Nikon D70/SB800/Alien Bee question
 

Ok, got my alien bees. It says to make sure metering is OFF on my camera. I'm using the SB800 at 1/128th power in manual mode to trigger the alien bees. I can't find anywhere in the SB800 or D70 manual on how to turn off metering. Talks alot about the metering, but not on how to turn it off. Is it automatically turned off when everything is set to manual mode?

Thanks in advance for helping out a photog noob.

nice deeds then

If you are in M shooting mode, you will be setting shutter speed, and aperture, and ISO will be set. The electronic analog exposure display in the viewfinder will let you know how the camera thinks your exposure settings are, but you are controlling the exposure through shutter speed and f-stop.

But, I am no pro, I only play one on tv...Hope this helps :thumbsup

Here is what you need to do
 

1) it means set the camera to manual and ignore the in camera meter, no need to turn it off
2) you need to meter the manually using an off camera flash meter and set the camera to what the meter says.
3) stop using the photo slaves to trigger the flash this is extremely unreliable depending on where you are shooting and where the lights are positioned. get some radio remotes to trigger the flash.

That should get you going for now

hit me up if you have other questions

icq 202674585

I am a pro. yes setting the D70 to M will allow you to set the F stop and sshutterspeed . . . be better of with a wien IR reciver/transmiter instead of using the sb800 . . not overly expensive . .

Thanks guys.... guess I need to add the radio remotes to my list. Damn, that list is getting long.

use manual mode

you dont need to add radio remotes.....just turn the flash power up a tad if it isnt triggering the alien bees....they can be triggered by the flash...dont point the flash at your subject (the on camera flash) point it towards one of the bees or towards the cieling or a white wall

setting the D70 to M overrides auto mode and setting the flash to M does it for the flash

the reason this is necessary is because if either the camera or the flash is in auto exposure mode they will prefire the flash to get the light reading...this prefire fires your alien bees so when the full power flash fires to take the photo the bees havent yet recharged and the picture is not propewrly exposed

to you it looks like everything is working right because to you the prefire looks like part of the flash...its very fast ...

Hope this helps

Damn you got some good answers to this. I am surprised.

Or just wait for Nikon's new flash system, the SU-800.
http://www.dpreview.com/news/0511/Nikon/su800.jpg

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0511/05...onremotefl.asp

Helped a lot, thanks. Sounds like I'm on the right track. I'm doing it exactly as you said. At 1/128 it's firing the bees just fine. Keeping it pointed at the ceiling. So much to learn with photography.