Wireless Flash Triggers - Nikon iTTL

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mic_y

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Hiya guys,

I'm in the process of choosing a set of wireless flash triggers, and am kinda stumped on which ones to choose. Which brands/models have you had experience with, what has been good, what has been bad?

Mainly going to be used on a D800, but also a D600, D7000 and a D300s. Flash wise, it will be either a SB-800/900/910

Thanks for the feedback...
 
I like my PocketWizards. I got the PlusX which aren't ETTL but since I wanted them mainly for triggering a second camera remotely they were ideal.

A nice thing about the non-ettl is that they can be used on nikon and canon so when you realise you made a mistake and want to switch to canon you're good to go. :p
 
bwana said:
A nice thing about the non-ettl is that they can be used on nikon and canon so when you realise you made a mistake and want to switch to canon you're good to go. :p
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Thanks for the suggestion regarding switching to Canon... ;) I will stick with my D800 for now :P

so back on topic, anybody have any experience with any flash triggers for Nikon?
 
mic_y said:
Thanks for the suggestion regarding switching to Canon... ;) I will stick with my D800 for now :P

so back on topic, anybody have any experience with any flash triggers for Nikon?
Click to expand...

Pocketwizards are the standard, it seems. I use Commlite, don't have any problems with them.
 
Randhir said:
Pocketwizards are the standard, it seems. I use Commlite, don't have any problems with them.
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mmm, yeah, PW's do seem to be the ones, but the prices :( also the fact that they dont have an AF Assist on the transmitter is a bit of a problem...

hmm, decisions, decisions...
 
Sometime ago I looked at getting a set of Aputure 2.4GHz Trigmaster remote flash triggers for my Nikon SB600 Speedlight.

Anyone have experience with these triggers?
 
mic_y said:
mmm, yeah, PW's do seem to be the ones, but the prices :( also the fact that they dont have an AF Assist on the transmitter is a bit of a problem...

hmm, decisions, decisions...
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I guess your only option is Nikon's built in wireless system so either using another speedlight on the camera or their wireless commander - I don't think nikon has switched to radio yet (?) so I'm presuming these are all infrared?
 
mic_y said:
mmm, yeah, PW's do seem to be the ones, but the prices :( also the fact that they dont have an AF Assist on the transmitter is a bit of a problem...

hmm, decisions, decisions...
Click to expand...

Hmmm.... I just started thinking about this one. The camera sensor is not that sensitive to infra-red, so you can build your own AF assist "hot lamp". All you would need is a high-powered IR LED --- some experimentation will be required, but something like this http://za.rs-online.com/web/p/ir-leds/7362364/ might work.

You can make your own AF pattern with some paper and scissors --- just make a mask that looks like the existing speedlight AF pattern. Then you just tape your AF-assist lamp to the side of any old flash unit, and viola!
 
fvdbergh said:
Hmmm.... I just started thinking about this one. The camera sensor is not that sensitive to infra-red, so you can build your own AF assist "hot lamp". All you would need is a high-powered IR LED --- some experimentation will be required, but something like this http://za.rs-online.com/web/p/ir-leds/7362364/ might work.

You can make your own AF pattern with some paper and scissors --- just make a mask that looks like the existing speedlight AF pattern. Then you just tape your AF-assist lamp to the side of any old flash unit, and viola!
Click to expand...

Is the AF assist IR on Nikon? On canon the grid is visible to the naked eye so I have to presume it isn't on that system.
 
bwana said:
Is the AF assist IR on Nikon? On canon the grid is visible to the naked eye so I have to presume it isn't on that system.
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Hmmm.... good point. I am not actually sure, but the plastic on the SB600 looks an awful lot like they typical IR plastic you found on older remote controls, so I assumed that the AF sensor was sensitve to IR too.

I can actually think of some good reasons why not to use IR for AF, such as that IR is typically focused behind (or in front) of the visible wavelengths at the sensor.

Still, it would be simple enough to experiment with. Maybe I'll get around to it this weekend.

The alternative, i.e., projecting an AF grid in the visible wavelengths only when you press the AF button, is going to be a bit more complex to engineer. I wonder whether the hotshoe has a simple signal (on/off on a separate pin) for AF, or whether it is handled over a digital protocol along with other flash settings.
 
fvdbergh said:
Hmmm.... good point. I am not actually sure, but the plastic on the SB600 looks an awful lot like they typical IR plastic you found on older remote controls, so I assumed that the AF sensor was sensitve to IR too.

I can actually think of some good reasons why not to use IR for AF, such as that IR is typically focused behind (or in front) of the visible wavelengths at the sensor.

Still, it would be simple enough to experiment with. Maybe I'll get around to it this weekend.

The alternative, i.e., projecting an AF grid in the visible wavelengths only when you press the AF button, is going to be a bit more complex to engineer. I wonder whether the hotshoe has a simple signal (on/off on a separate pin) for AF, or whether it is handled over a digital protocol along with other flash settings.
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The PC sync port should be able to handle on/off.
 
bwana said:
The PC sync port should be able to handle on/off.
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The PC sync port only has one circuit, which appears to be for firing the flash itself. I was referring to the on/off signal sent by the camera when it wants to turn on the AF illuminator in the flash unit.

Unfortunately the PC sync port signal (to fire the flash) will only be sent after the camera has already locked in the focus setting, so there is no simple way to exploit this signal to turn on/off your own custom AF illuminator.
 
Aha!

Take a look at the diagram of the Nikon SB-600 here http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/classics/NikonF5/Flash/SB600/index.htm. There appears to be two "external AF assist illuminator" contacts on the flash itself.

This gives you a convenient way of triggering an additional AF-assist illuminator attached to the flash unit itself. Of course, this will only work if you have the flash mounted on the camera, since the PW (?) mentioned above does not transmit this signal.

But I love the internet. Someone has already reverse engineered the Nikon iTTL protocol http://cms.diodenring.de/en/electronic/mikrocontroller/110-ittlanalysis.

It does not seem terribly complicated, but you will need something simple (PIC, or some microprocessor) to decode the digital hotshoe protocol. There is a single command (0xD0) that toggles the AF-assist illuminator.

But if your extra AF-assist lamp is attached to your remote flash unit, which is already running over a wireless link (e.g., PW), then how are you going to transmit your AF-assist signal to your AF-assist lamp?

Anyhow, it seems as if the PW manufacturer is just segmenting the market artificially by not enabling the AF-assist signal.
 
fvdbergh said:
The PC sync port only has one circuit, which appears to be for firing the flash itself. I was referring to the on/off signal sent by the camera when it wants to turn on the AF illuminator in the flash unit.

Unfortunately the PC sync port signal (to fire the flash) will only be sent after the camera has already locked in the focus setting, so there is no simple way to exploit this signal to turn on/off your own custom AF illuminator.
Click to expand...

Yeah - sorry - I got mixed up with the ACC port which will carry a half press signal.
 
Tun@ said:
If hes going to be using Nikon flashes & on those camera's isn't the inbuilt Commander what he just needs to use? AWL ?
http://www.nikonusa.com/en/Learn-And-Explore/Article/ftlzi4zk/advanced-wireless-lighting.html
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heya Tun@.. yeah CLS is fantastic and all, but only practical in a studio environment where there is LoS between the onboard commander flash and the slaves... I am intending to use these for events where the lighting is usually pretty crappy, and AF Assist is absolutely mandatory...

My main problem currently when using the onboard flash to trigger a remote flash is that the only AF Assist I have is the little LED on the body. This both distracts the target (dark nightclubs and bright white lights dont work well together) and is way slower to focus than when using the flash onboard for focus assist. Hence I would really need a trigger kit that intercepts the AF Assist signal...
 
mic_y said:
heya Tun@.. yeah CLS is fantastic and all, but only practical in a studio environment where there is LoS between the onboard commander flash and the slaves... I am intending to use these for events where the lighting is usually pretty crappy, and AF Assist is absolutely mandatory...

My main problem currently when using the onboard flash to trigger a remote flash is that the only AF Assist I have is the little LED on the body. This both distracts the target (dark nightclubs and bright white lights dont work well together) and is way slower to focus than when using the flash onboard for focus assist. Hence I would really need a trigger kit that intercepts the AF Assist signal...
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Ok - but if you have a browse thru that DPR link it looks like you can choose whether to use the body or flash AF assist...turn one or the other or both on or off yes?...But understand what your saying with the standard system perhaps not being adequate for your use.

Except for the SB-400, most Nikon speedlight flashes provide independent AF assist using a red light pattern. This pattern is shown in the figures below. When a flash is mounted to the camera, and the AF Assist option is enabled, the normal AF Assist light will not be used, and instead the flashes autofocus assist system will take effect.
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http://www.btobey.com/learn/af-assist.php

But maybe you don't want to use a flash on the camera is what your saying perhaps but then i guess Nikons answer is the SU800
 
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