I bought a SB-800 flash a few weeks back and I have taken some nice studio style pictures of my 6 months old daughter with a simple umbrella+reflector setup. I had to use SB-800 in manual slave mode bacause my daughter reacts to the preflashes in wireless i-TTL mode. The problem I'm having now is that I can't dial the internal flash of my D70 lower than 1/16 power and I will get shadows and secondary catch-lights from the internal flash.
Ok. I used some cardboard to block the internal flash I got some pretty nice pictures but I don't want to take pictures like that in the future - there has to be a more professional way. I've been thinking about using cords to trigger my flash so I don't have to use the internal flash of my camera.
First I thought about simple PC-cords: AS-15 hot-shoe adapter + SC-11 PC-cord. Of course another possibility is to use TTL-cords like SC-28 - these cords could be useful later for other stuff.
Can I use SB-800 in full manual mode (no pre-flashes) with a TTL-cord?
Is there other TTL-cords than SC-28 and SC-29 usable with SB-800, maybe third-party cords? SC-28 is too short to be useful in a studio style photography and it is coiled
Look for an SC-17 used. I try to pick them up for about $20 (thats what my last one cost me). Use i-TTL or manual, works with both. Pretty much the same thing as the SC-28 which replaced the SC-17.
The SC-29 offers an AF illuminator.
Incidentally any of them offer a wired connection from the hotshoe for additional wired units.
I use the SC-28 with the D70s and SB800. I have not had any problems using any of the functions of the SB800 with this setup. Unless you use a lens with a very short barrel, you are going to get that annoying shadow with the in camera pop up flash.
I have a similar setup. An alternative to going manual to avoid pre-flash is to use the camera's FV Lock feature. For the camera to determine exposure only one test flash is needed and remaining exposure bursts are sans pre-flash until cancelled. Unless your flash-to-subject distance changes, the flash value will remain same even if you change your aperture. If you want to change the flash value just dial in some flash compensation. It works great and is my prefered method over wiires.
Look up Paramount in Brooklyn. They make your cord as long as you want it, or sell you a new cord that's whatever length you want. Note that it usn't cheap, but they make (IMHO) a far better cord than Nikon or just about anyone else. It is a professional store selling a professional custom product. Call em on the phone...they are extremely nice to deal with.
I use the SC-17, it works well for me. I initially bought it to use my flash on a bracket, but now use it to hold the flash in all kinds of positions for fill.
I am upgrading in another month or two to the SB800 - I am looking forward to improved performance.
