User_4754088 Posted June 6, 2015 Share Posted June 6, 2015 <p>Just curious if anyone has used an SB-28 (not the SB-28D) with a Nikon Df digital camera? I'm trying to figure out a "lightweight travel" kit to take on an extended journey and would like to only bring one Speedlight. I plan on bringing my Nikon F3-HP, an FM2n, and my SB-28 speedlight. I was thinking about purchasing a Nikon Df to use for digital (since it will work with all the MF Nikkors I'm bringing), but I am wondering if it would work with the SB-28 speedlight as well. I would rather not bring along a second speedlight (like an SB-700).</p> <p>Thanks for any and all info.</p> <p>Best,<br> -Tim</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephen t Posted June 6, 2015 Share Posted June 6, 2015 <p>If you use the SB28 in it's Auto, not TTL, mode it will work fine. </p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lornesunley Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 <p>What you really want for that mix of cameras is an SB-800 - and the regular hotshoe adapter for the F3</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bebu_lamar Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 <p>The SB-28 works as well on your FM2n and the Df. </p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hapien Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 <p>Best flash options for F3HP, FM2n and DF are SB-800 and SB-600. SB-600 set is lighter than SB-800, 490g vs 615g of SB-800 set.</p> <p>Lorne - luckily F3HP has modern hotshoe.</p> <p>Three bodies, multiple lenses and flash is hardly lightweight travel kit. </p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Helmke Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 <p>Yes it should work just fine in Auto mode, I use mine just that way on all my digital bodies while still being able to use TTL modes on my F4's and N90's. It's given me much more useful life out of a very good flash unit. I do the same with the SB 24 and 25. I've found TTL to be a good feature but is not the end-all it is often made out to be. <br /><br />Rick H.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bgelfand Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 <p>If MF lens compatibility is the reason you are purchasing the Df and all your lenses are AI, why not the D750? I believe it, too, will work with Nikon MF lenses, it is about $750 less expensive than the Df, has better resolution, and a faster processor.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
User_4754088 Posted June 7, 2015 Author Share Posted June 7, 2015 <p>Thanks for the feedback folks. Glad to hear the SB-28 will work in Auto just like it does on the FM2n.</p> <p>The only F3HP with a modern hotshoe is the F3P (the professional photojournalism model that was only sold in Japan IIRC).</p> <p>Shooting B&W film, Color film, and digital, which is the reason for the three bodies. Swapping the same lenses between all three.</p> <p>Just haven't been a fan of the D750, and I've heard it doesn't work well with the older manual focus lenses, as far as the ease of focusing is concerned.</p> <p>Best,<br /> -Tim</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bebu_lamar Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 <blockquote> <p>The only F3HP with a modern hotshoe is the F3P (the professional photojournalism model that was only sold in Japan IIRC).</p> </blockquote> <p>Why do you call it modern hot shoe? The type of hot shoe on the rewind crank were made after what you call the modern hot shoe. Besides the hot shoe on the F3P has only one single center contact so it's not modern in any sense.</p> <blockquote> <p>Just haven't been a fan of the D750, and I've heard it doesn't work well with the older manual focus lenses, as far as the ease of focusing is concerned.</p> </blockquote> <p>I do prefer the Df but I don't think manual focusing with the Df is as easy as on the F3 or FM2n. I have both F3 and FM and both of them are easier to focus than the Df. </p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hapien Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 <p>My bad about F3HP hotshoe, Must have been thinking of F3P.</p> <p>Perhaps I should have used term ISO-type hotshoe instead of modern hotshoe.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
User_4754088 Posted June 7, 2015 Author Share Posted June 7, 2015 <p>BeBu,</p> <p>I know the manual focusing won't be as easy with the Df as it is with my F3HP and FM2n, but how difficult is it? I've seen recommended a number of places to use the DK-17M magnifying eyepiece with the Df and that makes manual focusing easier. I picked one up (DK-17M) and used it on a D700 and I was able to manual focus pretty accurately with it, but then I tried it (DK-17M) on a D4 and that combination didn't work well for me at all.</p> <p>The lens I have the most difficulty focusing manually on any DSLR camera that I've tried it on is my 50mm f1.2 AIS lens. A 28mm f2.8 AIS, and the 105mm f2.5 AI that I have are much easier for me to hit focus with.</p> <p>Any tips on manually focusing with the Df?</p> <p>Thanks,<br> -Tim</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dieter Schaefer Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 <blockquote> <p>I'm trying to figure out a "lightweight travel" kit</p> </blockquote> <p>Sorry to veer OT here - I assume your are being facetious (the quotation marks seem to point in that direction) - but I am curious since almost any bag I own would not have much space left after I stick three camera bodies and a flash in them - how many lenses does that "lightweight travel kit" include? And what size is the bag? And lastly, who do you have carrying it?</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bebu_lamar Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 <p>Tim! I lost the eyepiece on my Df when I was in Hong Kong last April. I bought both the original DK-17 and the DK-17m. I found the DK-17m is a little bit easier to focus but not by much but with my eyeglasses I can't see the whole screen so I put the DK-17 back on. With the F3 or FM on the ground glass (not using the split image) I can turn the focusing ring to focus without overshooting and in about 1 sec. It would take me 5 to 10 sec focusing past the focus point then back to focus with the Df. </p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uhooru Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 <p>I'm not sure what's "light" about your travel kit :)<br> I think the flash advice above is all good, SB 600 might be more versatile for the digital camera and the others should shoot auto fine, and not sure if they will do ttl.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
User_4754088 Posted June 8, 2015 Author Share Posted June 8, 2015 <p>Let me try to explain clearer, I'm traveling by car and airplane, and need to shoot B&W film, Color film, and digital of about one hundred and fifty sites along the journey. Shooting color film and b&w film requires two separate film bodies as I need both film emulsions available for each site. </p> <p>The Df would be quite a bit smaller and lighter weight than my D4. All four lenses are interchangeable between all three cameras, and I would like one flash to cover everything.</p> <p>Not sure how to lighten up much past where I'm at.</p> <p>Best,<br> -Tim</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uhooru Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 <p>No worries Tim, just having a little fun. Sounds like an interesting project. </p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShunCheung Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 <p>Light and heavy is all relative. Back in 2002 when digital was still in its "stone age," I had a trip to Australia for wildlife and landscape photography. My main camera body was an F5 and the backup was an F100, with two different types of slide films in them. The big lens was a 500mm/f4 AF-S. I had just bought a D100 for experimental digital. For landscape, I had a Contax 645 with two Zeiss Contax lenses that are, needless to say, not compatible with Nikon. And I took over 10 internal flights within Australia with all that gear, plus international flights from the US to Sydney.</p> <p>In comparison, what Tim has in mind is clearly "light weight." :-)</p> <p>However, for such a serious project, I think two DSLRs is a minimum for backup purposes. So I think Tim needs at least four SLRs. :-)</p> <p>The real answer to Tim's question was posted early on in this thread. SB-28 is ok on Nikon DSLRs if you don't mind using the A mode. The only Nikon flashes that are both film TTL and iTTL compatible are the SB-600 and SB-800, which are also D-TTL compatible.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lornesunley Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 <p>There is an adapter for the F3 flash hot shoe to make it work with the later Nikon flashes that have a "normal" hot shoe. (AS-3 or AS-7)<br> <br />Mir.com has a page with the various adapters</p> <p>http://mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/coupler/index.htm</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodeo_joe1 Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 <p>My weapon-of-choice on the D700 and D800 is an SB-25 in AA mode (if I really <em>must</em> use on-camera flash). I find it far more reliable than I-TTL. So I don't see why the similar SB-28 shouldn't work on a Df. All Nikon's flashes of that era have a low trigger voltage of around 5v, so there's no electrical incompatibility.</p> <p>Your flash exposure methods will be limited to AA, GN/manual, chimping or using a flashmeter. I'm guessing you won't be carrying a flashmeter, and will be guesstimating the aperture to use in the first instance by using a Guide Number. Be aware that the SB-28, along with every other of Nikon's most powerful flashes, has a true GN of around 28(m) @ 100 ISO and 50mm zoom setting - as measured by a reliable incident flashmeter and verified by countless correct exposures. The stated GN of 42 is just pure fantasy.</p> <p>I suspect that the Df is similar to the D800 in not recognising that a non I-TTL flash has been placed in the hotshoe. So you'll have to ensure that the camera is in manual mode and that the shutter speed doesn't go above 1/250th. The D700 would recognise a Nikon SB-24 or later flash and set the shutter speed to the flash default. This also allowed Aperture Priority mode to be used. Nikon have ungraciously removed that facility on later camera models. Not sure about the Df, but I expect it's been "flash-neutered" in a similar way to the D800 and won't recognise anything earlier than an I-TTL flash. Although it'll still fire the flash from the hotshoe or P-C socket at shutter speeds within the X-synch range.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bebu_lamar Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 <p>I found out the same thing. I like AA better than TTL. Also the Df doesn't recognize any flash that was made for film camera like SB-15, SB-16B etc..</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob_h Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 <p>Tim, your 150 stop photo journey sounds as if it would be very interesting to hear about after you have completed it. Good luck!</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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