Will Sekonic 308S trigger a Nikon Flash?

[photos4fun]

I am thinking about purchasing my first light meter - Sekonic 308S. When I have my flash off camera with the Nikon CLS, will the Sekonic automatically trigger my off camera flash to take a reading? How does it do this?

Thanks!!

[KmH]

The L-308S can't do that unless you use a sync cord. You need at least the L-358 and the optional module to fire flash wirelessly.

If you have a SB-600 you're out of luck because there's no where to plug in the cord.

[photos4fun]

Ouch, this is exactly where I find myself. I have a SB-600 and I use my on-camera flash in commander mode to trigger the SB-600 off camera. Is there a way the 308 or 368 can trigger the flash in the Nikon commander mode system? I don't have a pocket wizzard or radio poppers.

[Douglas]

Could always get a wireless trigger and just fire the camera in commander mode. Get your reading and delete the image.

[Eero Makela]

the camera flash on commander mode will mess up the meter with the pre flashes it uses to communicate to sb600. I tried to measure my sb800 using the L-358 in flash detect mode.

You need to connect the flash directly to meter either via cable or remote.

or set sb600 on manual and use the test button to trigger so the meter can measure it

in other words if you trigger the camera shutter to take picture the meter will not get the correct exposure when the onboard flash is in commander mode

[photos4fun]

Thanks!

[WayneF]

Originally Posted by photos4fun

Ouch, this is exactly where I find myself. I have a SB-600 and I use my on-camera flash in commander mode to trigger the SB-600 off camera. Is there a way the 308 or 368 can trigger the flash in the Nikon commander mode system? I don't have a pocket wizzard or radio poppers.

To use the Sekonic meter with the commander manual power level, you can use the SU-800 commander, or you can add this IR shield to the camera hot shoe (in front of commander) for $12:

Nikon | SG-3IR IR Panel for Camera Built-In Flashes | 4905 | B&H

And with this IR shield, then my Sekonic L-308 will satisfactorily meter the manual level flash from a Nikon remote flash, using D300 internal flash commander to trigger it. Some ifs and buts though...

You have to use Sekonic Cordless mode (push the meter button, and then go trigger the flash with shutter button). Which takes two hands, or two people, to hold the meter at the subject while pressing the camera shutter button. This is VERY unhandy, unless you can get the subject to hold the flash meter. Or you possibly may add some remote shutter to handle this.

This IR shield passes IR commands, but blocks the visible light which the meter and picture responds to. Without the IR shield, the commander signal (to set power level in the remote when you push the shutter button) will meter about f/2.3 ISO 200 at 5 feet (two arms length from my D300). That is from the camera command, not from the remote flash. With the shield down, the L308 meter will meter the actual correct exposure, about f/11 in my test (which was the correct exposure).

With the shield down, and with the Remote flash powered off (so nothing happens there), at 5 feet, the meter reads nothing due to the command - absolutely zero effect. However, at only 2 feet and shield down, the meter may read f/0.5 (and miss the final flash). So the point is, the meter can work at any reasonable distance, but maybe not for macro work. The actual purpose of the IR shield is to allow macro work (at inches) without the command affecting the exposure.

You cannot use the meter with TTL mode of course, one because it is pointless, you cannot control TTL mode, and two, because the remote will fire a visible preflash first. But you can use the Sekonic meter for Commander Manual power level mode, **IF** you can provide an infrared only command, and if not too close, but yet are able to work the shutter button too.


Or... to avoid two hands... If using manual flash levels, why not just use manual flash mode? You could add a foot mounted PC sync connector to the SB-600 foot (and you may need another PC adapter for the camera hot shoe), to use a sync cord with real Manual flash mode, conventionally. Then you can use Cord mode, and simply move that sync cord temporarily to the Sekonic meter to trigger flash from subject for meter reading, and then move it back to camera to trigger the picture.

[tomrit]

Originally Posted by photos4fun

Ouch, this is exactly where I find myself. I have a SB-600 and I use my on-camera flash in commander mode to trigger the SB-600 off camera. Is there a way the 308 or 368 can trigger the flash in the Nikon commander mode system? I don't have a pocket wizzard or radio poppers.

Just set the meter to cordless mode. It will take a reading when the flashes fire. Before I set up a second sync cord, I use to rubber band the meter to a light stand and set it in place of the sitter. Or use the cameras remote control to fire the flashes while I replaced the sitter holding the meter.

If you do not know about cordless mode that is the little flash symbol without the C. You press the reading button and then have 90 seconds to fire the flashes. If you miss the 90 second window just push the button again.

Added: the other posters are correct, you can not use the cordless mode with pre-flash as it will read the pre-flash rather than the exposure.