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Archive 2008 · SB-900 issues, mainly no more external battery support (Quantum)

  
 
Mario Moschel
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · SB-900 issues, mainly no more external battery support (Quantum)


David Hobby, founder of strobist.com wrote: "Interesting point: The power plug on the SD-9 has two extra nubs which means it will not fit other flashes. But the design looks as if the current SD-8-type plug may fit the SB-900. This is important if you are going to be migrating other existing battery packs to the SB-900."

On a german forum site, a friend of mine wrote that he shipped his two ordered SB-900 back directly, because the SB-900:

-Doesn't support SU-4-mode with PW connected in a hotshoe
- Much (for him too much) bigger than current SB-800
- Gives tonal signal in M mode
- Doesn't work with external Quantum Turbo SC

Can this be true? Nikon's flagship no longer supports Quantum's external batteries?

Can anyone test this, please? Test with Lumedyne Cyclers also requested, if posible.

Thank you.

Mario



Jul 29, 2008 at 01:24 PM
grmedhat1
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · SB-900 issues, mainly no more external battery support (Quantum)


I think it's more of Quantum and others not having yet adapted to the new Nikon rather than Nikon not supporting third party packs. I doubt if Nikon feels obligated to support them.

The first point is a puzzler - Doesn't support SU4 mode with PW in the hotshoe. Why would anyone want to do that?

Edited on Jul 29, 2008 at 03:15 PM



Jul 29, 2008 at 03:13 PM
Mario Moschel
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · SB-900 issues, mainly no more external battery support (Quantum)


grmedhat1 wrote:
I think it's more of Quantum and others not having yet adapted to the new Nikon rather than Nikon not supporting third party packs. I doubt if Nikon feels obligated to support them.


With the Quantum cable CKE, every Quantum Battery was supported by the digital Nikon flashes like SB-28 DX, SB-80 DX and SB-800. Why not SB-900?? Why did Nikon change so many litle details like the external battery jack, the hotshoe (thicker, does no longer fit the standard hot shoe accessories)?

grmedhat1 wrote[/bThe first point is a puzzler - Doesn't support SU4 mode with PW in the hotshoe. Why would anyone want to do that?

I don't know. I really don't know. But my buddy told me, SB-800 support this function, SB-900 doesn't.

Mario



Jul 29, 2008 at 03:28 PM
blackfeather
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · SB-900 issues, mainly no more external battery support (Quantum)


...I have both Quantum and Lumedyne battery packs and the quantum cables fit just fine in the SB900.


Jul 30, 2008 at 05:01 AM
Mario Moschel
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · SB-900 issues, mainly no more external battery support (Quantum)


blackfeather wrote:
...I have both Quantum and Lumedyne battery packs and the quantum cables fit just fine in the SB900.


But do they also work or do they just fit? My budy told me that his Turbo SC does not work with the new SB-900 and his current Nikon cable he usually used with SB-800 ....


Thanks

Mario



Jul 30, 2008 at 05:14 AM
grmedhat1
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · SB-900 issues, mainly no more external battery support (Quantum)


Mario Moschel wrote:
I don't know. I really don't know. But my buddy told me, SB-800 support this function, SB-900 doesn't.

Mario


Perhaps you or your buddy are getting the terms mixed up. The SU4 built into the 800/900 are wireless optical slaves. Pocket Wizards are wireless radio slaves. You would use one OR the other to fire a remote SB800/900. The SU4 isn't used to control a pocket wizard or vice-versa.

Edited on Jul 30, 2008 at 09:07 AM



Jul 30, 2008 at 09:05 AM
Mario Moschel
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · SB-900 issues, mainly no more external battery support (Quantum)


grmedhat1 wrote:
Perhaps you or your buddy are getting the terms mixed up. The SU4 built into the 800/900 are wireless optical slaves. Pocket Wizards are wireless radio slaves. You would use one OR the other to fire a remote SB800/900. The SU4 isn't used to control a pocket wizard or vice-versa.



I know this. My buddy knows this, too, I'm sure. I think he used to use his SB-800 in SU-4 mode with attached PW (connection via hotshoe) as off camera flash for always having the choice to decide what kinda triggering he uses best. Sometimes, in daylight, optical trigger systems are not as reliable as radio ones, so with this configuration, he can switch every time without changing the flash menu ...

But I should ask him to be sure.

Mario



Jul 30, 2008 at 09:16 AM
grmedhat1
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · SB-900 issues, mainly no more external battery support (Quantum)


So I take it then that it's not a question of whether or not the PWs support the SU4 mode (or vice-versa) but whether or not a PW can be connected to the SB900?

Edited on Jul 30, 2008 at 09:28 AM



Jul 30, 2008 at 09:27 AM
Mario Moschel
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · SB-900 issues, mainly no more external battery support (Quantum)


grmedhat1 wrote:
So I take it then that it's not a question of whether or not the PWs support the SU4 mode (or vice-versa) but whether or not a PW can be connected to the SB900?



I think, you're right. He just critizises: " no triggering in SU-4 Mode when using pw over hotshoe".

I will ask him for details.

Mario

Edited on Jul 30, 2008 at 09:43 AM



Jul 30, 2008 at 09:39 AM
gugs
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · SB-900 issues, mainly no more external battery support (Quantum)


see Thom's review and the comment about SU-4

http://www.bythom.com/sb900review.htm

Guy



Jul 30, 2008 at 09:52 AM
Mario Moschel
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · SB-900 issues, mainly no more external battery support (Quantum)


OK, I asked him why he uses SU-4 mode with PW triggering. He answered:

"Only in SU-4 mode, I get a tonal signal from my SB-800 when the capazitator is fully loaded, like I get it from my monolights in studio".

Life can be so simple ... :-)))

Sounds logical, doesn't it?


Mario




Edited on Jul 30, 2008 at 05:02 PM



Jul 30, 2008 at 05:01 PM
Avi B
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · SB-900 issues, mainly no more external battery support (Quantum)


Oh, so he uses the SU-4 mode so that he can get the beep when it's done cycling?

Interesting use of the SU-4 mode. I don't really use that mode, but it's good to know about that feature. Thanks Mario (and your friend)





Jul 30, 2008 at 05:03 PM
Mario Moschel
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · SB-900 issues, mainly no more external battery support (Quantum)


Right. The beep is also available in remote mode when the flash is used as part of the CLS system and is triggered optically. But that's what my buddy don't want. He wants radio triggering and the beep.

You're welcome, Avi.

Mario



Jul 31, 2008 at 12:42 AM
adorski
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · SB-900 issues, mainly no more external battery support (Quantum)


Mario
the SU-4 is trigger by optical mean need a light signal while pocket wizard uses Radio frequency so I don't see any logic here to combine light signal to a radio signal

anyway I just did a shoot the other day using SU-4 on my SB-800 and I've used the pop up flash from the D40x to fired the SB-800 and after the shoot when the SB-800 are fully recycled I will hear a beeping sound

btw
here's the shot
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f366/Adorzki/Photo%20Sharing/D200-Side.jpg

Edited on Jul 31, 2008 at 01:20 AM



Jul 31, 2008 at 01:19 AM
grmedhat1
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · SB-900 issues, mainly no more external battery support (Quantum)


Mario Moschel wrote:
OK, I asked him why he uses SU-4 mode with PW triggering. He answered:

"Only in SU-4 mode, I get a tonal signal from my SB-800 when the capazitator is fully loaded, like I get it from my monolights in studio".

Life can be so simple ... :-)))

Sounds logical, doesn't it?

Mario



Ha! That's a new one. I've never heard it used that way before.

Well, now that that's sorted out I guess your original question still hasn't been fully answered.



Jul 31, 2008 at 02:17 AM
Mario Moschel
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · SB-900 issues, mainly no more external battery support (Quantum)


adorski wrote:
Mario
the SU-4 is trigger by optical mean need a light signal while pocket wizard uses Radio frequency so I don't see any logic here to combine light signal to a radio signal

anyway I just did a shoot the other day using SU-4 on my SB-800 and I've used the pop up flash from the D40x to fired the SB-800 and after the shoot when the SB-800 are fully recycled I will hear a beeping sound
(...)


It's not about combining light and radio signals, it's just about combining the "ready beep" only Su-4 mode offers with radio signal.

Mario



Jul 31, 2008 at 04:57 AM
blackfeather
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · SB-900 issues, mainly no more external battery support (Quantum)


...Mario...yes the quantum cables do work..I shot a job last night with the D700, SB900, and a Lumedyne hip pack connected with the Nikon style quantum cable. Worked perfectly.


Jul 31, 2008 at 08:42 AM
Mario Moschel
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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · SB-900 issues, mainly no more external battery support (Quantum)


Thanks for your reply, good to know.

Mario



Jul 31, 2008 at 10:33 AM





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