I just started using a Nikon SB600 and have been blown away with the results.
This is my first TTL flash unit. In the past I shot film used a Q-flash and Vivatar 283/285's with radio slaves.
I keep reading about using the SB800 to control an SB600.
So...
1) Is this an optical slave? In other words if I am shooting where other people are shooting behind me, like a wedding (curse them) using an SB800 on camera will their flashes set off my (slave) SB600. I ran into that problem using optical slaves before I got radio slaves.
2) What fires the SB600 as a slave. Mine has a little window on the right side (viewed from the back) which I assume is the sensor. What if I place it to the right of me, or if I use two SB600's, one to the right and one to the left. I have used this before with LARGE (maybe 40 people stacked 3 or 4 deep) family groups with good results in a church. Will the slave still fire if the window is not facing the master (SB800)?
1) It uses coded optical pre-flash to avoid interference.
2) Like any optical sensor it just needs to see sufficient intensity. For best performance align the base so the sensor points towards the master, then turn the flash head toward the subjects. Do some testing to discover the limits so you have no surprises at a job.
The built-in flash on some Nikon bodies will also act as commander.
Just to add a little more detail you have 4 channels to use when using the SB800 or pop-up flash as a commander - so as long as you're not shooting with more than 3 other Nikon shooters you all should be fine. As a side note, the SB-800 DOES have an optical slave mode as well, but the SB-600 does not (but you can use external optical slaves to trigger the SB-600).
