Hi dsnyder,

I believe the "over-flash" problem you described is because you are shooting CLS in TTL mode at a rate that is faster than the power recycling in your remote SB-800.

Basically, the batteries at the remote cannot keep up after successive shooting. Hence, at the TTL metering phase, the remote emits a much weaker signal than it should have. (From my experience with CLS, it seems that the master just doesn't know about this.) This leads the master to think that the scene is darker than it really is. Thus at the actual exposure time, it asks the remote to fire at a power higher than the correct power for the scene. And with some good chance, the remote's power has already picked up by then and hence the overexposure. I hope this explanation is clear.

As long as the task allows, my preferred solution is to shoot CLS in M mode to take the flash metering back in my own hands. (Exactly what Kirk suggested.) It gives you consistent exposure shot after shot. Saves time in post too! But you need to pay attention to the beep or if you turn it off, the red blinking LED in the case of insufficient power (underexposure).

Or, if you want to risk frying your SB-800, use the fifth battery or get an SD-8A pack. That way the voltage doesn't drop as rapidly and you can get more shots before the inconsistency kicks in. But really, keep the risk of frying in mind if you still want to shoot this fast.

I must also note that the SB-900 is remarkable in this regard. It recycles quite a bit faster, but most importantly it doesn't allow you to fry it since it has a thermal cutoff.

Maverick

Thanks Maverick! This is exactly what my experience has been with CLS - it seems that I have been trying to shoot faster than the units can recycle so I will be picking up some wizards and switching to manual for more consistent results. The SB900 looks great - too bad its so pricey! But maybe some day. Thanks for jumping in with such a great explanation.

Denise

Hi Denise,

If it were a couple years ago I wouldn't make a noise when someone mentioned picking up PW. But with so many products on the wireless trigger market nowadays, I think you should at least give a hard look at the other solutions.

Out of memory I can list SkyPort (elinchrom), RadioPopper, and CyberSync (alienbees). They all have their pros and cons against PWs and that can take a long article. But for on location flash work, I have my eyes on the RadioPopper because I have been spoiled by CLS and I can no longer tolerate the time to wait for someone (usually me) to walk up to the remotes "just" to adjust their powers.

Maverick

Hi Maverickwoo . This is very interesting, and i have learnt a lot!!. Please tell, you mentioned "frying" the SB by using the 5th battery. Are you saying one should not use the 5th battery? i am very concerned,as i (nobody can) cannot afford to "fry" my flash or replace it.
By the way, Is the SD 8A worth it and what are the advaantages and disadvantages?

Short answer: You should feel free to use the 5th.

Theoretically you can even fry an SB-800 even with four batteries if you can fire off THAT rapidly. But the chances are very low because the batteries must be very strong to hold their voltage in this high drain situation. (I doubt if such batteries exist yet.) The fifth allows you to do so more effectively although it's still hard. The worst thing I've done was to melt the gel.

But with an SD-8A or a quantum pack, it becomes quite doable. So as long as you are not using a battery pack like the SD-8A, I won't worry about it. You can refer to page 51 of your SB-800 manual for the actual numbers. For example, Nikon does not recommend shooting over 15 half-power in 2.5 seconds (6 frame/sec).

The most recent frying incident I saw was when two photogs have matching PW in an event and they unknowingly fire each other's remotes. A quick search on flickr comes up with a photo of what can happen. But they all share one common theme: a battery pack.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sportpictures/2130984215/

Hi Maverickwoo.....thanks for the reply. i appreciate your time and input.