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Nikon SB 800 on M8?

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
Can we use the SB 800 Nikon flash on the M8's . If so i am going to sell my Metz 54 which is a great flash but I just bought a Nikon D300 and the SB800 for outside the M8 zone of comfort and don't need the Metz 54 if the Nikon will work. All i care about is A mode.
 

TRSmith

Subscriber Member
I've used the SB 800 on my M8 and it works great. I'm not sure what you're asking about the zoom, but then I don't use flash much. If you can tell me what you want to test, I can try it tomorrow and let you know.
 

vieri

Well-known member
Guy, it works fine in M mode - as such, you can change the zoom pretty easily and on the fly. Never changed the ISO in a hurry, i don't even remember how to do that but I am pretty sure you can :D
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
I was wandering if you can change the ISO settings and if you can zoom the flash to match your lens so if you had a 28 on can you set the zoom on the flash to 35mm and use it in A mode non TTl
 

vieri

Well-known member
I was wandering if you can change the ISO settings and if you can zoom the flash to match your lens so if you had a 28 on can you set the zoom on the flash to 35mm and use it in A mode non TTl
Guy, iI checked this on the manual for you, here it goes:

- You can set the focal length to whatever you want on flash - independent from camera, lens, information coming from cameras who provides them, etc;
- You can set ISO on flash in A & M mode (non-TTL) with two clicks of the interface;

let me know if there is anything I can help you with :D
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
Perfect my friend just what we need to do for the M8 is be able to set the ISO and F stop that you want to use like 5.6 for me and zoom to match your lens. Sounds like I will sell my Metz than. I do have a Nikon SB 28d as a backup that I use on the M8 also. This one you have to change the ISO when you turn it on so it sounds like I can use the SB800 on both camera's . That is great to hear. Have to say from my past with Nikon that there flash system is the one to beat. They really have this down well.

I think today i am going to finish cleaning out my office and just list all the stuff i don't use anymore. I have a ton of gizmo's, maybe it will help a member or two.
 

vieri

Well-known member
Perfect my friend just what we need to do for the M8 is be able to set the ISO and F stop that you want to use like 5.6 for me and zoom to match your lens. Sounds like I will sell my Metz than. I do have a Nikon SB 28d as a backup that I use on the M8 also. This one you have to change the ISO when you turn it on so it sounds like I can use the SB800 on both camera's . That is great to hear. Have to say from my past with Nikon that there flash system is the one to beat. They really have this down well.
Indeed - on my D2x(s), I used a SB-800 (off-cam, cabled, as master) & 2 SB-600 off-cam, remote and that is a fantastic setup for quick, light & portable; the D300 can act a commander as well, so you don't even need a unit connected to the camera :D

I think today i am going to finish cleaning out my office and just list all the stuff i don't use anymore. I have a ton of gizmo's, maybe it will help a member or two.
...I am sure you do and I am pretty sure it will LOL
 

vieri

Well-known member
The D300 can act as the commander. Wow, now that is cool
Yep - just raise the on-cam flash, and there you go - in the menu, you can set it as commander only (not contributing to the exposure) or use it as a flash AND a commander... way cool :D
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
That is beyond way cool that is extremely useful. Just think you can hand hold the flash without a cord just hold the thing up.
 

vieri

Well-known member
That is beyond way cool that is extremely useful. Just think you can hand hold the flash without a cord just hold the thing up.
yep - plus, you can assign different groups (meaning, different levels of flash power) to various SB-800/600 from your D300, and there you go - main, fill, hair, whatever you need, right there; the only thing is, flahses must be in the line of sight of the D300's pop-up flash :D

One example here with the D2x: 1 SB-800 on-cam, not contributing to the exposure, and 2 SB-600 around...


(1 SB-600 is actually BELOW the machine, something near-impossible to do with a regular-sized flash head...)
 
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