How to get an off-camera flash working with Nikon D5000 ?

[5sfexperimental]

<p>Hello there, thank you for reading this; and if you got an answer well thank you in advance for that!</p>

<p>So i'm new to photography, i got a Nikon D5000 Body and i by chance i also have a 42' Wescott Reflector, so i wanted to get my self geared for outdoor photo shoots. Among minor accessories like a lens hood, a reflector holder or stand i also needed a flash i could use off camera to bounce off the reflector and into the target. I found the Nikon SB-600 the best suited (average of price and functionality). </p>

<p>NOW, thing is my Nikon D5000 has no Sync Terminal/Port/"thingy where its connected", so i need a way to trigger the flash and my camera also has no Commander mode on the built-in flash. </p>

<p>Solutions/Options: This is where i'd appreciate some (not so expensive) solutions. I am not sure if the CowboyStudio NPT-04 Wireless Hot Shoe Flash Trigger will work and get my SB-600 triggered wireless with my Nikon D5000. Or if i should spend more money and get a Nikon SU-800 Commander. Please, if you know of another way to get me going and the off camera flash working on the D5000, let me know!</p>

[5sfexperimental]

<p>Hmm, could i use an SC-28 Remote Cord to get that going?</p>

[Matt Laur]

<p>Or you can go off to AlienBees.com, and get:<br /><br />(1) CST transmitter ($59.95)<br />(1) CSRB receiver ($69.95)<br />(1) SLFA hotshoe adapter ($15.95) - because the SB-600 doesn't have a sync connector<br /><br />And you'll be able to trigger under conditions that the infra-red powered SU-800 won't (over longer ranges, in bright sun, etc). But when you go to radio triggers, you give up TTL, and have to set the flash power manually - not usually a big deal. <br /><br />And with that trigger sysytem, you can expand on it in all sorts of directions, if you get into using AB's lighting gear, later.</p>

[5sfexperimental]

<p>Thank you very much, yet i can only buy off Amazon.com because i live in Costa Rica! =/ do you know if the SC-28 Cord can be used with my D5000 and SB-600 ? do i need to buy something extra?</p>

[peter_gaunt]

<p>I'm not entirely sure of the capabilities of the D5000 or the SB600. I have a D80 and a Jessops flash and to trigger the flash off-camera I just set the built in flash to TTL, turn its output down to 1/64 or 1/32 and set the flash to slave mode. No messing around with commander mode needed, no extra cables needed and works just fine if you're prepared to experiment a little with exposures and output from the slave flash.</p>

[5sfexperimental]

<p>Thank You Peter! D5000 has no Commander mode but that experiment does sound interesting, imma give it a try! Thank You!</p>

[peter_gaunt]

<p>Sorry: I meant to write 'set the bulit in flash to Manual' and not 'to TTL'. Oops!</p>

[dedwards]

<p>I have the Cactus trigger - <br>

<a href="http://www.gadgetinfinity.com/product.php?productid=17204">http://www.gadgetinfinity.com/product.php?productid=17204</a><br /><br /></p>

[tjh_images]

I had a d60 and a sb-600, still have the strobe. You could try triggering via your on camera flash in well say dumb mode.

The sb-600 has a sensor for that kind of trigger, it senses your camera's flash and triggers. I have never done it because I

now have the d300. One down side it needs to see you on camera flash so close and in line can be constricting. Sorry I

couldn't tell you how to set it up.

 

Tim

[steve m smith]

<blockquote>

<p>Thank you very much, yet i can only buy off Amazon.com because i live in Costa Rica! =/ do you know if the SC-28 Cord can be used with my D5000 and SB-600 ? do i need to buy something extra?</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I can't answer your question directly but I do know that my SB600 works with an SC-28 cord connected to a D100. I suspect that the newer camera will also be able to fire the flash but perhaps not use some of the more advanced functions.</p>

 

<blockquote>

<p>You could try triggering via your on camera flash in well say dumb mode. The sb-600 has a sensor for that kind of trigger</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Does it? I didn't know that! I have been using a plug in opto slave.</p>

[michael_ty1]

<p>I don't have an SB-600 but to my knowledge, the sensor on the Sb-600 works only with CLS AWL. It doesn't have an SU-4 mode (unlike the SB-800 or SB-900). <br>

Regarding the original question, yes an SC-28 TTL cord would allow a D5000 to use the SB-600 off-camera. Also consider the SC-29 which adds the AF-assist light.</p>