# Elinchrom D-Lite 4 / nikon d300s flash sync



## NeilHarsant

Please help!
I'm shooting with a Nikon D300s and an Elinchrom D-Lite 4 studio wireless flash set up. All seems OK - flash fires from on camera flash in commander mode but the actual sync of the shutter release and flash firing is miles out? my flash shutter speed is 1/250s and flash sync is 1/60s - sorry if this seems a dumb question but I'm quite new to studio work and can't seem to work this out?


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## Big Mike

You can't use your on-camera flash for triggering studio lights*.  The Commander mode on your camera/flash is for communicating with other Nikon flash units...it's not meant for triggering lights like these.

The issue is that your flash is using a pre-flash, or mutiple bursts from the flash) before actually firing the flash with the shutter open.  These pre-flashes will trigger your light so they fire before the shutter is open.  The lights can't recycle and fire again because the pre-flash is only fractions of a second before the actual exposure.

You lights will likely have come with a PC sync cord.  Just plug that into your camera and into one of the lights.  Or you could get yourself a a radio trigger system.

*You might even be able to do it with your camera's flash, but you would have to set it to manual (and not commander) so that there is no pre-flash.


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## SpeedTrap

As mike said you are going to need to connect with the PC Sync.  
I know that the D-Lites ship with a PC Cable so you should have at least one around there.

YOu only need to connect to one of them and then all the others will work as slaves from that one, just keep your pop up flash down.


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## NeilHarsant

Big Mike, Speedtrap,

Thank you sincerely for your help! I mentioned to a colleague of mine "maybe we should try the sync cable" now we will. Your advice makes sense, hope it works as I have a really tight cosmetic shoot tomorrow! All the best guys.


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## octagonmike

This may seem a really stupid question but where the hell do I plug the sync cable into my Nikon D90 ?

I have a prolinca trigger but in case that fails how do I connect using sync cable.


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## jonnyphoto

I use my sb900 on my D300 to fire my studio lights, you have to have it set to 'M' and not TTL for it to work and I just bounce it of to the left or right so that the light it produces does not interfere with the lighting I am trying to create with my studio flash kit (Broncolor Impact)


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## Christos_2006

The Dlite 4 if i'm not mistaken has a photo cell which should be able to be triggered by your on camera flash, it's best to go with radio triggers.
What you have to do is shoot in full manual mode, put your flash in M mode and give it a -3 flash exposure or the lowest setting possible. Now also put your camera in manual mode and set the shutter speed to 1/250, adjust the fstop for the power output of your lights.

http://www.photographybychristos.com/Long Island wedding photographer


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## HansScholte

I use a SG-3IR on the built-in flash on my D70. 
In the menu flash is set to manual 1/16th power.

Hans


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## KmH

octagonmike said:


> This may seem a really stupid question but where the hell do I plug the sync cable into my Nikon D90 ?
> 
> I have a prolinca trigger but in case that fails how do I connect using sync cable.


You don't. The D90, being an entry-level camera, doesn't have a port for a sync cable.

There are adaptors, like a Nikon AS-15, you can get that mount in the hot shoe.

Nikon AS-15 Sync Terminal


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## Christos_2006

KmH said:


> octagonmike said:
> 
> 
> 
> This may seem a really stupid question but where the hell do I plug the sync cable into my Nikon D90 ?
> 
> I have a prolinca trigger but in case that fails how do I connect using sync cable.
> 
> 
> 
> You don't. The D90, being an entry-level camera, doesn't have a port for a sync cable.
> 
> There are adaptors, like a Nikon AS-15, you can get that mount in the hot shoe.
> 
> Nikon AS-15 Sync Terminal
Click to expand...


This is correct the D90 does not have a built in sync port. But i didn't notice you posting the lights you use, do they have an optical slave? You can use your on camera flash to trigger them remotely as a last resort. If  you have an SB800 or SB900 those have sync ports built in.


Long Island wedding photographer


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