Anyone try one of these, or more importantly, two or more at the same time? I'd like to set up my three SB-25's as TTL fill and b-ground lights with my SB-28 as main/on camera flash.

Any users out there?

-- Robert Anderson (rapfoto@uswest.net), July 25, 2000

Answers

Yes, I have used two at the same time. With a master flash on camera and two slaves on SU-4, you need to use a index card or something similar to shield each SU-4 so that it doesn't see the other slave flash. Otherwise, you would often get highly over exposed pictures.

-- Chuck Fan (chaohui@msn.com), July 25, 2000.

I use the ike-lite lite link; it does the same thing (cordless TTL flash) with units dedicated for Nikon and for Canon. Works great; no problems with multiple units, and you don't need to do anything special.

It's bigger and more expensive than the SU4. I bought it because the sensor looked bigger than the su-4's, and the salesman I trust most at B+H -- Lou -- said he thought it worked well (at the time, the SU-4 was new, and there simply wasn't enough feedback).

Hope this helps

-- john beckman (john.beckman@nyu.edu), July 27, 2000.

Thanks guys! Let me ask a quick follow up question. Have either of you used the lights inside of small softboxes? What I'm looking to do is set up my main light [SB-28] on a SC-17 next to the camera in a small softbox. Then have my fill [SB-25] remote TTL'd with the slave, also inside a softbox. The remaining SB-25's would be used as open flash background fill and rim lighting. Hopefully all TTL, with manual adjustment dialed in [fill -1.5, rim -1.0, background lights adjusted to scene].

Is all of this possible, and maintaining the TTL chain? Otherwise it's back to hauling and setting up my studio gear which is a lot more flexible, but equally cumbersome.

Just trying to get something for nothing! Thanks for your thoughts.

-- Robert Anderson (rapfoto@uswest.net), July 28, 2000.

I do this with Canon Speedlites and Ikelite Lite-Links. Very similar to SU-4's with Nikon Speedlights. (Did I keep the "gh" out of all the right brand names?) I bounce them into umbrellas but the light loss & dispersion should be similar to the small softboxes.

What I have found is that the lights all have to have the same type of reflector/diffuser to keep the light levels the same. If you put soft boxes on the main and fill (adjusting fill levels by varying the distances) you will need to put the same reflector/diffuser on the rim or background fill. Otherwise it will completely overpower the main light. I often put the Speedlites on manual and adjust them manually with a flash meter. This is still faster and easier than hauling out the monolights and finding AC power for them.

Also using Canon Speedlites mounnted on Lite-Links there is no way to adjust flash exposure compensation for individual flash units. The Speedlites think they are mounted on a long flash extention cord and consequently disable advanced features. Nikon Speedlights with SU- 4's might be different but I doubt it.

Also I found that Canon's Off Camera Shoe Cord 2 (similar to the SB- 17) is too short to use the fill flash mounted on a stand with umbrella, so I reverted to Canon's longer, and much more expensive, modular cord set. The small soft boxes might be better though.

The other thing is that these small flash units don't put out anything near the power of AC powered lights and so you need to use faster film and/or set the light stands close to the subjects. When I use them for weddings I have to use a fairly wide lens & keep the camera close to the crowd when doing group pictures just to keep the light stands out of the picture. It is the way to work fast though.

-- Jim Strutz (j.strutz@gci.net), July 28, 2000.

I own 2 SU4 units.

They are used for cordless TTL as follows: - 1 SC17 cord/SB26 attached to camera for fill - 2 SU4/SB26 units for key and background/hair/rimlight/etc.

They work very well and have the following features: - Compact and don't require batteries - 1/4" threads for lightstand/tripod - separately rotating heads and sensors - switch for optional sound on flash recharge (very useful) - button for flash cancel (rarely used but useful when second flash held by an assistant and other photographers present)

-- Brian Duncan (duncan1234@home.com), August 01, 2000.