# How do you use your SB-600?



## ababysean (Jun 8, 2010)

Photos would be nice!

I was in walmart the other day and looking at the camera memory and I look down and there is an SB-600 on clearance for 150.  I could tell the box was opened so I got a manager and asked for another discount.  They gave me an extra 15% off making it 127.50

I grabbed it but have yet to use it or open it because I'm not really sure other then it is a flash what it is for.... 

I think it was a good buy? but only if I'm going to use it, ya know

So do you use yours or is it something I should return?


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## Markw (Jun 8, 2010)

Its a good buy.  Learn to use it.  If youve never thought 'Hey, I could use a flash for this!' before, you may not use it alot.  Id say learn, but if you want to get rid of it, Ill buy it from you. 

Mark


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## ghache (Jun 8, 2010)

i use mines all the time, use them on ma camera with a bounce card, off camera with a bounce card, i use them as background light in my home studio, as a hair light, as a fill light. for back lightning, to blind my wife. you can use it to do anything,.....:lmao:


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## BrianLy (Jun 8, 2010)

I did not know wal mart sell flashes


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## Markw (Jun 8, 2010)

None of the ones near me does.  Maybe thats why it was on clearance.

Mark


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## ababysean (Jun 8, 2010)

It wasnt in their computer system so the manager had to price over ride it.

They sell them online and they said it was returned to the store, that is why it was not in the computer, but on the floor.


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## ababysean (Jun 8, 2010)

Walmart.com: Nikon SB-600 Speedlight AF Flash - Compatible with D40, D60, D80, D90, D3000, D5000, D300, D300s, D700 (#4802): Digital Cameras


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## NateS (Jun 8, 2010)

I use mine for macros everytime I'm out shooting.  I honestly couldn't live without my SB-600.

Examples
























Beyond that, I also use it any time I shoot my kids or my niece.  Works wonders for portraiture stuff...examples....
















....also proved very valuable at a wedding I did....especially when the light starting to go away










.....also works great for snapshots of the family in our house....pretty poor lighting in our living room, but bouncing an SB-600 makes the pictures come out great.








So, in short......KEEP IT.  It is an extremely valuable tool to have in your bag and I couldn't live without mine.


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## ababysean (Jun 8, 2010)

oh my gosh the fly picture is wow!  

and are these taken while camera mounted?

Is there a way I can use it with a large light system, like an umbrella or softbox type of deal, without a wire?


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## NateS (Jun 8, 2010)

ababysean said:


> oh my gosh the fly picture is wow!
> 
> and are these taken while camera mounted?
> 
> Is there a way I can use it with a large light system, like an umbrella or softbox type of deal, without a wire?



The macros are all with the camera mounted to the tripod collar of my lens....so yes it's camera (or lens) mounted.  The portraits of the babies and the wedding shots are with a $20 33" white shoot through umbrella and a $20 lightstand fired with CLS/Commander mode.  So add in another $40ish for a umbrella and stand and you're there.

The last shots of my son is with it mounted on the camera hot shoe and bounced off the ceiling....a little dark on the eyes since he was so close, dark eyes are better than a ton of grain/noise and/or camera shake.


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## ababysean (Jun 8, 2010)

ok I am learning so much today!  Everyone is so flipping GREAT!

I have a NikonD3000 and I'd love to be able to shoot indoors, with a backdrop and such, but I dont want to spend a lot right now.

So for the flash mounted on the lite stand and umbrella... how does the camera tell the flash when to fire?  Do I need some sort of transmitter?  When I did the studio shooting we had radio wireless transmitters that I put on the flash (hotshoe, is that what it is called) and when I shot, it fired....

Also, where do I get these umbrellas and stands?  can you post a link for a beginner home setup, I mean VERY amateur here, like smile kids, thanks for helping mom learn type of deal... haha


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## Rayne (Jun 8, 2010)

Nice macro's nate... 

When I first got my sb600 I didn't use it that much. Now I use it for almost everything and couldn't live with out it. On camera and off. I say it's a keeper


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## Markw (Jun 8, 2010)

www.strobist.com will teach you everything you need to know..

Mark


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## ababysean (Jun 8, 2010)

...perhaps the most spectacular way to screw things up....

I'm dying here!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKAD7leNOVY&feature=player_embedded#!

GREAT video!


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## NateS (Jun 8, 2010)

ababysean said:


> ok I am learning so much today!  Everyone is so flipping GREAT!
> 
> I have a NikonD3000 and I'd love to be able to shoot indoors, with a backdrop and such, but I dont want to spend a lot right now.
> 
> ...



Well, with the D3000, you will need something to fire it.  SU-800 would be my recommendation...that or get a long sync cord.  If you had a D70(s), D80, or D90, or above you would be able to fire it using CLS wirelessly using the built in flash.  D3000 and D5000 don't have this built in so you need either the SU-800, a sync cord, or a camera upgrade.  You can get some cheap ebay flash triggers, but you lose TTL, and I personally find TTL too useful to do without.

Edit: Here's the stuff you need....links to them

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/362385-REG/Impact_S3233.html

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/359885-REG/Impact_2205_Light_Stand_Black.html

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/298709-REG/Impact_3117.html


That's what I use for my portrait stuff and it works just fine.


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## mfer (Jun 8, 2010)

Nate, those are some serious pics.


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## KmH (Jun 8, 2010)

NateS said:


> Well, with the D3000, you will need something to fire it. SU-800 would be my recommendation...that or get a long sync cord. If you had a D70(s), D80, or D90, or above you would be able to fire it using CLS wirelessly using the built in flash. D3000 and D5000 don't have this built in so you need either the SU-800, a sync cord, or a camera upgrade. You can get some cheap ebay flash triggers, but you lose TTL, and I personally find TTL too useful to do without.


There is nowhere to plug a sync cord into an SB-600 or a D3000.

An SU-800 costs $250 (new) and isn't a speedlight, just a device that transmits an infrared signal. Being infrared, it's limited to line of sight.

I'd spend those dollars on a hand held light meter like that can measure flash' like a Sekonic L-308S.

There are accessories you can get though like the Nikon AS-15 for the camera hot shoe:

nikon AS-15

and a similar device for the SB-600 foot that will let you use a PC sync cord.

Another good source for some of this kind of stuff is www.flashzebra.com.

It's been quite a while since I last used iTTL.


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## ababysean (Jun 8, 2010)

why do you need a pc sync cord?  like on the cheapie ebay wireless flashes


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## KmH (Jun 8, 2010)

ababysean said:


> why do you need a pc sync cord? like on the cheapie ebay wireless flashes


You don't *need* an PC sync cord. It's just one of the ways to trigger on off camera speedlight.

I used 3 lights to make this earlier today. Try and reverse engineer where the lights were.


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## ababysean (Jun 8, 2010)

hum I can see one large one on the right, i'm guessing there was one on the left as well and another above?


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## NateS (Jun 9, 2010)

KmH said:


> NateS said:
> 
> 
> > Well, with the D3000, you will need something to fire it. SU-800 would be my recommendation...that or get a long sync cord. If you had a D70(s), D80, or D90, or above you would be able to fire it using CLS wirelessly using the built in flash. D3000 and D5000 don't have this built in so you need either the SU-800, a sync cord, or a camera upgrade. You can get some cheap ebay flash triggers, but you lose TTL, and I personally find TTL too useful to do without.
> ...



This does the trick for me
Dot Line | RPS TTL Off-Camera Flash Cord with Swivel | RS-0441/1


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## mommy22 (Jun 9, 2010)

Great buy! I use mine for indoor shots and also off camera. I like to bounce it off different things to get different effects.


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## mommy22 (Jun 9, 2010)

Oh, and don't return it. If you don't like it, resell it on ebay and make some $$.


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## KAikens318 (Jun 9, 2010)

I shot this one yesterday with my SB-600. I had it on a wireless trigger system, it was on the left of me pointed at a 45 degree angle on full power against a simple white cloth back drop in my living room.

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/...allery/206196-devil-disguise-c-c-welcome.html

Keep that flash, it is amazing and can be used for so many different things, and for the price you paid, it's a great deal!


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## KmH (Jun 9, 2010)

ababysean said:


> hum I can see one large one on the right, i'm guessing there was one on the left as well and another above?


 Yep. There is a reflection just to the right of the Summit decal of the 45" umbrella and speedlight. The center of the umbrella is just at eye level.

The one above is also behind.


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## eric-holmes (Jun 9, 2010)

KmH said:


> NateS said:
> 
> 
> > Well, with the D3000, you will need something to fire it. SU-800 would be my recommendation...that or get a long sync cord. If you had a D70(s), D80, or D90, or above you would be able to fire it using CLS wirelessly using the built in flash. D3000 and D5000 don't have this built in so you need either the SU-800, a sync cord, or a camera upgrade. You can get some cheap ebay flash triggers, but you lose TTL, and I personally find TTL too useful to do without.
> ...



Is there any advantage to using a pc cord over something like the cactus v4 triggers?


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## KmH (Jun 9, 2010)

eric-holmes said:


> KmH said:
> 
> 
> > NateS said:
> ...


You can still have TTL.


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## eric-holmes (Jun 9, 2010)

KmH said:


> eric-holmes said:
> 
> 
> > Is there any advantage to using a pc cord over something like the cactus v4 triggers?
> ...




Oh wow. I thought to have TTL you had to have a Nikon specific TTL  cord. Hmmm, food for thought.


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## KmH (Jun 10, 2010)

I keep a couple of these laying around:

Nikon | SC-29 TTL Off-Camera Shoe Cord with AF Assist - | 4766 I notice they have used listed at $45.


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