Su 800 ?

Easy2Putt

Preface: I have a D90.

Can I fire off multiple sb-600's with one su-800 as a master? or does this only work with a sb-900 as master on the hot-shoe? (I realize the on-board flash from the D90, but understand that it does send a small flash to trigger)

It seems that an sb-600 is $220 and the sb-900 is $470. The su-800 is $255.

So, creatively speaking, wouldn't I be better off getting the su-800 and (2) sb-600's than (1) sb-900 and (1) sb-600?

Option A
(2) sb-600 = $440
(1) su-800 = $255
= $695

Option B
(1) sb-900 = $470
(1) sb-600 = $220
= $690

I see getting more creativity (as being able to move 2 strobes around) by spending $5 more and going with Option A..or in this scenario is it better to go RF?

Also, does the sb-900 send out a trigger flash on the hotshoe? or is it IR?

Qarik

no the commander on your D90 does not need to flash when remotely triggering other flashes. If you set to "--" then it only does the preflashes to trigger and will not effect your exposure.

The SU800 I think is mainly for nikons with no commander modes and/or to add flexibility in line of site. (say you wanted the flash behind you)

Mitchell

The SU800 is really a neat little tool. It allows you to control 3 groups of flashes all from the commander. It also increases the range of the commander over the on board unit. You still need to be within line of site. They won't work reliably if they are behind the camera unless you get lucky bouncing of a wall.

You certainly can control multiple SB600 flashes or any combination with the SU800.

The SB800 and SB900 have the same features as the SU800. You can shut off the flash and have it not add to the photo. The major issue is the added weight and cost of these units over the SU800.

Tim Kamppinen

One advantage of the SB900 as a commander is that you CAN control groups of flashes that are behind you by swiveling the head around to point at them, something you can't do with the SU800. Also, the 900 is probably a stop or so more powerful than the 600. It can be used to add on-axis fill while controlling the remote SB600, something the SU800 cannot do. The biggest advantage for me with the SB900 is how well it works on-camera. If you shoot indoor bounce flash on-camera at all, you'll love it because it has 360 degree rotation. That means you can shoot in normal portrait orientation and still rotate the head to bounce light over your shoulder, away from the subject. You can't do this with the SB600 unless you hold the camera backwards in an awkward manner. I also like the controls of the 900 a lot. The click wheel makes changing settings a lot faster than endless buttom mashing. It also has a 200mm zoom which can come in handy when you really need some extra output concentrated in a small area.

I have a 900 and a 600, and a D90, and I'm happy with it. Don't dismiss the popup as a commander, either; I've used it to trigger my 900 from 80ft away in bright sunlight with no problems before. Indoors you often don't even need line of sight because the triggering flash bounces all over the room. As long as you're using it you'll have two speedlights, one with higher output if you need it, and for those sticky situations where the popup isn't working you can use the 900 to trigger the 600.

As mentioned, you can set the pop-up to "--" and it will not contribute light to the exposure; however, if you're shooting in close at wide apertures some times there will still be some light emitted creating slight unwanted shadows. The SU800 doesn't have this problem because it only emits IR. The solution? There's a little device called the SG-3IR that sells for $11 at B&H. It mounts on your camera hotshoe and hangs a little IR filter in front of the popup flash, eliminating the visible light and only allowing the IR triggering signal to get through. Problem solved! It can also be good for blocking the preflashes when someone has very sensitive eyes and tends to blink because of them.

angevin1

I concur with Tim above.
The signal circuits the rooms I use pretty well and I regularly test the angles I can get away with and how I can bounce the light and hide the Flashguns. I understand why you are leaning toward the SU800 and two Sb600's due to being able to move two lights where ever you want, versus one. But I do have to say that if you bought a Sb900 and an Sb 600, you'd still have two to move around when you wish to. In actuality, light reflects and bounces easily, so the creativity is typically limited by the user, though having an off camera flash is truly helpful.

If I were in a buying mood today, I'd at least take a look here: http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=138655

Cheers and Good Luck!