crw

"Until then, keep the trolling for the Canon/Nikon debates"

Okay, I'll do that. And you keep on telling people to use their legs instead of buying a zoom. Grow up...little Nikos.

Oh and Alton, don't worry about the prime lens fanatics. Yup a prime lens will be faster sharper and cheaper. Yes I use them, and they have a place in your bag...if you like collecting glass. But come on..."use your legs"...I love how some folks try and shame you because you are willing to pay for some convenience.

28-70 AF-S vs. 35-70 AF

Well the 28-70 AF-S is the lens to buy if you want tack sharp images. That's tack sharp throughout the focal range. Additionally, you will be very pleased with the speed of the Silent Wave motor. For action shots / candids AF-S really makes a difference.

The quality of the optics combined with the speed of the silent wave motor make it worth the money if the focal range suites you. However, it is not a replacement for your 28-100, it is in another class altogether.

 

24-120 AF-S VR

If you want a lens that you can put on your camera and leave on all day for all kinds of shots, wide angle landscape to telephoto portrait, the 24-120 might suite you. In addition the VR will aid in moving subjects as well as stills. Infact it is quite good for panning action shots. As you pan horizontally it smoothes out the vertical lens movement. I owned the old 24-120 non-AF-S/VR and it was my "all arounder". When I didn't want to hawl around a bag full of glass, this is the one I chose. Now I have the 24-120 AF-S VR and it is filling the same roll, only with the added benefit of more crisp handheld images and in focus shots with the silent wave motor. This would be the replacement for your 28-100.

 

I own some expensive Nikon glass...but the lens that spends the most time in front of me is the 24-120.

 

Hope this helps.

I use the SB800/sc-29 as the master and two SB600s remote.

The positives:

1. I've found that the SB800 enables me to place the remote units farther away.

2. Much easier to control / adjust settings on multiple remotes. The menu system on the back of the camera is slow/and painful compared to the control offered by the SB800.

3. The built in speedlight is best suited to balanced fill on close subjects during the day.

4. Portrait Work- SB800 - Key, SB600 - Fill, SB600 - Accent/Hair. The built in flash does not have the same light characteristics as the SBs and therefore is not always useful in multiple light setups.

 

Some things to think about.

 

Regards

Lester- Sorry, I missed your post about requiring remote in A mode. Keep in mind this is an IR system, IR light can be reflected into the sensor. Try using a small reflector, a Lumiquest bounce or tin foil should work, to reflect IR light into the sensor.

 

I just did it by setting the flash on a small piece of aluminum foil and bending up one side to capture light bounced of a wall. The remote flash was 15 feet to the side and behind the camera/flash, completely obstructed by furniture, with the sensor facing in the opposite direction.

 

I think you will be pleasantly surprised by the remote setups you can get to work. Just setup your shot and press the red "Flash" button (below and to the left) on the main flash. This will fire the master flash, then the remote flashes, delayed and in group order.

 

Hope this helps!

Lester- When looking at the SB-800 LCD screen, the Light Sensor Window will be on the right side. It is small, round (1/4in diameter), and recessed.

 

 

"It only seems to flash when to the left of my on-camera flash"

 

You should be able to solve the problem by rotating the flash head. With 270 degrees of rotation(180 degrees left, 90 degrees right) and 90 degrees of tilt, the senosr can always be aimed towards the main unit.

 

One other thing to consider: If you are using the Quick Recycling Battery Pack (5th AA battery extension, came with the flash), this may be obstructing the sensor a bit. Rotate to compensate.

Kevin-

If I understand correctly you have two(2) SB-800s and a D70 I'm assuming. First I like the idea of using a second remote "stationary" SB-800 for fill. I use one SB-800 and two SB-600s in various situations, with great results. Here are Concerns/Suggestions:

 

1. Watch the angle of your remote unit. You don't want to simply light the tops of peoples heads in the background. Nor do you want the remote unit firing into your lens. You may want to scout the location and decide on a direction in which you will use the background fill. Obviously you will be roaming, but for the extra fill shots you have an area marked out.

 

2. Ideally, the remote unit will be firing in the same general direction as your on-camera SB800, only from a different/higher angle, perhaps over your primary subject, or perhaps high and from the side...I think this will give you the look you are thinking of.

 

3. Definitely use the supplied diffuser with the on-camera flash. However, you may want to test a few setups with the remote. If you go with the directional approach as in #2 above, you may want to rig a little barn dorn on the remote unit with a piece of cardboard to block light from falling on you and your primary subject. And test wide angle versus slight zoom on the remote.

 

4. Consider using a light amber gel with the remote flash, I think it would provide a pleasing look, slight "Slow-Sync" feel.

 

5. While I have gotten the remote units to fire quite a distance beyond Nikon's maximum. This was under optimum conditions with direct frontal line of sight. When controlling from angles be careful aiming the light sensor on the remote unit. Sometimes it seems more consistent when the sensor is receiving the master signal bounced off a wall, reflector etc. Remember the ir reciever is on the side of the SB-800 unit.

 

6. I have used a three flash setup in portrait shots: SB-800 Key Light, SB-600 Fill, SB-600 Background/Accent/Hair. Just a thought for preshots/posed.

 

Hope I gave you some ideas.

 

Regards

CR