using sb-30 as IR remote commander for sb-26

[moosekaka_lim]

<p>will the sb-26 work as a slave using the sb-30 IR filter remote? i know the sb-26 has an optical<br>

slave mode, but i like to know if its possible to fire the sb-26 off camera without the sb-30 flashing on the<br>

subject, just IR.</p>

[frank_skomial]

<p>Some optical slaves were sensitive to wider light spectrum, and both visible and IR light was able to trigger them. Chances are slim that IR alone would triger another flash at arated distance, but you need to try it.</p>

<p>You used a word "commander" that usually means much more than just the trigering.</p>

<p>You could possibly triger one flash by the other, but you will not be able to command it.<br>

For commanding, in Nikon's sense, you would needd the CLS system to operate, and none of the flashes (SB-30 or SB-26) is capable of doing.</p>

[rodeo_joe1]

<p>Just buy a cheap radio trigger kit off *bay and save yourself any grief.</p>

<p>BTW electronic flash output is rich in IR anyway, so most so-called IR trigger systems actually just use bursts of visible light from the Xenon tube itself. Only the receiver end is filtered to make it less sensitive to ambient light.</p>

[joseph_wisniewski]

<p>Sounds like you're trying to do remote TTL.</p>

<p>The SB-30 has a pup-up infrared panel, it's essentially opaque to visible light and only passes the infrared part of the flash. Your subject may see a dim red flash, but they probably won't, because they'll be too distracted by the SB-26 firing white light.</p>

<p>In order to use the SB-30 as a TTL master and the SB-26 in SU-4 TTL mode as a remote, you have to pull put the IR panel on the SB-30, and make sure that the SB-26 is in a position where its remote window can see the SB-30. That window is on the left side of the flash, as it faces away from you, so you'll have the best luck with the SB-26 to the right of the camera. It usually works best if the SB-26 is closer to the subject than the camera and SB-30, too, because the SB-30 won't shine much IR behind you.</p>

<p>And, if you've got the SB-26 facing into an umbrella, it will be backwards, so now the window is on the right, and you want the SB-26 on your left.</p>

<p>Don't worry about what Frank says: the SB-26 is <strong>only </strong>sensitive to IR, it has an infrared passing window that is opaque to visible light, and it's built to do exactly what you're trying to do. Odds are, it won't work outdoors in sunlight, and it won't work indoors past about 20 feet away from the camera, but it does work for small portrait and event situations.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>Just buy a cheap radio trigger kit off *bay and save yourself any grief.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Can you recommend one that does TTL?</p>

[lornesunley]

<p>The SB-26 will trigger from the SB-30 but I have doubts that the built in trigger on the SB-26 is a TTL type (one that responds to the start and end or the flash pulse, like the SU-4 add-on does). You can always try it but be prepared to have to set the power of the SB-26 manually.</p>

[moosekaka_lim]

<p>thank you so much joseph, yours was the first helpful post in this thread. i will go ahead and purchase the sb26 and sb30 as my walkabout fill flash for my f100. </p>

<p>btw, has anyone had experience buying a flash in BGN condition from KEH?</p>

[joseph_wisniewski]

<p>Lim, Lorne got me worried, so I checked the SB-26 manual. It does sound like the built in slave is not an SU-4 "wireless TTL" type, despite the manual's confusing comments about wireless TTL. You may need to go for an SB-28 instead.</p>

[moosekaka_lim]

<p>thats ok, i already knew that. thanks again, i think also that sb 28 is also a dumb passthru, it seems that the older flashes require you to buy the su4 unit in order to get wireless ttl.</p>

[joseph_wisniewski]

<p>You're welcome, I guess.</p>

<p>And don't underestimate old fashioned separate SU-4 units. You can point the little eyes in any direction, that's very handy when trying to get this stuff to work.</p>

[moosekaka_lim]

<p>that is true, unfortunately a used SU4 seems to be going for the price of almost a used SB24!</p>

[joseph_wisniewski]

<p>Really. I've got two of the things that I haven't used in years. p.net classifieds, here I come.</p>