Hey Kirk! Thanks for chiming in I appreciate it! Your book has been extremely helpful. I'm glad to hear that the issue should be resolved if I shoot them in manual - I'm investing in some triggers and was hoping that would solve my problem.

Thanks again!

Please help.......what is Skyports, and pocket wizard

Aloha Akash!

Pocket wizards are transcieivers and Sky Ports are transmitter and receivers for firing your lights off camera.

The SkyPorts are smaller and lighter and less expensive but work every bit as well as the Pocket Wizards.

As for using my SB800 and 600s on manual while using the built in CLS...never could get it to work. Called Nikon on it and they told me you just can't use them on manual and use the CLS at the same time. If you can get it to work, more power to ya!

All the best!

Thanks for the reply.....much appreciated.

Dear All,

That's not right. You can use the flashes in any mode with CLS. Don't know why Nikon would say that but we use them that way all the time. Everyday. Try again and make sure all your devices are set to the same channel. Or explain to me how you have them set up.

Best, Kirk

Aloha Kirk!

The way I was using my SB800 and SB600(s) was and is for location portraits, so when I was using the CLS I put the 800 on the camera because it has to be the 'command' unit when using this combo, and a 600 on a light stand. Because I want the unit closest to the camera to be the fill and the off camera unit to be the key, I would set the head of the 800 at a 45 degree with the bounce card extended, and place the 600 about 45 degrees off camera. I couldn't get them to work at all on manual. And the worst thing about it was that it is getting all the info from the camera, which is reading the background light as well as the light on the subject, so I got wildly inconsistent exposures! And then there's the problem that the remote unit must 'see' the preflash from the 'command' unit...When shooting into the sun, (sun behind subject), forget it!!

Using the Pocket Wizards or Skyports elliminates all those problems, I set the flashes at what power I want them, and they fire without preflash and give me the exposure I want regardless if I'm shooting into the sun or how much difference there is between the background light and the ambient on the subject.

Aloha,