Nikon SB-28 Connectors

[bcwhite]

I'm in the process of moving and can't find my SB-28 manual.

 

We're having a company Christmas party this week and I'd like to take

portraits of everybody since we'll all be dressed up. I have a Nikon

F90X with a SB-28 speedlight and I'm borrowing a second strobe flash

that I'll diffuse somehow (probably reflecting off some white

cardboard). I might also rent another TTL speedlight.

 

So here's the question: Can the SB-28 (connected to the cameras' ISO

shoe) drive the other flashes through its connectors, or are those

"input only"?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

-- Brian

[ellis_vener_photography]

If you use The Nikon SC-18 0r SC-19 cables you can indeed drive another

Nikon TTL speedlight. thecamera closest to the camera is the "master" and it

controls all TTL flash decisions. You can also get the Nikon SU-4 cableless

SU-4 TTL slave.<P>The "pc connection onthe SB-28 will let you sync another

flash but it is a standard (i.e. no TTL function) sync.

[hal_bissinger]

What Ellis said. He forgot to mention though that the SC-18 or 19 cords need to be used with (they plug into) an SC-17 remote flash cord (both flashes off camera) or an AS-10 hotshoe adapter (main flash on camera).

[bcwhite]

So, Hal, the connectors on the SB-28 are "output only". It only accepts input signals through the ISO shoe. Do I understand correctly?

[jhbeckman]

Brian -- that's right. The easiest set-up is to plug the connector cord -- an SC-18 or 19 -- into the side of the flash mounted on your camera, then run the cord to one of the connectors outlets on an AS-10. Why an AS-10 rather than into the side of the second flash? The AS-10 -- essentially a little hot shoe mount with connections for sc18 and 19 cords -- has a threaded hole at the bottom so that it can go on a small tripod or something similar.

 

Works like a charm

[craig_bridge]

Excuse me, but SB-28 multi-TTL sync port is I/O and is in parallel with the three of the hot shoe connections. BEWARE, if you use the SB-28 multi-TTL sync port as an input, you need make sure you don't short out the hot shoe contacts.

[hal_bissinger]

No, they work both ways. You <i>could</i> connect a SC-18 or 19 cord between the flashes but then you would have no way to support the off camera flash. You also risk damage if you short the pins on the base such as would happen with metal shoes on some brackets or just inadvertently. In practice you need an AS-10 that will attach to a stand, bracket or pole. <p>

The SC-17 has two connectors for SC-18 or 19 cords so that multiple flashes can be used. I suppose that you could daisy chain multiple flashes also using AS-10's but more than two gets pretty hairy.

[bcwhite]

Okay, but now I'm confused about something else that was said.

 

It sounds like the pins on the ISO shore are direct-wired to the connector on the side of the SB-28. This would allow input from

either source or input on one (normally the ISO shoe) and output to the other.

 

Q1: Ellis said that the first flash is the "master". However, if they are direct wired then the camera would have to be the master and not the flash. (This would seem the proper method of operation to me.)

 

Q2: The PC connector on the SB-28... How is it wired in to all this?