Z8/Z9: Wireless Speedlights: What are my options?

oguruma
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Z8/Z9: Wireless Speedlights: What are my options?

I used the Pocket Wizard TT5/TT1's when I shot Nikon DSLR, but they don't seem to work the same way with mirrorless. With the Z8/Z9, what are my options?

I do have Paul C. Buff studio strobes, but I'm looking for a good system that offers on-camera/off-camera capabilities.

It seems like the options are

Pocket Wizards with Raven TCL
Older Nikon speedlights with optical control/trigger
Nikon SB-5000 W/ the WR-R10/WR-A10
Profoto
Godox

Jul 10, 2023 at 07:27 PM

JadedWriter
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Z8/Z9: Wireless Speedlights: What are my options?

Honestly get a used Profoto A1 or B10 depending on budget and be done with it, especially if you shoot HSS.

Jul 10, 2023 at 07:51 PM

kaplah
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Z8/Z9: Wireless Speedlights: What are my options?

oguruma wrote:
Nikon SB-5000 W/ the WR-R10/WR-A10

That's what I do, works really well.

- no extra batteries; ultra lightweight; ultra compact
- nothing in the hotshoe (so you could, if you wanted, use them in conjunction with your PCB strobes)
- integrated with the body's built-in OCF controls
- integrated with the WR-T10 remote shutter release
- excellent TTL accuracy and speed
- fires first time every time - I don't recall any misfires
- full compatibility with body / firmware upgrades
- the SB-5000's are great speedlights

Jul 11, 2023 at 09:28 AM

shekarn64
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Z8/Z9: Wireless Speedlights: What are my options?

I use Paul Buff (Alien Bee) strobe as my key light and Godox for my fill and hair. Alien Bee is triggered optically and I can control the Godox using my T1 remote and this combo is working fine for me.

Jul 11, 2023 at 09:52 AM

oguruma
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Z8/Z9: Wireless Speedlights: What are my options?

kaplah wrote:
That's what I do, works really well.

- no extra batteries; ultra lightweight; ultra compact
- nothing in the hotshoe (so you could, if you wanted, use them in conjunction with your PCB strobes)
- integrated with the body's built-in OCF controls
- integrated with the WR-T10 remote shutter release
- excellent TTL accuracy and speed
- fires first time every time - I don't recall any misfires
- full compatibility with body / firmware upgrades
- the SB-5000's are great speedlights

If I use the WR-R10/WR-A10, can I have an SB-5000 mounted on the hot-shoe and use the controls on the back of the SB-5000 to control the remote SB-5000s?

Jul 11, 2023 at 11:11 AM

ilkka_nissila
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Z8/Z9: Wireless Speedlights: What are my options?

No. You need to go into the flash group settings on the camera which you can assign to the top of My Menu and use a function button to access the settings of the different flashes.

I also use SB-5000's and WR-R10/A10s for when I need small flashes. I use Elinchrom for my big flash work; no TTL but some of the units can work with high shutter speeds. Elinchrom does make TTL units now, but my flashes are older than that.

Profoto might work best (most reliable, easiest to use) but their on-camera units are IMO too large for on-camera use especially with small cameras without vertical grips, and the flash makes the camera setup top heavy. They also don't allow free mixing of TTL and M mode in different groups like Nikon units do. Profoto is also very expensive.

oguruma wrote:
If I use the WR-R10/WR-A10, can I have an SB-5000 mounted on the hot-shoe and use the controls on the back of the SB-5000 to control the remote SB-5000s?

Jul 11, 2023 at 03:24 PM

kaplah
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Z8/Z9: Wireless Speedlights: What are my options?

oguruma wrote:
If I use the WR-R10/WR-A10, can I have an SB-5000 mounted on the hot-shoe and use the controls on the back of the SB-5000 to control the remote SB-5000s?

If you have an SB-5000 on the hot shoe, you can control it and the remote SB-5000's from the LCD on the camera body from the "flash control" menu item. Although you could do it from the SB-5000 controls as well.

In this setup the hotshoe flash is the 'master', and you can have up to five groups (each containing one or more speedlights) of remote speedlights.

This is called "Radio AWL", starts on p. 453 in the Z9 Reference Guide, will be in another spot in you camera's manual.

Edited on Jul 11, 2023 at 09:36 PM · View previous versions

Jul 11, 2023 at 09:29 PM

kaplah
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Z8/Z9: Wireless Speedlights: What are my options?

ilkka_nissila wrote:
No. You need to go into the flash group settings on the camera which you can assign to the top of My Menu and use a function button to access the settings of the different flashes.

That is not correct, as noted above the on-camera SB-5000 has a menu to control Radio AWL - you just turn the speedlight 'on' and press the "Wireless setting button" until you get to it.

I do it from the camera's menu as you say - it's at the top of 'My Menu' so I instantly get there - but if someone wants back-of-flash control, it's there.

Jul 11, 2023 at 09:33 PM

ilkka_nissila
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Z8/Z9: Wireless Speedlights: What are my options?

kaplah wrote:
That is not correct, as noted above the on-camera SB-5000 has a menu to control Radio AWL - you just turn the speedlight 'on' and press the "Wireless setting button" until you get to it.

Oh, I didn't know that. Sorry for giving erroneous information.

Jul 12, 2023 at 08:32 AM


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