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SB800 and M8?


gesper

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I was wondering if anyone has tried using a Nikon SB-800 with the M8. I already own one that I use with my D200. Most of my shooting with the M8 will be available light, but I still would like to know if and how it would work with the SB-800. The SB-800 has a manual mode, so I am less concerned about the automatic functions, but I want to be sure there is no electronic mismatch that might fry the camera.

 

Thanks

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Currently, I use the SB800 on the camera hot shoe, it's a bit top-heavy, but there's no need to use a safe-synch because it only presents 6v to the hot shoe. No danger to either the user or the camera. And yes, I have measured it with a voltmeter.

 

As a flash, it's much more functional than the Leica SB-24, especially the swivel/tilt head.

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Mark--

Do you use a SafeSynch?

You shouldn't. As other's mentioned, the Nikon's trigger voltage is to low to harm the M8. It's also too low that it will not reliably energize the circuitry of a Weinn SafeSync, so if you use a SafeSync, you'll have unpredictable flash.

Does any of the automation work? The Nikon's pre-flash *sounds* similar to the M8's, for example.

Sorry, No preflash based mode will work. Whether or not it "sounds" similar, it isn't. Eventually, Metz will come up with an adapter for one of their flashes, but for the Nikon, you're sort of stuck in "M" or "A" modes.

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Guest guy_mancuso
The Nikon off-camera cord works great with my DMR. Not sure if it will work with TTL on the M8 however.

 

Thanks JR . I may even have one buried in a box somewhere

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You shouldn't. As other's mentioned, the Nikon's trigger voltage is to low to harm the M8. It's also too low that it will not reliably energize the circuitry of a Weinn SafeSync, so if you use a SafeSync, you'll have unpredictable flash.

Thanks. I wouldn't have expected a problem in *that* direction! :)

 

Sorry, No preflash based mode will work. Whether or not it "sounds" similar, it isn't. Eventually, Metz will come up with an adapter for one of their flashes, but for the Nikon, you're sort of stuck in "M" or "A" modes.

That's what I expected; just hoping. Thanks for the input!

 

--HC

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I agree with Joseph.

 

The SB800 is safe to use on the M8, you're not about to either cook the M8 or get an electric shock from a cable. It works fine but in a rather basic way, positively ancient compared to working with Nikon's "Creative Lighting System" and their matrix balanced fill-flash.

 

The SB-24 is functionally a better match with the M8, but it's a bit of an over-priced runt with a clunky user interface and inevitably rather harsh direct lighting. Hopefully, the rumoured dedicated flash from Metz will be better.

 

As an experiment yesterday, I tried to using Nikon's macro ring flash yesterday mounted on the front of the M8 and it was very much trial and error, not to mention I couldn't see anything through the viewfinder which is kind of limiting!

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