Instead of creating another post, I updated the “How to get the best out of your pop-up flash” article to include plenty of information and a new video on Nikon’s Commander Mode on semi-pro and pro-level Nikon camera bodies. Information on how to set up the built-in pop-up camera flash to be a commander, as well as configuring Nikon speedlights (SB-600, SB-700, SB-800 and SB-900) is also included.
Here is the video on how to use the commander mode + flash communication basics:
Our next upcoming article + video is going to be about Nikon speedlights and how to use them in various configurations indoors. Stay tuned!
I am enjoying your articles and videos on flash photography. Do you have any hints on how to best photograph Christmas trees with lights to be able to retain the light effect and yet illuminate the tree and ornaments?
Thanks.
Brad, that’s coming up in our new videos! Our next one is for using speedlights and then the one after that will be for taking pictures indoors :)
Hi Nasim, your tutorial on flash photography is amazing. Thanks for sharing your knowledge. Changing subject, I’d like to know whether it is possible to use an Infrared Filter on Nikon D5000. How would the image look like? Do you have any exemplo. I’m very curious about this filter.
Regards, Eduardo.
Thank you Eduardo!
To be honest, I don’t know much about infrared filters, since I have never tried infrared photography…
hi Nasim
thank you for sharing your knowledge
your articles are very useful
i always read then any time
hope you keep it
Thank you for your feedback Igor!
Hi Nasim, is there any way I can download your videos through a podcast client? Thanks, Prabhakar
Hello Nasim,
I have an aggravating problem with my Nikon Commander Mode. I have been using the system for almost 2 years now, and there are occasions when I use the off camera flash in commander mode in which my photos come out blurry. I have checked shutters speed and it is quick enough it should not be a problem. I am frustrated beyond belief, especially with this new set of photos I shot of a bride and a groom. They are gorgeous, but not in focus. Any suggestions? I am happy to send a photo as an example.
Nasim,
Sorry, I hit enter before I signed my name!
Thank you!
Andrea
Nasim,
I just got my SB-700 in and it will fire in slave mode with my D3100 pop up flash. I have read here and elsewhere that this would not work.
it will fire in su4 slave mode but u will not be able to use ttl and control the power of it remotly via ur camera
Can i use off camera flash with D5200.. i have sb 700
hii… thank you lots for the video… i wanna use more than one off camera speed light along with pop up flash and i prefer to use flashes in manual mode… i have D3100 and as u told before that there doesn’t have commander mode… so will speed lights fire ?? and it depends on speed light?? i wanna buy Yongnuo Speedlite as its price r cheap….
Thanks for the tutorial, one question I can’t figure out when I set the my D610 or D800E to commander mode and my SB-910 and SB-800 to remote the flashes fire fine but when I go back to my camera menu and power the flashes up or down it does nothing and flash exposures are the same, why is that thanks
Chris.
Never mind figured it out;)
Excellent! Such clear instructions. Thank you!
you said it wont work on the d3100 but it conflicts this url ?
http://www.revellphotography.com/blog/2010/08/nikon-d3100-announced/
With the Nikon D610 and the SB 700 does wireless flash would with out the on camera flash being part of the exposure?
Kind of… You need to set the pop up flash to at least some power output to give signal to the remote flash, SB-700 in this case. I have found if you set the pop up flash to manual and and a power of 1/128 (the lowest output) it will be plenty to fire the off camera flash but not enough power to influence the exposure. From a technical stand point any amount of light, especially flash, is influencing the exposure at some capacity. http://www.takeandtalkpics.com
Is it possible to use the Nikon D610 and the SB700 with wireless flash without using the on camera flash as part of the exposure?
i’ve had my sb-700 for a year or two now and it seemed overwhelming to use it. Your tutorial was awesome and you explained it all so thoroughly. Thank you so much!!
Thank you.
Hi Nasim, thanks for your all educational videos on youtube. I have Nikon D810, and SB-910 Speed Lite. I want to use the built in flash as commander and SB-910 as Remote. I have already watched your video, and I put built in flash in — mode as well. The problem is that the built in flash keeps firing every time I take the same shot (same distance). Why pre-flash happens on each shot. Is this normal? I want to know why it fires in — or commander mode every time, should it fire just once? Is something wrong with my camera or flash?
There isn’t anything wrong with the camera or the pop up flash. There will always be a preflash to send out the signal to fire your off camera flash. Basically, light is how the flashes communicate. I always feel when the camera is set to — there is plenty of flash for communication but it seems to influence the exposure in some situations. It should be for communication only but I don’t like the — setting. Rather, I set the camera to manual output and choose 1/128 power. Just about every situation I shoot in has no exposure impact from the on camera flash output and the off camera flash is seemingly the only light influencing exposure. Even when I balance with ambient light. http://www.takeandtalkpics.com
Hi, I seems having same problem. I am using D610 with SB800.
When I set it for remote shootoing at close distance, such as 2ft, the remote mode always gives much over exposed picture. I try to set the in camera flash to “- -“, or to manual with 1/128 power down, still got over exposed pictures,
Ant idea what’s wrong?
Thanks
Dandan
Thank you for this article Nasim. I just bought my Sb-700 and this tutorial has been very helpful.
Hey Nasim,
This video is very helpful but I do have a question. Can you mount a speed light on your camera and use it, as well as have your camera in commander mode?