in the photos.

[eric friedemann]

Aaron, I ran into that the first time I tried using the pop-up flash as a Commander, the purchased an SG-31R panel.<div></div>

[elliot1]

Another big advantage is there is no pre-flash, which is the reason I bought it in the first place.

 

The increased range is also nice. Adjusting the output to the various flashes is super easy and fast - no menus to search through.

[jim mucklin]

Eric, you have just been nominated the Su guru,I'm getting rid of the old stuff and this is the way I'm going. Let us know how it works with the bracket.

[paulr]

I like the way <a href="http://www.daveblackphotography.com/on-the-road/

05-2007.htm">Dave Black</a> has incorperated WB into using his SB-800's and the

SU-800.

[jose_luis_gallardo]

Eric: I did that, using the SU-800 to fire a SB800 on a RRS bracket. The issue I found was that SB800 lost the ability to know the focal length used so you manually need to select 24mm to be on the safe side. Probably it is better to use a short SC-29 cable. How do you deal with that?

[ilkka_nissila]

Well the signalling is in infrared while the pop-up flash emits visible light to trigger the other flashes so you should get a lot less blinking in the subjects' eyes with the SU-800. Also there is supposedly a distance advantage to the SU-800.

[eric friedemann]

Jose, the flash focal length isn't a problem, as I won't shoot the SB-800 driectly at a subject without a Sto-Fen Omni-Bounce on the flash to cut the glare. With the Omni-Bounce, I can't get vignetting if I leave the flash head at 105mm and shoot wide angle.

[jose_luis_gallardo]

Actually, reading the "Nikon AF speedlight flash system" book it states that three functions do not operate in Advance Wireless Lighting Mode:

 

(1) Flash Color Information. Only affects when using camera's AWB.

(2) Wide-Area AF Assist. SU-800 has an AF assist light.

(3) Auto-Zoom of the remote speedlights.