How does commander mode on a Nikon camera body differ from commander mode a on SB-700 Speedlight?

Question

My Nikon D80 and new Nikon SB-700 both offer Commander mode. I have two questions:

• When NOT in wireless mode (that is, when the flash is plugged into the hot shoe either directly or with a cable), is there any difference using commander mode on the body vs the off-camera flash?
• When IN wireless mode, I am able to use both the pop-up flash and the SB-700 at the same time. Is there a difference here?
• Does one take precedence over the other if I set both to commander mode?

Answer

The most significant difference is that the SB-700 can control flashes that are further away (it has more power and a zoom head) and can be swiveled towards a flash that is at your side. By turning the flash head you can also make sure not to spill controller signal on the scene. Of course, when you have several slave flashes at both sides of camera, you can't use the advantages of swiveling head.

When using the pop-up flash for controller, your SB-700 is free for using as a slave.

Cameras usually disable pop-up flash when there's a flash on hot shoe, so you can't use them both as commanders; is your camera different in this respect?

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Can I fire my SB600 without using my D90 on-camera flash as a trigger (with CLS/TTL)?

Question

So as mentioned above, I have a D90 and an SB600. I can set up the SB600 to be used as a flash on-camera and off using TTL w/ the D90 as a commander. What I'm trying to understand is can I fire the SB600 without using my on-camera flash as a trigger? Maybe I don't quite understand how CLS/TTL works, but I was thinking that I'd be able to put the SB600 wherever I'd like and could fire it wirelessly (there's also an AA setting that i'm not sure about). I know that Pocket Wizards and Cactus wireless triggers exist and I think I understand how they work, but I'm wondering if they're a requirement when you're using all nikon gear with a body that is a commander...

Thanks.

Answer

You can absolutely use other triggering mechanisms, but the wireless part of the CLS uses the on-camera flash.

One way that's cheaper than the PocketWizard route is a cable. Refer to Strobist's Lighting 101 Series for hints on connectivity options.

If you're using Commander mode, did you set the on-camera flash to -- (essentially off)? From what I can tell, by shooting a picture of my camera and my SB-800 into a mirror, the on-camera flash does appear a little bit, so you might see it catchlights (as I recently did), but does not contribute significantly to the lighting of the scene.

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Why is the D7000 commander mode flash firing during exposure when the manual says it won't?

Question

I'm wondering if I'm using the D7000's Commander mode incorrectly. Page 225 of the Nikon D7000 manual says

The built-in flash does not fire [in "--" Option], although remote flash units do.

Yet what I've found is that the built-in flash in fact does fire, adding ugly on-camera, direct flash to my photos especially for short-distance subjects. I present Exhibit A below, where it is seen that both the remote SB900's and the on-camera's flash are captured, even in "--" Commander option. How do I fix this?

Answer

They lie.

It does, it just not supposed to fire enough to matter. The flash is how it communicates with external units.

You can get an SG-31R unit to block it and let the IR only through.

Your other option is to ditch CLS and go with radio triggers - of which, if you search, we have various questions about.

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