Nikon's CLS (creative lighting system) ROCKS! (part 1 of 3)

[LilSerenity1983]

Really interested to see this as I am getting into using flash and want to use a two remote flash setup in different rooms, with one in the lounge and one in the flat's kitchenette and I was concerned that somehow hiding the second flash behind a wall in the kitchen would cause issues but I guess I need not worry. (i.e. line of sight from the built in popup flash)

[PinballAndArcade]

Why would I ever need to take a picture with my camera in one room and my flash behind a door? What's the hell is that going to achieve?

[dombower]

@PinballAndArcade a point

[PinballAndArcade]

@dombower There is no point to be achieved. What it is going to achieve, is an underexposed photo because your flash is behind a damn door. Honestly, who cares that Nikon's flashes can be triggered through the crack of a door while Canon's can't. Seriously, it's not in any way an advantage.

Never have I thought to myself,

"Damn, you know what I need in this photo? A flash in the other room that doesn't make any difference at all to the photo. If only my Canon flash could do that."

[pdcmoore]

See Joe McNally's (and other creative photographers) pics and you will learn why trggerering a flash through a crack... can be used creatively.

[pdcmoore]

Er, if you need to show light coming through a door.as part of your image. It's not uncommon. Joe McNally does this kind of thing all the time, but he's creative and it shows in his images and why he makes a pile of money out of his photography.

[LightingShowroom]

Appreciated your efforts

[pjos111]

Dom Toady I was at a craft fire and I was taking pictures inside. I was using SB600 and my camera (d7000) set to spot metering. Set on manual F5.6 at 1/125sec. The pictures are over exposed by about a full stop. Any ideas? What settings should be used when a SB600 is attached to the camera? Thanks for your videos :)

Paul in N Ireland

[larkolena]

you're using a fuji camera with your nikon cls?

[9unslinger]

Your DSLR IS A FUJI?

[tuggymcgee]

No offense Dom. Love your videos but i think you just proved that guy right. I think all he was saying is that the flash also transmits an IR signal and thats what the SBs pick up just like you just said that they transmit together.

[dombower]

@tuggymcgee if it did it with IR why have it make pre-flashes? is it possible to make the IR transmit without the flash? No so therefor it is really Flash communication rather than some magical invisible IR.

Best we dont confuse people who will be trying to turn off their flash to set off their off camera flashes as they think it should be IR not flash

[dombower]

@tuggymcgee if it did it with IR why have it make pre-flashes? is it possible to make the IR transmit without the flash? No so therefor it is really Flash communication rather than some magical invisible IR.

Best we dont confuse people who will be trying to turn off their flash to set off their off camera flashes as they think it should be IR not flash

also google scantips.com for more advice

[enlightphoto]

@dombower @tuggymcgee CLS doesn't use IR, it uses visible light, but does it so fast we can't see it. Search on the nikonians forums for details; a guy on there took the time to analyse the preflash signals. It's all fascinating stuff as it happens way faster than one can see. If you turn the pop-up flash 'off' but set it to signal an external flash, it communicates through preflashes before the shutter opens, so that the popup has no effect on the exposure.

[tuggymcgee]

No offense Dom. Love your videos but i think you just proved that guy right. I think all he was saying is that the flash also transmits an IR signal and thats what the SBs pick up just like you just said that they transmit together.

[jmstew0319]

@Dombowerphoto As far as ive read when in commander mode when the flash is fired it fires both the visible flash as well as the invisible IR light at the same time. The IR sensors on the sides of the flashes are just receivers as far as i know.

[dombower]

@jmstew0319 thanks for clearing that up..., that it is from the flash

[dombower]

@jmstew0319 em… no it is not. if you are using your on camera pop up flash it is by flash, if you are using sb900 or another flash again it is by flash not IR

[jmstew0319]

@dombower Its infrared dom. Think about it. if it was just an optical slave system then how would the camera communicate different settings to different flashes, different groups, different channels. How would you be able to change the strength of off camera flashes in the camera. Go to nikons website. Look at the su800 commander. It says clearly on the website it uses infrared communication. Sorry dom. Nikon CLS uses infrared communication.

[dombower]

@jmstew0319 that the su 800. everything else is with the flash ( it does pre flashes ) fractions of a second before the official flash. Nikon cls uses flashes not infra red (as i said in my comment above if you are using the pop up flash or the speed lights.

[jmstew0319]

@dombower If you set everything to manual (not TTL) it works without any preflashes. How can i control the power of my off camera sb600 from my d7000 with out preflashes? Because when i press the shutter release button the d7000 transmits an IR signal when it flashes to the SB600. Thats how the SB600 knows what power i set in the camera. You are thinking its because of the flash because the flash and IR signal are transmitted together.

[dombower]

@jmstew0319 exactly transmitted together… ie via flash!

[NilsenPhotography]

Will my nikon D5000 support nikon sb-900?

[jmstew0319]

@NilsenPhotography Not for CLS. You can use it on camera or if you purchase a remote system like pocketwizard.

[akithump]

Hi Dom, are there any other Nikon compatible flashes (cheaper) that will support the cls of my Nikon D90? I have a metz 48 at the moment.

[dombower]

@akithump not sure, some will support off camera ttl…. i think, just never used any others to be able to tell you

[dombower]

@akithump not sure, some will support off camera ttl…. i think, just never used any others to be able to tell you

[peterh1967a]

That will come in handy during a powercut. I'll sort out remote flash while I'm sitting on the toilet.

[RufusTheRuthless]

Hiya - just wondering if the built in flash even when used with the Nikon strobes affects the subject much, giving it that harsh contrasty on-camera flash look or not?

[dombower]

@RufusTheRuthless you can have it affect the shot or you can have it not affect. your choice

[bcmclaca]

love my cls works great! .. you forgot to mention how you can swivel the flash head around and always have the senor aimimg at the camera!. also how you can add or subtract the power to it, via the camera or flash unit. great video and love your work!..you truley are an insparation!

[crispycritterz]

Wow! I can use my flash in the loo!

[TheMorts8]

Unfortunately all optical wireless systems can be unreliable outdoors. (in daytime, on a sunny day!)

Best bet is to set the master (on camera) head direction directly toward the remote flash. Have the remote flash in shade, be no further than 12 ft away.

own 2X sb800/900's using the built in flash (if availavble) is a joke.

It works 'fine' indoors & at night or very dull day.

This is from extensive experience

[mate2000]

Does the camera's built-in Flash fire when you do this?

Basically, how does the camera communicate with the external Flash: does it use infra-red, radio, or a visible flash?

[dombower]

@mate2000 visable flash

[gorringeman]

You must have been well bored to make this one :)

[loupremo]

nice house. do you make all of your income from photography?

[senorcandyman7]

cls sucks outdoors i cant stand it

[dombower]

@senorcandyman7 it works fine outdoors, maybe your just not very good...

what part of it sucks?

[gnevphoto]

@dombower It doesn't work very reliably outside or even inside... notice when you moved in to the bathroom even after you put the sb800 on the floor it actually didn't fire. also, the actual TTL CLS system is much less sensitive than the remote firing. You will typically get over exposed images when you are that far away! in fact if the flash is even behind the camera it usually doesn't fire accurately. Radio Poppers uses the wonderful TTL system that Nikon has without the limitation. :)

[dombower]

@gnevphoto if the flash is behind the camera then i would be in its way.... bit if it is behind and at the side then i just use another nikon s900 and point the head of that towards it. I have found them to be super reliable and still never needed radio poppers yet in any of my shootings,check the new page dombowerphoto for more examples

[euphilena]

Found your video on CLS! Does this work with Canon flashes + cameras?

[dombower]

@euphilena canon sucks for flash stuff unfortunatly it canont do cls

[elcielo1981]

When i use the CLS outdoors it doesn't work very well. I basically have to be facing the external flash which would be ridiculous. I like to do a lot of side lighting for fill flash, any tips?

[dombower]

@elcielo1981 get a second flash where you can angle the head and not the camera, problem solvedd

[elcielo1981]

@dombower wouldnt it be cheaper to buy a wireless adapter? I have the sb-600 already and cant afford another one. Thanks

[dombower]

@elcielo1981 wireless addapter.... if you can get one which is a lot cheaper than a second flash.... but then it is always good having a second flash,

or best of all get a Voice activated Light stand

[dashwerks]

great explanation, i had more luck with my ebay triggers than CLS outdoors

[lookinginon]

Reminded me of Sesame Street "near and far": Now I'm 'NEAR'.....*run run run*....now I'm 'FAR'. :)

[246ruben810]

You are explaining Nikon's CLS but you use a FUJIFILM. XD

[dombower]

the fuji s5 is the same as the nikon d200

[246ruben810]

@dombower  Yeah! i know

[kingocarina]

I wonder why Nikon doesn't just make four sensors for each side? I'm sure they could charge hundreds more for them.

[dombower]

there really isnt any need when you can swivel the head of the flash around to any direction

[davidimon]

haha love how you show its power so many times, cheers dom, like how you explain things in a more friendly way, definately investing in an sb600 as soon as i gather the money

[Pinups2Showboats]

DUDE....your vids are super helpful, you are great communicator, beats the hell out of those cheesy vids where you get music with text, When I'm trying to learn I need someone to just explain it in simple terms, just like you did here, THANKS a million, and may all your kindness come back to you many times over,....I'm hitting ebay for a couple more SB800s !

[dombower]

unless you have the expensive IR transmitter or you use another sb800 or sb900 on top of the camera then yes you have to use teh pop up flash

[pedraopy]

jaja Very good review! It was so funny!

[Rassel146]

Im a total noob to photography. I have a D90 and i use an sb600 with it. my question is..

how can i trigger the sb600 as a remote flash without having to trigger it with the on-board flash (master flash)

HELP PLEASE

[21beal21]

@Rassel146 even though the built in flash fires, if you have it selected to - - instead of ttl, the flash only fires as a signal, but does not affect the picture at all. hard to imagine, but light travels at such a speed that it seems like it would be in the picture, but is not

[jeffnick3]

Great vids Dom, your enthusiasm is infectious!

[KEBokeh]

I have two sb600 flashes using my d300. I want a third flash. Now can I get another sb600 flash or do I need something else...such as the sb800/sb900?

[dombower]

you dont NEED any if all it is is that you WANT a new flash.

where a third flash would be good is to have 2 flashes on the background and one on the model... i would go for a more powerful flash such as the sb900 but if your budget doesnt cover that then stay with the sb600

[tomtomspace]

i loveee your house

[ChicoEdge]

You can use CLS outdoors. I set the flashes on light stands with the sensor pointed towards the camera and rotate the head as needed. You can also try bouncing signals off of reflectors or even an assistant standing in the right spot. I still use Pocket Wizards or other triggers if I'm not using CLS and want to use speedlights with other flashes. I have a video where I set off an SB-600, an SB-800 and an Alien Bee B1600 with a single Cactus receiver.

[red95isback]

man. i like you're videos. good info and it's funny. 0:53 made me laugh out loud. good stuff!

[terehz]

Will the SB-28 work with CLS?

[dombower]

nope, only the new sb800, 600 and 900

[charliereynolds]

hahah great video mate, very informative, but it was a vidual rollercoaster! very well edited together but so many cuts! good job :D

[dombower]

i find it keeps peoples attention and also makes the info a lot faster taking out all my "emms" and "aaahhh"s

[MRPHOTOG2]

i like your videos!

[coolwaterdvr]

what's ur fav flash? sb800 or the db900?

[dombower]

there is no such thing as the db900 (the db9 is a car....)

I am useing both they both have the same features, in this video.... at the start i am usin the sb900

[dombower]

but the sb900 is my fav a the moment because it is so much easier to use changing settings and menus...

[coolwaterdvr]

my bad db900 lol. Tnx. m saving money for the sb900.

[turlesRfun]

I have a question: what's the point of having a flash behind a door or in another room?

[dombower]

absolutly none! Ithis video is just demonstrating a point not a purpose.

[turlesRfun]

I see

[timmyguy13]

is there a fifth battery attachment for the sb900?

[dombower]

nope

[imarkphippen]

i love your videos, i check everyday for new ones, *trying not to sound to creepy*

cheers dom

[imarkphippen]

i work at jessops and we had a test and if yoy fail your out!

questions about nikon, canon the lot. the videos about the flashes and lens really helped.

so thanks mate!!!

[dombower]

AWESOME! glad to have helped!

you have inspired me to keep making videos.

[imarkphippen]

whats the music at the start?

[sanderj1989]

music from a movie I think, Dom used the theme from the movie American Beauty also (Thomas Newman - Any Other Name)

[dombower]

ill tell you if you leave a constructive comment on at least 5 of my videos. (and no its not from american beauty)

[imarkphippen]

because of you i still have my job!

[dombower]

why?

[imarkphippen]

Hazelville - Captain