Triggering Nikon CLS

[mirzaphotography]

<p>Can someone help me with a lighting setup?<br /> <br /> For example:<br>

<strong>D300</strong><br>

<strong>SB-600</strong><br>

<strong>SB-900</strong><br>

<strong>2 Lightstands with white bounce umbrellas</strong><br>

I know the D300 can be set to Commander mode, but how exactly does that work? Is there a radio signal or some kind of visual trigger that sets off the flashes? If it's visual... how exactly does that work?<br>

If I wanted to setup a shot of a group of people on a staircase, what would be the ideal way to set that up?<br>

I hope this is enough information without causing too much confusion. I do most of my shooting outdoors so this is something I want and need to learn.</p>

<p>Thanks,<br>

Bill</p>

<p><strong><br /> </strong></p>

 

[Matt Laur]

<p>The D300's owners manual, and the manuals that accompany the two speedlights you mention, explain exactly how to do it. Indeed, you put the camera's pop-up flash into Commander mode, and then use that mode's menu to indicate which channels/groups of slave flashes should be doing what during the exposure. Then you have to put the two speedlights into CLS slave mode, and make sure they're assigned to the channels/groups you have in mind. <br /><br />Yes, the triggering is done optically. That means that the commander's optical output has to be "seen" by the slaves. Luckily, you can rotate the bases of the speedlights so that the slave sensors (those round, red, 10mm-or-so circles on the sides of the units) are close enough to line of sight that they'll reliable fire. This is more difficult outdoors, because of the sometimes brighter ambient light. Alas, it's radio triggers if you want more reliable remote triggering, or Nikon's SU-800, which is infra-red based, goes in the hot shoe, and will do better than the pop-up, but not as well as radio devices.<br /><br />Of course, going to radio triggers means losing the iTTL brains, and you have to set flash power manually, and would need a hot shoe PC connector adapter for the SB-600.<br /><br />Of note: when you're using the D300's pop-up as a commander, you can set its power to '--' so that it won't contribute meaningfully to the exposure. But it <em>will</em> still emit some flashes just before the exposure (for metering and communication to the slaves) and a triggering pulse during the exposure. In some cases, that can make your subjects blink, or can cause some modest specular reflections. The inexpensive SG-3IR hot shoe filter widget from Nikon can help with those issues.</p>

[picturesque]

<p>Where you might run into problems, Bilal, is with the fact that the umbrella will block the signal using CLS. If you turn them around to use as shoot though, and you have the set up in front of you and your camera (which is usually necessary for CLS to work well) the light bouncing backward will cause flare. You might see if you can get spill covers for the umbrella. The ones from the PLM system work on my non-PLM 42" umbrellas.</p>

<p>You should test things out thoroughly beforehand but be aware that what might work in one location may not in another. For instance, the closer quarters of your living room might allow your set up to work (the signal bounces off walls), but then when you use the set up in a larger space, it may not work the same way. Then you are stuck with people waiting on the staircase for you to take the picture and you can't.</p>

<p>I don't use Nikon, so Matt will be better able to tell you how to get around this. I've used my Canon system, and Nikon's is supposed to be a little better. I've just heard similar stories of firing failure from both Canon and Nikon users.</p>

[kevin_delson]

<p>Nikon's CLS is pretty cool.</p>

<p>I believe the SB-900 can act as "commander" right from the hotshoe. This way you can (twist) the SB-900 in azimuth and altitude; thereby avoiding that pesky catchlight dead center in your subjects eye from the pop up.</p>

<p>I'd probably use the SB-600 as fill and the 900 as a bounced main for this staircase shot.</p>

[devon_mccarroll]

<p>I've never had a problem with umbrellas blocking the signal. In fact, I've used one of my SB600 flashes sitting on the seat of a chair under my dining room table, with a blue gel, pointed up at my white backdrop, and CLS still fired it just fine.<br />And as Matt said, you shouldn't have to worry about catchlights in your subjects eyes if you set the popup flash to "--" in commander mode. I've shot glass objects that way, and there is the tiniest little pinprick of light that's barely noticeable and easily removed in Photoshop or whatever editing program you use.</p>

[kevin_delson]

<blockquote>

<p>is with the fact that the umbrella will block the signal using CLS</p>

 

</blockquote>

<p>Not true. I've used remote setups many times with SB-800's/umbrellas.<br>

As Matt correctly pointed out, the red sensor must be more or less visable from camera position.<br>

Using the methodd I outlined above, further increases the range of the CLS.</p>

[lex_jenkins]

<p>Nikon's CLS sensors will trigger even without direct line of sight as long as there are adequately reflective surfaces around. I've triggered remote Nikon CLS units that were in different rooms because the relatively small apartment had white walls and ceilings.</p>

<p>At the other extreme, even with direct line of sight I couldn't get them to trigger reliably in a large auditorium with each unit separated by around 25 yards or so. An aggravating factor may have been the industrial quality metal halide lighting. In situations like that I'll use Pocket Wizards.</p>

[picturesque]

<p>This is why I pointed out that it depends on the environment. In a living room, sure. In a big space with not a lot of reflectivity, trying to go through or around an umbrella--maybe, or maybe not. Point is, you have to be prepared to do something else if it doesn't work.</p>

<p>Even now, when I use plain vanilla triggers that seem to work every time in all kinds of spaces, I carry a 15' sync cord in my case.</p>

[mirzaphotography]

<p>Thank you all... I will try out and see how it goes.</p>