AB800 sync issue~Nikon onboard flash

angevin1

I am finally getting around to trying my Ab800 and using the On board flash to attempt to sync remotely the AB800. The AB 800 does fire, but the output is poor, even on High.

2 Questions.

1. How do I get it to sync with the signal from my flash?

2. What kind of cable can I plug into the AB800 to fire it?


I tried turning the AB 800's rear towards me, three feet away, took the shot which was two feet beyond the AB800, and no joy~:dunno Flash, but no sync is my suspicion~

Help, ideas,answers?

Many thanks~

Scott_Quier

Does you camera, like a Canon, fire a pre-flash? Canon EOS camera flashes (in E-TTL mode) fire a pre-flash, the light from which is used by the camera/flash combination to calculate the amount of flash light needed for a "proper" exposure. Does Nikon do something similar? If so, then this pre-flash is triggering the optical slave of the AB and that happens before the shutter is opened to expose the sensor.

Does all that make sense to you?

angevin1

Scott_Quier wrote:

Does you camera, like a Canon, fire a pre-flash? Canon EOS camera flashes (in E-TTL mode) fire a pre-flash, the light from which is used by the camera/flash combination to calculate the amount of flash light needed for a "proper" exposure. Does Nikon do something similar? If so, then this pre-flash is triggering the optical slave of the AB and that happens before the shutter is opened to expose the sensor.

Does all that make sense to you?

Yes, I think it does Scott....but I only use commander/manual mode anymore....I tried it with the OB at ---, and at 1/64th in case it needed a bit more 'see' trigger...no joy~

angevin1

Reading the AB800 Manual...it says I have to have at least one of the AB units wired to the camera for sync, assuming a multi light set-up...so looks like I'll need the cord, after all~ Thanks~

Scott_Quier

angevin1 wrote:

Reading the AB800 Manual...it says I have to have at least one of the AB units wired to the camera for sync, assuming a multi light set-up...so looks like I'll need the cord, after all~ Thanks~

This is false. You do not need to have any AB connected/wired to the camera to trigger them all. They all have optical slave units in them. I have successfully used an on-camera flash (580 EX) in manual mode, turning off the pre-flash, set to 1/128 power, and pointed AWAY from all of them (bounced off a back wall) to trigger 4 AB800 strobes.

The take-away is that you need to make sure that there is no flash from anything until after the shutter has opened. Does not the on-board flash, in commander mode, fire before the shutter opens? I freely admit I don't know very much at all about Nikon, I'm just guessing here.

It might be worth your time to see if you can trigger the AB with a flash unit. Just turn on the AB, turn on and trigger the flash, and see if the AB doesn't fire. Oh, and you need to make sure there's nothing but the power cord plugged into the AB. If you have something plugged into the mini-jack receiver it will disable the optical slave.

angevin1

Scott_Quier wrote:

This is false. You do not need to have any AB connected/wired to the camera to trigger them all. They all have optical slave units in them. I have successfully used an on-camera flash (580 EX) in manual mode, turning off the pre-flash, set to 1/128 power, and pointed AWAY from all of them (bounced off a back wall) to trigger 4 AB800 strobes.

The take-away is that you need to make sure that there is no flash from anything until after the shutter has opened. Does not the on-board flash, in commander mode, fire before the shutter opens? I freely admit I don't know very much at all about Nikon, I'm just guessing here.

It might be worth your time to see if you can trigger the AB with a flash unit. Just turn on the AB, turn on and trigger the flash, and see if the AB doesn't fire. Oh, and you need to make sure there's nothing but the power cord plugged into the AB. If you have something plugged into the mini-jack receiver it will disable the optical slave.

Trick....Commander mode is putting out a pre sig...pure manual did as you suggested, it fired it AND sync'd it...So in the AB800 manual online can't be right....now where'd I put those ND filters...this thing is bright!

Thanks, prob solved...:D

Scott_Quier

Happy to help!

As for bright - use light modifiers and the power sliders to control the light.

Oh, and there's such a thing as an aperture setting on your camera/lens - try it, it works wonders to control the light.

angevin1

Scott_Quier wrote:

Happy to help!

As for bright - use light modifiers and the power sliders to control the light.

Oh, and there's such a thing as an aperture setting on your camera/lens - try it, it works wonders to control the light.

d00d...I already had this thing pointed away and bouncing back from a Shoot/thru/bouncer umbrella...it is bright!

I could use my Flash guns on ISO 400 and 160th @f/8 @1/2 power...not this thing!...gotta go find some Shades~

thanx again~

ziggy53

The AB800 can throttle back to 1/32 power. Is that still too much output for your application?

angevin1

ziggy53 wrote:

The AB800 can throttle back to 1/32 power. Is that still too much output for your application?

Thanks for asking...yeah, Once I got it sync'd and working, I found it really hot and bright....comes from only using flashguns up until this point...I know I could ND the light itself and help that, and the other obvious ( f/#)things...I was just pimpin Scott about it~ I think it'll be a nice addition to in-house work~

I had no idea my Commander was sending a preflash in Manual/Commander, I had thought it would only do that in iTTL...but then it makes sense that it does because it still had to tell the slaves what power to flash at~

thanks Ziggy53

Art Scott

What ISO are you shooting with using the AB800?? And what aperture???

To our eyes the light is bright especially if your using a white umbrella......even when using as a bounce light source the eyes still see all of the light....that includes the amount that passes thru the umbrella........with studio flash one (this is just my opinon) shoot at the lowest iso the camera allows....unless the flash is not strong enuff to shoot at say ISO 200 at F8...then up the iso....also if you shoot at the top sync speed that helps with really powerful flashes ........also with umbrellas or softboxes the lights need to be as close as possible to the subject to have the softest light unless you are trying to get a harsh effect then move back as far as possible.......

I am just rambling and caught myself.......

angevin1

Art Scott wrote:

What ISO are you shooting with using the AB800?? And what aperture???

To our eyes the light is bright especially if your using a white umbrella......even when using as a bounce light source the eyes still see all of the light....that includes the amount that passes thru the umbrella........with studio flash one (this is just my opinon) shoot at the lowest iso the camera allows....unless the flash is not strong enuff to shoot at say ISO 200 at F8...then up the iso....also if you shoot at the top sync speed that helps with really powerful flashes ........also with umbrellas or softboxes the lights need to be as close as possible to the subject to have the softest light unless you are trying to get a harsh effect then move back as far as possible.......

I am just rambling and caught myself.......

Thanks for poppin in about it all...Like I said, just caught me off guard when I finally got it to sync...Been using those flashguns and had them worked up one side and down the other..now I have a light source that is much more powerful...So Lo-1, 320th @ f/1.8 ain't gonna cut it with the light three feet away~ I just need to modify the light somehow different...prob get that box we talked about recently~ Now I understand why the pro I shot with last year actually never really pointed his strobes AT his clients~
Of course he wasn't trying to shoot a f/1.8 shot either~

The Mack

angevin1 wrote:

Thanks for poppin in about it all...Like I said, just caught me off guard when I finally got it to sync...Been using those flashguns and had them worked up one side and down the other..now I have a light source that is much more powerful...So Lo-1, 320th @ f/1.8 ain't gonna cut it with the light three feet away~ I just need to modify the light somehow different...prob get that box we talked about recently~ Now I understand why the pro I shot with last year actually never really pointed his strobes AT his clients~
Of course he wasn't trying to shoot a f/1.8 shot either~

get some cybersync triggers.
on board flash as a commander is a joke

Art Scott

even with my lowly White Lightning 5000's I never shot straight on with umbrella or brolley box I usually just use a piece of the light.......Good Luck and can't wait to see some samples:D:D:Dthumbthumbbow

angevin1

The Mack wrote:

get some cybersync triggers.
on board flash as a commander is a joke

Yeah, it is prob a joke to use ...and I'll be looking forward to the punchline testing it here in house, but like there is more than one way to make potato salad, there is more than one way to trigger a slave.

I have used Commander Mode now running on three years, inside, outside and out in the kitchen, and the only issues I've had is when I failed to keep up with the batteries in the slaved unit. So commander is no joke using Nikon Flashguns, I assure you~

Good News is, I learned some simple things yesterday with this app. and I look forward to learning more and enjoying these AB pieces.

Now to get a different Modifier~

Thanks for all of the positive Help~

The Mack

angevin1 wrote:

Yeah, it is prob a joke to use ...and I'll be looking forward to the punchline testing it here in house, but like there is more than one way to make potato salad, there is more than one way to trigger a slave.

I have used Commander Mode now running on three years, inside, outside and out in the kitchen, and the only issues I've had is when I failed to keep up with the batteries in the slaved unit. So commander is no joke using Nikon Flashguns, I assure you~

Good News is, I learned some simple things yesterday with this app. and I look forward to learning more and enjoying these AB pieces.

Now to get a different Modifier~

Thanks for all of the positive Help~

That's great, you obviously don't use your flashes like I do.

on board commander is limited and a joke. once you use a trigger system you'll never go back.