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Archive 2011 · Alien Bees + Cybersync + SB-900?

zacwong
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p.1 #1 · Alien Bees + Cybersync + SB-900?

I am wondering if there is a way I can use my SB-900 on the hot shoe of my Nikon D7000 while using my Alien Bees Cyber Commander (attached to the SB-900?) to wirelessly trigger my 2 Alien Bees B-800's, both hooked up to CSRB+'s (battery).

A situation I would use this in would be live band photography. I'm right in front of the stage and I want my SB-900 to be the main light, with my 2 Alien Bee's to be somewhat facing me behind the musicians. Some situations do not allow me to trigger the Alien Bee's slave with my SB-900, and I already have a Cyber Commander and 2 CSRB+'s.

Dec 15, 2011 at 11:27 PM

AdenMendez
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p.1 #2 · Alien Bees + Cybersync + SB-900?

I'm not sure, I'm reading that the d7000 doesn't have a pc port. You need a camera with a pc port for what I have in mind. Can the cyber commander be used off of the hotshoe? A pc port or 3.5 mm? If so, you can leave the sb-900 on the camera, and stick the cyber commander on the flash.

I've done this with a Canon 5d, a 430exII, and some cactus v5's. The 430 is used for af assist in my case. A pc cord from the camera triggers the cactus v5 attached(taped, glued, velcro, bungeed, etc) to the 430.

Dec 16, 2011 at 02:56 PM

lifthard2001
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p.1 #3 · Alien Bees + Cybersync + SB-900?

The AB has a built in opitcal slave

Dec 16, 2011 at 03:04 PM

sic0048
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p.1 #4 · Alien Bees + Cybersync + SB-900?

The SB-900 has a sync port which should send a trigger signal when the flash goes off in the hotshoe. At least that is how I understand it to work, although I have never tested that exact method myself.

Dec 16, 2011 at 03:16 PM

cgardner
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p.1 #5 · Alien Bees + Cybersync + SB-900?

If you can put the SB-900 in manual mode so there is no pre-flash you don't even need the Cybersyncs to trigger the ABs.

The AB's have built-in optical slave cells in the back. They will see the light from the SB-900 and fire optically. You just need to not have a pre-flash which would trigger the AB's before the shutter opens. Whenever you don't want optical slaving on the ABs you must insert the dummy 1/8" plugs which came with the lights into the jack on the lights. But that probably will not work in your application shooting the band because the sensors are on the back of the light and not very sensitive.

To mix the SB-900 in the hot shoe with the Cybersyncs you'd need to connect the radio transmitter to the PC socket of the camera or the SB-900. That will allow you to use the SB-900 in TTL mode or M, but you are better off control-wise with the flash in manual. Again keep in mind that even with the Cybersyncs in play if they are connected to the flash unit via the RJ-11 phone jack you'll need the dummy plugs to disable the optical trigger otherwise anyone else with a flash will fire them.

Dec 16, 2011 at 03:29 PM

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