Question(s) on strobe lighting

[Steven Paulsen]

Over the years, I've seem to have collected 4-6 SB800, Nikon flash units. I currently have 1 camera body with built in flash. I also use a Df and a D5.


Is there a later Nikon flash that is easier to switch between iTTL and commander mode? Also, if I look into a pair of monolight 200-600 watt strobes is there any that will work Nikon i-ttL.


I know ttl. is not a must have. I used portable Norman units back in the stone age.
Thanks, in advance,
Steve

[Ian Watson]

I cannot help with the Nikon flashes. As for monolights, I am not aware of any that would work with Nikon i-TTL. Every manufacturer seems to go for their own proprietary solution.

[Merco_61]

The SB-900 and SB-910 both have a rotary selector to choose between ON, REMOTE and MASTER instead of having to dive into the menus. The SB-5000 seems to have lost the MASTER setting on this selector. I have never used the SB-5000, so I don't know how easy it is to use with ordinary AWL.

[MFloyd]

Hereunder, a link about my experience with the SB-5000, after 25 years of no-strobe.

https://nikongear.net/revival/index.php?topic=10517.0

[David H. Hartman]

Is there a later Nikon flash that is easier to switch between iTTL and commander mode? Also, if I look into a pair of monolight 200-600 watt strobes is there any that will work Nikon i-ttL.

The SB-800 is very easy to switch between iTTL and Remote or Commander mode but the process is not as intuitive as it might be. You just have to memorize the steps and then it's easy. A fast way to leave the settings menu is to short press the on/off button.

I never use the SB-800 as a commander as it only allows setting remotes in manual mode to full stops. The same is true of the SU-800.

I use an SB-700 as my commander but hate the on/off/ttl/commander/remote switch. I leave it set to commander at all times. To turn off the SB-700 I slip a sheet of paper above the batteries in the battery chamber or remove the batteries altogether.

The SB-500 is integrated into camera like the D-850 and later so settings can be made in the camera menu. The SB-500 and SB-700 can only control remote groups A and B. The SB-5000 can control groups A, B and C and it's also integrated into the camera menu. This menu control feature is sometimes referred to as "unified flash control."

Dave

[Steven Paulsen]

I set up 2 SB800's, as A and B remotes, and a 3rd as Master. My SB800 with the broken zoom gets a 2nd life.


I can set the master to TTL with exposure compensation on the SB800 in commander mode. It also has the option for manual flash exposure with fractional power options.