Lastolite Brolly Grip Review: Soft Directional Light Anywhere

This is a preliminary review of the Lastolite Brolly Grip.  This unique lighting accessory allows you or an assistant to hold an umbrella, making it possible to get soft, directional light almost anywhere, without setting up.

In this review, I wanted to focus on using it by myself, without an assistant or light stand.  I also wanted to have a lot of sample shots to show the real-world potential of the Brolly Grip.

Nikon CLS wireless tip: invisible popup

When using the popup flash in commander mode, the popup flash contributes a little bit to the exposure even when disabled ("--"). It is possible to block the popup flash completely by using an SG-3IR infrared panel or infrared filter. Even if you don't have an infrared filter, however, you can make the popup flash invisible by using a shutter speed that is higher than sync speed. That's because the popup flash cannot do high speed sync therefore the popup flash will be blocked by the rear curtain. The popup will still be able to control the CLS slave.

Note: there are third-party flashes such as the Nissin Di866 that can be controlled by CLS but cannot do remote high speed sync. This trick won't work with such units.

Nikon CLS Advanced Wireless Lighting Tip: Wireless High Speed Sync (Basic)

(f/2.8, 1/1000, ISO 100, Nikon D80, Tamron 28-75 f/2.8)


One of the strengths of Nikon's system is its advanced wireless lighting (AWL) which allows a commander-capable flash to remotely control and adjust compatible slave flashes.  Other systems have remote flash capability as well to varying degrees.  However, not all flash systems can do wireless high speed sync (HSS) but Nikon's AWL can.

A lot of people (myself included) use the popup flash as a commander, with an external flash such as an SB-600, SB-800, or SB-900 as a slave.  By default, the commander mode menu is set to allow the popup flash to contribute to the exposure (specifically, the default for the popup flash is TTL with 0 FEC).  The problem is that the popup flash does not have high speed sync.  What happens then is that when the popup flash is set to contribute to the exposure, the shutter speed is limited to the sync speed (e.g. 1/250).

In order to use wireless HSS, use the commander menu to deactivate the popup flash (set it to "--"), meaning it will only be used as a commander and will not contribute to the exposure.  If you want to use the commander to contribute to the exposure (e.g., as fill), then use an HSS-capable commander flash (SB-800 or SB-900).

TTL Flash Troubleshooting Checklist (Basic to Intermediate)

Updated: August 18, 2010

Sometimes I take a shot with flash on TTL and the exposure is completely wrong (much too bright or dark), the flash doesn't fire, etc. Here are the settings I double-check to see what may have gone wrong.

• Flash sync mode. Slow rear sync is automatically selected in program or aperture priority when the sync mode is on rear sync.
• ISO. If the flash exposure is too high, I check if my ISO is too high. If I'm bouncing the flash and the flash exposure is too low, I check if my ISO is too low.
• Exposure compensation. With Nikon, exposure compensation does affect flash exposure. If I used exposure compensation with a previous shot, I check if I left it on (With Canon, exposure compensation does not affect flash exposure.)
• Flash exposure compensation on camera, on flash, on menu. There are three ways to adjust flash exposure compensation in my camera/flash combination (D300 and SB800). First, if the flash is attached to the camera, I can adjust FEC on the flash body (by pressing + or - ). Second, on the camera body, if I hold down the flash button, I can change the FEC using the sub-command dial. Third, I can change the FEC using the flash menu. The three ways to adjust the FEC are *cumulative*.
• AE-L (auto-exposure lock). If I used AE-L in a previous shot, I check if AE-L has been released.
• FV lock needed? If the subject is off-center, or there's an object in the foreground, aiming at the subject first then using FV lock before recomposing the picture ensures a more accurate TTL flash exposure.
• FV Lock - is it active? If I used FV lock in a previous shot, I check if the FV lock has been released.
• TTL-BL? TTL-BL is a mode where the camera tries to balance the flash exposure with the ambient exposure. The exposure with TTL-BL is often different from that of regular TTL. TTL-BL is the default mode but can be deactivated by pressing the mode button on the on-camera flash, or by switching the metering mode (see below).
• Metering mode (spot, center, or matrix). Nikon's TTL flash exposure is affected by the metering mode. If the metering mode is spot, TTL-BL is deactivated. If the metering mode is center, TTL can give potentially incorrect flash exposure.
• Batteries too low? The SB800 unfortunately has no battery meter or even a low-battery indicator. It will do its best to keep firing but when the battery is very low flash exposure sometimes becomes strange before the flash finally quits. If you fire a shot and it takes longer than usual for the flash to recharge for the next shot, that means the batteries are too low.

Additional checklist for wireless mode (CLS AWL):

• Commander mode activated.
• Commander mode settings saved. After inputting new settings, press OK, not just menu to go back, otherwise the new settings won't be saved.
• CLS slave in remote mode (vs. SU-4 mode).
• CLS slave in the correct group (Group A, Group B or Group C).
• CLS slave on the same channel as the commander.
• CLS slave on correct mode (TTL vs. AA vs. Manual). Note: the SB-600 has no AA mode.
• If flash exposure is still wrong, I try switching to manual control. Once in a very rare while, the flash will still give me the wrong flash exposure notwithstanding the foregoing checklist. On those occasions, I try switching to manual mode.

Nikon CLS Advanced Wireless Lighting Tip: Shortening the Preflashes (Basic)

If you have only one slave flash or are using only one group, it's easy to shorten the preflashes. There are benefits to doing this: extending battery life slightly, preserving the operating life of the popup flash, and most importantly, reducing the likelihood of blinks.

To shorten the preflashes, all you have to do is disable the unused groups (Group B and C if your slave is in Group A). Disabling a group is done by selecting "--". You'll notice the commander preflashes will become shorter than if the unused groups are active.

If you liked this tip, you may be interested in the SG-3IR, which can reduce blinks.

How to Sync the YN-560 with Nikon CLS Advanced Wireless Lighting

***Update: YN-560II is able to sync with Nikon CLS without limits. See here***


BACKGROUND (you can skip this if you just want to  know how to get the YN-560 to sync :) ): 

I got the YongNuo YN-560 to supplement my Nikon SB800 (controlled by my Nikon D300's popup).  I knew the YN-560 was a manual flash that wasn't controllable by the pop-up flash as commander, but I didn't mind.  I planned to control the SB800 remotely while allowing the YN-560 to function in manual mode for special effects like background light, rim light, etc.  It seems other photographers had the same plan (see here for example).  Finally, someone was able to do it.  I ordered the YN-560 and when I finally received it, that was the very first function I tested.

Unfortunately it didn't work.  I thought it was just unreliable, so I tried a few times.  Nope -- not only did it fail to sync, it didn't fire at all.  I tried various settings, such as changing the popup from inactive to TTL to Manual, and the SB-800 from TTL to AA (auto aperture) to Manual.  I tried reassigning the SB-800 to Group B instead of group A, activating and deactivating Group B, switching between the 4 available channels.  Nothing seemed to work.  Regular slave mode did work of course (where the YN-560 does not ignore preflashes), but that wasn't enough for me.

I was able to contact the photographer who was able to trigger it and he said his popup was on commander mode but inactive (i.e., not contributing to exposure) and he was able to trigger the SB-600.   However, I didn't know the exact settings.

I finally resolved to try some more combinations of settings.  After a couple of hundred test shots I was ready to give up.  Then I tried to figure out what exactly was going on with the YN-560.  Why wasn't it firing at all when the popup was on commander mode?  I then hypothesized that when the YN-560 detects a preflash, it will "hold its breath" for a specific time limit, and within that time limit, the YN-560 will ignore preflashes and watch for the "real" flash.  However, if preflashes last throughout the duration of that time limit, the YN-560 gives up and shuts up, until it can restart the cycle after a pause.  ***That's just a hypothesis.  It's not necessarily correct.***

Based on the hypothesis, I thought the commander preflashes were exceeding the time limit for detecting the real flash.  I can't shorten the preflashes, but I thought about allowing giving the cycle time to reset by using a combination of FV Lock, rear curtain sync, and a slow shutter speed.  Guess what? It worked.  That gave me hope to try out some more settings.

THE RULES FOR SYNCING THE YN-560 WITH CLS AWL:
 Assumptions: the user wants to use a flash in commander mode to adjust a CLS AWL-compatible flash (either TTL, AA or M) while using the YN-560 manually in digital optical sync (S2 mode). Only one CLS group was tested.

Testing conditions: Nikon D300 with popup flash as commander, one SB800 as CLS slave (set to 105mm zoom), one YN-560 (set to 105 mm zoom).  Dark ambient conditions (i.e., optimal triggering conditions).  I aimed the two flashes about 3 feet from a wall.  The YN-560's sensor (in the body) was aimed at the wall.  The SB-800's cls sensor was facing up.  To facilitate differentiation of output, The flashes were at different vertical positions.  In addition, the SB-800's sound was turned off (because in my experience the SB-800 triggers very reliably), while the 560's sound was turned on.

Here are the convoluted conditions for the YN-560 to sync correctly with the Nikon CLS Advanced Wireless Lighting, as far as I can determine.

1. The variables that affect sync are:
a. the flash sync mode
b. shutter speed
c. the flash exposure mode of the popup and the CLS slave
d. whether FV lock is used
e. whether the slave is assigned to Group A or Group B.  Group C not tested.
f. whether Group B is inactive or not.  Group C not tested.
g. the channel being used.


2. The easy stuff:
a.  FLASH SYNC MODE:  The camera has to be set to rear curtain sync.  Front curtain will not work.  Red eye will not work.  Slow sync by itself will not work.  Slow rear sync may work if the resulting shutter speed is 1/10 or faster. Note that if you select rear curtain while in P or A mode, slow rear sync will automatically be selected.
b. CLS SLAVE GROUP: assign the CLS slave to Group A.  The CLS slave can work in Group B but under fewer conditions.  I didn't test all the combinations.
c. CLS CHANNEL: use Channel 1.  Channel 2 and others work, but under fewer conditions.  I didn't test all the combinations.

3. The weird stuff:
a. In all cases, shutter speed has to be 1/10 or faster.  Any slower and it won't sync.
b. The fastest shutter speed depends on the flash exposure mode of the popup and the CLS slave.  General rule: the fastest shutter speed is 1/125. I haven't been able to sync at 1/160 or faster.  Exceptions to the general rule:
i. if the popup is on TTL, then FV lock is needed to sync at 1/125.  Otherwise, the fastest shutter speed is 1/100.
ii. if the CLS slave is on M and the popup is on either inactive ("--") or M, then the fastest shutter speed is 1/60.
See this spreadsheet for a summary: http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AoRnW2_ZeadSdEZPY2VCRHBxaHVnRTJQZXJwX1p5OHc&hl=en&authkey=COmm5uMF

4. The good news: If the rules above indicate that a sync is possible, then on each occasion I've tried, the popup and CLS slave can each be adjusted, and FV Lock will work (where applicable).

ALTERNATIVES
As an alternative to the foregoing, it is of course possible to use the YN-560 in S1 (regular optical slave mode), while the other flashes are in Manual or Non-TTL Auto mode.  Another alternative is to use the YN-560 in S2 mode, the popup on regular TTL, and an SB-800 or SB-900 in SU-4 optical slave mode.

UPDATE
Please check out the update on the YN-560 re sync speed and other interesting info.

Adding Form to Backlit Photos (Intermediate)

I love backlit photos, even though some people think backlighting is overused. When the backlighting comes from sunlight, one issue is that the face is almost always illuminated by shade, which is a very soft but very flat light source (because it's omnidirectional). Sample:

If on-axis fill light is added (e.g. from a popup flash), the shaded face will be lifted, but the form looks just as flat because of the direction of the fill light. Sample:



A backlit photo can easily be made to appear more three-dimensional by lighting the face at an angle, whether using a reflector or flash.  The light can be bright enough to act as a key light, as in this sample:

(bare SB-800 flash from above and camera right, zoomed to 105mm, triggered via CLS AWL*)
*Nikon Creative Lighting System - Advanced Wireless Lighting 
Note that there is a shadow on the right side of the face (camera left), making the face look more three-dimensional than in the sample photos above.

Alternatively, the light can have a lower intensity, at an angle opposite to the backlight, to simulate the backlight bouncing off from the ground to illuminate the face.  Sample:

(SB-800 with shoot-through on camera right, triggered via AWL)

The sample photo at the top of this post is somewhere in between the two foregoing approaches.  I underexposed the ambient light, then added light from a bare SB-800 camera left and additional fill from the pop-up.  No light modifiers were used, nor did I use any postprocessing (other than conversion from RAW to JPEG) but the light doesn't look harsh due to the controlled contrast.  That's a technique I'll discuss in a future post.

Nikon CLS Advanced Wireless Lighting Tip: wireless control without menus

When I use the pop-up flash to control my external flash wirelessly using Nikon's Advanced Wireless Lighting (AWL), I have been using the camera menus to control the flash ratios.  I press menu, go to flash commander mode, then dial in the flash exposure compensation for the popup flash and the external flash.  It works, but sometimes it's not fast enough to capture images of our toddler.  I've sometimes thought how nice it would be not to have to go through the menus to adjust the flash intensity.  Well, I just realized the function has been there all along.  In fact there are two ways to do it.

1. If I'm in Program, Aperture Priority, or Shutter Priority, I can use the flash button on the body to adjust the FEC (hold down the flash button, then rotate the sub-dial).  This function still works in wireless mode.  When more than one flash is contributing to exposure (e.g., pop up and external), then the FEC adjustment is applied to all the flashes cumulatively.  In practical terms, this lets you set up your ratios beforehand, then you just use the external FEC button to adjust overall flash exposure.  For example, my SB-800 is my key light and is assigned to group A, in TTL mode with 0 FEC.  My fill light is my pop-up, in TTL mode with -2.0 FEC.  After I exit the menu, I take a shot. If it looks too bright, I adjust the external FEC button by -3 FEC let's say.  The result will be the popup will have -5 FEC and the SB-800 in Group A will have -3 FEC.  Note: I noticed that the metadata on the image will show up to -5 FEC but in the real world, the actual limit is -3 FEC.

2. If I'm in Manual exposure mode, I can use the same method above OR I can use the exposure compensation button.  In the Nikon system, the exposure compensation affects both the ambient and the flash exposure.  If you're in manual exposure and you change exposure compensation, it will just bias the meter and it won't change the ambient exposure, but it WILL affect the flash exposure compensation.  As with the previous method, this change affects all flash groups and will adjust each group's FEC cumulatively.